Dearest e-votees,
This week's gospel includes the exchange between Jesus and the Syrophoenecian woman. It is a powerful exchange that is also captured (in slightly expanded form) in Matthew 15:21-28.
Peace,
Karl
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24 From there [Jesus] set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Mark 7:24-37, NRSV
Have you ever encountered someone who you knew would not take "no" for an answer? It seems that the woman in our gospel lesson is just such a person.
Jesus is keeping a low profile. He enters a house wanted to be left alone. Along comes a Gentile woman. She had heard about Jesus and somehow found him in his hiding place. She came not for herself but for her daughter. She pleads with Jesus for help. In the Matthew account Jesus seems to ignore her until the pleading becomes unbearable. In his response he calls her a dog (very unkind remark, likening her to an unclean animal). She takes it in stride and turns the insult into an opportunity to express faith. Jesus yields and grants healing to the daughter.
When we know that something is in need of change, do we engage with the same tenacity and resilience of this woman? When our requests are turned away with laughter or insults or mocking do we flare in anger? Or do we seek in the situation the place to attest to faith? When we are seeking things are we seeking for ourselves or for the sake of others? Do we approach God with boldness and a sure and certain hope? There is a lot be learned from this woman of deep faith and tenacity. Do we have ears to hear? If not maybe we could ask Jesus to summon some spittle and speak "Ephphatha" into us.
We are just as unclean and unworthy to approach Jesus as was this woman. By polite culture and by social divisions she had no business talking to Jesus. Perhaps she knew that this was the same Jesus who breaks bread with sinners and whose disciples don't always get the traditional practices right. Whatever she knew or didn't know she wasn't going to leave without a healing word spoken towards her daughter. What if we engaged God in just such a way over all of the sons and daughters of God we see needing a healing touch? Dare we be so bold?!?
God, thank you for the abiding and tenacious faith of the woman of our gospel lesson. Give us such a faith and help us express it for the sake and healing of others. Amen.
This week's gospel includes the exchange between Jesus and the Syrophoenecian woman. It is a powerful exchange that is also captured (in slightly expanded form) in Matthew 15:21-28.
Peace,
Karl
------------
24 From there [Jesus] set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Have you ever encountered someone who you knew would not take "no" for an answer? It seems that the woman in our gospel lesson is just such a person.
Jesus is keeping a low profile. He enters a house wanted to be left alone. Along comes a Gentile woman. She had heard about Jesus and somehow found him in his hiding place. She came not for herself but for her daughter. She pleads with Jesus for help. In the Matthew account Jesus seems to ignore her until the pleading becomes unbearable. In his response he calls her a dog (very unkind remark, likening her to an unclean animal). She takes it in stride and turns the insult into an opportunity to express faith. Jesus yields and grants healing to the daughter.
When we know that something is in need of change, do we engage with the same tenacity and resilience of this woman? When our requests are turned away with laughter or insults or mocking do we flare in anger? Or do we seek in the situation the place to attest to faith? When we are seeking things are we seeking for ourselves or for the sake of others? Do we approach God with boldness and a sure and certain hope? There is a lot be learned from this woman of deep faith and tenacity. Do we have ears to hear? If not maybe we could ask Jesus to summon some spittle and speak "Ephphatha" into us.
We are just as unclean and unworthy to approach Jesus as was this woman. By polite culture and by social divisions she had no business talking to Jesus. Perhaps she knew that this was the same Jesus who breaks bread with sinners and whose disciples don't always get the traditional practices right. Whatever she knew or didn't know she wasn't going to leave without a healing word spoken towards her daughter. What if we engaged God in just such a way over all of the sons and daughters of God we see needing a healing touch? Dare we be so bold?!?
God, thank you for the abiding and tenacious faith of the woman of our gospel lesson. Give us such a faith and help us express it for the sake and healing of others. Amen.
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