Was Jesus being a Jerk?

(I preached the following sermon yesterday. It was based on Jesus’ encounter with the Canaanite woman in which it sounds like Jesus is implying she is a dog. Matthew 15:10–28).

The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli was published in 1532, five years after Machiavelli died. Since that time, there has been a great deal of debate about his work. Is it a serious treatise designed to guide rulers — the idea being that it is better to be feared than to be loved? To be Machiavellian where the ends justify the means? Or is it a work of ironic literature — identifying the worst methods and tactics in the hope that tyrants who should follow his advice would get into trouble with their kingdoms and be overthrown for their ruthlessness?

Julius Caesar, by William Shakespeare contains irony. In his speech, Marc Antony refers to Brutus several times as an “honorable man,” knowing that Brutus aided in the murder of Caesar.

A little more recent — Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is a dystopian novel, where firefighters burn books rather than extinguish them. Also ironic was the fact that this book which makes a statement about censorship, was banned for a time in the US.

And in case you would prefer something a little lighter, you can take The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum. It’s full of irony, not the least of which are the three supporting characters — the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Lion. They all wish for traits that they already possess.