Time to feed the dogs?

In the last year of Jesus' ministry, he's surely thinking of what's to come. Meanwhile his disciples are frequently confused. And his opponents are determined to distract everyone from following him. So... Jesus escapes into the Gentile world. Will he relax and gather his strength for the ordeal to come? Will he take those uncomprehending disciples to task and teach them what they need to know? Will he rejoice in the absence of conflict... or will there even be an absence of conflict? Matthew and Mark both tell the tale...

(46) Welcome Signs

The authorities have followed Jesus from Jerusalem all the way to Galilee and are still causing trouble, asking troubling questions, distracting the disciples from Jesus’ final year of teaching. So perhaps it’s time to move even further from the center of Judaism. But of course, there’s no escaping the crowds. Read Matthew 15:21-22, Mark 7:24-26

1.       A Syro-Phoenician Greek Canaanite… The woman was probably quite rich and influential, accustomed to placing heavy demands on Jews attempting to farm in the region (demanding tribute from their grain/ their bread?). What might it mean for her to approach an itinerant Jewish preacher? And how would you expect Jesus to respond, if you didn’t already know the rest of the story?

2.       Read Matthew 15:23 How do the disciples react? Do you suppose they took their cue from Jesus’ silence?

3.       Read Matthew 15:24-26, Mark 15:27. Some translations say “little dogs”? What difference does that make? When Jews referred to Gentiles as dogs, did they mean “little dogs”?

4.       Jews looked on dogs as scavengers, but Greek women kept small dogs as pampered pets. Is Jesus insulting the woman, or criticizing her attitude to working Jews?

5.       Read Matthew 15:27-28, Mark 7:28-30 How willing are we to take second place at the table of miracles?

Read Matthew 15:29-32, Mark 7:31. Is Jesus in Jewish or Gentile territory (Matthew 15:31)?

1.       Verse 32. Jesus is about to feed the 4,000, and Matthew and Mark are pretty clear that this is a separate miracle from feeding the 5,000. Why wouldn’t they know to expect miraculous food (here in Gentile territory)?

2.       Are we in sacred or profane territory? Does this affect what we allow ourselves to pray for and expect?

Matthew just says Jesus healed. Mark describes one of his Gentile miracles in more detail. Read Mark 7:32-34

1.       How is this different from Jesus’ usual miracles?

2.       Do you think the fact that this takes place in Gentile territory might be relevant to Jesus’ actions?

3.       Why do you think Matthew doesn’t record this miracle?

4.       Read Mark 7:35-37 Why is Jesus telling Gentiles to “tell no one”?

Read Matthew 15:32-29, Mark 8:1-10

1.       What is similar and what is different between the feeding of the 4,000 and that of the 5,000?

2.       What numbers feel symbolic this time?

3.       Did you know 4 is the number for all the earth?

The Pharisees meet the boat on the other side of the lake, and continue questioning. Read Matthew 16:1, Mark 8:11

1.       Asking for signs isn’t wrong, but refusing to see the signs is. How do we tell if we’re asking or refusing to see?

2.       Read Matthew 16:2-4, Mark 8:12 What “signs” have they failed to see?

3.       What “signs” has John’s gospel pointed out by this stage? (John 2:11, 4:54, 5:15/6:2, 6:14, 6:19?, 9:16, 12:18)

4.       With hindsight, what do we see as the sign of Jonah? What might they have seen, lacking hindsight, and given where Jesus has just been?

Read Matthew 16:5-12, Mark 8:13-21 So… two separately miraculous feedings.

1.       How well do we understand?

2.       What “leaven” should we beware of? What signs should we see? And what signs should we give?