Jesus crosses boundaries.

We are going to look at a really strange story in Matthew and Mark's Gospel that's about bread, Jesus being a bit rude to a woman and what maybe racism, which somehow is resolved into God's multicoloured wisdom.

Bread is pretty important in the Bible…

Jesus and the 12 disciples go into a Gentile area for a rest.

Not much rest because a woman with a demonised daughter comes.

Jesus seems a bit rude – calling her a puppy

But then seeing her faith heals the daughter.

What's that all about?

Read Matthew 15:21-29

Mark 7:24-28

2 different perspectives on the same story

Matthew

Canaanite woman

Disciples bring her to Jesus

Weird dialogue is in front of them

Jesus commends her faith

Mark

It's a Greek, a syrophonecian woman

The secret rest aspect is a big deal

Weird dialogue

Jesus commends her faith

In both the placing of the story is significant.

The feeding of the 5,000 is just before. That happens in a Jewish area where a multiplication miracle happens to make 5 loaves and 2 fish enough to feed 4,000 people with 12 baskets left over. The number of the baskets implies Jesus is enough for all the 12 tribes of Israel.

Straight after the Canaanite woman – the feeding of the 4,000 happens in a Gentile area. Seven loaves and a few fish are multiplied 4,000 and there are seven baskets left over. Again the 7 is significant – the number of completion and perfection. Jesus is enough for all the nations.

A lot of bread involved in the three stories! – bread is significant. It's a staple.

Factory bread is awful! And meaningless, just bland and soft to be easy to eat and make profit for supermarkets. Real bread is amazing – who you share your bread with is important. Throughout Scripture there are moments of sharing bread with people as a welcome – Abraham, Boaz. In fact our word “companion” comes from the Latin meaning with bread – a companion is someone you eat bread with.

Bread is so important it becomes part of communion as a symbol of Christ's body.

Matthew

Matthew most likely wrote his gospel around 80AD after the temple was destroyed. Jewish Christian perspective and wrestling with why the Jewish church is already declining and the Gentile church taking off. And the placing of the three stories is part of explaining.

He describes her as Canaanite – ancient enemies based in that area, but a term no longer used by anyone iother than Jews. Amazingly she knows the correct Jewish ter for Jesus – “Lord Son of David”

Jesus doesn't answer initially to get the disciples involved. What plays out next happens in front of the disciples for them to see and grasp something.

Then he tells her he came for the sheep of Israel – the Jews. She persists.

And then he says the weirdest thing “It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs”

I don't like dogs much – but lots of people do. In the UK they are supposedly a man's best friend. And when teenagers call girl a dog it means she is ugly. So it's a pretty strong insult to our ears.

In Middle Eastern – you have stray dogs wondering around eating scraps and giving people rabbies. And some may have nice puppies as pets.

Most Jews would call Gentiles dogs – pretty nasty.

Jesus uses the term puppy though – so he is softening it. And brings the imagery of children being in trouble for feeding the pet puppy under the table. Bread here – being what it often is the Words of God from the one who is after all the bread of life.

She persists again – even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table.

Jesus sees her persistent faith and so have the disciples. He commends her and heals the daughter. Then he immediately goes to do the feeding of the 4,000 where there is 7 baskets a perfect amount left over.

The message is clear. Hey disciples – be surprised there is faith and response from the nations and I have plenty to give – not just crumbs but 7 baskets too much.

Mark

He is from a North African background, his parents apparently came from Cyrene and he ends up back in Africa in Alexandria. His Gospel is more aimed at non Jewish Christians – so he says she is Greek and Syrophoenician the accurate geographical terms – one of us.

In the way he puts the dialogue.

Jesus says – “First, let the children eat all they want” – so the Jews get the message first, but the door isn't closed.

The same ouch phrase “it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs” – Greek is puppy so softened!

She persists and ripostes – Even the puppies under the table eats the children's crumbs.

Her persistent faith is rewarded and the daughter is healed.

Theres another miracle and then again the feeding of the four thousand with loads left

Israel's job as treasured possession was to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests. Like Abraham they were blessed to be a blessing. But wantonly failing. They called people from the nations dogs, so Jesus calls them puppies. Need to love them not hate them.

It takes a women from Syropheonicia to shock the disciples that there is faith and a desperation for the Kingdom of God – bread.

They were blessed to be a blessing. But ultimately the Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah (for now anyway). And thankfully the Gospel is still going to the nations.

Jesus crosses boundaries

An enemy – the Syrophoenician called a Canaanite

A woman – taboo to talk to.

The Kingdom of God is open to all

Men and women

Rich and poor

Black and white

Anyone

 

It's God's multicoloured wisdom – a glorious radiant church made up of people from all backgrounds brough together by Jesus.