Mark 7:24-30 - The Syrophoenician Woman: The confrontation with Racial, Social, Religious and Gender Prejudice

^7:24From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, ²⁵but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet.²⁶Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁸But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” ³⁰So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Where does this event take place?  The city of Tyre was a large Phoenician (modern day Lebanon) port city on the Mediterranean Sea. It was controlled by Syria. The region of Tyre stretched from the sea to Lake Huleh and bordered Galilee.

Why was Jesus there?  Some suggest that he was trying to get away from the Jewish opposition. Others suggest that he needed a rest at the beach, away from the daunting crowds that followed him everywhere in Galilee. Others remind us that, while Tyre was a Greek town in language, culture and philosophy, there was a large Jewish population there. Perhaps Jesus went there to minister to them.

What are the central issues in this text?  While on one level this is an exorcism story, that is not it’s central purpose. Several important points surface. 1) Jesus mission is first and foremost to Israel. Israel has the pre-eminent role in God’s plan for salvation. 2) That plan also includes the Gentile world. 3)  Faith coupled with unconventional boldness on behalf of others is eventually rewarded.

Why was Jesus so harsh with this woman?  We don’t know. Scholars suggest several possibilities. 1)  Jesus was focused on his primary mission and did not want to be distracted from it. 2)  Jesus is sometimes harsh with others to make a point. In Mt. 8:22 he says to a grieving son who wants to follow him but needs to bury his father first, “Let the dead bury their dead.” In Luke 10:4 he tells people “Greet no one on the road,” thus forbidding a normal and expected courtesy. In both of those instances his point is the urgency of the mission. Perhaps the same is true here. He has no time to waste on that which is not central. 3)  The saying is not as harsh as it sounds and is probably from an old Jewish proverb that means something like “Charity begins at home.”  You can’t meet every need. 4)  Jesus, fully human, was having a really bad day, was exhausted, was raised in and influenced by his racist and sexist culture and had to grow in his own blind spots. Luther says, “She serves Christ his own words.” 5)  Jesus is using this incident as an object lesson to show the disciples their own prejudices. All of these, except for #3 are convincing. If you look carefully at the original text, in my view it is hard to soften the well-established slur that Jesus uses toward the woman.

Word Study

Vs. 25 – bowed at his feet – This was a sign of deference. This was a conventional stance that has already been rewarded in the stories of the bleeding woman and Jairus.

Vs. 26 – Gentile – the emphasis on her Gentile status highlights the fact that she is considered unclean and an abomination to God. 

            Begged – This was an exceptionally bold act.

Vs. 27 – first – this word in Greek implies that there is more to come.  This verse was used by the early church to shore up its defense of the mission to the Gentiles.  The phrase means something like “Stand in line.”  Or “Take a number.”

Vs. 28 – dogs – this is the word for small household pets.  There is another word that referred to wild street dogs. This later word was often used as an insult.  While the word used in our text is not as harsh, it is still an insult, demeaning and often used in a derogatory way toward women and others deemed unclean.

Vs. 29 – saying – lit. word.  The text does not say, as other healing narratives say, that it is her faith that produces the desired healing for her child. It is her wit, her cleverness, her persistence, her besting of him in the tradition verbal argument and her theological astuteness that produces the healing result. She sees into the heart of the kingdom and Jesus recognizes that. This is so important that he makes an exception to his rule, deviates from his primary mission, to give her what she asks.

Questions for Reflection

1. Consider each of the 5 possible explanations for Jesus’ initial response to the woman, one at a time. Ask the question, “If this is true, what are the implications for our life today?”
2. What and who do you not have time for? Who do you consider unworthy of your compassion and attention?
3. What is the primary mission of your life? Of the church? What is the food with which you nourish that mission?
4. What are the crumbs that you have to offer in other ways? How?
5. Can you think of a time when boldness and persistence in matters of faith brought the desired results?
6. In what ways have new experiences helped you to grow out of old prejudices? Who helped you with that?