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Even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs
SERMON – 9.00am, Emmanuel Church, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Sunday 6th September 2009
Revd. Canon David Pickering
Mark 7. 28 Even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs. & 37 He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.
From the gospels it is very clear that Jesus was a worker of miracles. This during his time was not a unique phenomenon. In a fairly unscientific society miracles are often easy meat.
In John's gospel where here are very few miracles they have a special name, semions or signs. And in the other gospels Jesus' miracles always point beyond themselves.
At a straightforward level Jesus heals. Not just by what he says but by what he does. With the Gentile or Greek women from Syrophoencia he enters a jovial if a little cruel banter. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, 'Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.' But she answered him, 'Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.' Then he said to her, 'For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.'
When it comes to deaf man Jesus shows he is not afraid to touch people and puts his fingers in the man's ears, touching his tongue with his own spittle.
So what do we make of this rather cruel tease by Jesus?
The woman comes to Jesus seeking innocent help, and how does Jesus respond?
Verse 27 seems especially rude and offensive, Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs. Jesus seems to refuse to help and refers somewhat abusively to the woman, and by implication other non-Jews, as 'dogs'.
What's happening here? Is Jesus being rude and uncaring?
Biblical scholars seem to think there are three options.
1. Yes Jews did sometimes refer to Gentiles as dogs, but the Greek word used for dogs here refers to a small dog, a puppy or a pet. So Jesus perhaps is not being so harsh.
2. Jesus recognises in the woman, who despite her distress with a disturbed daughter, is someone with whom he can have a jovial banter to get over a particular point. This would seem to be born out by the response that the woman gives, Sir, even dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.
In other words Jesus and his ministry are for everyone and not just the Jews. After all he has crossed over into the non-Jewish territory of Syrophoencia.
It is very easy to be protective and possessive about Jesus and the Christian Faith. So often we are exclusive rather than inclusive. If we take this banter seriously then perhaps this is what this miracle is about. Jesus came with mission and message of the kingdom of God's rule for everyone, and not just for the Jews, and for us, not just for Christians.
3. Perhaps Jesus made his remarks simply to evoke a response of faith from the women. Which is what he got, and so he could say to her, 'For saying that, you may go – the demon has left your daughter.
These are the three options for the healing of the gentile woman's daughter, but what about the healing of the deaf man?
Again it is a miracle with a number of interesting points.
1. Without going into details, Mark seems to be bit confused with his Galilean geography. The route he suggests, from Tyre, through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, is very circuitous – it's going north to go south. So Jesus may still have been in Gentile territory. And the same point is being made that the signs of the kingdom are for all nations.
2. The description of the man's condition, having 'an impediment in his speech, uses a very rare Greek word, mogilalos. It is only found in one other place the Greek version of this morning's reading from Isaiah 35 5 & 6, Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. The healing miracles of Jesus are not just acts of compassion and kindness to those who suffer, who he meets as he moves around. They are signs of the Messianic age, the arrival of the kingdom of God.
3. This leads on to what happens in this miracle. Jesus actually does something He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha', that is, 'Be opened.' And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
Miracles don't just happen out of the blue. They are not magic appearing out of thin air.
They are actions.
Actions that we see around us everyday
Healing in Jesus day was often very primitive, and would often appear miraculous.
But if we think about modern medicine it continues to make great miraculous strides.
Infant mortality
Deafness – cochlear implants.
Blindness – retina implants may one day enable those blind from birth to see.
These are all miracles and signs of the kingdom of God, of the rule of God's goodness and loving power being realised in the world down through the generations.
In our worship we celebrate this.
In our daily lives we proclaim and witness to this.
There is so much that is miraculous, and we are called to declare it.
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