Labels

“24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”

30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.”

(Luke 7:24-30 NIV)

^Note that in v24 Jesus is trying to keep his location a secret. He was trying to get some rest and recuperation. Also, Tyre wasn’t in Jewish territory; indeed it was the woman who was local, not Jesus and the disciples. Presumably they knew the householder.^

Now consider the questions in bold type below, and the notes that follow.

What labels are attached to this woman?

First, she is labelled by her ethnicity, she’s Greek; second, by where she was born, in Syrian Phoenicia; and thirdly by prejudice, she was labelled as a ‘dog’. It was the labels of her ethnicity and heritage that resulted in her being verbally abused. Today we might say that the woman was, ‘othered’. She was not one of the group of Jews meeting in the house. First century Jews treated all foreigners with suspicion, to be put in their place, and kept at arm’s length. However, Gentiles similarly had unpleasant terms for Jews.

What are the 21st century parallels with these 1st century attitudes?

Did you know race is a social construct with no biological or genetic meaning. Indeed, people across the globe are 99.9% genetically identical. That means only 0.1% of our DNA varies from person to person. (National Human Genome Research Institute)

Why do you think Jesus said “Let the children be fed first! It isn’t right to take away their food and feed it to dogs.”

Traditionally, it’s been interpreted as Jesus saying that his mission was primarily to the Jews. Once Israel was redeemed the rest of the world could be brought under God’s saving rule.

However, can you think of other encounters Jesus had with people who were not Jews?

(Clues: John 4, Matthew 8:5-13, Matthew 2:1-11; and also note Luke 2:32 and Matthew 28:19.) If we read on in Mark 7 we find Jesus heals a deaf mute in the Gentile region of Decapolis, and in chapter 8, that whilst there, Jesus fed four thousand people.

We are not told what was said in the house as the woman came in. Perhaps Jesus was reflecting back what some had muttered about the woman. The fact that some regarded Gentiles as dogs and yet Jesus still granted the woman’s request and healed her daughter demonstrates God’s love reaches out to all. No one is excluded.

Such labels no longer matter in God’s Kingdom. As Paul wrote, Galatians 3:28; “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ we are the beloved children of God able to approach his table of delights and sit and eat. All are welcome in his Kingdom – now, and when earthly life is over.

In what ways does Jesus’ encounter with the Syro-Phoenician speak to us about our values, attitudes and actions today?

Prayer

• Thank God that all are made in his image and that despite our being 99.9% biologically the same he has blessed us with unimaginable diversity – every human fingerprint and iris unique.
• Pray for all who are abused, exploited, or adversely discriminated because of their ethnicity, cultural heritage, gender, socio-economic standing.
• Pray for a world where human beings value unity rather than division, love rather than hate, seek that which binds together rather than separates, and celebrates diversity of cultures valuing, music, dance, food, language, from around the world.
• Pray that pride in a national flag may not limit compassion or erect barriers between people God has created in his image.
• Pray that God’s will shall be done on earth as it is in heaven, so that the world may be more like he intends it to be.