Mark 7:24-37
24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 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.’ 28 But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ 29 Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’
We have already followed St. Mark’s narration of Jesus’s healing of the demoniac man in the Gerasene area. He wanted to teach us, through His disciples, that nobody is excluded from God's loving care. All the children of Israel are God's children, even those affected by diseases that may contaminate others. Instead of being outcast, they should be treated with merciful care until they recover. Jesus takes the first step to meet them, and restore their health and dignity in society.
In Eastern culture, speaking to a woman goes beyond her person. She represents a whole nation. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, so is the Syrophoenician one.
Mark continues to tell us about a second concept that needs healing too. The disciples, as members of the the children of Israel, consider salvation to be given only to the so-called "God's chosen people.” All other nations are "dogs,” which means impure, having a body and a soul but without a spirit.
Jesus went out of the Israeli territory to the Phoenician lands. There He performed two miracles of great significance, one for a child and one for a man. He healed the daughter of a Phoenician woman, who was considered implicitly impure, supposedly unable to have faith, and without any merits to deserve God's mercy. Jesus addressed her first, referring to the disciples' concept and culture. He valued her great love for her daughter, which compelled her to accept a hard response from Jesus with deep humility. This was evidence of faith, where she could be equal to any other women they knew and considered to have faith.
At her response, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table,” Jesus would have asked His disciples, “What do you think friends?” While they remained puzzled in their deep silence, Jesus said to the woman, "Great is your faith woman!" (Matt. 15:28) Great is the faith of a pagan woman?! Would the disciples have thought that? Is it possible?
The first miracle I read here is Ephphatha “Open.” This was the opening of the hearts and minds of the disciples to all other nations, considering them equal in dignity, respect and friendship with God. Then, Jesus goes further in the same pagan territory of Tyre and Sidon, and even further through the Decapolis, on His way back to the Sea of Galilee. In this pagan area, He performed another miracle among gentiles, opening the ears and the tongue of a man whom they brought to Him. Again opening the ears, hearts and tongues of the disciples to the same reality, telling how dear all nations are in God's eyes.
Going out of ourselves, going far away, thinking, reconsidering and correcting insights and concepts is what Jesus wants us to do today as He did with our brothers, the first disciples. May we open our hearts, minds, hands, ears and tongues to consider all humans as our sisters and brothers that are called to form one kingdom of God on earth.
When you meet with any person, try not to ask what kind of man he could be, but relate to him/her as a member of humankind. Nobody is excluded. "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28.
Is it time for us as Christians to open our hearts, minds, hands and ears to others, and our tongues to teach what Jesus wants us to live and teach today? Blessed are those who believe and do!