ON THIS Sixteenth Sunday after
Pentecost, we hear the gospel concerning our Lord’s ministry. The
Gospel According to Saint Mark relates that though Jesus did not come into the
world specifically to offer physical healing, his ministry to we sinful human beings
often includes a more wholistic concept of healing... far beyond what we can imagine. We read…
And
from there he (Jesus) arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And
he entered a house, and would not have anyone know it; yet he could not be hid.
But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean
spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet.
Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by
birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to
her, “Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s
bread and throw it to the dogs.”
But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the
dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
And he said to her, “For this saying you may
go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”
And she went home, and found the child lying
in bed, and the demon gone.
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and
went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And
they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and
they besought him to lay his hand upon him.
And taking him aside from the multitude
privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his
tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that
is, “Be opened.”
And his ears were opened, his tongue was
released, and he spoke plainly. And he charged them to tell no one; but the
more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were
astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes
the deaf hear and the mute speak.
(Mark 7:24-37)
 |
Gospel of Mark, The: A Commentary - eBook By Francis J. Moloney |
Crossing
Boundaries!
By writing of this occurrence, Mark challenged the
early Church about human boundaries… that they were not always geographical nor
political, but were and still are also religiously inscribed. Mark cited that Jesus went into a city that
was not located within Israel as he sought temporary solace from the burdens of his
ministry. During his stay, he likely rested in the home of an Israelite who had
invited him there. Though his retreat for rest was not advertised, news got out
concerning his presence there. The response Mark thus recorded was profound. He noted
that even a woman who was not Jewish applied to him on behalf of her daughter who was seriously ill.
For those who have participated in our Bible study
here, you may remember that she previously gathered our attention because we encountered the
same scene from the later perspective of Matthew’s faith community. During that
study, we noted…
“As
known by many, the Syrian-Phoenician location and her Canaanite identity
provide us with a double condemnation, at least for those in the infant church.
Doubly undesirable was she to those Jews living in the north near Antioch, for it
was in that region that the woman’s identity brought the issue home.
We note that Jesus challenged the woman about
her coming to him, by saying that he was sent to retrieve the “lost” ones of
wandering Israel. She countered, saying that even the dogs eat of the crumbs
that fall from the table. Many are confused here by the apparent callousness of
the statement about Jesus singular task. But I consider that this discourse
found its way into scripture, not for the sake of the woman who approached
Jesus… but was meant as revelation to those Jews of the early church.”
Answering
Faith!
Indeed the revealed Word came across clearly to those Jews
who had worked incessantly, and rather sinfully… to keep a perceived
stranglehold upon the healing love of God. The unbound recognition that God is
God, and Jesus is God’s only begotten Son… and God reigns above all… came first
from this foreign woman. She sought relief not for herself but petitioned for
another. In the gospel of Mark, we note that she is the first person to
properly call Jesus “Lord”. Therefore by the power of the loving Spirit, she properly
saw what the misunderstanding disciples could not.
Responding to the needs of
another… regardless of her motivations she made a profound statement of faith.
She believed that Jesus had the divine, eternal power to heal and found he could do so
even remotely! As the Church, therefore, we might ask ourselves either corporately
or personally whether we have the wisdom to express the same portion of faith.
As crumbs falling from the Lord’s table, like so… can we pray that we should
be so blessed and great healing take place in our own lives?
As now in a community
of faith I also ask, “Are we not called by this revelation to grasp the meaning
of the second portion of today’s lesson? Even remote from the scripture's original writing
in geographic location and the bounds of time, are we not also healed… being struck
by the Holy Spirit to know the meaning of that later healing?
We read that Jesus, in
returning to public ministry in Israel, was immediately called by a man’s friends to heal
a person born blind and mute.” I also might ask therefore, “Is this not a religious portrayal of the Markan churches and also the image of our own ecclesial course?” In a time where many devious persons seek diversity for their own reasons of attaining power, should the Church claim this heritage as persons still pour through geographic borders? There are many in my
own denomination that ask this question. Why does the Church yet grope in darkness
while knowing the Way? Why do we stand as sounding unintelligible when in the public
square? Does this call we Christians into ripe mission fields made ready for the harvest?
Zealously
Proclaim!
We find ourselves challenged by the Holy Spirit
through this lesson, because of the reaction of those who witnessed the wondrous
healing. It is we, among the many who have read and heard this report,
who are now challenged to zealously proclaim what we know. Rather than charged
to keep the Messianic secret as Jesus had instructed his unknowing disciples back
then, we are called by that same Lord to proclaim the good news abroad. We are to plainly tell
of the Lord's healing nature in a worldwide effort!
Note that the
author of Mark again and again identified our Lord Jesus and reverted his people back
to the earlier conversation of our Lord. So too should we. Jesus announced without reservation before
all the world, recording for all time concerning why he came into the world. He
said:
“…
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe
in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
Repent
and Believe!
That word, "repent"... has great meaning for us. Whenever
it is heard in the Church, that important word stands as key. Let us repent (turn around and move away from our sin), and face
God. Let us ask to be forgiven for the sake of Jesus Christ and be empowered
by that wondrous forgiveness. We need to realize that God's healing Word is not captive to any
shores of geography, rigors of human tradition, or even religious zealotry… but
should be preached to the sinful across far expanses of a creation so great
that boundaries cannot be grasped or conquered by our imaginations.
Indeed, our
Lord will reach out far to heal those whom he chooses. Thankfully, he opens
the eyes of those of us who remain blind and loosens the bound tongues of those of
us who should speak the gospel. Let us therefore repent, believe and pray… and
appropriate the miracles of healing love.
No comments:
Post a Comment