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Gospel Reading for February 8, 2024 – Mark 7: 24-30
ALL POSSIBLE WAYS
Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She replied and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.” Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
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During Jesus’ time, the Jews called gentiles/pagans, “dogs.” Syrophoenicians fell under that category, hence it was not surprising that Jesus used the same term with the woman. It would look like Jesus was insulting the woman, but if we follow closely the line of conversation, Jesus was challenging the faith of the woman. The woman picked up the challenge because she did not mind being referred to as a dog and pointed out to Jesus that dogs are still able to eat part of the children’s food which fell under the table. How can Jesus refuse a prayer that was FULL OF HUMILITY, not only in what she said, but her demeanor itself – she fell at his feet. How can Jesus refuse the prayer of a mother desperate to get help for her child in ALL POSSIBLE WAYS! For God to heed our prayer, we really need a lot of humility.
We Christians, have a lot to learn from this gospel reading. We may be proud thinking we are better than non-Christians, but they may be better than us in many ways.
Lord, help us keep our hearts humble!
