January 23- You're A Dog!

Genesis 46:1-47:31
Matthew 15:1-28
Psalm 19:1-14
Proverbs 4:14-19

One of the weirdest texts that I ever read as a kid was Matthew 15:21-28. Here, Jesus seems to refer to a woman as "a dog" because she is not of the race of Israel.

25 The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. 26 He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."

What a strange text of scripture. Even to this day, the verse amazes me. After all, we have seen over and over again God's love for all types of people. Whether it was the time that God in the Old Testament went on a missionary journey through Jonah to save the Assyrians, or as Jesus in the Gospels serves Roman centurions and Samaritans, we see that God is a servant to all who would follow him. Here however, Jesus makes a point to let this Canaanite woman know that she is inferior. I know that there are lots of reasons behind this. I've read the books and I've seen the commentaries. Still, I can't get past the feeling I had as a child when I read this text the very first time. This just seems wrong! And yet, we know that in the end, Jesus served this woman and praised her for her faith.

As I read this, I want to ask the question... "What if she really was a dog?" Hear me out... I mean, we know that God loves all people the same. We know that all have sinned before God. All are unworthy. All have fallen short. In relationship to Jesus, certainly the case could be made that this woman was a wretch, a worm, or even a dog. Calling this woman a dog may be cruel, but it is not unfounded. When the glorious Jesus made his dwelling among human, carnal beings... any of those fleshly creatures standing in God's presence could be refered to as... well, as a dog! And yet, Jesus looking at this wretch doesn't treat her as a dog. He honors this one as (what?).... as a child! So the point here is not to say "Jesus called her a dog, but he was just testing her faith, she wasn't really a dog." No, the point here is to say "Jesus treats dogs like sons and daughters!"

I know a few dogs. There are some folks in this world that aren't worthy of anything. I don't like them. I can't help them. And I really don't need them. But Jesus, turns to those that I would call dogs. Jesus turns to me, just as equally unworthy, and offers me the same deal as he offers them. Jesus calls those who trust "his children." So,yah... I guess that makes me a dog. Who isn't?