Pastor Leighton continues teaching through the Gospel of Mark this morning, teaching the story of the Syrophoenician woman’s interaction with Jesus this morning:
“Many people want to soften the words of Jesus here, calling the woman a ‘dog’…and offensive statement in this culture as well as ours…I want to suggest that this offense just needs to stand…he plainly says to the woman ‘you are not of the people of God’…still we get stuck on the word dogs, don’t we?…but look closer…the woman doesn’t see it this way. She sees this riddle for what it is. It’s a parable about timing, not inequalities…the time for the gentiles incorporation into the people of Goe is coming, but not yet…Still yet, she will not be put off…she shows dogged determination to get help for her daughter…We see stark this comparison: the self-righteous Pharisee to the self-abasing Phoenician woman…and for this Jesus commends the woman”