People22

Mk 7:24-26 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 evil 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 .

Now if you have a map in the back of your Bible, you will see that Tyre is in the far north. This is another of those parts of the Bible where you wish more was said. For instance we don't know why Jesus travelled there. We don't know whose house it was that he went to and we don't really know why he went there and why he didn't want others to know he was there. Perhaps part of the reason will come out in the story. But why he went to this particular house in the far north is a mystery, and yet Jesus always did things with a purpose. Some might say he went so as to meet the woman we're going to consider but a) he still had to know the person whose house it was and b) why didn't he go directly to the woman's house if his Father was sending him to her? No, he has travelled north to see the people in this home for a reason – they are important to God! What a beautiful thought, that Jesus travelled all that distance just to visit some people who were important to him! Had they been south previously, and invited him to come up and use their home as a retreat for a rest sometime? That's a nice thought as well!

Anyway, Jesus gets to Tyre and his friend's / acquaintance's house but somehow someone either, sees him arriving and recognises him, or someone gossips. Whatever it is the word gets to this lady who has a need. Now I have to say I have a problem with her need. My understanding of demon possession is that it can only happen when someone has opened themselves seriously to Satanic / occultic things. This suggests that this family has a dark background, yet the woman has become so desperate that she recognises that she needs help. She knows what is wrong and she knows she needs someone with a deliverance ministry and the word on the street, from those in the know, is that this is what Jesus does. As frustrating as it sometimes is, we have to sometimes wait until people do become desperate about their situation, sufficiently desperate that they will seek out help and sufficiently desperate that they will receive the help being offered.

So she comes to Jesus but it is the way Jesus responds to her that is significant. We find a dialogue opening up: “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 their dogs.” (v.27) It is normally accepted that Jesus is speaking enigmatically about his calling. The ‘children' are God's children, Israel . The trouble with Scripture is that it doesn't convey the tone of voice or look on the face. It is possible that Jesus was speaking ironically here, saying what the Jews usually thought of others who were not Jews, when he referred to dogs. Now I think if that is so then it is quite possible that he says it with a grin on his face so that the woman knows he is really making fun of Jewish snobbishness. She obviously understands it and almost banters back, “Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” (v.28). If it is banter, note that there is nevertheless respect in it, for she calls Jesus “Lord” which is the only time it appears in this Gospel. It is a term of respect. I think banter fits far better here than any form of hardness in Jesus. He knows she is in need, he knows she is desperate and he knows she has come in faith. If he wants to test her commitment to belief he doesn't have to be hard. I know how he has always dealt with me and although it has often been firm and distinct, he always speaks with the fruit of the Spirit – gentleness! How we so often lack this in the Church.

His response to her is to simply reassure her that her child is now freed from the demonic influence. “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.” (v.29,30) Now we may read this so easily but do we realise the incredible authority that is being exercised here. In the Creation account we read, “And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.” (Gen 1:3) i.e. God simply speaks and it is done. That is what we find in this account here. Jesus simply says it is\ done – and it is! How staggeringly different this is from some of the deliverance ministry that is seen today that is noisy and prolonged. When Jesus is present, exercising his will, it is simply done with no great fuss. This is yet another expression of the kingdom of God on earth, with His authority being seen even more powerfully.

Note in this account that there is no great theological dialogue about belief. The woman simply comes, obviously in faith that Jesus can deliver her child and so after a little preliminary banter that makes her declare her belief in him, he delivers the child simply by the statement that it is so. This is Jesus, saviour of the whole world, not merely of the Jews. Yes, he came to them first, but he is saviour of all people who will come to him – with no exceptions. Hallelujah!