BEMA Episode Link: 117: Jesus Resorts to Name Calling
Episode Length: 30:36
Published Date: Thu, 16 May 2019 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with special guest Dr. Christopher Gambino, talk about Jesus’s critique of rabbinic traditions and the surprise he encounters in the region of Phoenicia.

Discussion Video for BEMA 117

Dr. Christopher Gambino on Twitter

The Shuvah Project

Transcript for BEMA 117

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 117: Jesus Resorts to Name Calling - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 117 - Jesus Resorts to Name Calling
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings, with guest Dr. Christopher Gambino Focus: Matthew 15:1-28; Exodus 21:15-17; 1 Kings 17:7-16

This episode examines two significant encounters from Matthew 15: Jesus’s confrontation with Pharisees from Jerusalem about ritual handwashing and rabbinic traditions, and his surprising interaction with a Canaanite woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon. The discussion explores how Jesus critiques religious systems that prioritize tradition over the heart of Torah, and reveals a pivotal moment in his ministry where he may have recognized the full scope of his mission to include Gentiles. The episode emphasizes Jesus’s commitment to the core principles of Torah over human-made religious rules and demonstrates his responsiveness to genuine faith regardless of ethnic background.

Key Takeaways

• Jesus distinguishes between God’s commands in Torah and human traditions (halakha), criticizing religious leaders when traditions contradict or nullify the actual intent of Scripture
• The rabbinic tradition of “building a fence around Torah” (creating additional rules to prevent breaking actual commandments) can sometimes lead to missing the point of Torah entirely
• Jesus identifies the heart as the source of true defilement, not external ritual practices - focusing on how people treat one another rather than ceremonial compliance
• The Canaanite woman’s response demonstrates profound knowledge of Israel’s scriptural narrative, specifically referencing the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath
• Jesus may have experienced a learning moment that expanded his understanding of his mission to include Gentiles directly, not just through reformed Jewish disciples
• Geographic location matters deeply in biblical narratives - Jesus’s encounter takes place in the same region where Elijah ministered to a Gentile widow
• Great faith is characterized by persistence, scriptural knowledge, and recognition of God’s character across ethnic boundaries

Main Concepts & Theories

Halakha and the Tradition of the Elders

Halakha (from the Hebrew word meaning “walk”) refers to Jewish religious law and the way one “walks out” their faith in daily life. In Jesus’s time, this system was being formed through rabbinic rulings and traditions that interpreted how to live out Torah practically. The Pharisees and teachers of the law created a “fence around Torah” - additional rules designed to prevent people from even coming close to breaking the 613 commandments found in the five books of Moses.

While this protective system had good intentions, Jesus critiques it when traditions actually contradict or nullify God’s explicit commands. The specific example given involves the practice of declaring resources as “Corban” (devoted to God), which allowed people to avoid using those resources to care for their aging parents - directly violating the commandment to honor father and mother. This demonstrates how religious systems can create loopholes that technically follow the letter of tradition while completely missing the spirit of God’s law.

Torah as Commentary on Relationships

Dr. Gambino introduces the rabbinic perspective that the laws following the Ten Commandments in Exodus 21-23 function as commentary and unpacking of those foundational principles. Rather than viewing law as arbitrary rules, this framework sees them as stories that illustrate how to live out the commandments in complex human situations.

When Jesus quotes from Exodus 21:15 and 17 (striking or cursing parents deserves death), he’s pointing to a section entirely focused on laws about people - personal injury, theft, protecting the vulnerable, and human relationships. The verse in between about kidnapping (21:16) reinforces this theme, as kidnapping in Hebrew thought means robbing someone of their essence, dignity, and identity as a person. This connects to Jesus’s broader point that Torah is fundamentally about how we treat people, not just ritual observance.

The Geography of Scriptural Memory

Jesus’s encounter with the Canaanite woman occurs in the region of Tyre and Sidon, specifically near Zarephath - the exact location where Elijah stayed with a Gentile widow during a famine (1 Kings 17). For a first-century Jewish audience, geography wasn’t incidental information but a key to understanding deeper meanings in the text.

Matthew specifically calls her a “Canaanite woman” (rather than the more contemporary “Syrophoenician” used in Mark for a Roman audience) to emphasize her role as the ultimate outsider in the biblical narrative. Canaanites represented the archetypal enemies of Israel, making this encounter even more shocking and significant.

Jesus as Learner - The Incarnational Reality

The episode presents a challenging theological concept: that Jesus, while fully divine, operated primarily in his human nature during his earthly ministry. Philippians 2 describes how Jesus did not consider equality with God “something to be grasped” or “used to his advantage,” but emptied himself and came as a human being.

This perspective suggests Jesus learned things, discovered new insights, and grew in understanding - not because he was deficient, but because that’s what it means to be truly human. The Greek text in John indicates Jesus “learned” from the Father, and Hebrews states he “learned obedience.” This doesn’t diminish his divinity but affirms the reality of the incarnation. In this framework, the encounter with the Canaanite woman may represent a pivotal moment where Jesus’s understanding of his mission’s scope expanded to include direct ministry to Gentiles, not just reforming Jews to be a light to the nations.

Chutzpah and Great Faith

The Canaanite woman demonstrates chutzpah - bold audacity and persistence in the face of apparent rejection. Despite Jesus initially ignoring her, then explicitly stating he came for “the lost sheep of Israel,” and finally using language that appears insulting (“dogs”), she continues to press her case.

Her greatness isn’t just in her persistence but in her profound scriptural knowledge. When she responds, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table,” she’s making a sophisticated textual reference to the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath - a widow who literally survived on crumbs, a “starvation ration,” through God’s miraculous provision. She recognizes that Elijah (considered the first “master” or rabbi in Jewish tradition) ministered to a Gentile widow in that very region, establishing precedent for God’s compassion extending beyond ethnic Israel.

Examples & Applications

Modern Religious Systems and Missing the Point

Just as the Pharisees created traditions that prioritized religious technicalities over caring for parents, contemporary religious communities can develop systems that emphasize doctrinal correctness, worship styles, or behavioral codes while neglecting the fundamental call to love and serve people. Church disciplinary procedures, membership requirements, or theological gatekeeping can sometimes function like the Corban practice - technically “righteous” according to internal logic but actually violating the heart of Jesus’s teaching about loving God and neighbor.

The Heart Issue in Contemporary Context

Jesus’s teaching that defilement comes from within - from the heart - rather than external sources challenges modern religious obsessions with appearance, reputation management, and public morality while neglecting private character. His list of what defiles (evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander) all relate to how we treat other people, not ritual purity. This applies today to churches that emphasize external markers of holiness while tolerating gossip, financial exploitation, or abuse of power.

Geographic and Cultural Context in Bible Study

The episode demonstrates the importance of understanding where biblical events occur and what prior events happened in those locations. When Western readers skip over geographic details, we miss layers of meaning that would have been immediately obvious to the original audience. This principle applies broadly: understanding cultural context, historical setting, and linguistic nuances enriches our reading and prevents misinterpretation based on imposing modern Western assumptions onto ancient Middle Eastern texts.

Learning and Growing in Faith

If Jesus himself could learn and grow in understanding (while remaining sinless), this provides a model for intellectual and spiritual humility among his followers. Rather than pretending to have complete understanding or being threatened by new insights, believers can embrace learning as part of discipleship. The Canaanite woman’s knowledge of Scripture, applied creatively to her situation, shows how deep engagement with God’s story equips people to participate in that story in unexpected ways.

Recognizing Faith Beyond Expected Boundaries

Jesus’s astonishment at the Canaanite woman’s faith challenges assumptions about who possesses genuine faith and where God is working. In contemporary terms, this might mean recognizing spiritual wisdom and authentic faith in people outside traditional church structures, different denominations, or even other religious backgrounds who demonstrate better understanding of God’s character and purposes than those inside established religious communities.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

The Development of Oral Law and Written Torah

How did the rabbinic tradition of oral law (eventually codified in the Mishnah and Talmud) develop? What legitimate purposes did it serve, and when does it become problematic? How do different branches of Judaism today view the relationship between written Torah and oral tradition?

Christology and the Incarnation

What are the theological implications of Jesus learning and potentially changing his understanding? How do different Christian traditions handle the tension between Jesus’s full divinity and full humanity? What does Philippians 2 really say about Jesus “emptying himself,” and what did that mean functionally during his earthly ministry?

Elijah as the First Rabbi

Why is Elijah considered the first rabbi or master in Jewish tradition? What is the significance of the Elijah-Elisha relationship as a model for rabbi-talmid (teacher-disciple) dynamics? How does this inform our understanding of Jesus’s rabbinic method?

The Prophetic Critique of Religious Systems

How do Old Testament prophets critique the religious establishment of their day? What patterns emerge in biblical literature of insiders being challenged while outsiders demonstrate greater faith? How does Jesus fit into this prophetic tradition?

Matthew’s Jewish Audience and Narrative Choices

Why does Matthew structure his gospel the way he does for a Jewish audience? What other examples show Matthew making specific word choices or including details that would resonate with Jewish readers? How does this compare to the other gospel writers’ approaches for their respective audiences?

The Expansion of Jesus’s Mission

What other passages in the gospels show the tension between Jesus’s mission to Israel and the inclusion of Gentiles? How did the early church navigate the integration of Gentile believers? What does Paul’s later teaching about the relationship between Jew and Gentile in Christ add to this discussion?

Laws as Stories and Commentary

What does it mean to read biblical law as story and commentary rather than arbitrary rules? How might this change interpretation of difficult Old Testament passages? What hermeneutical frameworks support or challenge this approach?

Comprehension Questions

1. How does Jesus distinguish between the “tradition of the elders” and God’s actual commands in Torah? Provide a specific example from Matthew 15 and explain why Jesus considers this distinction important.

2. What is the significance of the kidnapping law (Exodus 21:16) that sits between the two verses Jesus quotes about honoring parents? How does Dr. Gambino’s explanation connect this to Jesus’s broader point?

3. Explain the textual reference the Canaanite woman makes when she says, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Why does this response so impress Jesus?

4. According to the episode, what does it mean for Jesus to have operated primarily in his human nature during his earthly ministry? How does this relate to Philippians 2 and the concept of Jesus as a learner?

5. Why does Matthew call the woman a “Canaanite” while Mark calls her “Syrophoenician”? What does this reveal about how the gospel writers shaped their narratives for specific audiences?

Summary

This episode reveals Jesus as a rabbi who thinks critically about religious tradition, distinguishing between God’s actual commands and human-made rules that can obscure or contradict divine intent. His confrontation with Jerusalem Pharisees over handwashing demonstrates that the heart of Torah concerns how people treat one another, not mere ritual compliance. Laws about honoring parents, not stealing from them, and not cursing them all point to the fundamental dignity and care owed to human beings - especially the vulnerable.

The encounter with the Canaanite woman presents one of the most challenging and rewarding stories in the gospels. Jesus initially appears to reject her, stating his mission is to “the lost sheep of Israel.” Yet her persistent faith, grounded in profound knowledge of Israel’s scriptural story, changes the trajectory of their interaction - and possibly Jesus’s understanding of his mission’s scope. Her reference to Elijah and the widow at Zarephath demonstrates that she knows the text and recognizes that God’s compassion has always extended beyond ethnic Israel to include Gentiles who demonstrate faith.

The episode invites listeners to consider how easily religious systems can prioritize tradition over truth, external compliance over internal character, and tribal boundaries over genuine faith. It challenges both supersessionist theology (which claims the church replaces Israel) and narrow ethnocentrism (which limits God’s concern to one people group). Most radically, it presents Jesus as fully divine yet fully human - learning, growing, and responding to the faith he encounters, even when it surprises him. This portrait of Jesus as both rabbi and learner, both mission-focused and responsive, offers a model for how communities of faith should hold convictions while remaining open to where God’s Spirit is moving beyond expected boundaries.

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