The Woman Who Talks Back to Jesus

It is surprising how often Jesus does or says objectionable things. We may not notice this when we read the gospels because over the centuries the stories have become familiar and have lost their initial shock value. But to the people around Jesus and gospel’s first audience, Jesus says and does some unsettling things. He does problematic things like healing on the Sabbath. He associates with disreputable people. He says disturbing things, telling people to cut off offending body parts. The story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman is another troublesome story and it remains troublesome for many Christians today.

“From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go–the demon has left your daughter,” And when she went home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone. Mark 7:24-30 NRSV¹

To our modern senses, Jesus’ reply is problematic. It’s out of character. It’s mean. When did Jesus ever refuse to heal someone? The gospels tell us over and over that he healed everyone who came to him.

I wonder what the original audience thought? What might the small community that Mark’s writing to would have thought about this? Would some of them have said, “That’s right Jesus! There’s not enough food, health care, or money for us as it is. Why give anything to the Gentiles. We should take care of our own people first.” Does this sound familiar? It’s a common response when people feel afraid or when times are hard. It’s not unusual to hear people today say we should take care of our own people first, that we can’t afford to take care of someone else.

What is going on in this story? Why does Jesus say this? Is it because she is Gentile? He has already healed a Gentile (Mark 5:1-20). Is the problem that she is a woman? tHe has healed women and girls before (Mark 5:21-43). He has healed children at a distance based on a parents request (Mark 5:21-42). What’s different about this situation? Commentators offer various explanations for Jesus’ words. Some say he was joking, some that he was just tired and having a bad day. Some say that Jesus’ held similar prejudices as the rest of Jewish society and therefore his understanding of his work needed to grow and expand.

I think something else is going on.² I think it has to do with Jesus’ practice of saying and doing unexpected and even objectionable things. Part of what is odd about this exchange is that Jesus normally doesn’t “lose” arguments. When people come to Jesus with some sort of question or challenge, Jesus typically has the last word. Whether he is explaining something to the disciples, or debating religious elites, or receiving a request for help; Jesus has the last word. He is the final authority. Except not here.

This encounter starts off in a typical way. Someone is asking for help. Then Jesus responds with what seems to be an adage or common expression. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” This sounds a little like “Don’t throw your pearls before swine,” or “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing.”(Matt 7:6,15) But what’s the point of tossing out this adage? Jesus may say shocking things but he usually isn’t trite.

Most of us when we read scripture “center” Jesus. We make him the focus of the story. And rightly so. But here, I think Jesus is centering the Syrophoenician woman. He shifts the focus from himself. By his response he makes her the hero of the story. Typically people don’t answer back to Jesus. This woman does. In this encounter, she is his social and theological equal. This exchange between Jesus and this Gentile woman is a lesson for the disciples and for us. We are not to dismiss or ignore the wisdom of the outsider and the marginalized. Wise, faithful people show up in unexpected places. Wise, faithful people may not be what we expect wise, faithful people to look like. Jesus puts the focus and gives his attention to someone that conventional social guidelines would expect and even encourage him to ignore. Jesus in this encounter is telling us not to dismiss people, no matter who they are. Everyone matters. Everyone has value. Everyone has wisdom to share.

And now we might wonder, who should we be listening to? Whose wisdom are we dismissing? Immediately after this story, Jesus cures ³ a deaf person, by saying ” ‘Be opened.’ And his ears were opened…”

Let those among us with ears to hear, hear.

1. The lectionary reading for this week continues with Mark 7:31-37 ↩︎
2. My thoughts on this passage have been influenced by Holly J. Carey, Women Who Do; Female Disciples in the Gospels, Eerdmans:2023, pgs 59-61 and The Woman’s Bible Commentary, Carol Newsom, Sharon RInge, Eds: WestminsterJohnKnox Press: 1992 “Mark” Mary Ann Tolbert, pg 268-267 ↩︎
3. Mark 7:31-37 ↩︎