South's SOAP for the Day
S-Read Mark 7:24-37.
O-Jesus had his reasons for not wanting news of his healing of the deaf and mute man, but the people did not follow his wish.
A-What are you struggling with because you either can’t hear God’s reasoning, or don’t understand or want to accept his reasoning?
P-Pray that you will hear God’s will clearly and follow it.
Our first area of focus is the story about the Syrophoenician woman coming to ask Jesus to cast out a demon who has overtaken her daughter. How did you react when you read this passage? Were you shocked at the harshness of what Jesus says to the woman? Doesn't seem characteristic of Jesus does it? There's a fair amount of back story that we need to think about. Some of what I talk about below was shaped an article by Holly Carey, a professor at Point University (which used to be Atlanta Christian College). I came across it in my digging/reading on this passage this morning. It is well worth the time to read it.
First, is Jesus taking a vacation? The region of Tyre and Sidon is well out of Galilee, where Jesus is ministering at the moment. Tyre and Sidon are coastal cities on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Jesus goes there to get away from the crowds. Mark doesn't tell us if his disciples are with him. Though, he does tell us that even though Jesus wanted to get away, he could not escape in secrecy. The people knew who he was. The Syrophoenician woman heard about him being in the region. She saw her opportunity.
Second, who is this Syrophoenician woman? What is her background? Mark tells us she is Greek. That means she is a Gentile, seen as unclean by Jews. She is also from Phoenicia, a region that was considered godless by the Old Testament. Plus, she is a woman. So, in Jewish terms, she's a pagan woman who comes from an even more despicable area. One would assume that she understands the cultural differences between her and Jesus. For her to come to Jesus is amazing. Yet, she knows the hope that he has for her. She knows he can perform this miracle and save her daughter. She is willing to risk it all to come to this Jewish teacher/healer. She's willing to risk the criticism she could get from her own people and from the Jews. Her daughter is more important.
In the story, she comes to Jesus and kneels before him and requests that he use his power to heal her daughter from the demon. For our journey, we've seen Jesus do this multiple times. Every time he has healed someone, there was no hesitation and no harshness. Yet, in our story Jesus says, "First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
When Jesus says children, he is implying the Jews. When he says dogs, he is implying Gentiles. So, in a sense, he is telling her, I'm here to care for the Jews. They should get all my attention. Its not right for me to allow the good news to bless the dogs--Gentiles. Scholars are quick to point out the dogs in this passage is extremely derogatory. Dogs in that day were seen as unclean. They were not household pets with little sweaters and canned food. No, the scholars that I leaned on portrayed dogs as wild and ravenous. The good news, by Jesus' statement is not worthy to be shared with the wild, ravenous, unclean Gentiles.
Third, why is Jesus so harsh here? It seems to be very uncharacteristic of him. One article I read talked about the differing opinions of Jesus being racist, sexist, and uncaring in his response. Especially since we don't really know who all is witnessing the verbal exchange. Is Jesus alone with his disciples while talking with this woman? Are there others around also, like Pharisees and teachers or the law? Is he trying to show that Judaism is superior to this woman's heritage and paganism? There is so much context that we don't know. And, it is a challenge to take our current context, one where racism, sexism, and political correctness with us as we read this passage. That is not fair to the passage. In that day and age, cultural differences were a harsh reality. Women were not equals in society with men.
All of these things really make this passage a mess.
The woman's response, begins to give us some hope. While Mark doesn't tell us if the woman sat there for a minute processing the words of Jesus. We don't really hear his tone of voice. We don't know if his frustration in not being able to escape from the needs of the people is coming out and driving what seems to be an angry response. We don't see the facial expressions and body language of the woman. All we get are her words, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." As noted in Carey's article, the woman here uses a different word for children. Jesus' word for children is a more common, general word like kids. The woman's word is more of a term of endearment like children.
The woman acknowledges her place as a dog--a woman Gentile with a not so pleasant heritage--and pushes back at Jesus saying, that even the wild and ravenous dogs get to eat the crumbs and scraps that are cast off by the children/Jews. Jesus is impressed with her answer. Her response heals her daughter. Jesus doesn't do anything--he doesn't go to her daughter. He doesn't pray over her daughter. He doesn't touch her daughter, which we see him do so often with the miracles he is doing. No, the woman returns home to find her daughter free of the demon.
Still scratching your head? Dr. Carey's article really brings things to light for me. She does good exegesis by challenging the reader to look at the broader context of the story here. She asks the question, what has happened before this passage? As we read yesterday, we encountered this conversation about clean and unclean between Jesus and the Pharisees. The end result of that conversation was Jesus saying that it wasn't what you ate that made you unclean. We can even bring the understanding that it isn't what you touch that makes you unclean. We've seen Jesus touch many unclean and demon possessed people. We see him touch a dead person, which was also a no no for the keepers of the Law. That story closes with Jesus' disciples not even getting the point of the conversation--that how you live is what makes you clean or unclean.
That set side by side with our current story--a story of an unclean, unworthy woman coming to Jesus, the good news, because she has faith that he can intervene and save her daughter.
The Pharisees don't get it. The disciples don't get it. And yet, here on the coast of the Mediterranean this woman gets it.
This story is followed up by another involving another Gentile. Once Jesus leaves the coast, he heads towards the Sea of Galilee, into the Decapolis. Each of the cities that Mark mentions are Gentile cities.
Jesus is brought a deaf/mute man by some people. Again, wanting to get away from the crowd, he takes the people and the man to a private area and heals him. This time he touches him, which is a common theme with ancient healing. He prays and asks God the open the man's mouth and ears. And the man is healed. As normal, Jesus tells them to tell no one, wanting to control the viral (in a good way) nature of his presence among the regions.
So, what's the take home for us? I think today's reading echoes some challenges we had a few days ago. What are we doing that is hindering us from proclaiming the good news...the good news that is for everyone? Are we willing to step into uncomfortable places for the Gospel? What can God do with boldness from us?
Lord, help us to move. Help us to be the light to the world. Help us to proclaim the Gospel to all. Help us to be reflective. If we need to change, help us to change. Help us to be bold.
First, is Jesus taking a vacation? The region of Tyre and Sidon is well out of Galilee, where Jesus is ministering at the moment. Tyre and Sidon are coastal cities on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Jesus goes there to get away from the crowds. Mark doesn't tell us if his disciples are with him. Though, he does tell us that even though Jesus wanted to get away, he could not escape in secrecy. The people knew who he was. The Syrophoenician woman heard about him being in the region. She saw her opportunity.
Second, who is this Syrophoenician woman? What is her background? Mark tells us she is Greek. That means she is a Gentile, seen as unclean by Jews. She is also from Phoenicia, a region that was considered godless by the Old Testament. Plus, she is a woman. So, in Jewish terms, she's a pagan woman who comes from an even more despicable area. One would assume that she understands the cultural differences between her and Jesus. For her to come to Jesus is amazing. Yet, she knows the hope that he has for her. She knows he can perform this miracle and save her daughter. She is willing to risk it all to come to this Jewish teacher/healer. She's willing to risk the criticism she could get from her own people and from the Jews. Her daughter is more important.
In the story, she comes to Jesus and kneels before him and requests that he use his power to heal her daughter from the demon. For our journey, we've seen Jesus do this multiple times. Every time he has healed someone, there was no hesitation and no harshness. Yet, in our story Jesus says, "First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
When Jesus says children, he is implying the Jews. When he says dogs, he is implying Gentiles. So, in a sense, he is telling her, I'm here to care for the Jews. They should get all my attention. Its not right for me to allow the good news to bless the dogs--Gentiles. Scholars are quick to point out the dogs in this passage is extremely derogatory. Dogs in that day were seen as unclean. They were not household pets with little sweaters and canned food. No, the scholars that I leaned on portrayed dogs as wild and ravenous. The good news, by Jesus' statement is not worthy to be shared with the wild, ravenous, unclean Gentiles.
Third, why is Jesus so harsh here? It seems to be very uncharacteristic of him. One article I read talked about the differing opinions of Jesus being racist, sexist, and uncaring in his response. Especially since we don't really know who all is witnessing the verbal exchange. Is Jesus alone with his disciples while talking with this woman? Are there others around also, like Pharisees and teachers or the law? Is he trying to show that Judaism is superior to this woman's heritage and paganism? There is so much context that we don't know. And, it is a challenge to take our current context, one where racism, sexism, and political correctness with us as we read this passage. That is not fair to the passage. In that day and age, cultural differences were a harsh reality. Women were not equals in society with men.
All of these things really make this passage a mess.
The woman's response, begins to give us some hope. While Mark doesn't tell us if the woman sat there for a minute processing the words of Jesus. We don't really hear his tone of voice. We don't know if his frustration in not being able to escape from the needs of the people is coming out and driving what seems to be an angry response. We don't see the facial expressions and body language of the woman. All we get are her words, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." As noted in Carey's article, the woman here uses a different word for children. Jesus' word for children is a more common, general word like kids. The woman's word is more of a term of endearment like children.
The woman acknowledges her place as a dog--a woman Gentile with a not so pleasant heritage--and pushes back at Jesus saying, that even the wild and ravenous dogs get to eat the crumbs and scraps that are cast off by the children/Jews. Jesus is impressed with her answer. Her response heals her daughter. Jesus doesn't do anything--he doesn't go to her daughter. He doesn't pray over her daughter. He doesn't touch her daughter, which we see him do so often with the miracles he is doing. No, the woman returns home to find her daughter free of the demon.
Still scratching your head? Dr. Carey's article really brings things to light for me. She does good exegesis by challenging the reader to look at the broader context of the story here. She asks the question, what has happened before this passage? As we read yesterday, we encountered this conversation about clean and unclean between Jesus and the Pharisees. The end result of that conversation was Jesus saying that it wasn't what you ate that made you unclean. We can even bring the understanding that it isn't what you touch that makes you unclean. We've seen Jesus touch many unclean and demon possessed people. We see him touch a dead person, which was also a no no for the keepers of the Law. That story closes with Jesus' disciples not even getting the point of the conversation--that how you live is what makes you clean or unclean.
That set side by side with our current story--a story of an unclean, unworthy woman coming to Jesus, the good news, because she has faith that he can intervene and save her daughter.
The Pharisees don't get it. The disciples don't get it. And yet, here on the coast of the Mediterranean this woman gets it.
This story is followed up by another involving another Gentile. Once Jesus leaves the coast, he heads towards the Sea of Galilee, into the Decapolis. Each of the cities that Mark mentions are Gentile cities.
Jesus is brought a deaf/mute man by some people. Again, wanting to get away from the crowd, he takes the people and the man to a private area and heals him. This time he touches him, which is a common theme with ancient healing. He prays and asks God the open the man's mouth and ears. And the man is healed. As normal, Jesus tells them to tell no one, wanting to control the viral (in a good way) nature of his presence among the regions.
So, what's the take home for us? I think today's reading echoes some challenges we had a few days ago. What are we doing that is hindering us from proclaiming the good news...the good news that is for everyone? Are we willing to step into uncomfortable places for the Gospel? What can God do with boldness from us?
Lord, help us to move. Help us to be the light to the world. Help us to proclaim the Gospel to all. Help us to be reflective. If we need to change, help us to change. Help us to be bold.
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