READING: MARK 7:24-37

Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

‘First let the children eat all they want,’ he told her, ‘for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’

‘Lord,’ she replied, ‘even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’

Then he told her, ‘For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.’

She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him.

After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spat and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’ (which means ‘Be opened!’). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosed and he began to speak plainly.

Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well,’ they said. ‘He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.’

REFLECTION

A wise man once challenged me: ‘Every Sunday’ at the end of the church gathering ‘come to the front and get prayer.’

Sounds simple enough.

The problem was I didn’t really want to do that.

At the time I would have told you that I wanted the breakthrough; to see that particular situation change; to invite the transforming presence of Jesus into the situation.

My reluctance be seen doing so in public revealed something deeper: I was still holding something back.

Now, for the record, I don’t think there’s anything magical or more spiritual about going to the front of church. I don’t think there’s more of Jesus’ presence concentrated there than at the back.

However, I do think there’s something about saying – I need God. I can’t change this. I can’t control it. I just need God. I need to surrender to Him. Let me deal with it.

I have come to the understanding that if you genuinely give something over to God – it’s much easier to ask other people to help you; support you and pray for you. Giving something to God also means allowing His people to help us.

Let me ask you this question: Are you good at giving stuff over to God? Open to asking other people to help? Is there part of you that likes to hold on? To try and fix it yourself?

Racial or sectarian tensions in societies sadly aren’t anything new. Think of the race riots in the USA; Israel / Palestine; apartheid in South Africa – sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.

In Jesus’ time it was the Jews and the Gentiles among others. They didn’t talk – there was hostility.

Jewish men would have crossed the road rather than help a Gentile woman in distress.

Yet, in today’s passage a Gentile woman bursts into the house uninvited and talks directly with Jesus – it would have been awkward to say the least. Horrifying!

But there’s something we can learn from this lady.

She chooses life. In her total desperation; in her disgrace (the daughter’s condition meant the whole family was on the receiving end of community gossip and accusation) she chooses to not be defined by the immediate negative voices and choose to surrender all to the one she knows can heal her daughter.

And there she is eyeball-to-eyeball with Jesus. Disciples looking on in disbelief. This outsider; this gutsy, broken woman has looked into the king of the universe and he looks back and sees faith in her.

The woman’s tenacity is more powerful than any creed or doctrinal statement. It’s simple faith. Pure belief.

Her daughter is healed.

Do you hold back? Are there things you’re going through that you could share with others; you could pray about but don’t? If you’re in a Cell or Cluster this week – you have a choice. When the question comes, 'what shall we pray for?' remember the Gentile woman – say what’s on your heart and then pray. As you walk to work – the thing that’s on your mind – just pray – ‘Lord, I can’t fix this – please help me’.

PRAYER

Jesus thank you for the example of this wonderful Gentile woman. Let us not hold anything back from you but bring before you all the things that weigh on our hearts and minds. Amen.

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