A Foreign Woman

Thursday 9 February Midweek Communion at St Giles

Gospel Mark 7

When the Gospel is announced the reader says

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to N.
All Glory to you, O Lord.

The Faith of a Syro-Phoenician Woman

²⁴ 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.

²⁵ 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.

²⁶ The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ 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.

²⁸ Yes, Lord, she replied, but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.

²⁹ Then he told her, For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.

³⁰ She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All Praise to you, O Christ.

Sermon

The Syro-Phoenician woman approaches Jesus as he travelled in the vicinity of Tyre. In the earlier part of Chapter 7 Jesus has been debating with the Pharisees about what is clean and what is unclean. The argument starts when the disciples eat without ritually washing their hands. Jesus argues that nothing is unclean, only the evil thoughts inside a person.

The woman has many reasons why she should not approach Jesus. Why he should spurn and reject her. She’s the wrong gender. Her race counts against her, and she follows the wrong religion. On top of that, she has a daughter who is demon possessed.

That makes 5 excuses why she should not come to Jesus, but her courage and her desire to help her daughter are too strong.

If Jesus has immediately healed the girl, this meeting between Jesus and a Gentile woman would only serve to underline his acceptance and welcome for all people, regardless of their race, gender or religion. Many preachers will wish this was what happened, but no. Jesus likens the woman and her race to dogs.

Subsequently Jesus softens his attitude towards her. The woman’s courage and faith won him over. How can we explain what was in his mind?

Maybe Jesus, fully man as well as fully God, was growing in understanding of his true mission. At first, he seems to have been clear he was sent only to the Jews. Later on – and this meeting with the Syro-Phoenician woman may be pivotal – Jesus widens his remit to include non-Jews too.

If Jesus had wanted to avoid all contact with Gentiles, he would not have travelled to Tyre. If he was not fully man as well as divine, he would not have been able to learn and develop his understanding, as we do. It may be he needed contact with this woman in order for this to take place. This learning process.

This healing story, and parables such as the Unjust Judge illustrate the power of persistent prayer. If the woman had held back, there would have been no story. If Jesus had not goaded her, he would not have developed his understanding and been able to bring her, a foreigner, the good news of salvation that comes with healing.

Instead, there is her story, and with it yours and mine. Jesus stands at our door, with full power to heal, if we approach with courage, compassion and perseverance, praising God for his salvation, offered to us and to all people and not just to his chosen race.

Amen