The Anglican Church of Canada has recently published their 2009 Lenten Meditations, and one meditation in particular is causing a small furor.
Referencing Matthew 15:21-28, the author says:
This not a story for people who need to think that Jesus always had it together, because it looks like we’ve caught him being mean to a lady because of her ethnicity. At first, he ignores her cries. Then he refuses to help her and compares her people to dogs.
But she challenges his prejudice. And he listens to her challenge and grows in response to it. He ends up healing her daughter. What we may have here is an important moment of self-discovery in Jesus’ life, an enlargement of what it will mean to be who he was. Maybe we are seeing Jesus understand his universality for the first time.
It has been pointed out that the authors of these meditations incorrectly attributed the scriptural reference, and even left out a verse in the quotation they use. So we can question the professionalism of the publishing team that put this together.
I think, however, that dismissing the scriptural interpretation here as “twisted leftist Screwtape revisionism” misses the point.
Some would reject this meditation outright, on the basis that it claims Jesus didn’t always “have it together.” Why is the implication that Jesus was not perfect so threatening to the majority of Christians? Can he truly have been both God and Man, if he was without sin? Is it not sin that defines humanity in the Biblical worldview?
If I was discussing the Wedding at Cana and suggested that there was plenty of wine until Jesus and his buddies showed up, and that perhaps Jesus was a bit of a drunkard in his youth, I don’t believe the reaction would be so vehement.
Surely the fact that the issue of racism is being raised makes this sting a bit more. As Attorney General Eric Holder recently noted, we are “essentially a nation of cowards” when it comes to discussing race, and I think the knee-jerk responses here validate Mr. Holder’s claim. Discussions of race have become so reactionary and convoluted that we now talk of “reverse racism,” and the very act of pointing out or denouncing racism can get one painted with any number of broad brushes.
It seems to me, if you set aside any dogmas about Jesus, the story is one of personal growth, as the meditation states. Racism is a strong word, but there is a clear indication in the scripture that the woman is initially discounted because of her ethnicity. Jesus transcends a culturally-inherited bias, and heals the woman’s daughter.
Unfortunately, as usual, it appears most followers of Christ are more interested in arguing fine points of dogma and creating divisions amongst themselves than walking the talk of “love thy neighbor”.
5 Responses
Well said, Sir!
Posted on March 4th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
The Islamic view of the prophets gives more ground to these things. The prophets are sinless, meaning their sins are washed away…this by no way means they are perfect. The prophets are all men and men make mistakes, even prophets. God alone is omniscient. Jesus and his disciples are also racist to the oppressing Romans and the same for the Pharisees. Even if you believe that Jesus is the son of God, he is only perfected in death. Other mistakes is that Jesus believed the end times would happen at the end of his disciples generation. The only perfection should be the word and since that is flawed as well…it seems a sad thing that so many people are embedded with a fallible holy text, but sadder than that is making a fallible man, seemingly infallible.
Posted on March 6th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Thanks for the insight, I’ve long held that mainstream Christianity has missed the point of the remission of sins and has misinterpreted the concept of Jesus’ sinless nature as a result.
An interesting parallel in the East is “Pure Land Buddhism”;
From Wikipedia:
Alan Watts explains further:
Funny thing is, the Pure Land Buddhists will chant this for their entire life, even though they only have to say it one time to be guaranteed entrance to Nirvana.
Jesus’ message was very similar; believe in me, and you will be cleansed of your sins and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But that never seems to be enough… the sinful nature of humanity remains a core teaching of the modern churches, and Jesus the man is put on a pedestal and denied his humanity. The message is clear; “Free of sin?! Okay, well fine for you just this one time, but it ends there!”
Posted on March 10th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
You are a true P.K. I am also a P.K. I was basically born into the Christian Church (I say church and not faith because, although ment to be a faith, it is not. It is an organized, man made religion.) My father was and still is a minister, as is my uncle. I’ve been to many seminars throughout my life and my parents had me study world religions at home. So based on what I’ve learned spiritually, and politically, I must agree with you. I believe most of the bible to be majorly misinterpreted. You are obviously a very smart man, and I look forward to reading more from you.
Posted on March 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Favian:
Thanks for the comments, and your kind words. I’m glad to hear you find value in my rantings, and I look forward to having you join the discussion on other posts.
It’s very interesting to me that your parents had you study other religions in the home. In my experience, most American Christians don’t encourage much diversity in the spiritual perspectives of their progeny – it tends to bring up too many uncomfortable questions and competing viewpoints.
Was this done in an attempt to “prove” that Christianity was the one true faith, or did you have fairly progressive Christian parents?
Posted on March 24th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
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