Did Jesus brush off the Gentile Women?

We are going to consider both Mark and Matthew’s record of Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith. Please read Mark’s version below.

The role of scripture is to support and build our faith. Gospels have done this for 2000 years.

However, there are just ones or two passages which seem to be going in the other direction! This seems to be one such passage.  How could our loving, compassionate inclusive Lord have been initially so dismissive of the gentile women.

We have to do some Exegesis on this passage. (Exegesis is the analysis of Biblical texts - or getting to the bottom of it by checking the pretext and/or context of a given account.)

Exegesis will suggest which is most consistent with our view of Jesus and so help build our faith in him.

Jesus was lying low - he was trying to get away from the crowds who were coming to him largely because of his miracles. His main mission was not his miracles but His message. 

The woman was a Greek – she was possibly a pagan - she was persistently annoying – noisily pleading with the disciples to see Jesus. There seemed to be no way of getting rid of her!

Did Jesus just snap? …. could he really have said as we heard in St Mark’s Gospel? “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” (Dogs meant gentiles to the Jews.)

Exegesis would question whether his statement was consistent with Jesus’s previous and subsequent behaviour? 

Are we just not hearing his tone of voice? A smartphone video would have helped us here! Other records show that Our Lord was a loving, compassionate, generous, all-inclusive prophet who gave his life to save the human race. Does this fit?

Was this question just a rebuff or test of her faith? Thankfully this scene was recorded twice in Mark and Mathew.

Mark says .....

Jesus entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. ……. The Women begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.  “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.”  “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone. Mark 7:24-30

But Matthew says ....

A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” But He answered the women and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”  Yet He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  And she said, “Yes, Lord; but please help, for even the dogs feed on the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”  Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is so great; it shall be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at once. Matthew 15:25-29

Then we remember that Matthew's account was first hand. He was there. Mark was not.  Marks was the earliest Gospel a source for other synoptic Gospels – but sometimes they sometimes qualified him.

Which feels true to you – the first or the last - Mark or Matthew. Which version feels consistent with the Lord we know. Surely Mathews. It was fuller and kinder. I feel that the smartphone video would have confirmed this.

Jesus was what he was - and always will be!  Loving, kind, compassionate inclusive.

 Amen

Gospel Reading   ===============================================

Jesus Honours a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith in Mark 7:24-30

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 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.