Readings
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Psalm 146
James 2:1-10, [11-13], 14-17
Mark 7:24-37
I don’t know about you, but when I heard today’s Gospel I found it to be a difficult and challenging story about Jesus. In this story we see a Jesus who does not match our expectations. We see a Jesus who is, at least at first, apparently bigoted. And we see a Jesus who commands those who see his works of power to keep silent about them.
So then, what are we to make of this story? And where do we begin?
Well to start, let’s make clear that these stories happen within a gentile context. Jesus is passing through parts of ancient Palestine that were predominantly non-Jewish. That, in and of itself, is worthy to take note of. And, specifically in the case of Tyre, he is in an area where the gentile population would have been significantly wealthier than the Jews of that region. Needless to say, there would likely be some ethnic and cultural tension there.
It is in the context of that cultural tension that Jesus encounters this Syrophoenician woman. For those who first heard this story there would likely have been the presumption that this woman comes to Jesus with some sense of entitlement. For those who first heard it there would be the temptation to presume a tone of privilege and expectation. And so, no one would have been surprised at Jesus’ prejudiced remarks. In many ways they would have heard this, once again, as hyperbole on the part of Jesus. But they would have also heard this as Jesus refusing to accept the subservient role being offered him.
Surprisingly, however, the woman responds unexpectedly by accepting Jesus’ slur and taking the humble position. She reminds Jesus that even the dogs get the crumbs from under their master’s table. And with that, Jesus is reminded of his larger mission. This outside woman’s almost prophetic voice calls Jesus to remember that his mission is not only to the children of Israel, but to everyone. He commends the woman for her words and heals her daughter of the demon which possesses her.
Then, Jesus moves on and next finds himself encountering a deaf man with a speech impediment. Again, it is the case that this man’s friends beg Jesus to heal him and Jesus, with a sigh, does so. No longer is Jesus referring to these Gentiles as dogs, and yet he still orders them to not share what he is doing. Regardless, they do share it and news spreads, even among those outside the Jewish community, of what Jesus is saying and doing.
So, what then are we to make of this passage. What meaning does it have for us? Other than being yet another set of miracle stories, is there any more for us to glean as we encounter Jesus today?
Well, today’s Gospel is about healing and about faith. It’s about tenacity and boldness. If we take it as a parable about the nature of our life in the Kingdom of God, then it’s an invitation into an active and vibrant way of living our faith, rather than one that is passive and passé.
What is most striking about these stories is the tenacity of those who go seeking Jesus. Is it not moving when we hear the words of the Syrophoenician woman? When she willingly allows herself to be compared to the dogs and still finds merit in the position she has been put in? And is it not profound when Jesus declares that her daughter has been healed because of her words? Or, what about the blind man with a speech impediment? What about his friends who go seeking after Jesus and will not stop until their friend is healed?
You see, the temptation when thinking about healing and faith is to automatically go to the place where we think of it in terms of ourselves. But in today’s Gospel those who are healed experience that healing because of the faith of others. It is because of the tenacity of their advocates that they’re needs are met.
The call for faith and tenacity in today’s Gospel is not simply about having our prayers met for ourselves. Rather it’s about working for the needs of others. It’s about being an advocate and a champion. If we’re to be like the Syrophoenician woman or the friends of the deaf man, then we’re being called to help bring life, healing and wholeness to others who are in need.
And let’s be clear, we are not just talking about physical healing. Jesus lived in a society where maladies such as having a demon or being deaf with a speech impediment would have been seen as signs of sin and brokenness. Those with such maladies would have been shunned and pushed to the margins. So, when Jesus healed people, he not only corrected their physical problems, but he also restored them to community. Through his healing people who were on the fringes of society were brought back into relationship with others.
The truth is that not much has really changed in the last two millennia. Oh, we don’t attribute illness to supernatural factors any longer, but human beings suffer from a deep insecurity that pushes us to create rules that give status and value to some while denigrating others. Whether we’re talking about social ills, crime, poverty, or illness, we’re just as prone as our forebears to leave a whole swath of society at the margins.
The Syrophoenician woman called Jesus to a mission of infinite compassion and mercy, and by extension, this Gospel calls us to recognize that there are no external barriers between God and any human being whether that be class, ethnicity, race, or mental or physical condition. And, friends, if that is true then there should also be no such barriers between human beings.
We’re being called to be advocates for those in need. We’re being called to have faith that, through our efforts, God will respond in the affirmative. We are being called to be tenacious in that faith even when faced with obstacles. And if we do all that, both those we speak for and we ourselves will be healed. We will be opened, and the world we live in will be nothing less than God’s kingdom made manifest.
May we have the faith and tenacity of the Syrophoenician woman. May we be healed of our demons. May our ears, our tongues, and our hearts be made open today and always.