This Ones For The Introverts and The Children

June 17

Read: Mark 7:24-30

This Ones For The Introverts

“And from there (Jesus) arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know…” (v.24)

There is nothing wrong with needing a break from people. I mean, if Jesus needs a break, then it is ok that we do as well sometimes… right? Here we see Jesus “enter a house not wanting anyone to know.” Jesus was trying to get away. He needed some time to himself. This was not a “weakness” of Jesus nor was it a moral failure form Jesus… and it sure was not a “lack of faith”. Simply put, even Jesus got tired of people and wanted some time to himself… time to rest and commune with the Heavenly Father. Sometimes we paint these lopsided pictures of Jesus and detract from his humanity. “Jesus loved everyone, all the time, never thought of himself, healed every single person he came in contact with, always has time for every person… etc.” What a humanizing moment we have here.

If you are an introvert, and find yourself wanting to sneak away at times to take a break from the crowds… it is OK. You don’t lack faith or somehow “care less” about others… you are simply being “like Jesus”. I had a great conversation with my Uncle Joe B. in WI about this, and the way that more introverted people may feel guilty for the times they need to withdraw. Now it is important that we remember, that Jesus does not REMAIN withdrawn. He moves through cycles of being surrounded and with people to being alone with the Lord. Jesus’ wanting to hide here is not the most controversial part of this passage, but these comments are the real stunners:

“Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” (v.27)

What in the world! How could Jesus say this? Jesus just looked at a woman who approached him in said house and asked him to heal her demon possessed daughter and he called her a “dog” and likened helping her to feeding his kids food to an animal. I mean… really!?! There is no easy, tidy, “warm-and-fuzzy” way around this passage. It says exactly what it seems to say. It is as offensive as it appears to be. This is definitely jarring to hear come from Jesus. It is also true.

Here is something that people don’t understand. Jesus did indeed have a “hierarchy”… he had “favorites”… there was indeed a distinction for him regarding the people he interacted with. We have seen this concept pop up time and time again. In this passage, there is such a thing as “children” for Jesus. The category of “children” is not meant to denote “every human ever”… not “everybody” is a “child” of Jesus’. Secondly, “dogs and children” are not meant to share the same station, position, or value in this metaphor. There is a hierarchy of value, of relationship, of the use of resources between the use of “bread” and “children” vs. “dogs”. Another way in Mark we have seen this distinction is when Jesus first introduces parables. He speaks of “those who have ears to hear” and those who will “forever not understand”. Likewise, he touches on this same truth when he looks at the disciples and tells them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables…” There are, in fact, people who are “on the outside” and people who have been “given the secrets of the Kingdom”. Jesus’ actions are not as “flat” or “uniform” as we might think. To put it (somewhat) bluntly: Jesus is most concerned about his “children”… the “children of God” whom the Father has “given him”; this Jesus prays at the end of his life: “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours.” (John 17:9)

One final truth: I think Jesus was CAUGHT OFF GUARD by the response of this woman. I think the Father was revealing something new and surprising to the Son through the faith and persistence of this Syrophoenician woman! You see, what Jesus was actually saying, and affirming by his subsequent actions, was that he gave priority to the “children of God”… not necessarily that he gave priority to “Jews”. I just don’t think Jesus expected to find any “children” outside of the Jews right then… until this woman came and turned his expectations upside down! Jesus had some sense that eventually his message would spread to all of the world… just maybe not at that moment. Jesus rightly says to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” Notice how he says “first”… not “only”. Jesus knew that there would be “bread” that made its way to the dogs… but only after it was first given to the children. The woman’s response shows her faith, shows her persistence, and it shows her trust in Jesus’ as good, powerful, willing and able to heal.

So the final question is: do we think this woman is a “child” or a “dog”? I actually think that she is a CHILD… she s one of the “children”! She is after all given the “bread”. She persistently responded in humility and faith… marks of a true “child of God”. Jesus affirms her response, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” (v.29) Some say that Jesus was “testing her” with this comment, and when she persevered he knew she was one who should get “bread first”. There was something about her “statement”; her “statement” demonstrated who she truly was… a child not a dog. Either way, the implications are clear. Jesus gives priority to “the children”, and we may be surprised to find out that “children” come from some of the least likely places.

As a child of God, he longs to give you priority. The Lord is looking out for you… he is seeking to give you bread - not toss it away. God loves you, not like a dog (who in the ancient world were not AT ALL seen the same way as “pets” today). He loves you as HIS CHILD. There are other “children” out there that don’t know it… they think the are “dogs” with no value (just like this woman)… when in reality they are children as well. These people are our “brothers and sisters” in the Lord. Sometimes we may get “worn out” from people and need a break, but always be on the look out for brothers and sisters in Christ - and they will come from unlikely places! We need to stop pretending that everyone is treated the same. There actually IS such a thing as children and dogs. Don’t give bread to dogs while children starve. Dogs will get crumbs, children get entire loaves / slices of bread! These are Jesus’ words, not mine. Love you guys. - JDP