Our Gospel today gives us two miracle stories. These stories highlight both God’s relationship with humanity and the tenacious faith of two Gentiles that allows them to witness to, demand, and participate in Jesus’ saving power, even though they
both remain outside of the recognized religious community. The Syrophoenician (Canaanite) woman had everything going against her when she pushed her way into Jesus’ presence. She was female, a Gentile, from the wrong side of the tracks with no right to engage Jesus in conversation. Even worse, she was an outcast, because of her daughter’s demon possession. Imagine a person who is homeless, trying to interrupt the dinner of the President to ask a favor. And yet she does. She is driven by something more powerful than protocol—she is desperately afraid for her daughter’s life. She bows before Jesus and begs Him to cast out the demon holding her daughter.
But then we are surprised. Jesus responds with an insult, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Whoa. To be cast to the dogs is the ultimate insult in Jesus day, a sign of real contempt. The ‘children’ here are the Jews, God’s chosen ones. In essence Jesus is saying His first mission is to care for the Jews and the rest, well off to the dogs you go. You might ask why, such a response, I sure did. It is so unlike Jesus to give a response like that. First, let’s consider that Jesus had come to Tyre to get some rest from the clamoring crowds. He had been labeled as a sinner by the Pharisees, a menace by King Herod, His home town people disliked him. He is beat up, tired and worn out and just wants some R and R. Yet this woman barges in with demands. That ever happen to you? In preparing for today, I discovered there are several different thoughts from theologians about Jesus’ response. One would say Jesus was just tired and snapped back a comment without thinking. (Like we have never done that, right?)
Another tries to soften the response by saying the word dog really meant puppies and Jesus said this with a smile on on face to be playful. Some would say Jesus was testing her faith, while others say it was a conversion moment for Jesus or He was pointing forward to the time when Gentiles would also be fed. Take your pick, it could be any of those, or none of them. We, like all the theologians who offer insight on these words, weren’t there, so we don’t know. But this woman needs Him now, so she answers him with ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ We have to admire the woman for being outspoken, bold and even daring. Her quick witted answer turns the dogs/mongrels into simple house pets begging at the table. Jesus responds by telling the woman that her daughter is healed, to go home and check on her.
Martin Luther thinks we should pay attention to this woman, she teaches us how to pray; that is; to pray with boldness. I think that is the point of this healing. Jesus changes His mind. Both Abraham and Moses changed God’s mind. Why not now? Why not for us? This woman did not make excuses, not did she lack compassion or courage, she went right straight to Jesus, not for her own sake, but for the sake of her child. Luther is right, we need to pay attention, for in this story we see Jesus’ mind being changed. Healing comes. Thats the power of persistent and consistent prayer. This woman and her daughter are restored by both the healing and their place in the community. Jesus’ power is not diminished but rather it is expanded and He blesses her and her daughter.
In the story of the blind and deaf man we have to remember that in those days, anyone who had these kinds of disabilities, or any other disability for that matter were pretty much outcasts just like the woman and her daughter. The assumption was that they had sinned, or someone in their family had sinned in some manner. Their disability was the result. They were often barred from the social and religious institutions of the the day and left alone. People then did not understand the biology of these issues like we do today. In an unexpected tender moment, Jesus takes this man away from the crowd to do this healing. Since the man is outcast, afraid of the reaction of people around him, Jesus does this healing in private, so as to not make the man feel more helpless. The man simply had a special need and needed special consideration. Jesus puts His fingers in the mans ears, puts a bit of spit on the man’s tongue, raises his eyes to heaven and says “Be opened.” The man is healed and he spoke plainly. He spoke plainly.
It sounds simple, but the truth is incredibly miraculous. Sure, the man can now hear sounds and he can speak. But that means nothing if he cannot truly communicate. He didn’t know what sound was. It would be like you or I being placed in the middle of foreign country with a language we don’t know. Our words would be as unintelligible to the foreigners, just as the words we would hear from them would mean nothing. And yet, we are told the man spoke plainly, in other words, not only was his speech clear, he could now understand the words that he heard. Remarkable for someone who didn’t even know what sound was. He didn’t have to learn language as a baby does. That is the true miracle.
In both of these healing stories, we see a different side of healing from Jesus. Jesus is interested in not just the physical healing, but providing a healing that brings restoration of the person to community around them. Whenever Jesus heals, whether it is is a demon-possessed girl, a person with leprosy, a bleeding woman, a deaf man, blind man, a person with a withered arm, Jesus heals not only the body but also heals the fracture or the disconnect that person has with their community. They are restored to life. The good news: We too are restored and healed by Jesus. Sometimes it’s through our prayers and those who pray for us. Sometimes it’s in the midst of a conversation; even if it includes an argument. Other times Jesus takes us aside and speaks to our soul allowing us to be open to what’s happening around us.
There is no one way to heal with Jesus, but there is always a way! Amen