Any who doubt the full humanity of Christ need look no further than the 7th chapter of Mark's gospel. In the story we have this week, we meet a Jesus who appears out of sorts, brusque to the point of rudeness - and of changeable mind.
Jesus has come to this place to get away from the crowds and incessant demand for his attention and power. He needs a break. Mark tells us, “He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there.” And this woman, a Gentile yet, finds him and has the temerity to intrude upon his solitude, demanding deliverance for her daughter. At first he dismisses her, curtly saying she is outside his assigned mission, and then he likens her to a dog seeking scraps.
She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
As she steadily insists, refusing to take offense, he detects something beneath the annoyance he feels. He discerns a woman of real faith, who will not take "no" for an answer because she knows with all her heart that Jesus can heal her little girl. This is the kind of faith he has hoped to see among his own Jewish followers – but familiarity can cloud our faith vision. This Gentile woman has no such blinders. She can see, and once Jesus' own blinders fall, he sees her truly as well, and rewards her faith.
This story contains several invitations for us. One is to be persistent in prayer, with faith, even when it seems God does not answer, or we can’t accept the “no” we discern. Prayer is about deepening our relationship with God, not "getting what we need," so we can pester and cajole and ask nicely and cry our need. Jesus hears us, and adds his perfect faith to ours, as we learn to trust his perfect will and timing.
Are there things in your life which you desire from the bottom of your heart? Areas of desperation or despair? Bring them to Jesus, even if you don't think he’s listening. Pray with the kind of humility this woman showed, not demanding from a place of entitlement, but inviting God to release the power you know God has. We still may not see that healing or answer we so powerfully desire – but I believe we will experience healing ourselves, and be strengthened as we exercise more faith.
This woman’s need was simple and clear; the things we pray for often are not. So we pray into them, inviting God to show us the need beneath the need. As we pray, we can grow in trust, so that we are able to align our wills with God’s will. Then prayer really becomes a breeze.
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