Jesus was a Jerk
Proper 15, Year A
A biblical scholar (Phylis Tribble) titled one of her books Texts of Terror. Her book analyzes Bible passages like the sacrifice of Jephthah’s daughter (Judges 11:29-40), a rape avenged by dismembering the victim and killing the perpetrator and his relatives (Judges 19), and Paul’s directive for slaves to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5 & Colossians 3:22). Today’s Gospel reading is not a text of terror, but it’s a terrible text. A terrible text used to foster anti-semitism (Matthew 15:10-20). And a text that portrays Jesus as a jerk (Matthew 15:21-28)! Head scratching Bible passages call for close reading, robust discussion, and Google or AI biblical commentary searches.
In the first part of today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 15:10-20)
Jesus gathered a crowd around him to listen to his critique of dietary laws. Jesus said, “Be clear: it is not what you eat that defiles you, but what comes out. Stop obsessing on dietary laws!” The disciples caution Jesus, “our religious leaders were offended by your teaching.” Jesus, doubling down on his criticism, told the disciples, “every plant not planted by God and every person not born of the Spirit will be destroyed.” Peter, giving voice to the disciples’ confusion, asked Jesus to explain. Jesus, belittling Peter, asked “are you dumb? What you eat goes into your stomach, out your rear end, and into the sewer. What comes out of our mouths, comes from our hearts and minds. From the words and deeds of our hearts and minds come evil intentions, murder, prejudice, theft, slander, sexual indiscretion, and lies. Therefore, what comes out of us defiles far more than what goes into us.”
Christians use Jesus’ criticism of Judaic law, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Rabbis to justify anti-semitism. Doing so conveniently forgets or purposefully ignores an important fact. Jesus and the disciples were Jews. People who believed Jesus was the Messiah were Jews or became Jews until Constantine’s mother, encouraged him to become a Christian. Constantine legalized Christianity throughout the Roman Empire in 313 AD and within a generation Christianity became a state religion. Jesus’ critique should not be limited to proponents and practitioners of Judaism or any other religious tradition. His teaching challenges us to assess our thoughts, words, and deeds. Are the things that come from our hearts and minds helpful or harmful? Is what comes from within us a credit or discredit to ourselves, families, and nation? Do your thoughts, words, and deeds reflect what is good, true, and just? Are we inspiring or disheartening?
In the second section of today’s Gospel, Jesus led the disciples away from their own kind of people in the towns and villages where they lived, played, worked, and worshipped. Jesus took them to the region of Tyre and Sidon, to towns and villages they passed through, but did not stop because Gentiles, lived there. Jesus led the disciples outside their geographic and religious comfort zone. A resident of this region,
a woman, called out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by mental illness.” Jesus, behaving like an arrogant so and so, ignored her. The disciples, following Jesus’ lead and acting the way their people always did toward Gentiles, counseled Jesus to dismiss her. Jesus, sounding like a jerk, said, “I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Undeterred, the woman pushed through the disciples to kneel at Jesus’ feet, “I know you have power to help, please heal my child.” Jesus refused and insulted her, “It is not fair to take away food intended for children and give it to dogs.” The woman firm in her conviction of Jesus’ ability, and committed to her child, replied, “Even dogs, like me, are allowed to eat crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Jesus responded, “Woman, you have great faith. God hears you and is answering your prayer.” In that very moment her daughter was healed.
I think Jesus acted like an arrogant jerk on purpose. Jesus did whatever it took to train the disciples, encourage believers, and correct the wayward. When Jesus found money changers in the the temple, he unleashed his anger and used a whip to chase them out. When a criminal being executed recognized Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus offered him a place in paradise. Jesus died on the cross to save us from sin and death. In this reading, Jesus is being a jerk to teach the disciples and empower the woman’s faith. He led the disciples to a place where Gentiles lived, played, worked, and worshipped. Jesus led them away from their kind of people, outside their comfort zone, to places where “those people” were. Jesus behaved in ways the disciples behaved toward people who did not share their race and faith. He ignored, shunned, and insulted the Gentile woman. Jesus’ bad attitude and disgusting behavior fueled the woman’s faith and confirmed her commitment to her loved one. The woman, defying cultural norms, approached a man who was not her relative. She spoke to, and debated him. This woman, whose name no one bothered to remember, had the audacity to elbow her way through Jesus’ posse. She also possessed the humility to kneel at the feet of someone who shared the race and religion of people who avoided, insulted, ignored, and oppressed her people. Jesus used his interaction with this woman to empower her and give the disciples an object lesson they would not forget. Jesus was a jerk with a purpose.
Jesus communicated and demonstrated a lesson: what comes out of us has more power to defile than what goes into us; what comes out of us has power to bless and transform. The unholy words that came out of Jesus’ mouth and the holy words that came out of the women’s mouth, offered profound lessons about human and Divine nature. What comes from within human beings can denigrate or restore! We have a choice and we must choose. Will we align ourselves with the Holy One? Will our thoughts, words, and deeds focus on what is base, awful, or evil, or will we fix our thoughts, words, and deeds on what is good and just for us and others? In spite of being ignored, the woman chose to believe. In spite of being insulted, she sought what was good and just for her family. Her choices, tenacity, and faith brought healing to her daughter.
What results are coming from your choices? You are blessed. God blessed you, so that you can be a blessing. Are your thoughts, words, and deeds blessing yourself and others? If you want more love in your life, if you want a functional government, if you want to protect the environment, if you want a stable economy, do not look to others. Look at yourself. Look at the choices you are making. What comes from inside can foster the love, truth, justice and peace you seek.
