Table Scraps
Read Mark 7:24-30
“Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” –Mark 7:28
Every weekday morning, I make my son’s lunch for school. Even though he’s a junior, he likes to bring his own lunch to school. And even though he’s a junior, he still likes to have the crust cut off his sandwich. My dogs absolutely love this fact. As soon as they hear the lid of the peanut butter jar twist open (yes, there’s a particular sound it makes that triggers them), they come running and sit at my feet. They know that in just a few minutes, they’re going to get some awesome peanut butter and jelly-soaked crust!
I know that you’re not supposed to feed dogs from the table. There are all kinds of articles out there about how human food isn’t good for dogs’ digestive systems. Not to mention that you encourage their begging, which can be particularly embarrassing when you have guests over for dinner. But I can’t help it, my whole life I’ve caved to the “puppy eyes” my dogs give me. It makes them so happy, which brings me joy in return.
After Jesus had his conflict with the Pharisees over cleanliness laws, he withdrew with his disciples into the region of Tyre. Tyre was located along the coast to the north, beyond the borders of Israel. It was almost as if Jesus intentionally wanted to mix and mingle with outsiders, to make clear to his disciples that no one was truly “unclean.”
While he was in that area, he was approached by a “Syrophoenician” woman—the text is explicit that she was “a Greek” (Hellenis, which can also be translated as “Gentile”). This woman’s daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, and she begged Jesus to heal her.
At first, Jesus refused the woman’s request—his mission was not to the Gentiles, but to the children of Abraham. “It is not right to take the children’s bread,” he explained, “and toss it to the dogs.” The woman, though, was undeterred. She countered: “Even dogs receive the children’s crumbs.” Amazed by her faith and persistence, Jesus pronounced her daughter healed.
This story always seemed strange to me—strange because Jesus’ initial response to the woman seemed to lack compassion. I do understand that the longer I’m in ministry, the need to have a clear focus. There is no end to the needs that exist in the world, and if you try to meet them all, you’ll barely make a dent in any. This is why Jamalyn and I have chosen to focus our organization’s efforts on home-building in Haiti. There are many other needs—education, agronomy, medicine—but we know that trying to do it all only spreads us out.
So I can understand Jesus’ need to keep his focus on the region and people of Israel. What I appreciate, though, is that Jesus’ focus didn’t blind him to the faith of those outside his target audience. He saw the Syrophoenician woman’s persistence, and it moved him to change his course. And in truth, this moment was not “off mission,” but instead was a foretaste of the direction his movement would one day go.
No doubt you have to keep a steady focus on whatever people and tasks are your responsibility. That’s OK. Just don’t let that focus blind you to the opportunities we all have to impact another’s life. Sometimes it’s worth the “diversion” to take and share a moment of kindness. Those few moments can have an “outsized” impact, both in your life and in the life of the recipient. The more we can build generosity into the daily rhythms of our lives (even if it’s as simple as feeding a dog a crust every morning), the more we’ll look forward to the joy that these moments bring.
O God, help me to notice those whom you place in my path. Even if I’m only able to give “crumbs” of my attention, help me to remember that those small crumbs of kindness can sometimes feel like a lifeline to others. Increase in me a capacity to share my life with others. Amen.