https://youtu.be/YXjmOgIJk8I

Crumbs for a Dog

Mark 7:24-30

What is actually happening

Jesus uses the dog statement for a few reasons and many scholars have different ideas about what is really going on. Here’s a few of themOne- Jesus is using phraseology or cultural statements of the day to coyly speak to the woman of the agreed upon status of the day- She’s a dog- a greek- therefore not included in the missionTwo- He calls her a dog because she’s a dog- someone temporarily out of the grace of God unless she recognizes her canine status and does something about it.Three- Jesus knows that everyone will be given the opportunity and uses this as a time to show those around him a foreshadowing of the engrafting of the gentilesFour- This woman changes the course of history through her argument- give me the crumbs at least- and Jesus ends up changing his mind because of her faithFive- (least likely) Jesus was himself caught in the cultural separation at the time and the woman is the one who corrected the savior and revealed truth to him.Hard time this week trying to decipher it- calling other pastors etc. Read a lot. Still not 100 sure

2.Few cultural contexts we have to understand here

Why is the cultural context so important? We don’t want to put our own beliefs into the scripture. We want to know What Mark was saying, why he was saying it, and in what contextJesus didn’t come for everyone initially- it was only for the Jews-Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”Matthew 10: 5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.the gentiles were welcomed in because of the rejection of IsraelRomans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.Ezekiel 34:23-24 I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.The Greeks were not viewed well by the jews at the time-

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Jesus even said- Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.Jesus used ‘non jews’ as an example of what you didn’t want to be likesubstandard people- Greeks and Samaritans didn’t view the jews well eitherWomen did not interact with men in the First centuryJudaism in the first century had emerged from the oriental patriarchal tradition in which women were considered the property of men with no rights, no role in society except childbearing, and no education. (tetlow)This equality that exists in America is not the experience of 2000 years ago. A woman wouldn’t even approach a man- Where is this womans husband?Jesus didn’t operate within cultural norms- he talked to women and allowed women to talk to him

Truths we must agree on before dissecting this story

God is who he isWe cannot put our own thoughts about who God is into this story- let God be who he isMalachi 3:6 “For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.God does what he wantsPsalm 115:3 But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying,