Bread Crumbs for All
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Alright, let’s look at the story and see what’s going on...
Background:
Jesus and Peter have just walked on the water
They land at Gennesaret and the men brought all their sick to Him and heals all those who touched his cloak
And then the Pharisees come to Jesus with a concern...
They come to Jesus complaining because the disciples don’t wash their hands before they eat...
They believed that if you eat with dirty hands, then you become unclean
Jesus pretty much unloads on them....He concludes that:
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
My friend Peter doesn’t understand and asks Jesus to explain this to them
17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
So Jesus just sets the Pharisees straight and now we move into what we read...
The short synopsis:
A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus and cries out to Him
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Now first, she calls Him Lord, Son of David...
Apparently word of who Jesus is has now spread as they are clear up in the region of Tyre and Sidon - it would be in the Northwest of Capernaum and almost straight north of Nazareth..
It’s a bit away from where Jesus had been and is certainly a gentile area…yet, this woman came to Jesus already know about Him and even calling Him Lord, Son of David....
There’s a good chance that she knows He’s the Messiah…Calling Him Son of David could mean that she knows the prophecies about Him or just that He was born in Bethlehem.
Either way, she calls Him Lord....
So, her daughter is demon-possessed
I’m not going to dive into a full-on deliverance message this morning, however just know, when you are under the forces of evil, whether you consider is possession, oppression, or something else, you’re going to suffer
Satan is not the author of peace…Jesus is the prince of Peace
Jesus wants you to experience freedom…satan wants to keep you suffering...
So, this lady’s daughter is suffering…and
Jesus ignores her.
How rude, Jesus…Nah, He’s not being rude
I think He wants to see her persistence in faith…There’s a reason Jesus doesn’t answer her and I don’t think it’s because He’s being rude
The disciples come to Him and basically say, send her away, she is being annoying...
And here’s Jesus’ response
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
Wait what? This is a shocking answer coming from Jesus...
The woman then kneels before Him…Lord, help me! She says..
And, Jesus gets wierder
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
So, Jesus just calls her a “dog?”
At this point Rev. Brandon Robertson says that Jesus is racist...
As a Christian, pastor even, I have three lists of other pastors/teachers..
Recommend
Don’t recommend - use extreme caution
Heretics
Rev. Robertson I would put in the third category…mostly because he’s an excellent communicator and super smooth with his arguments. It is really to get roped in. Until he repents or his eyes are opened, I would stay away!
He claims that Jesus only cares about the Jews and refers to everyone else as a “dog” - this is insulting!
But, she stays persistent -
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Yes, Lord....she knows why He came! She agrees and affirms what He says…she isn’t offended here, at least in the way someone who was just insulted is...
This is the first hint that maybe Rev. Robertson is off...
Someone who feel like they were just insulted probably isn’t going to agree with their insulter....
But she says…even the dogs eat crumbs that fall from their master’s table...
So, she is pretty sharp...
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
We’re going to break this down a bit further…before we dive into what is happening, let’s talk about what’s not happening here..
What is not happening:
Jesus is not racist
Do not listen to the likes of Rev. Robertson
So, let’s just look really quickly at a few other interactions that Jesus has with gentiles.
10 lepers - one samaritan, many other gentiles
Centurion who’s servant was paralyzed
8 The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
2. Woman at the well in John 4
Jesus shares with her the good news...
22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Then she became the first missionary
So, clearly, Jesus is not racist and “has it out for the gentiles”
Jesus is not saying He doesn’t care about the gentiles
The problem with claims of Rev. Robertson is he is literally looking at one particular verse and adjusting it to fit his narrative
When something seems completely odd and not of God’s character, you don’t form a theology on it, you compare it with the rest of scripture and research what is actually going on
He is not even being insulting - He is talking about priorities
He came first for the Jews, but it clearly doesn’t stop there…there’s a good chance that neither you nor I are Jewish…but we are here worshipping the same Jesus
So let’s talk about
What is happening:
Jesus did come for the Jews, but scripture is clear that what was first for the Jews was rejected, but, it was offered to all!
What Jesus has to offer is for everyone!
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
What is the children’s bread?
That is the good news of who He is!
And the great things that He has to offer!
So, it is first offered to the children, which is Israel, and then to the dogs… who is everyone else
Dogs - not an insult -
One commentary said it was savage dogs, but I disagree with that…if so, I could see it in a derogatory since.
But look at
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Most commentaries and where I land is the dogs aren’t savage dogs, it is
family pet - most of us love our family pet dog
comparison is children and dogs - those who are heirs and those who aren’t
The woman is smart with her answer and recognizes that she isn’t a “child” in this since in that she is not Jewish, but even the family dogs get the crumbs…surely Jesus would have enough for all!
The woman’s faith is present and persistent!
If we want the things of God, we too must have faith that is present and persistent....
I wonder if sometimes when we struggle if God is waiting to see how long our faith will last?
He wants to see us continue to pursue Him and what He offers!
In addition to our faith being present and persistent, we can also learn....
Jesus cares for all! All are welcome at His table!
Someone like Roberston would paint the picture that Jesus was only for the Jews, but that is clearly not the case...
Based on other scriptural context, we know that Jesus is available to everyone!
Jesus is echo what you would hear from the Jews...
Remember, He just called out the Pharisees...
And He is likely being almost satirical
It’s not what He believe, but the impression that others would get...
Clearly, He breaks that down by helping the woman’s daughter...
Nonetheless, He is to everyone!
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
No one is left out
Finally, Jesus wants you freed!
He doesn’t want you to continue to struggle!
However, we often times make excuses...
The freedom that Christ offers is not for me!
I am not welcome to it!
Or, I don’t need it!
This morning, if you are struggling, let’s pray for you!