Christianity 101
Commentary
All three of our readings for this Sunday point in the direction of inclusion, rather than the exclusion of people from the circle of faith. In a day when the world seems to be pulling apart, when we are encouraged to reject the refugees fleeing violence and economic unrest, and when civil discourse is once again endangered, it is a hard thing for people to remember that Christ shows us a different way.
The way outlined in these scriptures is to put our priorities in God’s order, not the world’s order. While the world says that we have to “follow the money,” God says we need to follow the Christ, building a good character, loving one another and caring for those in need; the world says anyone begging for help is a freeloader. The world admires those who have gold, but God admires those who give their gold to improve the lot of others. Each of these scriptures says it a bit differently, but it all comes down to one thing: “You shall love others as much as you love yourself.”
This is Christianity 101.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-25
The Book of Proverbs is part of the K’tuvim, the “Writings” included in the late-date Wisdom Literature. Eventually, it becamepart of the Protestant version of the Old Testament. While Proverbs ought not be used as a foundation for doctrine, the sayings offer us an insight into the thinking of those returning from exile.
The proverbs were often used by the ancient Jews as a schoolboys’ primer. The boys studying with the rabbi learned how to read and write by copying out the proverbs. The first verse of the entire collection says they are for
Today’s passages seem made to order for our modern society. Alan Watts, in his book Behold the Spirit1 says that we live in “the first radically secular civilization in history.”
Our passage starts with a basic understanding: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” This is a good starting place to reform ourselves as well as our society. The opposite doctrine is preached in every shopping mall, real, televised or virtual. We are told we are worth nothing if we are not attractive, well-groomed and slender. We are bound to follow every fad, be it in food, dress, home furnishings or religion. If we do not, we will be thrown to the curb (under the bus) and passed over. Even the church expects that we will start as an associate pastor (if in an urban setting) or at a small, rural church, where we will “pay our dues” before being assigned to a larger (more prestigious) congregation. The fact that a different set of skills is needed in these larger, more urban churches is usually glossed over, even as we are encouraged to seek “promotions” within our denominations, moving to churches that pay more, provide a substantial parsonage or manse, and have large and lovely church buildings.
The proverbs for today go on to remind us that “The rich and the poor” are both made by God, which is a happier way to say, as Dickens put it, “we are all fellow passengers on the way to the grave.”2 Or, as Jesus preached it, if you have more than you need, give away the excess, because you cannot take it with you. But most of us are like the rich young man in Mattew 19:16 -- we walk away, saddened because we cannot live the kind of life to which Jesus invites us. In that story, it is evident that Jesus was taking Proverbs 22:9 literally: “Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.” But Jesus was not telling us to give it all away, as he did the rich young man. We are called to share the bounty with which God has blessed us. Sharing is the Christian way of life, growing out of a sense of gratitude and contentment with what we have rather than grasping at the next level of “progress” of our career. When President Obama famously said that none of us are where we are because we are better than others, nor because we pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps (another proverb), but because there were people all along our life road who held out a helping hand, who boosted us because they admired us or had hopes for us. There were people who immediately reacted in a negative and sarcastic way to his words. Might it be that this concept of not being in charge of our own lives had not been preached at whatever church these people grew up in?
This arrogant thinking is directly addressed by the words of v. 8 and vv. 22-25. If we must pump up our egos constantly, if we must make ourselves great, if we must make ourselves look successful in the eyes of those around us, then we will have to climb the corporate (or denominational) ladder, seeing our co-workers as rungs to be stepped on as we ascend. And any thwarting of that vision of our lives will be greeted with our fury.
The other part of a social-climbing attitude is reflected in vv. 24-25: we have learned that making friends in high places is a surer means of promotion than doing good work, as illustrated in the secular proverb: “It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know that counts.” The Biblical proverb warns us -- if we do everything we can to make those contacts, we may get caught in a snare. Bernie Madoff made millions with his Ponzi scheme, and thought nothing of defrauding his friends so he could live sumptuously on their money, leaving many of them crippled economically. It’s important to remember that the higher we climb on a ladder, the farther we fall if we miss a step.
I’ve saved vv. 22-23 for last, not because it is the least point the writer of Proverbs wants to make, but because it is a counterpoint to making friends in high places. When we listen to many of our politicians, it is easy to think that the poor are poor by choice, and welfare programs are handouts to “freeloaders” who refuse to get jobs, rather than people who simply cannot measure up to the requirements of employers. So, we think nothing of denying them assistance. We turn refugees back at our borders for fear that they will be able to satisfy employers and so rob us (not the poor) of our jobs. And yet, we accuse migrant workers of being lazy, as though stoop-labor were ever easy.
I used to live in the heart of the strawberry-growing area in my home state. As I was going to college, my husband and I had to live as cheaply as possible. One day, I called one of the farms and asked if they were hiring. “You a college student?” the woman asked. I said yes, and she said, “No, I don’t think I’ll hire you. You won’t last a week. I expect you here at 5:30 in the morning, and we work as long as there are pickable berries on the plants, sometimes till dark. And, I expect you here everyday till the harvest’s done.” I said, “Wow. I guess I have to think about that.” I had gone out to the “pick your own” fields, and by the time I’d picked a dozen quarts, I was tired. My knees hurt, because you have to squat down to see the berries under the leaves. My back creaked, because in order to give my legs rest, I’d then stand up and bend over to pick the berries on the top. With my fair skin, I’d get sunburned in an hour. And if I were doing this for money, I would be paid the farm minimum wage, which is lower than the minimum wage for fast-food workers. I never called back, and I never have forgotten her truthfulness. She used migrant workers because they were cheaper, worked harder, and didn’t talk back about how hard the work was.
She wasn’t the only one who either forgot or never knew that God pleads the cause and “despoils the life of those who despoil them.” Last year and the year before, tomatoes rotted in the fields because migrant workers were being harassed at the border and refused entry, supposedly because many Americans would have gladly taken those jobs, given the opportunity.
We fail to treat each other well because we have no experience with what the other’s life is like. We don’t know each other because we don’t see each other as human beings who suffer just as we do. We keep our eyes on the wrong prize -- the brass ring, the golden snare. We have, apparently, no sense that God is on the side of the poor, and “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity.” We cannot continue to live in anger and hatred toward one another. Such societies have always collapsed under their own burden.
James 2:1-10 (11-13), 14-17
We don’t know who “James,” the author of this letter was for certain, but it has been widely accepted down through the centuries that it was written by Jesus’ brother. Whether or not they were brothers in the blood or brothers by close association isn’t really important. What is important is that the letter refers to the teachings of Jesus found in the gospels and relies on the Jewish Torah and shows earmarks of the early traditions of Christianity. We do know that the early church respected Jesus’ brother James (from writings outside the Bible and the Book of Acts, where Paul debates with the elders in Jerusalem, including James).
Why is this important? Because this letter raises objections to the writings of Paul, who said that we are saved by faith, not our works. (see Romans 4:3). As far as James is concerned, “You show me your faith, and I will show my faith by my works.” Martin Luther leaned heavily on the hope that Paul was right, and John Wesley leaned more on James. So the discussion continues: if I am saved by faith, but I go on an AK47 rampage, have I lost my salvation? But if I were truly born again, could I even consider such an act? Since we live in an age where we have discovered medications that can alleviate paranoia, depression and uncontrollable rage, what actions remain sinful, rather than the result of psychosis?
All of these considerations, of course, color our reading of today’s text. Jesus taught clearly that we ought to care for the poor, as Torah repeats over and over. Yet when the woman with the alabaster jar poured pure nard over his feet,3 and Judas (or all of the disciples, depending on which gospel we read) objected to the waste of a $150/ounce perfume in this way, Jesus told them to leave her alone. “The poor you will always have with you,” he pronounced, “and you can always do good for them. But I will not always be here. She has done a beautiful thing for me.” The location of this discourse was in the home of a Pharisee known as Simon the Leper, so it is easy to see that even in this wealthy man’s home, Jesus is reaching out to those written off by their well-to-do peers.
James begins by addressing the favoritism they showed to the rich. Even today we greet those who are clean, smooth-skinned and well-dressed with greater warmth than those who come in straight from factory or farm, smelling of their work (v. 4). I remember a father of a girl who was being confirmed who came to church wearing a black T-shirt under a black mesh athletic vest. I judged him by that, wondering what on earth made him think that was the appropriate way to dress for such a special occasion. Sad. Me, that is -- he is to this day a good friend and my car mechanic, to whom I have referred scores of people because he’s not only good, but inexpensive and absolutely honest. And he still wears “dress” T-shirts to special events. James condemns the attitude I held that day, and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get to know him and his family until he was hospitalized and laid up at home afterward.
James does express a prejudice against the rich. This also is a problem. It’s true that it takes a certain level of money and education to institute lawsuits (v.6), and the poor know they will only suffer in our court system even as in the first century. But a person may be fantastically rich and spend it all on making the world a better place to live -- men such as Andrew Carnegie (who started in coal and coke, and funded all those libraries, Carnegie Mellon University and medical research with his vast fortune), Bill and Melinda Gates (who have purchased computers for schools and students unable to afford them) and Jimmy and Roslyn Carter (whose organization has virtually wiped out river blindness all over Africa in the space of 20 years). The rich are often the most to be pitied, as they discover that their money cannot prevent trouble from finding them and they can never be sure they are honored for who they are rather than the money they have. We can all name famous people, dripping with money, who committed suicide or died because of the incompetence or avariciousness of those who loved to live in their reflected light
Now, we come to the passage headlined “Faith without Works Is Dead.” James echoes the sentiments of Jesus himself when he says “Do you believe? Even the demons believe, and shake.” Belief is not enough. James uses the awful example of wishing someone well, yet leaving them starving or naked. Surely, if this happened right in front of us, would we reach out a hand? Yet, in the city where I live, anyone begging on the street is subject to arrest, because “people don’t like to be harassed by panhandlers, who smell terrible and are often mentally off,” as my alderman explained to me. This is all true; and it is also true that there are men who stand near a freeway exit near my home, clean and well-groomed, with a sign saying, “I need work. Please help.” This leaves doubt in our minds that this person is truly needy, yet there are those who had well-paying jobs before we switched from oil-based to soy-based inks, putting hundreds of chemical companies out of business in the space of three months. It may be a legitimate cry for help, but we are busy judging, and are quickly past the entrance and the opportunity to respond. What a relief!
Yet, “faith without works is dead” -- if we treat others the way we would want to be treated, out of love, not judgment, we are doing a truly hard thing. Our works do not earn us heaven; they grow out of the faith we have that Jesus loves us and wants us to grow to be like him.
James concludes his message by citing two problematic stories from the Old Testament: Abraham’s willingness to offer his only son as a human sacrifice, and Rahab’s willingness to harbor two Hebrew spies in her brothel, and to tell them how to avoid the guards who would be looking for them to leave the city. Each of these stories deserves its own sermon, but it is interesting to note that Rahab is one of four inappropriate women listed in Jesus’ genealogy in the beginning of Matthew.4 James is making the same point: who would welcome any of these women into the church today?
Mark 7:24-37
Jesus had decided to take a few days off, and what better place to try to hide than in the city of Tyre? Formerly an island city, it had been razed by Alexander the Great and rebuilt by the Romans, and due to the debris that Alexander had used to make a path for his war machines to reach the island, Tyre had become an isthmus rather than an island. It was a popular place for a vacation. The Phoenicians who lived in the area worked largely in the production of purple dye, and so their hands and lower arms would be permanently stained with that color, from which their name came: the purple people.
One of these women came to the place where Jesus was staying and told him she had a daughter who was possessed by a demon (which could mean any number of diseases, not just epilepsy) and begged him on her knees to heal her daughter. We might believe that Jesus really needed the time off, because his reply was rather rude: “First the children must be allowed to eat all they want; it isn’t right to give the children’s bread to the dogs.”
Dogs were not highly thought of in that time and place. They mostly roamed the streets during the day, forming packs and picking through the garbage, returning home for the evening meal, where they would scrounge for the bits of food that fell to the floor. They were maintained so they could work for the people who kept them, mostly as guardians of the flocks and homes. To be compared to a dog in this saying was about as bad a way to characterize her as we might imagine.
Nevertheless, this woman is both desperate for her daughter and witty. Her response was apparently quick. “Yes, well, even the dogs get the crumbs.” In other words, she need not wait, because the dogs crawl under the table and eat at the same time as the children, picking up their dropped morsels.
Jesus was evidently amazed. “For such an answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” And when she got home, she found that it was true, her daughter was sleeping peacefully.
Was this a learning experience for Jesus? Did this unclean woman (being Greek rather than Jewish) remind him that he had other sheep, not of the same fold as the Jews? Did she shame him into compassion for someone who didn’t belong? Or was he just amazed and amused that she would talk back to a rabbi?
Whatever the case, she got what she came for. She would not take no for an answer. She was just the kind of woman Jesus already knew in Mary, sister to Lazarus and Martha. Maybe he just liked high-spirited people, both men and women. That’s the way she is remembered, anyway. As the current book for women looking to succeed in business says, Lean In. Have courage when coming to God, for God is willing to repent and give us what we want.
1 Behold the Spirit: A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion, Randon House, 1947 & 1971. Available on Kindle.
2 A Christmas Carol, Stave One.
3 Luke alone says ‘feet’; Matthew and Mark say ‘head’; all the disciples object in Matthew, but Mark has “many at the table”. Luke alone attributes the comment to Judas. See Matt 26:7, Mark 14:3 and Luke 7:37.
4 Rahab the prostitute and, Ruth the Moabite in v. 5; Bathsheba “who had been Uriah’s wife” in v. 6, and Tamar, who posed as a temple prostitute to shame Judah into supporting her in v. 3. Of Matthew’s genealogy.
The way outlined in these scriptures is to put our priorities in God’s order, not the world’s order. While the world says that we have to “follow the money,” God says we need to follow the Christ, building a good character, loving one another and caring for those in need; the world says anyone begging for help is a freeloader. The world admires those who have gold, but God admires those who give their gold to improve the lot of others. Each of these scriptures says it a bit differently, but it all comes down to one thing: “You shall love others as much as you love yourself.”
This is Christianity 101.
Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-25
The Book of Proverbs is part of the K’tuvim, the “Writings” included in the late-date Wisdom Literature. Eventually, it becamepart of the Protestant version of the Old Testament. While Proverbs ought not be used as a foundation for doctrine, the sayings offer us an insight into the thinking of those returning from exile.
The proverbs were often used by the ancient Jews as a schoolboys’ primer. The boys studying with the rabbi learned how to read and write by copying out the proverbs. The first verse of the entire collection says they are for
“Gaining wisdom and instruction;The Wikipedia definition says that proverbs usually pass on accepted/ “obvious” wisdom. For example, “Lie down with dogs, get up with fleas.” There are agreed-upon meanings that teach how to get along in life, or with others. They point out pitfalls to avoid. But there is also a hidden dimension to proverbs -- they are often coded in a way. For example, “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones;” the glass house is, of course, one’s life, and the warning is that one shouldn’t criticize (throw stones) at others, because they may throw them back with shattering results. Pastors must get used to living a life that people watch constantly. “Practice what you preach” isn’t a proverb to us, it’s a warning that people will gossip about us, and report to one another every time it looks as though we’ve stepped over a line. Being a pastor in a small town means that you are virtually living in a glass house, because gossiping about the pastor relieves the residents’ boredom.
for understanding words of insight;
3for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair;
4for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](D)
knowledge and discretion to the young --
5let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
and let the discerning get guidance --
6for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
the sayings and riddles of the wise.”
Today’s passages seem made to order for our modern society. Alan Watts, in his book Behold the Spirit1 says that we live in “the first radically secular civilization in history.”
Our passage starts with a basic understanding: “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches.” This is a good starting place to reform ourselves as well as our society. The opposite doctrine is preached in every shopping mall, real, televised or virtual. We are told we are worth nothing if we are not attractive, well-groomed and slender. We are bound to follow every fad, be it in food, dress, home furnishings or religion. If we do not, we will be thrown to the curb (under the bus) and passed over. Even the church expects that we will start as an associate pastor (if in an urban setting) or at a small, rural church, where we will “pay our dues” before being assigned to a larger (more prestigious) congregation. The fact that a different set of skills is needed in these larger, more urban churches is usually glossed over, even as we are encouraged to seek “promotions” within our denominations, moving to churches that pay more, provide a substantial parsonage or manse, and have large and lovely church buildings.
The proverbs for today go on to remind us that “The rich and the poor” are both made by God, which is a happier way to say, as Dickens put it, “we are all fellow passengers on the way to the grave.”2 Or, as Jesus preached it, if you have more than you need, give away the excess, because you cannot take it with you. But most of us are like the rich young man in Mattew 19:16 -- we walk away, saddened because we cannot live the kind of life to which Jesus invites us. In that story, it is evident that Jesus was taking Proverbs 22:9 literally: “Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor.” But Jesus was not telling us to give it all away, as he did the rich young man. We are called to share the bounty with which God has blessed us. Sharing is the Christian way of life, growing out of a sense of gratitude and contentment with what we have rather than grasping at the next level of “progress” of our career. When President Obama famously said that none of us are where we are because we are better than others, nor because we pulled ourselves up by our own bootstraps (another proverb), but because there were people all along our life road who held out a helping hand, who boosted us because they admired us or had hopes for us. There were people who immediately reacted in a negative and sarcastic way to his words. Might it be that this concept of not being in charge of our own lives had not been preached at whatever church these people grew up in?
This arrogant thinking is directly addressed by the words of v. 8 and vv. 22-25. If we must pump up our egos constantly, if we must make ourselves great, if we must make ourselves look successful in the eyes of those around us, then we will have to climb the corporate (or denominational) ladder, seeing our co-workers as rungs to be stepped on as we ascend. And any thwarting of that vision of our lives will be greeted with our fury.
The other part of a social-climbing attitude is reflected in vv. 24-25: we have learned that making friends in high places is a surer means of promotion than doing good work, as illustrated in the secular proverb: “It isn’t what you know, it’s who you know that counts.” The Biblical proverb warns us -- if we do everything we can to make those contacts, we may get caught in a snare. Bernie Madoff made millions with his Ponzi scheme, and thought nothing of defrauding his friends so he could live sumptuously on their money, leaving many of them crippled economically. It’s important to remember that the higher we climb on a ladder, the farther we fall if we miss a step.
I’ve saved vv. 22-23 for last, not because it is the least point the writer of Proverbs wants to make, but because it is a counterpoint to making friends in high places. When we listen to many of our politicians, it is easy to think that the poor are poor by choice, and welfare programs are handouts to “freeloaders” who refuse to get jobs, rather than people who simply cannot measure up to the requirements of employers. So, we think nothing of denying them assistance. We turn refugees back at our borders for fear that they will be able to satisfy employers and so rob us (not the poor) of our jobs. And yet, we accuse migrant workers of being lazy, as though stoop-labor were ever easy.
I used to live in the heart of the strawberry-growing area in my home state. As I was going to college, my husband and I had to live as cheaply as possible. One day, I called one of the farms and asked if they were hiring. “You a college student?” the woman asked. I said yes, and she said, “No, I don’t think I’ll hire you. You won’t last a week. I expect you here at 5:30 in the morning, and we work as long as there are pickable berries on the plants, sometimes till dark. And, I expect you here everyday till the harvest’s done.” I said, “Wow. I guess I have to think about that.” I had gone out to the “pick your own” fields, and by the time I’d picked a dozen quarts, I was tired. My knees hurt, because you have to squat down to see the berries under the leaves. My back creaked, because in order to give my legs rest, I’d then stand up and bend over to pick the berries on the top. With my fair skin, I’d get sunburned in an hour. And if I were doing this for money, I would be paid the farm minimum wage, which is lower than the minimum wage for fast-food workers. I never called back, and I never have forgotten her truthfulness. She used migrant workers because they were cheaper, worked harder, and didn’t talk back about how hard the work was.
She wasn’t the only one who either forgot or never knew that God pleads the cause and “despoils the life of those who despoil them.” Last year and the year before, tomatoes rotted in the fields because migrant workers were being harassed at the border and refused entry, supposedly because many Americans would have gladly taken those jobs, given the opportunity.
We fail to treat each other well because we have no experience with what the other’s life is like. We don’t know each other because we don’t see each other as human beings who suffer just as we do. We keep our eyes on the wrong prize -- the brass ring, the golden snare. We have, apparently, no sense that God is on the side of the poor, and “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity.” We cannot continue to live in anger and hatred toward one another. Such societies have always collapsed under their own burden.
James 2:1-10 (11-13), 14-17
We don’t know who “James,” the author of this letter was for certain, but it has been widely accepted down through the centuries that it was written by Jesus’ brother. Whether or not they were brothers in the blood or brothers by close association isn’t really important. What is important is that the letter refers to the teachings of Jesus found in the gospels and relies on the Jewish Torah and shows earmarks of the early traditions of Christianity. We do know that the early church respected Jesus’ brother James (from writings outside the Bible and the Book of Acts, where Paul debates with the elders in Jerusalem, including James).
Why is this important? Because this letter raises objections to the writings of Paul, who said that we are saved by faith, not our works. (see Romans 4:3). As far as James is concerned, “You show me your faith, and I will show my faith by my works.” Martin Luther leaned heavily on the hope that Paul was right, and John Wesley leaned more on James. So the discussion continues: if I am saved by faith, but I go on an AK47 rampage, have I lost my salvation? But if I were truly born again, could I even consider such an act? Since we live in an age where we have discovered medications that can alleviate paranoia, depression and uncontrollable rage, what actions remain sinful, rather than the result of psychosis?
All of these considerations, of course, color our reading of today’s text. Jesus taught clearly that we ought to care for the poor, as Torah repeats over and over. Yet when the woman with the alabaster jar poured pure nard over his feet,3 and Judas (or all of the disciples, depending on which gospel we read) objected to the waste of a $150/ounce perfume in this way, Jesus told them to leave her alone. “The poor you will always have with you,” he pronounced, “and you can always do good for them. But I will not always be here. She has done a beautiful thing for me.” The location of this discourse was in the home of a Pharisee known as Simon the Leper, so it is easy to see that even in this wealthy man’s home, Jesus is reaching out to those written off by their well-to-do peers.
James begins by addressing the favoritism they showed to the rich. Even today we greet those who are clean, smooth-skinned and well-dressed with greater warmth than those who come in straight from factory or farm, smelling of their work (v. 4). I remember a father of a girl who was being confirmed who came to church wearing a black T-shirt under a black mesh athletic vest. I judged him by that, wondering what on earth made him think that was the appropriate way to dress for such a special occasion. Sad. Me, that is -- he is to this day a good friend and my car mechanic, to whom I have referred scores of people because he’s not only good, but inexpensive and absolutely honest. And he still wears “dress” T-shirts to special events. James condemns the attitude I held that day, and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t get to know him and his family until he was hospitalized and laid up at home afterward.
James does express a prejudice against the rich. This also is a problem. It’s true that it takes a certain level of money and education to institute lawsuits (v.6), and the poor know they will only suffer in our court system even as in the first century. But a person may be fantastically rich and spend it all on making the world a better place to live -- men such as Andrew Carnegie (who started in coal and coke, and funded all those libraries, Carnegie Mellon University and medical research with his vast fortune), Bill and Melinda Gates (who have purchased computers for schools and students unable to afford them) and Jimmy and Roslyn Carter (whose organization has virtually wiped out river blindness all over Africa in the space of 20 years). The rich are often the most to be pitied, as they discover that their money cannot prevent trouble from finding them and they can never be sure they are honored for who they are rather than the money they have. We can all name famous people, dripping with money, who committed suicide or died because of the incompetence or avariciousness of those who loved to live in their reflected light
Now, we come to the passage headlined “Faith without Works Is Dead.” James echoes the sentiments of Jesus himself when he says “Do you believe? Even the demons believe, and shake.” Belief is not enough. James uses the awful example of wishing someone well, yet leaving them starving or naked. Surely, if this happened right in front of us, would we reach out a hand? Yet, in the city where I live, anyone begging on the street is subject to arrest, because “people don’t like to be harassed by panhandlers, who smell terrible and are often mentally off,” as my alderman explained to me. This is all true; and it is also true that there are men who stand near a freeway exit near my home, clean and well-groomed, with a sign saying, “I need work. Please help.” This leaves doubt in our minds that this person is truly needy, yet there are those who had well-paying jobs before we switched from oil-based to soy-based inks, putting hundreds of chemical companies out of business in the space of three months. It may be a legitimate cry for help, but we are busy judging, and are quickly past the entrance and the opportunity to respond. What a relief!
Yet, “faith without works is dead” -- if we treat others the way we would want to be treated, out of love, not judgment, we are doing a truly hard thing. Our works do not earn us heaven; they grow out of the faith we have that Jesus loves us and wants us to grow to be like him.
James concludes his message by citing two problematic stories from the Old Testament: Abraham’s willingness to offer his only son as a human sacrifice, and Rahab’s willingness to harbor two Hebrew spies in her brothel, and to tell them how to avoid the guards who would be looking for them to leave the city. Each of these stories deserves its own sermon, but it is interesting to note that Rahab is one of four inappropriate women listed in Jesus’ genealogy in the beginning of Matthew.4 James is making the same point: who would welcome any of these women into the church today?
Mark 7:24-37
Jesus had decided to take a few days off, and what better place to try to hide than in the city of Tyre? Formerly an island city, it had been razed by Alexander the Great and rebuilt by the Romans, and due to the debris that Alexander had used to make a path for his war machines to reach the island, Tyre had become an isthmus rather than an island. It was a popular place for a vacation. The Phoenicians who lived in the area worked largely in the production of purple dye, and so their hands and lower arms would be permanently stained with that color, from which their name came: the purple people.
One of these women came to the place where Jesus was staying and told him she had a daughter who was possessed by a demon (which could mean any number of diseases, not just epilepsy) and begged him on her knees to heal her daughter. We might believe that Jesus really needed the time off, because his reply was rather rude: “First the children must be allowed to eat all they want; it isn’t right to give the children’s bread to the dogs.”
Dogs were not highly thought of in that time and place. They mostly roamed the streets during the day, forming packs and picking through the garbage, returning home for the evening meal, where they would scrounge for the bits of food that fell to the floor. They were maintained so they could work for the people who kept them, mostly as guardians of the flocks and homes. To be compared to a dog in this saying was about as bad a way to characterize her as we might imagine.
Nevertheless, this woman is both desperate for her daughter and witty. Her response was apparently quick. “Yes, well, even the dogs get the crumbs.” In other words, she need not wait, because the dogs crawl under the table and eat at the same time as the children, picking up their dropped morsels.
Jesus was evidently amazed. “For such an answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” And when she got home, she found that it was true, her daughter was sleeping peacefully.
Was this a learning experience for Jesus? Did this unclean woman (being Greek rather than Jewish) remind him that he had other sheep, not of the same fold as the Jews? Did she shame him into compassion for someone who didn’t belong? Or was he just amazed and amused that she would talk back to a rabbi?
Whatever the case, she got what she came for. She would not take no for an answer. She was just the kind of woman Jesus already knew in Mary, sister to Lazarus and Martha. Maybe he just liked high-spirited people, both men and women. That’s the way she is remembered, anyway. As the current book for women looking to succeed in business says, Lean In. Have courage when coming to God, for God is willing to repent and give us what we want.
1 Behold the Spirit: A Study in the Necessity of Mystical Religion, Randon House, 1947 & 1971. Available on Kindle.
2 A Christmas Carol, Stave One.
3 Luke alone says ‘feet’; Matthew and Mark say ‘head’; all the disciples object in Matthew, but Mark has “many at the table”. Luke alone attributes the comment to Judas. See Matt 26:7, Mark 14:3 and Luke 7:37.
4 Rahab the prostitute and, Ruth the Moabite in v. 5; Bathsheba “who had been Uriah’s wife” in v. 6, and Tamar, who posed as a temple prostitute to shame Judah into supporting her in v. 3. Of Matthew’s genealogy.
