That Time Jesus Wasn't Kind
26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. (Mark 7:26-30)
What do we do when we don't like what Jesus said? In the recounting of Jesus healing the daughter of a gentile woman, Jesus seems to insult the woman (and all non-Jews) by likening her to a dog. It seems so harsh, and it doesn't fit with everything else we know and believe about Jesus. Perhaps that's because we often forget that Jesus was fully human. We know that Jesus had a sharp tongue, and we revel in his sarcasm when he engaged with the scribes and Pharisees. But does the fact that verse 24 tells us that Jesus was trying to get away from everyone when the woman sought him out excuse, or explain, his seeming intolerance for this woman who was seeking help for her daughter? Maybe. Or maybe something is lost when we lack information on tone, facial expression, and familiarity. Consider conversations and interactions with those with whom we have a relationship. If only the words exchanged were written down without noting the full context of the relationship, and without visual and audio cues, we might also sound brutal and harsh. We don't have any of that additional information in this text. We do know, however, that Jesus healed the woman's daughter.
In our own lives, God doesn't always respond to our circumstances the way we would like, nor do we always understand what God allows. But we can look at the entirety of our lives and see God's grace and provision. We don't always get everything we want to know from specific scripture passages. But when we take the bible, as a whole, along with our own personal relationship and experience with God, and place it all before God in prayer we will be able to move forward in the truth that through Jesus, God saves us all because God loves us all. Maybe that's really all we need to know.
Say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
he will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
he will come to save you.”
5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
6 Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
7 The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs. (Isaiah 35:4-7)
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people from this time on and forevermore.(Psalm 125:1-2)
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