Was Jesus Ethnocentric, Even Anti-Gentile?

Ethnocentric- ‘evaluating other cultures according to the standards of one’s own culture.’

A brief narrative appears in Matthew’s gospel [15:22-28 and Mark 7:24-29] of an encounter between a Syrophoenician [Canaanite] woman and Jesus.  Jesus was apparently on a brief ‘get away’ to the coastal district of Israel around the cities of Tyre and Sidon, perhaps wishing to escape public notice. But a gentile woman heard of Jesus being near there and came to Him, approaching His disciples, desperately seeking healing of her demon-afflicted young daughter: “And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, ‘have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’ But He [Jesus] did not answer her a word.  And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.’  But He answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’  But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying ‘Lord, help me!’  And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” [vs.27]

I have always been perplexed by Jesus’ initial response to her, thinking that He seemed indifferent to her or at least not very kind. A deeper study of this passage and the corresponding text in Mark has prompted a different conclusion for me. 

In the bible, the term dog[s], where used in reference to people, was commonly a disparaging or pejorative term [E.g., see Ps 22: 16,20; Philippians 3:2, Matt 7:6, Rev 22:13-15]. My research has shown that the Greek word for ‘dog’ used in this passage is not in reference to a more or less wild dog, or mongrel or ‘hound’ but instead is a different Greek word used in reference to a pet dog, a lap dog, even a puppy.  Yet this woman does not appear to be offended or ‘put off’ by Jesus’ statement to her and denial of her request, even seemingly accepting Jesus’ implication that non-Jews [i.e. gentiles] were ‘dogs’ compared to the ‘children’ i.e. Israelites. She appears to accept her ‘status’, and even humbly responds by saying: “Yes, Lord, but even the [pet] dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” In essence, she is saying: ‘Lord, please throw me a crumb!’ She asks boldly for help from Jesus, ignoring her societal classification as a ‘gentile dog’ even if the implication is that she is at least as favored as much as a ‘pet’ dog.  Jesus appears to marvel at this humble response from her, as she expressed humble faith in who He was, calling Him both Lord, and Son of David-a recognition of both His Lordship and messiahship.  “Oh, woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you what you wish,’ and her daughter was healed at once” [vs 28]. Jesus honored her humble faith and likely demonstrated to the disciples, who wanted to ‘send her away’,…that ‘in every nation, the person who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him [Acts 10:34-35].

In the Old Testament book of II Kings [5:1-27], is found the story of a top military commander of Syria [a gentile] named Naaman who suffered from leprosy.  He had heard about a prophet in Israel named Elisha who seemed to have miraculous healing powers.  He traveled to Elisha’s home bearing money and gifts of clothes in hopes of seeing Elisha and being cured.  He was, however, highly offended when Elisha would not even see/greet him or accept Naaman’s gifts, but instead sent word via a servant of Elisha, to go and wash seven times in the Jordan, a river viewed with contempt by Naaman.  “But Naaman was furious…saying ‘Behold, I thought he will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ Naaman turned away in a rage” [vs.12]. Fortunately for Naaman, his servants, who had traveled with him, appealed to him suggesting that he humble himself and simply obey the instructions of Elisha, prophet of Israel’s God.  Naaman did so and was cured [vs14].

When Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth, ultimately, He was rejected by the town folks, after He refused to perform any miraculous signs in their midst. They evidently lacked humility and any genuine faith in who Jesus really was. He reminded them that there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; “and none of them was cleansed but only Naaman the Syrian [i.e. a gentile]. “And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things.” They attempted to kill Jesus by throwing Him off a cliff. [Luke 4: 16-30]. Their ‘rage’ only confirmed their lack of humility and lack of receptivity to Jesus-attitudes which cost them the loss of a direct encounter with the living God.

Though Jesus declared that He was sent first to the house of Israel, He ministered to /healed non-Jews on no less than three recorded occasions: Roman centurion [Luke 7:1-10]; man from Gerasene [Mark 5:1-20]; and the Canaanite woman [Matt 15:22-28]. His ministry continued to include gentiles after His resurrection via His apostles with Paul himself saying he was sent to the gentiles to bring the message of Christ to them [Galatians 2:7-8].

As then, so now, a person’s ethnicity is not the issue because God’s heart embraces the whole world [“For God so loved the world…Jn 3:16]. God is not ethno-centric.  He will bless and receive those who recognize their need, from whatever tribe or nation [ethnos] and who approach Him in a spirit of deep humility and faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord of Heaven.

As we begin 2023, do you think, at this point in your life, that you have already grown humble enough? Is your faith built on a deep and genuine humility of heart? Have you pondered the fact that the steps on the down staircase to humility are innumerable, until you finally arrive at the ‘landing’ and if you ever do, you will see there in the Gethsemanean soil, the knee prints of the Lord Jesus, as He, with sweat, tears and ‘loud crying’ [Heb 5:7] wrestled, frightfully, with humbly obeying the will of His heavenly Father-to suffer a horrendous sacrificial death on a Roman cross?

 Thanks be to God that He did! And all for you and me, Jews and Gentiles alike.

“..with all humility and gentleness, with patience showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” [Eph 4:2-3].

CJS