Posted on 02/13/2015 7:34:39 AM PST by Salvation
Monsignor Pope Ping!
It is amazing how often Jesus responded not to the question asked but to the hidden motive which prompted it.
I remember discussing this in adult Sunday school once and one of the class members said (paraphrasing): “I wonder if God whispered ‘Son, your message is not just for Jews but for the gentiles too.’”
I thought it was an interesting take, for this is the first time, that Jesus went to those beyound the Jews. Of course, I can’t remember when curing the Centurion’s son happened in relation to this, but the Centurion was one of the “judaized Romans” or whatever is the correct term.
Do I understand correctly that Jesus is apparently equating some other people to "children," and the woman and her child to the "dogs?"
Why is that? I mean, how does that make sense? Why would any reasonable person take one look at another person and deem him a "dog?" Was it because she was of a different ethnicity?
Would any of the other people within earshot have understood and condoned such an ethnic slur?
Why?
Regards,
HUH?!
Bookmark
1. God’s Salvation is for ALL men - a number of verses state this - it is an ESTABLISHED PROMISE
2. This was not literal ‘children’ and ‘dogs’ as you refer - but was metaphorical to the Children of Israel(Jews) and non-Jews
3. Jesus - Son of God, was not - ever - giving a ‘racial dig’ as we flawed judgmental humans do
Having said that, I believe Jesus was quoting ‘typical thinking’, traditions of men, caste judgments, and also stirring the woman to a greater exhibit of her faith - and therefore displaying to all that yes, God’s healing and forgiveness is for ALL people who trust in Him.
The legend that I have heard is that the chosen people called the Gentiles “dogs.” Don’t know if it is correct or not.
Not giving her food to the dogs.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3257158/posts?page=10#10
The children were the chosen people, the Israelites.
The dogs were the Gentiles.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3257158/posts?page=10#10
No indication that ‘dogs’ was a common insult. It might have been a mere random figure of speech, or it might be a Greek insult, as Greek language speakers were the audience for the story.
And those who are thankful for the crumbs from the Master’s table will no longer be dogs who are not to get anything holy, or pigs, who will trample over the pearls..
There are still dogs and pigs today.. and it isn’t an ethnic thing.. it is a heart thing..
Jesus was not unkind — the reader is too impatient to reach the end of the story.
It is not about the woman at all, it is about being persistence and having faith in our dealings with God.
Read about Abraham trying to “Jew down” God in not destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.
God made us in His Image — He expects us to stand up and argue with Him, not cower before Him.
She is not a Jew but request on the basis Jesus son of David (King of the Jews). Jesus is making clear his message is to the Jew first. The word for dog is also puppy and when woman accepted the position and understood it as metaphor Jesus grant her request as an example of faith to instruct his disciples.
“Many people merely want relief, not healing.”
I struggle with that whenever I pray.
This is one of those difficult passages in Scripture, and it can be hard to understand especially since we weren’t present to hear the inflection in Jesus’ voice. I don’t see this as a moment when Jesus had an “aha!” about salvation belonging to the Gentiles, too. Rather, I see it as part of His revealing His eternally predestined plan to bring salvation to all the world.
Sarcasm and innuendo can be hard to capture on paper, and I believe that the follower of the Lord must by faith based on the totality of Scripture understand that Jesus loves all Whom He has called.
As an aside, Jesus’ harshest words in the Scriptures, by far, are directed toward the Scribes and Pharisees, the most “Jewish” of Jews.
I understand this passage as Jesus’s way of calling out the woman’s bigotry by turning it on her. In Matthew, it makes the woman’s ethnicity more plain by saying she was from Canaan. There was (and still is) a lot of bad blood between Canaanites and Israelites.
It would have been her natural inclination to be anti-Jewish, to hate Jesus for His ethnicity and religion.
Jesus was testing her to see if her calling on Him was a sincere belief in who He was, or if it was a ploy to get Him just to heal her daughter. In other words, whether the woman loved just her daughter, or loved the Lord AND loved her daughter.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.