Hope found in Jesus.
Ever been the stranger in a situation, maybe the people you are visiting know you are coming, but still you are the stranger. Maybe there’s something you want, maybe there’s something you’re expected to provide. There could be uncertainty, there could be a little fear, this is a peculiar situation, and these are people you don’t know. Your reputation goes before, but is that who you really are? This is an odd dynamic, not your place, not your people, but they are people with expectations…
Uncertainty, confusion, wonder surround you, a bizarre situation, the atmosphere holds uncertainty, this situation could be turbulent, volatile, there is expectation, there is hope, you have something they want, your reputation goes before you it brings hope.
With this hope there is a tension, you don’t want to be seen, and you just want to find a place where you can ‘just be’ for a time. You desire a little time alone but it’s not going to happen. You maybe the stranger but your reputation has gone before you.
Have you ever been in this situation, the door to door salesman, the tradesman on a house call, the collector for the charity, the person attending the emergency, the applicant for the job? Known, yet not knowing, those you are visiting having expectations of you, how do you respond, what would be your reaction?
Here’s another situation that you may have found yourself in. You have a great need! Knowing that the need can be met, you seek out those who can help the one who can address your concerns, solve the problem, not just temporarily but permanently. This will be no mean feat, this is something way beyond your own capabilities, this will take a genius, an expert, perhaps even a miracle if it’s ever to be resolved. The weight of this has been on your shoulders for a long time, the pain has been so hard to bear, to see that suffering with no viable solution.
In Marks gospel Chapter 7:24-30 we have a similar sort of a situation, a situation that has people on both sides of the story. Mark talks of how Jesus is in a place that is not his usual neighbourhood, this is a place of strangers, however he is known, his reputation as a healer has gone before him. A stranger approaches him; culturally this interaction is one that will leave him at odds with his people’s oral law, specifically in relation to ceremonial cleanliness. For Jesus is now in a discussion with a woman, a gentile woman, Mark calls her a Greek woman, born in Syrian Phoenicia. Remember at this time most Jewish men would not speak to a woman in public unless she was his wife or mother, let alone a gentile woman.
Little bit about Pheocian cities like Tyre: according to William Barclay Pheocian cities were part of Syria, but they were independent, and they were rivals, with their own kings, gods and coinage. This city Tyre is today part of modern Lebanon.
In Mark’s depiction of the scene we see Jesus agreeing to enter into a conversation with this woman. This was a serious choice; this was a situation that would show his mission to all peoples, not just the Jews. This is in itself a fairly strange story of a stranger encounter with an even stranger couple of outcomes.
Here is Jesus, Mark says “He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence a 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…She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.” (Mark 7:24b – 26ish).
This is where the conversation gets a little hard to figure out. Jesus reply to this Greek lady from Syrian Phoenicia was “First let the children eat all they want for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” Commentators are of the opinion here that Jesus was in a parable[ish] kind of a way saying that he was there firstly for the Jews, the children and not the dogs, the gentiles. In other words his ministry was to firstly the Jews and the gentiles would in time receive his ministry.
Every time I read this I think that’s really rude. Here’s Jesus basically telling this lady rudely to get inline. Or is he? This would be a fairly brave thing to say in a gentile city…Jesus is outside of his own backyard in a strange place.
It appears Jesus was making a point about his ministry to the Jews, yes he had a message to deliver to them, but were they listening? We know that many rejected his message, his Good News. As the Jews rejected his message, his message became an opportunity for the Gentiles.
In regards to the wording of Jesus reply, he takes the words that were an insult, that was often aimed at gentiles by Jews calling them dogs, as in dirty street dogs, stray mangy dogs and talks about the children’s dogs, pups and lap dogs, dogs that are held in affection, the insult is broken down to a term of affection. How the word dog is said would also have made a difference, would the woman have replied the way she did if she felt insulted? Her reply “Yes, Lord but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
But even! Now there’s a reply. You can’t do that you’re not qualified, old enough, young enough, smart enough, silly enough, fast enough, tall enough, small enough…How do you destroy that argument? … But even so and so has done that.
But even, this was a clever lady, “Then he told her, “For such a reply you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” Here’s a point, it appears Jesus was open to push back. How persistent are you in your prayers? Just a question about asking questions of God. How persistent are you in your prayers?
The power of Jesus is also seen in a different way here, not just in healing the girl, remember this is no small thing, the mothers request is granted. A bit more history. Tyre had been allotted to the people of Israel, if we read Joshua 19:28-29 we read that the boundary for the tribe of Asher was inclusive of the city of Tyre. It seems that this city was never taken by Israel; Jesus enters this city and is supreme, over sickness and spiritual darkness. Often in life we see the only hope, the only true intervention that makes a difference is the good news of Jesus. Jesus is successful in taking the Good News of the gospel to Tyre, to the city that Israel didn’t conquer, a Jewish Rabbi comes and conquers. He conquers in the physical - sickness and in the spiritual – the demon.
The kingdom of God is now open to the gentiles, if we look at the scriptures we see that it always was, but here Jesus shows he is not exclusive, no one is excluded from God’s kingdom. Hope has come to all, through Jesus.
I don’t know how you are going reading through the OWSOMS booklet. In it we read, “Hope transcends and transforms community boundaries; it creates new communities. Hope heals and restores. These things are all true. What follows is this point that in an affluent Western country to make judgements about cause and effect for those who are not like us is easy: The refugees, outcasts and the marginalised. It’s easy to decide they don’t ‘deserve’ our help. But the gospel calls us to answer their but even. William Booth, speaking about the poor and destitute in one of his few recorded speeches, said, ‘Brought it on themselves you say? Quite likely, But that does not excuse our assisting them.’”
Over my life I’ve looked at the situations of some and thought to myself, Andrew in his shoes, her shoes how would you have reacted, what would your result have been, how would your life have ended up, having encountered the same abuse, war, hunger, neglect, devastation, indifference, sickness, situation in life. I tell you what that is a time of self-humbling when I ask that question. Because I have had a life while it’s had its up’s and down’s, it’s been a life of privilege and plenty, I live in Godzone country, I have a family who while being a bit dysfunctional love me, I’ve worked in paid employment my whole adult life, I’ve owned property, a car, had meals as and when I wanted them, have good health, I’m in the richest 10.4 percent with an income of 11.6 times the global average, of income earners in the world which is saying something on an officer’s stipend, I’m warm and dry. Incidentally if you want to find out where you sit in the wealthy of the world check out this web site, https://www.givingwhatwecan.org/get-involved/how-rich-am-i. When I ask that question, “how would I have ended up in the same situation?” it surprises me as to what the result is, because I find my result being less gracious and forgiving than the person whose situation I am asking the question of myself about. In fact in most cases my reaction would have been extremely harsh, self-seeking and volatile.
There would have been no ‘but even’ question asked if I had been in the Syro Phoenician woman’s shoes, I think I would have exploded. This woman’s reaction and reply to Jesus were gracious and sensible, thought through and wise. She wanted healing for her daughter. This man, this stranger she had heard about could supply it. She didn’t go off in a huff; she had hope in this man. She didn’t explode; she had hope for her daughters healing. She didn’t yell asking how dare he insult her calling her a dog, she had hope that he was up to his reputation, that his gentile words and demeanour where all she hoped they would be.
In our journey through life and it is a journey through life, we encounter opportunities every day, the opportunity to reach in or reach out, the opportunity to be kind or unkind, to give hope or be hopeless. We have a choice.
As believers we have a choice, to extend the hope we hold in Jesus to others, to live lives that reflect his life, in Peter first letter to the Church we read, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (1 Peter 1:13-17). This comes with its challenges, we follow Jesus and he’s challenging.
C. S. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia, finds Susan one of the children asking about Aslan the Christ figure in these stories her question is this, “Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.” (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/344456-aslan-is-a-lion--the-lion-the-great-lion-ooh)
Do we live out our existence here on earth grasping and holding all that we have ‘safe’, or are our lives given to serving so that others might know the hope we have in Jesus? This is as much a question for me as it is for you. Let’s live lives that take the hope we hold so dearly and place it in the hands of others! Lives that see the kingdom come and God’s will done on Earth as it is in heaven.
Like this woman you may be here today, struggling over something in your life, you may be wondering what the way forward is? Peter also says this about hope, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Peter 1:3-5)
So not matter if we are giving hope in Jesus name or receiving the living hope that has come through Jesus let us respond to that hope, to Jesus. If you would like to come forward for prayer that your hope may be answered we have this place of prayer here etc.
If you have been challenged today to give of the hope given to you by Christ as you journey through this week , through life do so be a messenger and giver of hope.
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