Why Is Jesus So Rude?
Read Matthew 15:21-28.
When Christopher was a baby, we didn't ever have to vacuum under his high chair. We had a cocker spaniel at the time named Gideon who faithfully stood beneath Christopher's seat and immediately cleaned up any crumbs or anything else that fell from the tray. Gideon was better than a vacuum. He was always there, and "deep cleaned" the carpet, making sure every crumb was removed instantly. He did the same thing four and a half years later when Rachel was born, but he was a little slower about it then.
I think of that every time I read this interchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, because that's the image she uses to convince Jesus to heal her daughter, to cast out the demon that is tormenting the girl. "Even the dogs get to eat the crumbs," she says.
But let's back up a moment so that her statement begins to make sense. It's a strange story. Jesus has withdrawn for a time from Galilee, perhaps to find some rest and renewal. Even in this place, though, he is known and this Canaanite woman approaches him, asking for healing...not for herself, but for her daughter. It seems like a normal enough request. Jesus has been asked for healing in various locations. And yet, Matthew (who was there) says Jesus ignored her. The disciples ask him to at least tell her to go away, and his only response at that point is to say, "I was sent only to Israel." What is going on here? Why is Jesus so rude?
It can't be because he's afraid of breaking social conventions. John tells us of a time when he went out of his way—on purpose—to talk to a Samaritan woman, an outcast who did not seek him out. This woman is seeking him out. She wants to talk to him; the Samaritan woman did not. Why is he so gracious to her and so rude to this woman?
Even when she finally does approach him directly, he basically calls her a dog. And, we need to understand, he's not talking about a cuddly family pet. Dogs, generally, were wild and probably feral in those days. Dogs were not named Fluffy and Sweetie-Pie. Even if they were pets, they weren't treated like we do today; they were most likely work animals, helping shepherds and such. Calling her a dog is not a compliment in any stretch of the imagination, though she manages to turn it around and because of her response, Jesus grants her request.
But why is he so rude to her in the first place?
This is not the Jesus we're used to seeing. This is not the Jesus we've conjured up in our minds—gentle Jesus, meek and mild. This is the Jesus who isn't afraid to test someone, to push them, to see how much they want what they are asking for. Are they willing to stay in the conversation, are they willing to keep asking for what they want? This is Jesus who tests, to see the depth of her faith...and it's not a Jesus I'm entirely comfortable with. I like to think (as do most people) that when I ask, he will immediately respond. But if I believe what Matthew tells me here, I also have to accept that sometimes he will push me, expect me to stay in the "asking," and perhaps only grant my request after I push back.
Jesus is certainly clarifying his mission here, but he is not excluding the woman. He just wants to see demonstrated (maybe for the benefit of others standing nearby) the depth and strength of her faith. That is, after all, how he commends her: "You have great faith!"
May we all stay in the conversation with Jesus, no matter how difficult it seems. May we all be found to have "great faith!"
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| (Not Gideon, but sure looks a lot like he did) |
I think of that every time I read this interchange between Jesus and the Canaanite woman, because that's the image she uses to convince Jesus to heal her daughter, to cast out the demon that is tormenting the girl. "Even the dogs get to eat the crumbs," she says.
But let's back up a moment so that her statement begins to make sense. It's a strange story. Jesus has withdrawn for a time from Galilee, perhaps to find some rest and renewal. Even in this place, though, he is known and this Canaanite woman approaches him, asking for healing...not for herself, but for her daughter. It seems like a normal enough request. Jesus has been asked for healing in various locations. And yet, Matthew (who was there) says Jesus ignored her. The disciples ask him to at least tell her to go away, and his only response at that point is to say, "I was sent only to Israel." What is going on here? Why is Jesus so rude?
It can't be because he's afraid of breaking social conventions. John tells us of a time when he went out of his way—on purpose—to talk to a Samaritan woman, an outcast who did not seek him out. This woman is seeking him out. She wants to talk to him; the Samaritan woman did not. Why is he so gracious to her and so rude to this woman?
Even when she finally does approach him directly, he basically calls her a dog. And, we need to understand, he's not talking about a cuddly family pet. Dogs, generally, were wild and probably feral in those days. Dogs were not named Fluffy and Sweetie-Pie. Even if they were pets, they weren't treated like we do today; they were most likely work animals, helping shepherds and such. Calling her a dog is not a compliment in any stretch of the imagination, though she manages to turn it around and because of her response, Jesus grants her request.
But why is he so rude to her in the first place?
This is not the Jesus we're used to seeing. This is not the Jesus we've conjured up in our minds—gentle Jesus, meek and mild. This is the Jesus who isn't afraid to test someone, to push them, to see how much they want what they are asking for. Are they willing to stay in the conversation, are they willing to keep asking for what they want? This is Jesus who tests, to see the depth of her faith...and it's not a Jesus I'm entirely comfortable with. I like to think (as do most people) that when I ask, he will immediately respond. But if I believe what Matthew tells me here, I also have to accept that sometimes he will push me, expect me to stay in the "asking," and perhaps only grant my request after I push back.
Jesus is certainly clarifying his mission here, but he is not excluding the woman. He just wants to see demonstrated (maybe for the benefit of others standing nearby) the depth and strength of her faith. That is, after all, how he commends her: "You have great faith!"
May we all stay in the conversation with Jesus, no matter how difficult it seems. May we all be found to have "great faith!"
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