I preached this sermon at the Shimonita Church on September 9th, 2018.
Mark 7:24-37
Today’s passage is so unusual! If you were to read just the last verse you might not think so. READ v.37 But look more closely and you’ll see some surprising things. READ 24a and 31a Jesus was no longer in Galilee, and he definitely wasn’t in Jerusalem or anywhere in between. Jesus was in Gentile territory, quite a ways from where he spent most of his time. We don’t know for sure why he went there but look at v.24b Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there. Jesus appears to have been actively avoiding the crowds that followed him everywhere. And then he has this rather awkward, less than loving interaction with a woman seeking his help. He calls her a dog… in a context where that sounds like a very clear racial slur. She shows incredible maturity and humility, and in the end Jesus appears to change his mind and reluctantly heal her. Then Jesus moved from Sidon, thru Tyre and around to the far side of the sea of Galilee in Decapolis; still gentile territory. Like everywhere else, people were seeking his help there too. People bring a man to him, most likely a gentile, who can’t hear or speak clearly. Instead of healing him in front of the crowd, Jesus takes him away from the crowd and heals him in private. What do we make of these accounts?
In both cases Jesus seems to have been avoiding the large crowds. Large crowds are mentioned over and over again in the gospel accounts. They followed Jesus everywhere, always pressing in on him and always seeking his help. And in many cases the crowds saw what he did, heard what he said, and were amazed. But while we are used to reading about Jesus and big crowds, what we might miss is that there are very few places in the gospel where it looks like Jesus was somehow trying to gather large crowds. In fact, if you read carefully you can see that in most cases Jesus was not very interested in large crowds… but they just showed up anyway. In some cases Jesus was actively trying to get away from the crowds, only to be followed and surrounded. Why did Jesus avoid crowds? I can’t claim to know Jesus’ thoughts, but this much is clear. Jesus was much more interested in personal interactions than large crowds. Jesus would much rather spend time with one individual, or a small group of people, than a large crowd. I don’t know his reasons, but one factor was probably just the logistical problems of trying to communicate with big crowds. Big crowds tend to be noisy. With no microphones or speakers, big crowds would have a hard time hearing Jesus. And big crowds tend to get out of control, pushing and shoving. We know that sometimes Jesus had to take specific measures to deal with those challenges, like getting in a boat and pushing away from the shore a bit so he could address the whole crowd. In other cases, when the crowd got angry, it suddenly became very dangerous and he had to run for his life. But my hunch is that there was more to it than just logistics. My hunch is that for some reason or another Jesus found interactions with individuals or small groups to be more productive, more appropriate, and more meaningful than standing in front of large crowds. So perhaps the question we need to ask ourselves is, why are we so obsessed with large crowds. Of course we know politicians like to gather large crowds. Performers also like to stand in front of large crowds. For the politician it means power. For the performer it means money. But what about our churches? Why do we assume that big churches are healthy churches and small churches have problems? Why are we so impressed with those huge cathedrals in Europe or the mega-churches in places like Korea or the U.S.? Why do we spend so much effort on events like huge evangelism crusades in venues like the budohkan or Tokyo Dome? Why do preachers like Billy Graham become such heroes in the church? The obvious answer to these questions might be that we want lots of people to hear the Gospel and we pray for lots of people to open their hearts to the good news of God’s Kingdom. But here’s the thing… Jesus wanted those same things. And yet, Jesus was not particularly interested in big crowds. What will it take for us to get over our strange attraction to big crowds? And what will it take for us to embrace smallness as the most Christ-like way to share the good news with people?
What’s interesting to me about Jesus’ interaction with large crowds is that even though they were not a part of his agenda for doing the work of the kingdom, when the crowds appeared, Jesus ended up being overcome with compassion for them. It wasn’t part of his agenda to gather large crowds. No, as we’ve seen, even in today’s passage, Jesus actively tried to avoid the crowds. And yet when they came Jesus looked on them with compassion and wasn’t able to turn them away. In the previous chapter we see that Jesus and the disciples got in a boat and went all the way to the other side of the lake, specifically because they wanted to go to a quiet place and get some rest. But the crowds followed them anyway, running around the coastline of the lake, and arriving at the other side even before Jesus and the disciples arrived. So when they finally got to the other side and got out of the boat, a large crowd was already waiting for them. READ 6:34 So you see, crowds were not a part of Jesus plan; but when he encountered them, he just couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. Upon seeing the crowds he was overwhelmed with compassion for them. That situation in chapter six is what led to the most famous public miracle in Jesus’ entire career; the feeding of the five thousand. Not a part of Jesus’ agenda, but clearly a result of Jesus’ compassion. We don’t know just how specific Jesus’ plans were, but what is clear is that gathering large crowds wasn’t a part of them. And we also can see from today’s passage and Jesus’ rather terse interaction with this gentile woman, that ministering to gentiles wasn’t initially a part of Jesus’ plan either. But the point is that when Jesus encountered needy people, his compassion just took over. He would put his objective plans aside and let the subjective side of his love and compassion for the needy take over.
I’m not sure whether we should entirely eliminate large meetings or large gatherings from our agenda in the church. But I’m pretty sure that Jesus would rather encounter people in small numbers or even one on one. I’m pretty sure that he would prioritize them over gathering large groups. And I know for a fact that Jesus would not ever assume that large churches are good and small churches are bad. I also seriously question whether Jesus would approve of the building of huge church buildings designed to gather large crowds on Sunday morning and then sit empty the rest of the week. But at the same time, it seems pretty clear that when faced with large crowds, regardless of the location, the only Christ-like response to show nothing but compassion and love. Just as Jesus never had a big building or sanctuary, we too can expect to encounter the great crowds in places other than church buildings. Even though huge multitudes may seem very distant when living in a beautiful location like Shimonita, the truth is that in a country like Japan one doesn’t need to go very far to encounter large crowds. And when we do… are we prepared to respond with compassion and love? Are we prepared to selflessly share God’s love and mercy? Even if it doesn’t fit with our particular agenda… Even if it isn’t a part of our specific plan for evangelism… Are we prepared to be flexible, put our well laid plans aside, and let the irrational love and compassion of Jesus dictate our actions? I’m not suggesting that we need to throw away our plans or always act impulsively. But I do have to ask myself this. How often have I used logical, objective thinking to get out of showing compassion to people in need? In the story of the good Samaritan, that is exactly what the people who didn’t stop were doing. They had good, logical reasons not to stop and help. But when Jesus saw people in need he tended to put objective reasoning aside and let the subjective side of his compassion guide his actions.
We’re still left with the matter of how rude Jesus was to the woman. Mark’s gospel gives us a very honest view of Jesus; without necessarily trying to make him look good. I don’t know if he was tired of crowds and wanted some privacy. I don’t know if he felt like gentiles weren’t a priority. I don’t know exactly why he was in Sidon, why he entered that particular house, and why he wanted to get away from the crowd. But he wasn’t able to stay hidden and soon a gentile woman came and asked for his help. READ v.24-26 Jesus’ answer is really quite shocking. READ v.27 When Jesus says, “children” he is referring to the Jewish people. And when he talks about dogs he is referring to gentiles. The racial tensions between Jews and gentiles of the surrounding areas were very high. In this text the editor makes a point of identifying the woman’s ethnicity. Jesus calling her a dog would appear to be a direct racial slur. His words appear to be rude, racist, and distinctly unloving.
I will be the first to admit that I don’t have all the answers for you. Some biblical scholars will contend that Jesus was just testing this woman’s faith and not really being cruel. Others will say we are seeing the fully human side of Jesus. Others yet will say that Jesus only understood his ministry to be for the Jews and yet thru this encounter his understanding of ministry changed. I don’t know if Jesus was being racist, even though it sounds like it. I don’t know if this was some sort of test for the women, but honestly that sounds like the theory of someone who thinks they have to protect Jesus’ reputation. Personally, I think Jesus Christ is perfectly capable of taking care of himself and doesn’t need our protection. I don’t know if this is just an example of how Jesus became fully human, even including our human weaknesses… being tired out, being grumpy, not being in the mood to do what needs to be done, … I don’t know if Jesus believed, up until that day, that his calling was only to the people of Israel? I don’t know if this encounter with an inspiringly humble gentile woman of faith changed Jesus’ understanding of his ministry. But what I do know is that Jesus seems to do an about face. At first, he rebuffs the woman but after she speaks, he decides to show God’s mercy on her after all and heals her daughter. READ v.28-30
But perhaps trying to figure out what Jesus was thinking is the wrong approach. Perhaps there is more we can learn from the woman’s comments and Jesus’ response. She says, “Fine… call me a dog. Maybe I am. Maybe I don’t deserve any of God’s love. Maybe I have no right to ask for your help. Maybe I’m as worthless to you and God as a dog. Maybe I don’t deserve to be fed at all. But aren’t there even some crumbs? Because if there are, and if they are from you, then that is enough. Just some crumbs… No one else has to go hungry… I’m not asking for much. Just the crumbs… that’s all.” Are we any different? Are we in any way more deserving of God’s love than that woman? Should we expect to be treated any better than a dog? Maybe she was being tested… I don’t know. But if so, she passed the test with flying colors. What seems more likely is that her humility and earnest faith in Jesus came as a pretty big surprise to Jesus. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus, who was the bread of life, was inclined to let the crumbs fall a little wider and a little heavier after that encounter. If we ever fall into the trap of thinking that we are somehow more blessed, more loved by God, more in God’s eye than those who we don’t recognize as being part of the church… then one thing is for sure. If this is a test, we are failing it miserably.
Years ago I was visiting a church to meet with the pastor and talk about something. It was the middle of winter and quite cold. But when I went into the church I was surprised to find all the windows wide open. The pastor apologized and then explained. The reason he had the windows open was because just before I came there had been a visitor. The pastor apologetically explained that this “unsaved” person had been in his church and as a result the church smelled like cigarette smoke. So of course he had to open all the windows to get rid of that awful smell of an unsaved person. It made me so sad… Why does he have to apologize for letting a non-Christian into the church? Why is he so eager to erase the smell of that visitor? And it made me angry… Who does he think he is, calling the non-Christian an “ippan no kata”? The whole idea that we are somehow better, more holy, and more loved by God than the rest of the people around us is exactly the opposite of this woman who surprised Jesus so much. We don’t even deserve crumbs when the bread of life is served. But God gives it out freely to all who ask. And even if all we get is the crumbs… that would be more than enough because it is God’s holy bread of life.
Amen
Speaking the Word 