Consider the famous Fido born in Italy during World War II. Yes, there really was a Fido. He was found on the verge of death by a worker who took him home and nursed him back to health. And for this, he’d have Fido’s unwavering loyalty for the rest of his life.
Every day, Fido waited for his master at the same bus stop, refusing to move until he stepped off the bus even though Italy was being bombed almost daily. But one day, Fido’s master didn’t return from work. He’d been killed in an air raid.
Ever-vigilant Fido still turned up to wait for him every day for 14 years. That’s loyalty! That’s the kind of never-ending loyalty we get from God who waits for us every day of our lives – not just 14 years.
Today’s Gospel is about dogs, although these dogs get no praise and affection. Before and during Jesus’ time comparing a person to a dog or to call someone a dog was to mean they were of very low social status, even evil.
How can that be true when today in this church and in Christian churches around the world we worship him? Jesus can’t possibly be the one calling the Canaanite woman a dog, can he? What’s the meaning of this reading from Matthew? What’s the author’s point?
Using this image of a dog, Matthew told his audience through his Gospel passage that Jesus also was for the people of Canaan – non Jews – such as those living on the coast in Sidon, and Tyre where Roman influence and control was greatest. The Gentiles were there. They simply had to believe in this Jew – Jesus – and what he stood for taught; he was theirs too. His healing was for everyone. Matthew was spreading the Word.
The Jews who believed in Jesus and followed him, in time, came to realize they needed to share their table with non-Jews, the Gentiles, rather than consider them as dogs. Matthew made his point by having the Canaanite woman say to Jesus, "Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters."
Matthew is not throwing his Jewish faith under the bus, so to speak. He’s saying to other Jewish followers of Jesus, “Let the Gentiles get on our bus with Jesus as our driver.” The irony is that the earliest Christians were Jews. Gentiles became Christians later on.
Who do we look down on because of our own personal biases and prejudices? Do we hold ourselves in high regard and consider others not to be as good as us – other people, cultures, faiths? Those with less education or less money?
Consider this story. One day, Miss Ellis arrived at class accompanied by a young woman and two girls. "Today I have brought Cinderella and Snow White with me. They are accompanied by Cruela, their stepmother."
When everyone was seated, and Mrs. Cruela was preparing to speak, all the classroom lights went out. Amid the darkness two very loud slaps could be heard.
Just then, the lights came on and everyone could see Cinderella and Snow White weeping. “Who did that?" asked Miss Ellis.
Without hesitating, everyone pointed at the stepmother. Mrs. Cruela shook her head, but at that moment the lights went off again. Then two loud thumps resounded around the classroom.
When the lights came on again, Clara and Philip were crying and looking angrily at the stepmother at whom everyone was pointing. The stepmother began to speak again, saying she was innocent, but again the lights went out.
Seeing this, everyone asked Cruela to forgive them. She was a warm and very kind woman who didn’t know what to do with her rebellious stepdaughters who she loved greatly even though they caused problems wherever they went.
Moral of the story? Let’s not make judgments based on prejudice and surface appearances like race, beauty, or even names. We’re all capable of holding Snow White and Cinderella blameless, while casting blame on the Cruela’s in our lives – the easy targets, the scapegoats – those from other faiths such as Islam. We’re all capable of racism, bigotry, and hate.
Deacon David Pierce
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