Wednesday, June 6, 2018

She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.” (Mark 7: 28) 

                Both dogs have completed their annual check-ups and had their various shots just this morning. As vet bills go it was pretty mild – just under $500 for them both. Over the years we probably have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on our pets, and for the most part, with the exception of a couple of emergencies and crises, the costs have covered mostly the basic necessity of maintaining healthy dogs. We never quite get used to the expensive visits to the veterinary but it simply comes with the territory of having and enjoying pets.

These costs are certainly not meager table scraps but as we love our dogs greatly we pay the costs of loving them. Needless to say, they love us back unconditionally. One probably needs to be a pet owner to understand the commitment and the deep bonds and sometimes the sacrifices a pet owner makes.

There are two incidents in the Gospels where a woman challenges Jesus. Both woman are outsiders; carry cultural baggage and are struggling to find their place in the world. One episode is the well-known exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4). But our text is found in the other three Gospels – a foreigner, a Gentile, requests that Jesus help her daughter, described as having an unclean spirit tormenting her.

To our surprise, perhaps, Jesus, at first, is disinclined to attend to her need. In fact, he is kind of rude: “First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.” (v.27) Perhaps, Jesus was a little miffed as it seemed he was hoping for a day off (v.24).  Some might argue that this was an object lesson for his disciples to open the discussion of the Gospel being for all peoples everywhere and he never intended to ignore the woman’s needs.

But the woman stood her ground. She wouldn’t let Jesus off the hook. She didn’t let him get away with the slights he had made. It was a Me -Too moment!  She was not going to take a back seat to the banquet which God was preparing. She belonged at the table. Even dogs got the table scraps and she was no dog! Snap!

Jesus appreciated her spunk and boldness and so acted on behalf of her daughter. By the way, Jesus also valued the frank interaction between himself and the Samaritan woman at the well.  Both incidents affirm that the Good News needs to spread its healing wings beyond the old boundaries of gender, race, pedigree and culture. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is inclusive and comprehensive. Sometimes, just as Jesus was, we Christians (i.e.  the Church) need to be reminded of this reality and get it right.

Some people treat their dogs and cats better than they treat people. They are more generous and lavish towards their pets and give very little to humanitarian causes and efforts. We certainly need to be kind to our animals and take care of them, but we also have a responsibility for members of the human race, to lift them up and not put them down, to reach out a helping hand and not a closed fist, to treat even the poorest of humanity with dignity and respect instead of judgement and shame.

What we do for Fido and Kitty can surely be shared with others.  

Dale