...Like A Gentile Or Tax Collector (part 7)

Here also is an opportunity for Jesus to prove His previously made point, which was that if Tyre and Sidon were able to see the miracles that had been seen by the denizens of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, that they would respond in an appropriate manner.  However, given this opportunity, it is to be noted that Jesus says that He “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  Undeterred by Jesus’ seeming aversion to Gentile outreach, this woman that had made her initial messianic proclamation, and who had followed and continued to cry out after Jesus, bows down before Jesus and says simply, “Lord, help me!” (Matthew 15:25b)  Surely now one would expect Jesus to respond in the way to which His observers have grown accustomed.  He again disappoints expectations by saying “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (15:26).  Undaunted, the desperate woman offers her reply, saying “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (15:27). 

Putting aside the apparently problematic use of “dogs,” which has not yet been on offer from Jesus in His previous dealings with Gentiles, and so apparently is meant to play a rhetorical role in a conversation that has taken the appearance of a rabbinic debate (thereby, in point of fact, elevating this woman---is this encounter taking place at a meal, amplifying Jesus’ point and removing the possibility of insult from His comment?), rather than being used as a demeaning and blanket statement (considering the possibility that Jesus already has in mind what He is going to do for this woman and how He is ultimately going to respond to her), she has taken up the words of Jesus, accepted His statement without challenge, and then added “master” to the fact of her already referring to Him as “Lord” and “Son of David.”  Finally, this is productive of what would be expected from Jesus from the beginning, as He answers her with “Woman, your faith is great!  Let what you want be done for you” (15:28a).  The closing report is that “her daughter was healed from that hour” (15:28b). 

When stepping back from this for a moment and viewing the exchange as a whole, one can find tremendous similarities between the encounter between Jesus and the centurion in Capernaum, and between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon.  While viewing the similarities, one must also consider Jesus’ statement about Tyre and Sidon and their potential response to the miracles that He performed.  As indicated, Matthew neatly introduces this story into the narrative of Jesus that he is telling, and both ends---Jesus’ statement about Tyre and Sidon juxtaposed against the “woes” He pronounced and what takes place here in Tyre and Sidon with this woman---are heavily suggestive when it comes to considering the prescribed treatment of an erring member of the new covenant community as a Gentile or tax collector. 

In the previous story, the centurion comes to Jesus with a request.  The Canaanite woman does likewise.  Jesus responds positively to the centurion, but does not respond to the Canaanite woman (perhaps the Roman commander, as part of the Gentile, tax collecting, oppressive force, would be looked upon as a greater enemy by the majority of Jesus’ and Matthew’s audience, therefore Jesus offers greater compassion and praise to Him, whereas the Canaanite woman would merely be considered a nuisance?).  Upon Jesus’ response, the centurion, even though his request has been granted, says “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.”  The audience then goes on to find out the reasoning behind these words, as well as the way that He perceives Jesus’ power and authority, as he says “For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  I say to this one, ‘Go,” and he goes, and to another “Come’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it” (8:9)  

...Like A Gentile Or Tax Collector (part 6)

Though this passage does not include a messianic reference, what is found there is reminiscent of what was already seen in the eighth chapter, in Capernaum, when the centurion (a Gentile) came to Jesus saying “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible anguish” (Matthew 8:6).  Jesus responded with a simple “I will come and heal him” (8:7b).  This study’s initial recounting of that meeting did not go into great detail---a situation that shall now be rectified.  The centurion, who must have been pleased with Jesus’ response, replied to Him by saying “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof.  Instead, just say the word and my servant will be healed” (8:8).  Jesus is shown to be somewhat dumbstruck by the response.  In fact, Matthew’s report about Jesus is that “He was amazed” (8:10a).  He was so amazed that He said “I tell you the truth, I have not found such faith in anyone in Israel!” (8:10b) 

To that, in order to benefit His Jewish hearers and to make a point about the Creator God’s kingdom and its reach, Jesus adds a reference to the messianic banquet by saying “I tell you, many will come from the east and west to share the banquet with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (8:11).  His hearers, along with those hearing the Matthew narrative, are clearly intended to make the inference that the kingdom of the Creator God is certainly not going to be restricted to Israel alone.  Punctuating the encounter, Jesus says “Go; just as you believed,” which is that Jesus could simply command the healing, “it will be done for you” (8:13b).  Matthew’s report, in demonstration of the in-breaking of the Creator’s kingdom through the very word of the Christ, is that “the servant was healed at that hour” (8:13c). 

Certainly, this story aids in setting a tone for the remainder of Matthew’s Gospel.  So when a later point in the story is reached, and the Canaanite (Gentile) woman, who clearly recognizes Jesus’ power to heal and to rectify the situation, can be heard to say “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!’”, the reader would expect a response from Jesus that will be similar to that which was on display in His dealings with the centurion in Capernaum.  Strangely, this is not what is to be found there.  In fact, the author reports that “He did not answer her a word” (15:23a).  Beyond that, the disciples express a bit of irritation on their part, as they are reported to have begged Jesus to “Send her away, because she keeps on crying after us” (15:23b).  Quite obviously, this woman was persistent.  On her part, it seems to express a deep-seated faith in the power of Jesus to set things right. 

Jesus eventually relents and speaks.  Based on what has been presented to this point, and even though an observer could express a bit of surprise at His not responding to her at all (especially with the situation with the centurion in Capernaum in mind---as this Gospel narrative is presented as a dramatic story in a single sitting), one would be expecting Jesus to oblige this woman.  So it is natural for an observer, along with Matthew’s audience, to be a bit perplexed when He answers her by saying “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (15:24). 

In light of Jesus’ treatment of Gentiles to this point, this just does not seem to fit.  Though it appears to fit with His previous instruction to His disciples about not going to Gentile regions or any Samaritan town (10:5), it also appears to run counter to the words of His mouth and to His mode of operations.  Indeed, the very fact that He is standing in the region of Tyre and Sidon stands in fairly stark contrast to those previously given instructions. 

...Like A Gentile Or Tax Collector (part 5)

In the eleventh chapter of Matthew, the author offers up some more useful information for the premise of this study when we reporting Jesus’ criticisms of a number of cities.  He pronounces woe to cities such as Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, which were all cities of the Galilee region, for their lack of repentance (their lack of repentance was seen in the fact that they were not joining up with Jesus’ new exodus movement) though they had witnessed “many of His miracles” (11:20b).  In contrast, Jesus mentions three Gentile cities---Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom---that He seems to believe would have responded differently to His call, had they been given the same opportunity.  His statement of “For if the miracles done among you had been done in Sodom, it would have continued to this day” (11:23b), along with “But I tell you, it will be more bearable for region of Sodom on the day of judgment than for you!” (11:24) would almost certainly have weighed heavily on the minds of His hearers. 

Such pronouncements by Jesus, among His Jewish hearers, would probably have called to mind the story of Jonah and the repentance of Assyria; and indeed, one is not disappointed in that regard, finding Matthew making reference to that very story in chapter twelve of His narrative.  There, in response to the demand for a sign, Jesus references the sign of Jonah and goes on to say “The people of Nineveh,” which was the capital city of a Gentile nation that had been responsible for the oppression of Israel (thoughts of Rome and its then current oppression of Israel lurks in the background here), “will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them” (12:41).      

Following up on the record of Jesus’ earlier statements about Tyre and Sidon, a reader is unsurprised at what is found upon reaching the fifteenth chapter of Matthew.  Unsurprisingly, based on what He had previously said, “Jesus went to the region of Tyre and Sidon” (15:21b).  This follows from Matthew’s presentation of Jesus’ opinions about that which constitutes true defilement.  In that day, dietary restrictions and ceremonial washings were quite important, and there was much concern about becoming defiled through that which was eaten.  In addition to that, and though it goes unmentioned (it would be well known by both Jesus’ and Matthew’s audiences), it was held to be a veritable certainty that a Jew would be defiled by entering the home of a Gentile or by passing through Gentile territory. 

Jesus however, in broadly addressing the issue of that which defiles, says “Listen and understand.  What defiles a person is not what goes into the mouth; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person” (15:10b-11).  When pressed on this assertion, He adds “Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth enters into the stomach and then passes out into the sewer?  But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a person.  For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.  These are the things that defile a person; it is not eating with unwashed hands that defiles a person” (15:17-20). 

Having presented these words of Jesus, Matthew gives substance to Jesus’ words about that which truly defiles by moving the Jesus story on to Gentile ground.  While there, he reports that “A Canaanite woman from that area came and cried out, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David!  My daughter is horribly demon-possessed!’” (15:22)  Amazingly, this is a Gentile woman calling out to Jesus and using a messianic title in the process.  Interestingly, these words spring from this woman’s mouth in the very wake of Jesus’ disciples asking Him “Do you know that when the Pharisees heard this saying (about what defiles) they were offended?” (15:12b)  Presumably, the Pharisees had given voice to this offense---it had come out of their collective mouth.  Thus, the presumed words of the Pharisees and the reported words of the Canaanite woman, following hard on what Jesus has said about that which defiles, present quite the provocative contrast. 

What The Lord Says (part 1 of 2)

This is what the Lord says – Amos 1:3a  (NET)

The prophet Amos was put in the interesting position of declaring the fact of their covenant God’s judgment on Israel and the nations that surrounded Israel.  Amos is said to have prophesied during the time of the divided kingdom (Israel/North, Judah/South), prior to both the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests.  He introduces their God’s judgment with evocative words, saying that “The Lord comes roaring out of Zion; from Jerusalem He comes bellowing!  The shepherds’ wilt; the summit of Carmel withers” (1:2).  With that said, Amos launches into the telling of judgment. 

Beginning with Syria, it is written, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Damascus has committed three crimes---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment… I will break the bar on the gate of Damascus’.” (1:3a, 5a)  Moving on to the land of the Philistines, we read, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Gaza has committed three crimes---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment… So I will get Gaza’s city wall on fire; fire will consume her fortresses… the rest of the Philistines will also die’.” (1:6a, 7a, 8b) 

Following that, the prophecy of judgment is directed against Tyre.  There, we read, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Tyre has committed three crimes---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment… They failed to observe a treaty of brotherhood.  So I will set fire to Tyre’s city wall; fire will consume her fortresses’.” (1:9a,c-10)  Continuing on, Amos presumes to speak for the Lord God of Israel against Edom, writing “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Edom has committed three crimes---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment.  He chased his brother with a sword; he wiped out his allies.  In his anger he tore them apart without stopping to rest; in his fury he relentlessly attacked them.  So I will set Teman on fire; fire will consume Bozrah’s fortresses’.” (1:11-12) 

Looking now to Ammon, one find that “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Ammonites have committed three crimes---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment.  They ripped open Gilead’s pregnant women so they could expand their territory.  So I will set fire to Rabbah’s city wall; fire will consume her fortresses’.” (1:13-14).  Finally, in these decrees about the surrounding nations, Amos directs his words to Moab, and they hear “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Moab has committed three crimes---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment.  The burned the bones of Edom’s king into lime.  So I will set Moab on fire and it will consume Kerioth’s fortresses.  Moab will perish in the heat of battle… I will remove Moab’s leader; I will kill all Moab’s officials with him’.” (2:1-2a,3)  All of these pronouncements are punctuated with the phrase “The Lord has spoken!”

One can only imagine his hearers in Israel and Judah listening to him with eager and rapt attention, excited about the judgment that was going to rain down upon their enemies and adversaries.  It is not difficult to envision them applauding Amos and his words before something quite interesting occurs.  While the judgments against these nations are indeed harsh, and most likely deserved, Amos does not stop with Moab, but continues on to say, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Judah has committed three covenant transgressions---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment’.” (2:4a) 

Before Israel can feel secure, Amos goes on to report, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because Israel has committed three covenant transgressions---make that four!---I will not revoke My decree of judgment’.” (2:6a)  It is impossible to miss the shift in language, as Amos has shifted from speaking about “crimes,” to speaking about something he refers to as “covenant transgressions,” which would have been far more consequential, especially for the people of the covenant.