Was Jesus pushing buttons?
Matthew 15:21-28 can be a bit troubling.
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
For some reason, recently, I’ve read and heard several sermons, reflections, and commentaries about this story. The most troubling part is when Jesus says to the Canaanite woman, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Is Jesus calling the woman a dog? Is he saying he wants to withhold God’s love from her people and only give it to the Israelites? Is he making the opposite point that God’s love is for everyone by healing this woman’s daughter? Lots of discussion and opinions ensue.
I think the woman’s response to Jesus is pretty smart, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Haha. Good one. And I think Jesus liked it, too. He exclaims, “Woman, you have great faith!” and then heals her daughter. One minister I heard talking about Jesus’ answer says this is one of only two times recorded in the Bible that Jesus tells someone their faith is great.
Here’s what comes to my mind as I listen to this story. It reminds me of conversations I have had with some of my friends and loved ones who like to push my buttons. My husband is one of them. He’ll often say or do something he knows will irritate me, just to tease me. For example, I detest it when anyone talks while brushing their teeth. It grosses me out. Randy will often try to start a conversation while brushing his teeth, then crack up when I put my hands up, avert my eyes, and say, “Stop! Don’t talk to me!” He gets a kick out of my reaction. I have a friend who sometimes pushes my buttons by saying something about women’s roles that he knows will set me off, then laughs when I bristle in defense. I bet you’ve had that, too, right? It’s a kind of “gotcha.” I react, then look at their face and see their twinkling eyes and smiling face, happy they “got me.”
I know it’s extremely unlikely Jesus was pushing this woman’s buttons. I’m sure this conversation has much to teach us, as the many commentators have said. Still, I like imagining Jesus’ eyes twinkling and his mouth breaking into a grin as the woman says, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
What do you think?