More Than Enough To Go Around
Today’s reading in our Central Reads 2024 bible reading plan is a bit of a tough one…at first glance. There’s a story that, quite frankly, is difficult to understand – because of how out of place it seems for Jesus. It’s the one where a Canaanite woman comes to Jesus to have her daughter healed of a demon, and Jesus responds by basically saying that he’s only come for the lost sheep of Israel, and that it’s not right to give the children’s food to the dogs.
He basically calls her a dog. Ouch. Or rather, woof.
Doesn’t seem very kind. Now, there’s all kinds of good explanations for this response. It’s not as bad as it actually seems: the word that’s used for ‘dog’ is not the gross/mangy word for dog, but it’s the one that would be the cute little puppy that people love to have in their homes…plus, she responds in faith and Jesus is amazed and does help her by healing her daughter. It’s still a bit rough – but not that bad.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Not so fast.
There is so much to see here.
When we zoom out a bit, we see that this is part of a larger narrative arc of Jesus’ journey into Gentile (non-Jewish) territory. This Canaanite woman story is the first story in that arc, where you’d almost think that there’s not “enough of Jesus to go around” for the Gentiles. But turns out, maybe there is.
The second story in the arc (15:29-31) shows Jesus sitting on another mountain (most likely in a Gentile area) and healing each and every person who comes by. Maybe there is “enough of Jesus to go around”.
Then there’s a final story in the arc (15:32-39) where he has compassion on a great crowd (4000 men + women and children) because they don’t have enough to eat. If you remember from yesterday’s reading, it sounds a lot like the feeding of the 5000 from 14:13-21. And it is, except for one important difference.
That was for a Jewish crowd, this one is Gentile.
In the feeding of the 5000 for the Jewish crowd, Jesus multiplies the loaves and fish and makes more than enough – with enough leftovers to fill twelve baskets. Twelve was the number of tribes in Israel. This number is clearly symbolic of the fact that there is more than “enough of Jesus to go around” that he can and will fill-full all of Israel.
In this feeding of the 4000 for the Gentile crowd, Jesus again multiples the loaves and fish and again makes way more than enough. This time, the leftovers are enough to fill seven baskets. Seven was the number of perfection, or rather, of completion, of wholeness. This number is representative of the fact that there is “enough of Jesus to go around” to fill not just the twelve tribes of Israel, not just the “lost sheep of the house of Israel” (15:24), but there is “enough of Jesus to go around” to fill the entire world.
There’s not just crumbs to feed the dogs.
Because of Jesus, there is a feast to fill-full the entire world.
That is what the Canaanite woman story is anticipating, is leaning towards, and is pointing to. That is what is really going on here.
There is more than “enough of Jesus to go around”, so
we never have to worry about keeping him to ourselves,
we never have to worry about not having enough of him,
we never have to worry about going hungry.