I like this thought posted by Mike Atkinson in his daily email humor list some time ago. If you can start the day without caffeine; if you can get going without pep pills; if you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains; if you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles; if you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it; if you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time; if you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when through no fault of yours something goes wrong; if you can take criticism and blame without resentment; if you can ignore a friend’s limited education and never correct him; if you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend; if you can face the world without lies and deceit; if you can conquer tension without medical help; if you can relax without liquor; if you can sleep without the aid of drugs; if you can say honestly that deep in your heart you have no prejudice against creed, color, religion, or politics; then, my friend, you are almost as good as your dog. (Mike Atkinson, Mikey’s Funnies, 6-26-02, www.mikeysfunnies.com)
I like that, because it makes you think about yourself in relation to
what many consider to be a dirty animal. That fact is: to call a person a “dog” in many cultures is meant to be derogatory and demeaning.
But maybe such a name isn’t so bad when you think about your own dog that’s always so glad to see you even though you feed him the same food every day, or are too busy to give him much time, or sometimes take out your frustrations on the poor mutt.
Some people are like that, as well. Those we might consider “dogs” may actually demonstrate a strength of character far greater than any of us here in this room.
In Mark 7, Jesus talks about what’s inside a person that makes him or her unclean. It’s not the outward performance that determines a person’s acceptability. It’s what’s in the heart.
So what is Jesus looking for in our hearts that bring Him pleasure? What does Jesus want to see on the inside that impresses Him?
Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Mark 7, Mark 7, where Jesus finds what He’s looking for in the hearts of people that some in His day considered “dogs.”
Mark 7:24-26 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. a 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 b 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. (NIV)
This was a very needy woman, a desperate mother, deep in Gentile territory (40 miles away from any Jewish settlement), and of a nationality that the Jews considered their worst enemies.
About 200 years before this, a Syrian ruler, Antioches Epiphanes tried to eradicate the Jewish race. He desecrated their temple by offering a pig on the altar. He outlawed circumcision and Sabbath keeping. He forced the Jews to eat pork under threat of torture and death. And since many Jews refused, he ended up slaughtering hundreds of them. Eventually, the priests organized an armed revolted against him, and with the threat of Rome looming on the horizon, he finally left the Jews alone. That’s why the Jews in Jesus day had such animosity towards these so-called “Greeks,” and especially towards Syrian “Greeks.”
If ever there was a “dog” in the Jewish mind it would be these Syrian Phoenician “Greeks.” In fact, the Jews called all Gentiles “dogs,” but these were the worst of the “dogs.” & This woman, to the typical Jewish male, would be the lowest of the lowest of the low – a real “female dog” (if you know what I mean). Men in Jesus day just did not talk to women in public, except for their wives or daughters.
Even so, this woman dares to approach Jesus, a Jewish male, and begs Him for help. How does Jesus respond?
Mark 7:27 “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.” (NIV)
The “children” here are the Jewish people, and Jesus makes it very clear that He came first to minister to the Jews, not to Gentile “dogs.”
This seems so out of character for Jesus. What’s He doing here? Well, first of all, He came to this way-out-of-the-way place to get some desperately needed rest with His disciples (see Mark 6:31). But He is also teaching His disciples a lesson, who are steeped in the same mentality as their fellow Jews.
You see, the word for “dog” here is not the typical word for the snarling scavengers that roamed the streets – a word the Jewish people like to use in describing Gentiles. No. The word Jesus used, in the original language, was the word for a little pet puppy.
And I think Jesus says this with a wink in His eye, responding as His disciples expected Him to respond, but giving this woman some hope. He didn’t call her a snarling, scavenger dog. He called her a little, pet puppy. & This woman picks up on it right away.
Mark 7:28-30 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 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. (NIV)
This “unclean dog” of a Gentile woman demonstrates more faith than the self-righteous, religious leaders back home. Tell me, who is truly “clean” here? The Pharisees who wanted to kill Jesus (Mark 3:6)? Or this woman who trusted Him to take care of her problem?
You see, what impresses Jesus is not an outward performance. It’s not adherence to some list of do’s and don’ts. It’s faith in the heart. It’s a heart that recognizes its desperate need and comes to Jesus for help, not just once, but time and time again.
It’s a lesson Jesus’ disciples needed to learn. & It’s a lesson we need to learn as well. We need to learn that true righteousness does not come from trying harder; it comes from learning to trust Jesus. So like Jesus, we need to...
FEED THE DOGS.
We need to minister to the unclean. We need to take care of those others reject, because we just might find more faith in those people
than among many already in the church itself.
Just this last summer, Pastor Matt Woodley wandered into the wrong hospital room at Stony Brook University Hospital in New York. A middle-aged man with only a few teeth and a wide smile told Pastor Matt that he had shattered his foot after falling off a ladder. When Pastor Matt asked him where he lived, the man told the following story:
“I used to live in a tent deep in the woods near Selden. Then some vigilantes came and burnt my little tent to the ground. I used to own a bicycle, until a rich lady in her huge SUV ran into my bike, dragging me and my bike for over a hundred feet. She never apologized or offered to buy a new bike. Actually, while we waited for the police to come, she chatted merrily on her cell phone. I guess I was just a worthless homeless guy in rags. So that’s my life so far. I guess after I get out of here, I’ll get back to the woods. But, you know, everything will be all right. I have faith in the Lord, buddy.”
As the man told his story without any bitterness or anxiety, Pastor Matt was overwhelmed. He said, “My new friend owns almost nothing, and yet he seems so happy. I’m the guy with the cars and the home and the master’s degree, but he has more contentment than I do. Why? I’ll have to ponder that question a little more, but maybe he has trust and simplicity of heart, and I don’t.” (Matt Woodley, The Happy Homeless Man, from his blog With Us, 8-18-09; www.PreachingToday.com)
Pastor Matt found true faith where he least expected it, in the heart of a homeless man.
Where will you and I find such faith? In the so-called “clean” people we associate with most often? Or in those many consider to be “unclean dogs?”
James 2:5 says, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised to those who love him?”
You see, Jesus is not impressed with the outward trappings of self-righteousness, whatever they may be. No. What impresses Him is a heart full of simple trust and dependence upon Him. & Most often, we find that kind of a heart in those we least expect it.
So like Jesus, let’s not be afraid to feed the “dogs.” Then, like Jesus, let’s not be afraid to…
TOUCH THE DUMB.
Let’s reach out to those who are not as capable as we are. Let’s minister to those who can hardly hear or walk or talk. That’s what Jesus did even in Gentile territory!
Mark 7:31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. (NIV)
This is still in Gentile territory. & It’s where the man from whom Jesus had cast out a legion of demons came to “tell how much Jesus had done for him” (Mark 5:20).
Mark 7:32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. (NIV)
They wanted Jesus to touch him.
Mark 7:33-35 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
Jesus truly cared for this man. First, Jesus took the man aside, away from the crowd, so as not to embarrass him. Then Jesus touched him. The man could not hear, so Jesus’ touch would have meant more to him than any words he might have said. After that, Jesus sighed. It was a compassionate response to the pain and sorrow this man was feeling. Then Jesus spoke but one word – Ephphatha – a word that the deaf man could easily lip-read in his own language. Jesus was very considerate of the man, sensitive to his special needs, and it brought healing!
Mark 7:36-37 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (NIV)
These “dirty dog” Gentiles showed more faith than the religious leaders back in Israel. & Again it shows us those who are truly “clean” – not those who look good on the outside, but those who have a heart full of faith on the inside, even though they are not a part of our group.
These are the people Jesus touched, and These are the people Jesus wants us to touch, as well. He wants us to minister to those who are not a part of our group, to those who don’t measure up to our standards. You see, the church does not exist so much for itself, but for those who are outside the church and in desperate need of Jesus.
When Aaron Barg was three months old, a hernia left him in almost constant pain. His parents, Steve and Susan Barg, said finding a surgeon who could repair the hernia was easy, but finding an anesthesiologist was almost impossible.
With a rare genetic disorder, Aaron was born with a weakened heart and lungs and an undeveloped brain. On top of all that, he was deaf and legally blind. Doctors told the Barg’s that Aaron would most likely die within a year. If he survived beyond that time frame, his life would have little quality—he’d never speak, walk, or feed himself.
For most anesthesiologists, the risk was too high. They felt any operation could kill Aaron.
After several attempts, Susan Barg finally asked an anesthesiologist if he would like to hold Aaron. He did so for a full hour, and only then did he agree to assist in an operation. Since then, the same anesthesiologist has helped in several more operations for Aaron.
“He holds Aaron, and he becomes a human being,” Barg says. “Not a statistic, not a piece of medical research on a piece of paper—but a human being with a name who responds to touch and cuddling and love.”
Against all odds, Aaron grew into his teens and became a handsome boy with blond hair and a face that lit up when anyone he knew came by. If you bent down by his wheelchair, he would pull your face close to his, stare deeply into your eyes and stroke your face. Though he couldn’t speak, his eyes and hands told you that he knew you were there. And he far exceeded all expectations! He could move his wheelchair, feed himself, and even communicate using five hand signals. (Bob Smietana, “When Does Personhood Begin?” Christianity Today, July 2004, p. 24; www.PreachingToday.com)
Our society tends to reject those who would have little quality of life. Most often, we ignore such people; we look away, hoping they don’t bother us.
But Jesus calls us to a different way of life. Like Him, He wants us to hold such people, so they become real to us, so they become people with a name, who respond to touch and cuddling and love.
Then, when we touch people as representatives of Christ, may others say, “HE has done everything well.”
Feed the dogs. Touch the dumb, and find faith in places where you least expect it. This is what truly brings pleasure to our Lord, much more than any outward show of self-righteousness.
There is church in the inner-city of Chicago that for me demonstrates this kind of faith and grace. It’s Philip Yancey’s church, the LaSalle Street Church, and he talks about what his church did for Adolphus, a young black man with a wild, angry look in his eye. He says, “Every inner-city church has at least one Adolphus.” He had spent some time in Vietnam, and most likely his troubles started there. He could never hold a job for long. His fits of rage and craziness sometimes landed him in an asylum.
If Adolphus took his medication on Sunday, he was manageable. Otherwise, well, church could be even more exciting than usual. He might start at the back and high-hurdle his way over the pews down to the alter. He might raise his hands in the air during a hymn and make obscene gestures. Or he might wear headphones and tune in bebop music instead of the sermon.
As part of worship, LaSalle [Church] had a time called “Prayers of the People.” We would stand, and spontaneously various people would call out a prayer for peace in the world, for healing of the sick, for justice in the community around us. “Lord, hear our prayer,” we would respond in unison after each spoken request. Adolphus soon figured out that Prayers of the People provided an ideal platform for him to air his concerns.
“Lord, thank you for creating Whitney Houston and her magnificent body!” he prayed one morning. After a puzzled pause, a few chimed in weakly, “Lord, hear our prayer.”
“Lord, thank you for the big recording contract I signed last week, and for all the good things happening to my band!” prayed Adolphus. Those of us who knew Adolphus realized he was fantasizing, but others joined in with a heartfelt, “Lord, hear our prayer…”
A group of people in the church, including a doctor and a psychiatrist, took on Adolphus as a special project. Every time he had an outburst, they pulled him aside and talked it through, using the word “inappropriate” a lot …
We learned that Adolphus sometimes walked the five miles to church on Sunday because he could not afford the bus fare. Members of the congregation began to offer him rides. Some invited him over for meals. Most Christmases he spent with our assistant pastor’s family.
Boasting about his musical talent, Adolphus asked to join the music group that sang during Communion services. After hearing him audition, the leader settled on a compromise: Adolphus could stand with the others and sing, but only if his electric guitar remained unplugged (he had absolutely no music ability). Each time the group performed thereafter, Adolphus stood with them and sang and played his guitar, which, thankfully, produced no sound …
The day came when Adolphus asked to join the church. Elders quizzed him on his beliefs, found little by way of encouragement, and decided to put him on a kind of probation. He could join when he demonstrated that he understood what it meant to be a Christian, they decided, and when he learned to act appropriately around others in church.
Against all odds, Adolphus’s story has a happy ending. He calmed down. He started calling people in the church when he felt the craziness coming on. He even got married. And on the third try, Adolphus was finally accepted for church membership.
In his entire life, no one had ever invested that kind of energy and concern in him. He had no family, he had no job, he had no stability. Church became for him the one stable place. It accepted him despite all he had done to earn rejection. It gave him a second chance, and a third, and a fourth.
Philip Yancey concludes, “Christians who had experienced God’s grace transferred it to Adolphus, and that stubborn, unquenchable grace gave me an indelible picture of what God puts up with by choosing to love the likes of me. (Philip Yancey, “Taking My Stand with the Church,” Leadership, Spring 1996; www.PreachingToday.com)
Who is the “Adolphus” here on Washington Island? That’s the one Jesus wants us to touch, because truth be told we are ALL in need of such grace.
