Some last minute thoughts--bread v. crumbs

Since I'm a couple of weeks behind in my lectionary preaching (see this post), my passage doesn't match up with what everyone else is working on. While others are working on sermons about the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28, I'm back here working on the feeding of the five thousand (Matthew 14:13-21).

Completely unrelated texts, right?

Not likely.

The story of the Canaanite woman with the demon possessed daughter is nestled in a sequence of narratives which fall between the feeding of the five thousand and the feeding of the four thousand. (This sequence also includes the "walking on water" narrative and a dialogue with the Pharisees about what makes us clean/unclean.)

Listen to what the Canaanite woman says: "even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

I think it's hard for the reader of Matthew to not think back to the feeding of the five thousand and remember all of the leftovers. And just in case that connection needs to be cemented in your mind, the evangelist keeps right on the same line by immediately moving into the story of the feeding of the four thousand.

The point?

There's enough of Jesus for everyone. Jesus came first for the Jews (and there were 12 baskets of bread remaining), and second for the Gentiles of the seven pagan nations (represented by the 7 baskets of leftovers).

This Canaanite woman may know that all she needs is a crumb. And yet, the reader is about to discover that there is an overabundance of bread for all.

God is like that.

Grace and Peace,

PastorJon