Thursday, 2/15/14
Jesus told the Phoenician woman that he could not give the
bread of the children to dogs, meaning that his miracles could only be done for
Jews. In St. Matthew’s version of the same story Jesus said, “I was sent only
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
When I was teaching this Gospel to Seventh Graders I asked
the kids if it was right for Jesus to work only for Jews. And most of them,
knowing more than Jesus, said it was wrong. I complimented those seventh
graders for having the spunk to say they knew what to do more than Jesus did.
I guess what was behind Jesus delaying preaching to the
Gentiles was that it was to happen only in God’s goods time. Like God would
agree that people who were truly in love should get married, but not in the
Seventh Grade.
Jesus certainly knew that the woman would stand up to him
for the sake of her daughter, so he probably pretended to refuse her just so he
could let the world see how much spunk the woman had. This story has me
entertaining myself with memories of great spunky women I have known.
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