Turning the Tables
In A Christmas Story, the infamous scene where the "Bumpus hounds" invade the Parker household and devour their Christmas turkey is one of the most memorable moments of this classic holiday movie. The Bumpuses live next door to Ralphie Parker and his family and own a pack of loud, uncontrollable dogs that constantly cause trouble. According to Ralphie, “There are 785 of them, and they smell really bad.” During this pivotal scene, the dogs burst into the Parker home, drawn by the smell of the freshly roasted turkey. Launching themselves at the table, the turkey and all the trimmings were overturned and devoured in seconds, leaving the family in shock as they watched their holiday meal obliterated. Exhausted from BB guns, bunny suits, broken glasses, and now not a crumb left of Christmas dinner (or a week’s worth of The Old Man’s favorite turkey leftovers!), the Parkers need a break from their familiar Christmas day at home. They head out and seek respite in an unlikely place - the local Chinese restaurant. Here, they enjoy a memorable Peking duck dinner at one of the few open restaurants in town.
Mark Chapter 7 is a pivotal scene in Jesus’ ministry. Exhausted from an intense period of teaching, healing, continuous skepticism from his disciples, and growing opposition from religious leaders, Jesus steps away from the familiar ground of Israel and enters the non-Jewish areas of Tyre and Sidon for rest and reflection. This is “enemy” territory inhabited by Gentiles and considered unclean by Jewish standards. While trying to seek solitude in a house without anyone knowing it, he is discovered by a Syrophoenician woman, a person who by all cultural and religious standards lies outside the reach of God’s favor.
The encounter is striking. The woman’s daughter is afflicted by a demon, and in her desperation she begs Jesus for help. Jesus responds in a way that seems uncharacteristically dismissive:
“Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (vs. 27).
His words seem to reflect the prevailing attitudes of the time, where Jews not only regarded Gentiles as outsiders, but considered them as lowly as dogs, not worthy of even a crumb. He is also emphasizing that his first priority is to his “children” - the nation of Israel.
The woman’s response is astounding. Rather than conceding, she meets Jesus on his terms with humility, confidence, and wisdom. “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” This one-sentence response shows a deep understanding of Jesus’ mission and expresses a faith that can break any barrier. She doesn’t ask to be compared to the Jews. Rather, she, a Gentile woman, understands Jesus’ power and grace so profoundly, she knows even a crumb of His goodness is enough to receive a miracle. For this statement, Jesus honors the woman’s humble and persistent faith by healing her daughter.
This passage is a transformative moment in the Gospel narrative where we see multiple instances of the tables being turned. Jesus first turns the tables on the people of Israel by retreating into dark, paganistic territory for rest and reflection. The people of Israel, who saw themselves as God’s privileged, chosen people, see Jesus extend his grace and mercy freely to outsiders. It’s a lesson for his disciples who continually miss his point. This non-Jewish woman, unworthy of a miracle in their eyes, receives a miracle because she not only got Jesus’ point, but articulates it back to him in one humble but theological sentence. The disciples were able to witness a faith that challenged their assumptions. And in an unexpected twist, the woman who approached Jesus with nothing but a desperate and persistent faith, inspired Jesus to expand his ministry beyond Israel. This passage reminds us that God’s love and grace often reach the most unexpected people in the most unexpected ways. Jesus turns the tables to show us that our assumptions about who is “worthy” can be deeply flawed. The faith that truly moves Him is humble, persistent, and grounded in the belief that even a crumb from the Bread of Life is enough.
~ Originally from PA, Jennifer Korinchak became smitten with the Lake Norman area back in the early 2000s. She has lived here since 2014 and has been attending LIFE Fellowship with her husband Nate, and son Caleb since 2020.