Reflection for March 6 – Kristin Poe Moody

Today’s passage from the Gospels: Mark 7:24-37, 8:1-21

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, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. 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 to her, ‘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.

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. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’

Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, asking him for a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ‘Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side.

Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’ 

Reflection – Kristin Poe Moody

In these two, very different stories shared in the Gospel of Mark, we see Jesus performing miracles of healing and deliverance. While most of us may not be dealing with demons to be exorcized or the condition of being deaf and mute, there are significant lessons we can take away that shed more light on the unconditional nature of Jesus’ love.

Inclusivity and the Breaking of Barriers: Jesus’s interaction with the Syrophoenician woman is a powerful lesson in inclusivity and the breaking of social and religious barriers. Initially, Jesus’s response to the woman’s plea may seem harsh, reflecting the prevailing societal norms that prioritized the children of Israel over Gentiles. However, the woman’s faith and persistence lead to the healing of her daughter, illustrating that God’s mercy and love extend beyond the boundaries of race, nationality, and social status. This teaches us about the inclusiveness of God’s kingdom and challenges us to break down barriers that separate us from others.

The Power of Jesus to Heal and Transform: Both miracles—the exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter and the healing of the deaf and mute man—underscore Jesus’s divine power to heal and transform lives. These acts of healing are signs of God’s promise to us, where affliction and suffering are overcome by divine love and power. It reminds us of Jesus’s compassion for all who suffer and His willingness to bring healing and restoration to those in need, regardless of their background or condition.

Communication and Understanding: The healing of the deaf man with a speech impediment speaks to the themes of communication and understanding. By restoring the man’s ability to hear and speak, Jesus not only physically heals him but also reopens his access to community and relationship, which were likely strained by his impairments. This miracle symbolizes the opening of understanding and communication between God and humanity, and among humans themselves, highlighting the importance of being open to hear God’s voice and to communicate His love and truth to others. This can also be a message to us that the power of Jesus can cause us to be open to listen and truly hear other’s perspectives and have the ability to communicate clearly in constructive and compassionate ways.

The Response to Divine Action: Despite Jesus’s instruction not to tell anyone about the healing, the people couldn’t keep it to themselves and “proclaimed it” zealously. This response illustrates the natural human impulse to share the joy and astonishment of encountering God’s work in our lives. It challenges us to reflect on our response to God’s actions today—are we as eager to share the good news of God’s presence and miracles in our lives with others?

In contemplating this passage, we are invited to reflect on the breadth of God’s love and mercy, the call to faith and perseverance in the face of difficulty, and the importance of inclusivity and breaking down barriers. Furthermore, we are reminded of the transformative power of Jesus’s healing, which calls us to openness in communication and sharing the joyous news of God’s work in our world.

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