“Table Scraps”
Matthew 15:21-28
Parenting encompasses many stages, presents numerous challenges, and brings many joys. I love being a dad, and now love being a grandpa. Being a father to an almost 30-year-old son and a married 24-year-old daughter with two kids isn’t the same as being a dad when they were both younger. I can remember when both Sam and Abby were young toddlers. I have some great memories, including lots of hugs and kisses, plenty of pretend play with the kids, and many nights of story time and songs. The toddler years were among the most enjoyable years we had with our kids. Yet I also recall the struggles and challenges, particularly at mealtime. When both kids were toddlers, we had a black Labrador Retriever named Brooke, who had a field day after mealtime. She would go under the table and have her snack, which was often much more like a full three-course dinner!
Paula and I were at a restaurant a few months ago, and I was watching a mom and dad with their 3-year-old, trying to get their child to eat. When they were finally done, the dad moved the highchair back and began picking up the food scraps from their toddler, starting with the tray of the high chair, then the pieces of food on the table, and finally, the remaining scraps on the floor. It almost looked as if there had been a food fight at their table, and the pieces of food were all over the section where the toddler had been. I looked at Paula and said, “Remember that? Shudder. I do not miss those mealtimes from when the kids were young.”
I share these stories because of today’s passage, which involves a Canaanite woman in need, table scraps left on the floor after a meal, and an uncharacteristically harsh response from Jesus. Just what does this tale of table scraps tell us about Jesus and his mission? More importantly, what does it tell us, we who are sent out to be Christ’s hands, heart, and voice in the world today?
Let’s begin by focusing on the woman in the story. How is this woman’s faith demonstrated, and what does it say about Jesus? The woman is introduced as a "Canaanite." The designation invokes negative associations from the Hebrew Bible of fellow Jews who broke away from some Jewish traditions, intermarried with other peoples, and worshiped on Mt. Gerizim rather than in the holy city of Jerusalem. The Samaritans were hated enemies. Further negative associations surround her designation as the mother of a demoniac daughter. Yet notice how she addresses Jesus-“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; a demon severely possesses my daughter.” She calls Jesus “Lord, Son of David.” This woman understands that Jesus is more than a teacher. She addresses him as "Lord" and is aware of his messianic heritage. This woman has some faith that she is acting upon. Then we hear some whining from the disciples, “ Lord, she keeps following us and asking for help. She’s bothering us. Make her go away.” Their motivation for interceding is less than admirable. Instead of exhorting Jesus to show mercy, they want to remove an irritant.
Jesus responds that his mission is only to the lost sheep of Israel, not this Canaanite woman who is outside of the faith. Then she makes a bold move — she kneels in front of Jesus, and, according to the original Greek, emphatically begs Jesus, “Lord, help me!” Theologian Carla Works says, “This action is significant. The author of Matthew uses this action as one befitting a king. The magi, who are also Gentiles, are the first to offer worship to Jesus in this way (Matthew 2:2, 8, 11). The unrepentant slave bows before the king in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18:), and the mother of James and John kneel before Jesus as a king of a kingdom (Matthew 20:20). For the woman to treat Jesus in this manner is in keeping with her earlier declaration of Jesus as the Son of David.”
We expect Jesus, who is usually full of compassion, to comply, especially in how she treats him and kneels before him. Instead, he says to her, “It isn’t fair of me to take the children’s bread”- that is, his miraculous powers of healing and teaching-“ and throw it to the dogs”- that is, waste it on the likes of a Canaanite like yourself. His response is gruff, to say the least. Where is the Christ of caring and compassion?
Is there anything we can say to help soften Jesus’ response? Perhaps. Some biblical scholars believe this was a familiar saying about children, dogs, and table scraps, and that Jesus was using one of the well-known phrases of the day to explain that his mission didn’t include those outside the people of Israel. It is also interesting to note that the translation of the word “Dog” in Greek could be translated as “little puppies.” At least, it softens things a bit when we look deeper into the Greek language and some of the customs of the day. “It isn’t fair to take the children’s bread and feed it to cute little puppies.” Even in that form, it still sounds harsh, and it still seems surprising that Jesus rebuffs her second plea for help.
The woman, though, will not be dismissed. Bravely, she initiates the next exchange by continuing Jesus' metaphor. “Even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table” (v.27). Her response recognizes Jesus' concern with fairness (v. 26) and with the priority of his mission to Israel. Yet it also holds out the possibility of her participation as a Gentile in that mission. Her statement is striking. She places hope in what others have discarded. This Son of David has so much power that there is enough power for the house of Israel and more than enough left over for her. She is not trying to thwart his mission. She wants a crumb, recognizing that even a crumb is powerful enough to defeat the demon that has possessed her daughter. Jesus isn’t just hope for the Children of God but is also hope for the rest of humanity.
Jesus responds by declaring the greatness of her faith and heals her daughter (15:28). For the daughter, there is wholeness. For the woman, there is vindication after the risky and brave act of faithful intercession. For Jesus, there is a demonstration of his significance for Gentiles in this act of merciful liberation. In addition, this woman’s faith marks the beginning of a broader mission for Jesus. After this encounter, in Matthew 15:29-39, Jesus heals the many Gentiles brought to Him. He then feeds 8,000 plus Gentiles in this distinctly non-Jewish region. And the number of baskets leftover with crumbs is 7. This number is symbolic of the mission to the Gentiles in the book of Acts 6:2-3, as the early church assigns different responsibilities to two groups: the 12 from among the Hebrews and seven from among the Greek Gentiles.
Today’s story about Jesus suggests two things for first-century Christians.
- Some holy people aren’t like us- people who are outside the faith who believe in Jesus and who deserve some crumbs of grace.
- From this woman’s encounter, Jesus expands his mission beyond the Hebrews to Gentiles, even Gentiles from the suspect land of Canaan. This God is in the unsettling business of meeting outsiders and granting them not just a crumb, but a place at the table.
How can we apply these findings in today's context?
First, we must remember that WE are just like the Canaanite woman. We are Gentiles, not part of the original in crowd, the children of Israel. Were it not for her interaction with Jesus and the prodding of Peter and Paul by the Holy Spirit, we might not be here, calling ourselves Christians, receiving the crumbs of salvation from God’s table. Thankfully, Jesus, Paul, Peter, and others felt called to expand the mission beyond its initial scope.
Secondly, who is our target audience at this church? Do we, too, need to broaden our mission? We have all studied books and articles regarding the significant cultural shifts away from organized religion in America. People outside of a congregation in general don’t just appear at the sanctuary door on Sundays anymore. Our mission needs to expand, just as it did for Jesus and the early church. So, who should we focus on to invite into the church? Are we seeking out other Christians who are looking for a place to land due to changes or conflict in their previous congregation? Are we hoping to attract retirees who are looking for a church to plug into? I think both of those things ring true in this congregation. Are there other groups outside the church that we should focus on? Perhaps part of our target audience consists of individuals with no faith background who are seeking a way to serve their community? Maybe it is also college students, softball players, and individuals from the Queer club at SOU who are seeking meaning and hope in their lives? Maybe it is the neighbors around us looking for ways to help and serve others through our Little Free Pantry or reaching out to the unhoused? Perhaps it is also the folks who attend AA, or the people who come to our office monthly for help with food, gas, or utility costs. Jesus’ mission was expanded to include others outside the faith, to look beyond the Children of Israel. If Jesus is in the unsettling business of meeting outsiders and granting them not just a crumb, but a place at the table, shouldn’t we do the same?
Based on an average church attendance of 100 for each of our 30 worshiping Christian congregations (which is very generous) and the population of approximately 22,000 as of 2025 in Ashland, about 14% of the population worships regularly in Christian churches. Others attend synagogues and other faith communities. I’ll deduct 11% from 22,000. That means the remaining 75% or so of our Ashland population could use some crumbs from God’s table — people who don’t come to church on Sundays or worship anywhere else and see no reason why they ever would in the first place. There are people in need of physical, spiritual, and emotional healing. There are hungry people in our community begging for table scraps. Today’s passage encourages us to go out, to look beyond our doors and those we know, to reach out and share our crumbs of faith. We need to stop expecting people to come to our church on Sunday and get outside those doors. We need to expand our mission as we simultaneously address the need to fix and update our facility. Hopefully, by addressing many deferred maintenance items and reimagining or reinventing some of our facilities, we can attract new people to this place.
We give thanks this day for the Canaanite woman who persisted in asking Jesus for help, which in turn influenced our Messiah to expand his mission. Likewise, let us be inspired to look beyond those whom we know in faith, looking for new ways to include those outside of faith to participate in the kindom, offering the scraps of grace, mercy, and love that fall from God’s table. Alleluia. Amen.
