Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany (Year 2, NL)

In Mark 7, a Syrophoenician woman is apparently able to win one with him.

Throughout scripture, human bodies are not an obstacle to righteousness; they are its location.

Recent books that are shaping discussions in New Testament studies

Ephphatha is Jesus’ own original language. Be opened!

A well-placed wisecrack can pull the mighty down from their thrones.

Did Jesus just call that woman a dog?

In the hours before the Passion, the Jesus who was hidden becomes revealed.

In the Talmud, there is a story of a group of rabbis arguing over the status of a particular clay oven. Is it clean or unclean? Rabbi Eliezer stands alone against the interpretation given by his fellow sages, and he begins to call upon nature to confirm him.

I have spent most of my Christian life in deep discomfort with Mark 7. I now read it as an early example of the priesthood of all believers.

On September 9, when many of our members return from Labor Day vacations or summer travels, the gospel text from Mark and the sacrament of communion might be a powerful combination to welcome folks back to the gospel-centered community.

Whether she knows it or not, the Syrophoenician woman’s reference to the table is a persuasive image for her audience. The table stands at the center of Jesus’ ministry.

It’s scary. Sometimes, we Scrappers have to swallow our pride in order to start working with the institution that turned us away. Often, Scrappers develop autonomy and a certain voice that we fear we'll lose if we move into partnership with an established organization. We worry that the structure will steal our ideas and they'll have the money and power to pull them off—without us. 

Jesus does not serve the vague “God of everybody.” He serves the scandalously particular God of Israel.

Jesus seems to engage in just the sort of activity that James warns against.

When I was in first grade, teachers assigned students to reading groups based on how well they could read. They would name all the groups after birds so that everyone would feel equal, but you could always tell how well you were doing by what bird your group was named after. There were the Eagles, the Robins and the Pigeons. The Pigeons were not reading War and Peace

.

If we are to get past our discomfort with the name-calling, we will have to look more closely and note what Jesus does with the word dog.