Syro-Phoenician Woman (Matthew 15:21-28)
(Cross-reference story in Mark 7:24-30)
Lesson 3
Cultural, historical and theological background
Cultural
Although almost equal legally, women were seen as inferior except when a good wives.
“A man's spite is preferable to a woman's kindness; women give rise to shame and reproach” (Sir 42:14)
For most levels of society, dogs were only slightly less undesirable than pigs but were kept by the “upper class” or “rich” to act as guard dogs.
For a Jew, non-Jews were unclean and contact with them limited
Important: today we tend to live by Descartes' “Cogito, ergo sum” but society/culture during Jesus time was more, “I am, because we are” - community gives identity. Example: Luke 16:20 tells us that Lazarus “was laid” at the gate, not that “he lay” at the gate. Community care.
Historical
Jews were the only group allowed dispensation to worship their God outside of their own region
Canaan had ceased to exist hundreds of years before Christ, but the term was generally used to reference non-Jew (Gentiles) in a somewhat derogatory fashion. Deuteronomy 20:16-18
Theological
Basic understanding that Jews were God's chosen and all others were not
Following rituals in life including ritualistic prayer three times a day was rewarded by God
God's “Gift” was the Pentateuch for the Samaritans and the Psalms and Prophets for the Jew
Rhetorical pattern:
“Outer bookends” of the woman's request: first denied then granted
Three inner parts:
Jesus affirms his task as a good shepherd seeking the lost sheep of Israel
Jesus used metaphorical language and a miniparable about children, crumbs and dogs
Jesus affirms the great faith of the woman
Two alternative interpretations.
Jesus' mission originally targeted only Jews was worthy of salvation, but after this encounter salvation and His healing power became available to all peoples
A woman stood up and defied traditions demanding a redirection of God's plans
A more reasonable understanding that this event was also a learning moment for Jesus' disciples as he guides their understanding into a new paradigm that identifies Him as our Messiah and God's Gift, that salvation is for all mankind and that women are included in God's Kingdom.
Jesus uses this occasion to challenge his disciples by first bringing to light their biases...
The community surrounding Christ is composed of His disciples and faithful followers
Matthew 15:21-23a – First “Bookend”
Tyre and Sidon are in the Syro-Phoenician area (Greek, Gentile) and 20 miles apart
Most likely the verbal exchanges were in Greek
Two barriers existed: She was a woman and an unclean Gentile
Why did Matthew refer to her as a Canaanite? In Mark she is a Synophoenician and as such also presented another barrier of social class.
The woman obviously knew of Jesus, perhaps seeing him before (Mark 3:7-8)
Important: adding “Son of David” changes “Kyrie” from “Sir” to “Lord/Sir” - she understands that Jesus is from God
She asked for mercy for herself, although it is her daughter who has the problem. It was she who was in pain. Jesus recognized that it was she who was in need
Why was Jesus initially silent?
That is what the disciples expected of a good Rabbi dealing with a Gentile woman
Instead of telling her to go away or instructing his disciples to send her away, He is silent: her not going away at that point means she passed the first of three tests.
Matthew 15:23b-24 – First of three inner parts
The disciples' biases and cultural norms come to the surface
The woman is smart, determined, desperate and believing. She sees Jesus' initial silence as an opening to persevere.
Jesus' words echo what was in His disciples' hearts: He was the exclusive possession of Jews. This is the part of the lesson where misconceptions/understandings are identified.
To continue is a demonstration of faith in God and that she does not see him as one of the many traveling “magicians” and “healers” but as someone who truly has power.
Matthew 15:25-26 – Second of the three inner parts
The woman perseveres, pleading for help, insistently (see Luke 18:1-8)
Kneeling at Jesus feet: act of a devoted follower and submission to an authority
Jesus uses the Greek “kynarion” - a diminutive of kyon – thus referring to either little dogs or puppies. Not as insulting to the woman. The insult is revealing the biases of disciples.
Jesus uses “reductio ad absurdum” to bring to light the theological, ethical and moral issues that His disciples were displaying. He wants them to hear and understand the woman's response.
Kneeling down and continuing her pleas in spite of all the rebuke, means she passed the second of three test. (immediately followed by a final test of Christ's metaphorical statement)
Matthew 15:27 – last of the inner parts
Rather than flee in humiliation and defeat, the woman presses on. She is demonstrating great faith and is sacrificing her all for her belief in Jesus.
Her response completes the process of revealing to the disciples their limited and biased understanding of Jesus' mission and of God's love.
Yes, the woman (perhaps descended from Canaanites – the most unclean) is a clean example of faith in action.
The words she uses imply “little dogs” and “little crumbs” and the imagery of the table invokes the symbolism of eating at the great banquet (Isaiah 25:6-8) as well as “family”
With this reply of a similar metaphor the woman shows her full strength, courage and faith, passing the third and final test with honor.
Matthew 15:28 – closing Bookend
Jesus acknowledged the woman's faith, and caps the disciples' lesson
His ministry is to extend to all peoples and genders (foretold of and stated many times)
Women are worth of His care and love
Even those peoples who are most unclean in Jewish eyes are worth of healing
Jesus does not say, “your daughter is healed” but more like he told the Centurion in Matthew 8:13 – He had mercy on her [the daughter was healed, but of what?]
“Faith” in this case is demonstrated by the woman's unfailing confidence in the person of Jesus as the agent of God's salvation for all, both Jew and Gentile.
She showed humility by lowering herself to the place of a dog
Her deep faith/trust that a small amount of “His Food” is enough
Her wisdom and courage to persevere when it seemed all were against her
Final notations:
This is a complex story of determination, strength and faith of a desperate and brave woman
This is also an example of how Jesus used such situations to teach his disciples and introduce concepts and ideas that were radically different than what they had been taught.
Reinforces the paradigm that Christ brings forgiveness, life and healing to all mankind
Although some may interpret this episode as Jesus reformulating his mission on earth, it makes more sense to believe that He already knew his mission and was using this encounter to teach us how complete God's love is for all of us.
Supplement Matthew 15:21-28
Additional understandings:
*lesson about perseverance (Persistent Widow parable in Luke 18:1-8)
*Model of salvation -
The Gospels tell us that salvation comes from the Jews (God's plan for us developed through His work with and through His chosen people... First through one man [Abraham], then a family [Jacob's], then a nation [Jewish people] and finally to the whole world through Christ)
We must come to the Lord with humility. “You are not worthy to be in God's presence. Confess that you are a sinner, worthy only of His eternal wrath and call upon Him for mercy and grace.” - hence the metaphor about [little] dog and scraps.
If we recognize our sin-filled nature and how unworthy we are in God's eyes but have the faith to still seek an undeserved forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ, we will be saved.
*The woman knew of Jesus because he had already visited Tyre and Sidon doing “Great Things”
*Matthew's identification of the woman as a Canaanite was/is an issue since Canaan had ceased to exist hundreds of years before but was used to place her as the very lowest of all people – a racial slur.
Summary of the Canaanite (Syro-Phoenician) Woman
- Christology: Jesus reminds us of God's historical plan for our salvation (“from the Jews”)
- Women: The woman demonstrates faith, perseverance and the steps of salvation
- Incarnation and mission: Jesus states His mission: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” - but He had already done miracles for non-Jews (see Matthew 11:20-24), so the statement may have been a test (for the woman, or the disciples, or both?) Tyre and Sidon were Greek territories (Did Christ speak Greek?)
- Revelation: Jesus indirectly identifies himself as the Messiah
- The barrier: The social “separation wall” between men and women, cultural separation between a Jew and the lowest class of humans.
- Theology: Jesus reveals himself to her and the disciples and uses her to shed light on the nature of faith
- A revelation of Christ's mission: It is clear that he was sent to first redeem the children of Israel but salvation is offered to all mankind.
- The community around Jesus: This encounter is best understood when we recognize that Jesus was surrounded by a community of followers and used his situations, metaphors and parables to teach
- The “Water of Life”: Those who accept this water are called to share it with others.
- Salvation: God's acts in history to save “through the Jews” are a scandal of particularity that proves to be a blessing for the Canaanite woman and to all of us
- Christian self-understanding: Four important aspects of Christian self-understanding appear in this story. These are:
the overcoming of gender and social taboos and norms (God loves all his creation)
the acknowledgment that Jesus came first for the Jews, then Gentiles – a keep step in God's plans
the idea that perseverance is an act of faith
the concept that we must humbly recognize our unworthiness to be in God's presence.
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