The Caananite Woman's Faith

Canaanite Woman's faith
Matthew 15:21-39

I have to admit this story has always bothered me. A woman comes to Jesus in desperate need of his help and he (does eventually help her) but he insults her first. I've tried looking into the context too - but I seem to keep finding sources that indicate in those times, calling someone a "dog" was the equivalent of calling a black person an "n...". Horrible. I can't imagine Jesus doing that, regardless of the lesson on persistence. It also seemed, he granted her request out of irritation (rather than love). Not to mention that comment about him only coming for Israel. I feel like I have had a tough enough time shunning this image of God being continually disappointed in me without reading passages like this one.

Tonight, though, I came across this really neat article explaining the context a little better than I'd heard it before. I've indicated the highlights below for those who won't take the time to read (even though I really encourage you too!). So here it is: (article link is posted at the bottom)

• Jesus and his disciples were resting in a house (hiding from the crowds) as he had promised his disciples he would do Mark 6:31. I looked this up in BlueLetterBible.com (online Strongs concordance). And I don't know that it actually says they were in a "house". But in the King James version the Greek word they are translating "coast" does not mean that - the word is meros.


• The woman first calls out to him pretending to be an Israelite (she calls him "Son of David"¹) to which he doesn't respond (perhaps so the disciples will do it)


• When the disciples ask him to help her and send her away (probably for quiet) he responds TO THEM (not to her) about him being sent to help the house of Israel². According to God's promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3), the Gentiles would be saved THROUGH the Jews - this apparently means something to them because they then bring her to him.


• Point of Clarification: Jesus does not call her a 'dog' (i.e., outside dog - which would've been an insult). The word he used was kyunarian (pron. koo-nah-ree-on) which actually means "little dog" or "puppy". He wasn't hurling insults at her, he was painting a picture of the cute little pet puppy dogs that are begging for treats at the dinner table (loved by the master and the children).


• His response was not "no, you're unworthy" it was "not now - there are more important things that need to be done first" "wait and you'll get your meal". Given the situation, the woman would clearly make the distinction of: children=disciples - puppy=me. And understand that Jesus needed to take care of his disciples right then. But, it also contained a hint at the answer - which she then presented to him, "Even the puppies get crumbs from the table". In essence, "do both" feed the children and let me eat a scrap that falls on the floor. She knew that this miraculous healing would only be a crumb of what Jesus could really do.
  
  
  Article url: http://www.christian-thinktank.com/qcrude.html

Jonah

1/11/08

Summary:
Jonah is the story of a very stubborn man called to prophesy the fall of the nation of Assyria (spec. in their capitol, Nineveh). He refuses. Instead, he sails west; God sends a storm and he hides in the deepest part of the ship and goes to sleep. When the other sailors panic and ask him why he's not praying for their survival, he sacrifices himself by jumping overboard.

Jonah is swallowed by a big fish and lives in its stomach for three days until he finally agrees to do what God told him to do. The fish vomits him out and he delivers Gods message to Nineveh. The people of Nineveh have a surprising reaction, they repent. And Jonah sulks....the end.

This is one of those books thought to be a parody or satire. Jews, however highly treasure this particular book and it is read as the conclusion (haftorah) on Yom Kippur every year. (Yom kippur is last day of the ten days of repentance or atonement known as Rosh Hashanah)

Why on earth would this story be read for Yom Kippur?

It is an odd choice considering Jonah is thought to be a satire. It contains some ridiculous aspects like:

• The non-Hebrew sailors who understand immediately that the storm is from God because Jonah is running away.
• The Assyrian king who immediately repents - Assyria and Israel hated each other - in fact Assyria was responsible for wiping out northern Israel [1] (would be kind of like the Taliban accepting America because George Bush asked him to).
• Also the king's commands for everyone to repent - people and animals will fast and wear sackcloth (Jonah 3:6) its kind of weird to think of cows and sheep wearing sackcloth and fasting.

Also its an odd choice because Jonah is not a hero (he's the very opposite of that, in fact). God tells him to go east and he goes west (As far west as a man in that day could). God sends a storm and he goes deep in the ship and goes to a deep sleep (early Greek text suggests "snoring"). He never seems to surrender - finally he accepts the task and does little as possible - He only utters five words (the least amount of "prophetic" words by any prophet in the Toreh) "Od arbaim yom vnineveh nepachem!" (Forty days more and Nineveh shall be overthrown!). Then he sulks when his prophecy doesn't come true - the book ends with a question from God to Jonah; and without knowing his response, we aren't really sure if Jonah learned a lesson.


Provides valuable lessons about God and Jesus:

1. It's a great illustration of the stubbornness of man and persistence of God. (you can't run from God...seriously)
2. Also, God spared Nineveh even though He'd already declared they'd be destroyed (Jonah 3:1-4) Illustration of God's mercy
3. Its also interesting what implications are there about evangelism - "One lesson Jonah is said to teach us is that sometimes gentiles are noble and fear God while Jews ignore Him, and let that be a reproach to us! Incidentally, this interpretation found many enthusiasts among the Christians, who even today read the Book of Jonah as a parable of universalism, as a foreshadowing of how receptive gentiles would be to Christ's message, while the Jews would remain stubbornly hostile. " [2]
4. Finally, this serves as yet another another prophecy of Christ coming: (Matthew 12:40-41) "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here."

Additional items for discussion:

• Nineveh was a little crazy anyway - big on disfigurement, human mutilation and cannibalism (Maybe Jonah was more frightened of them rather than just hating them?)
• Timeline varies - some think the plant incident happened before Jonah went to Nineveh

Sources:
[1] http://viatherabbi.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-read-book-of-jonah-on-yom-kippur.html
[2] http://viatherabbi.blogspot.com/2007/08/why-read-book-of-jonah-on-yom-kippur.html
[3] http://www.joyfulministry.com/jonah.htm
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jonah%201;&version=31;