Today’s lectionary passage is Mark 7:24-37. This passage
contains two stories. These are the story of the woman who is described as a
“Gentile of Syrophoenician origin” and the story of the man who could not hear
or speak.
I have blogged much about the former of these stories. I think
it is a really important one. This Syrophoenician woman came to Jesus to seek
healing for her daughter. Initially Jesus’ response was harsh, “It is not fair
to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
I have heard many attempts to mediate this phrase. There are
suggestions such as Jesus didn’t really mean it and it was only said to test
the faith of the woman. Personally, I don’t like the idea that unpalatable
passages are explained away. Sometimes things in the Bible are simply not good
and we need to accept and deal with that. I think Jesus’ response here was one
of those times. Jesus was focused on his mission to the Jewish people and
treated the Syrophoenician woman with contempt.
However, this Syrophoenician woman was not cowed. She challenged
the narrowness of that mission. “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the
children’s crumbs.” She found her voice to speak for her child. In doing so
something amazing happened. She opened
Jesus eyes that the message of healing and wholeness was for everyone.
God used this unnamed woman to reveal to Jesus that the
ministry and message was available for all. Thankfully, Jesus had ears to hear
the message. The woman found her voice to speak the message of inclusion for
future generations. This was a turning point in history. The message became all
are welcomed and received.
I also find it quite poignant that this story is featured this
weekend. A Syrophoenician was “a native
or inhabitant of Phoenicia when it was part of the Roman province of Syria”
(Merriam-Webster). So the woman was from Syria.
Syria has been much in the
news this week with the refugee crisis. The refugees, too, found voice this
week in one photograph of one small boy. It is my hope and prayer that the
nations of the world will hear and respond. Perhaps, this little boy from Syria
will also speak the message of inclusion for future generations. Perhaps this
will be another turning point in history about how refugees are treated.
Perhaps, one day, they too will hear the message that all are welcomed and
received.
However, the lectionary
passage doesn’t end there. It is as if the message of finding a voice needs to
be emphasized. The writer of the gospel does it with the story of the man who
could not hear or speak. He was brought to Jesus for healing and “his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he
spoke plainly.” Other people brought this man to Jesus.
So as I read the passage
today, the thing that linked the two stories was that these people both found
voice. Both were people who would have had no significance in their contemporary
culture, even, both would have been considered outcasts. One found voice to
speak for another and one was helped by others to find voice.
This week we have talked a
lot about how we can be Christ-like to those we meet and, even, what it would mean to
be Christ-like. Perhaps there is a hint in this passage. We can be a voice against
injustice for those who are outcasts and rejected by society and we can help
those who need to find a voice speak out.
