MARKAN MEDITATIONS

Meditations in the Gospel of St.Mark

St. Mark 7:24-30

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THIS INCIDENT, the moment we read it, can and does raise questions in our minds. Jesus seems to act in a racist way and with religious prejudice. There is nothing gained by not facing our questions in the Bible, but in doing so we must hold to the overall revelation in the Bible, and never interpret any passage in a way that would contradict the plain teaching of the whole Bible. Heresies are created when we don't hold to this principle. Thus the Bible teaches us plainly that Jesus never sinned, and his actions were never sinful. As we remember this in connection with this incident, it does not mean we have to say that racism is right or religious prejudice, but rather to acknowledge that Jesus acted purely here, and that there is some explanation of his action which maintains this purity and that Jesus does not have religious prejudice against this woman, and was certainly not racist.

There is a source of great comfort here to all Christians who feel that the Lord is either ignoring them or treating them carelessly. There are times when we cry to the Lord, and the answer, or no seeming answer, seems to indicate that the Lord is refusing to hear or help us. This is surely what this Greek woman must have felt when Jesus seemed to be calling her a dog and treating her as second rate, mirroring the prevalent attitude of the Jews of his day to Gentiles. This passage tells us that their are times when the Lord seems to be treating us in a way other than loving. What this passage reveals to us is, that whatever the reason for the way Jesus responded to the prayer of this Greek woman for healing for her daughter, his love still was poured out for the woman, as the healing later proves.

There is a lesson for us from these times of seeming rejection. There is every indication that Jesus was proving the faith and earnestness of this woman. When the woman persevered in prayer and in her faith in him, he responded to her prayer. Her faith is seen in the way she holds on to the conviction that Jesus is there to heal and save all however humble they may be. Then it is plain that Jesus was impressed with the humility expressed by the woman as she replied to his first answer to her request. She does not get angry, or complain that Jesus seems to put her down. She is humbly able to accept that before God she is vile because of sin, and continues to plead for mercy. The two ingredients of real grace in the heart, this woman shows. She showed true repentance in accepting that she had no claim on the mercy of God, and real faith in the mercy and love of God in the way she continued to pray. Few of us can say that we show such depth of grace, and must be humbled by the example of this woman.

The example of the woman is also of great blessing. How often have we been tempted to give up on God when no answer seems to result, but rather our problem simply grows worse. We find ourselves complaining to God and saying that he does not care, but rather takes pleasure in our pain and suffering. This woman never talked like this and her faith in the love of Jesus never faltered, she persevered in her request, and threw herself more on the love and mercy of Jesus the more Jesus seemed to be rejecting her. However painful our experience, and however despairing we may be tempted to feel, the example of this woman is the way forward. We must always acknowledge the fact that because of our sin, God owes us nothing and we have forfeited any right to his love, and we must just plead harder for mercy and grace to be shown to us. The Bible gives strong proof that when God sees such humble earnestness for a blessing, he pours in out in mercy and love. We must also never doubt the love and grace of God to sinners, and those who come in sorrow and penitence will never be cast out.

Lastly, all evil comes from the devil and the fact that his kingdom and authority is over this world. Again in this passage we have the glorious revelation that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, and he had complete power and authority to save sinners from the devil's power and malice. Jesus had complete power and authority in this case. He just ordered the devil to leave the woman's daughter, and indicated that he had done this by telling the woman the fact of it "the demon has left your daughter". Whatever tribulations the Christian has to endure through Satan's malice, Jesus is a complete Saviour. By his death we know already that we have been taken out of the devil's kingdom and placed into the Kingdom of Christ. We also know that Jesus will keep us in his kingdom and love, even to heavenly glory in the world to come.