Was Jesus Unkind?

I must begin this post by saying I don’t know why I’m writing it.  The idea for the post came a few days ago, and since it doesn’t fit in with the overall thrust of this blog, and, since I’ve been sick, I set it aside.

It has continued on in my mind, so I’ll take the time to present it here, believing that there is at least one person out there whom the Lord wants to see and read this.

In Mark 7:24-30, and Matthew 15:21-28, we are given the account of Jesus and “the Syrophoenician woman”.  I will present the Matthew version since it gives more detail:

Matthew 15: 21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

I have seen and heard teachings about this passage which focus on the truth that we are all nothing before God, and how the woman was willing to accept that fact… or that the earthly mission of Jesus was to the Jew, the nation of Israel.  While there may be some truth in those views, I have found those teachings quite unsatisfying.

What do we make of the apparent, surface insensitivity and lack of real care?

Hadn’t God, even in Old Covenant times, shown amazing kindness and mercy toward the gentiles?  The book of Jonah is one such example, among many others.

Wasn’t the major purpose of Israel being in the world to show the blessedness of knowing and serving the one, true God?  So that the nations would find the same blessing?

Doesn’t the Old Testament clearly show the inclusion of the gentile world into the covenants and blessings of Israel?

Doesn’t Jesus, Himself, have significant gentiles, Rahab and Ruth, in His very own genealogy?

Hadn’t Jesus, before this episode with the Syrophoenician woman, and after, praised and even exalted the faith of gentiles, angering the Jews at times?

Hadn’t Jesus already bestowed blessing upon gentiles, such as the healing of the centurian’s servant?

Also, did Jesus not know that the woman had genuine faith?  Did she have to prove that to Him?  And cause Him to then change His mind by her faith?

First, Jesus totally, utterly ignores the woman and her plea for help. She has a desperate need in her life, and Jesus ignores her.

Then, He says, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then he makes it worse, by saying, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

Finally, He acknowledges her faith, and grants her request, and the woman’s daughter is delivered from demonic possession.

How do we explain all this?  Was Jesus thoughtless and uncaring?  Insensitive or unkind?

I believe the key to understanding lies in verse 23, which includes the following words:

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

We must keep in mind that the disciples had some significant problems with understanding and attitude.

In one place, some of them ask Jesus if He wants them to call down fire from heaven and consume some people. He had to remind them of the true purpose of His coming.

In another place, they rebuked people who brought little children to Jesus for a blessing, arousing His extreme displeasure.

They argued about which of them was going to be greatest in the kingdom, and Jesus had to adjust their vision by pointing to His own example of humility and servanthood.

God had to show Peter the vision of the animals in the sheet three times, and then Peter had to contend with the other, Jewish disciples over the fact that he, Peter, had gone and preached to gentiles.

It took severe persecution to drive believers out of Jerusalem to begin their outreach to Judea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth, years after the giving of the “great commission”, despite the fact that the Lord, Himself, had commanded it.

And, lest we get too hard or critical toward the early, Jewish believers, I think we must look at ourselves, and ask whether the same kinds of attitudes and poor understandings are present within us, as well, and we can begin with the issue of our own faithfulness, or lack thereof, in carrying on the great commission, or even local outreach.

So, was Jesus being insensitive or unkind to the Syrophoenician woman?  I don’t believe so.  I believe He was dealing with “racial superiority” issues in His disciples, in perhaps a less direct way than He dealt with other issues at other times.

I also believe there must have been some level of communication and understanding going on between Jesus and the woman that is not clear or obvious in the text.  In my opinion, I suspect she knew what was going on, and was not hurt or wounded by this exchange.

~ by endtimedisciples on December 4, 2008.