Mark 7:24-30

A Gentile Shows Her Faith

²⁴ From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. ²⁵ For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

²⁸ And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰ And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

This mother had seen enough of her child suffering, and was led to where the Lord Jesus was staying, despite His desire to remain anonymous and hidden. Doubtless because wherever He went, the multitudes followed, whether out of curiosity, or to get their immediate needs yet, or perhaps in faith, bringing a sense of worship to the Son of David, Son of Man, and Son of G-d.

She ignored the fact that He ignored her, because she kept asking. She ignored the fact that He was a rabbi, that He was trying to seek solace and have, as we say, some ‘downtime.’ He was probably tired from traveling, and was looking forward to getting some rest.

She ignored the fact that He implied she had the value of a begging dog, being a foreigner and not one of the Chosen of Israel.

She ignored the fact that she was a woman, and that culturally it was not seemly for her to approach Him, much less be persistent in her request.

And she did it because she was a mother whose child was not only suffering, but had something wicked and unholy inside her that tormented not only her child, but herself.

What would she not have said or done?

She could have gotten angry, discouraged, frustrated, and scornful, even blasphemous.

Instead, she humbled herself, because it wasn’t about her, and to a large extent, it wasn’t about Jesus either. Only her daughter mattered, and she had to see to it that her daughter was made well, by any means necessary, so this man she’d heard of was her last chance to make her daughter well.

And she recognized that although He told her He was exclusively ministering to House Israel, it was worth the risk that having recognized His divinity and royalty, there was still a possibility He might, as He didn’t turn her away.

Her profession of faith in His goodness, mercy, grace, and compassion got her the desired result as she pushed past all the obstacles and odds against her and said she’d be willing to take the crumbs He had to offer.

Jesus himself tells her of his decision: “For this saying…”

A mother’s heart beats in sync to that of her children, and beats for them.

It’s not only a rhythm, but takes on a harmony as well. It is a bond that we, as fathers, will never physiologically know and understand, but we recognize, as sons, that it is something special, beautiful, and unique, for it is the first rhythm we ever heard in the world, and we are all the better for its music.

Happy Mother’s Day, to all moms everywhere.

Keep the faith. It will be rewarded.

Therefore I pray:

Father in Heaven, 

      We thank You for the vessels You chose to bring us here to do Your will. Some did not always nurture, and some even did harm, but You delivered us from their snares, and healed us. 

       We ask that You help us to forgive them.

        We thank You for the Mothers who were good, strong, positive, and embraced the challenge of parenting, sometimes alone, to raise us well and teach us about the lives You would have us live. 

       We thank You for the Mothers to be, that they may feel the love of their children in the way You feel love for us, without bounds, and taking care of all our needs, securing our futures even as You allow us to choose to follow Your teaching, and keep Your Word before us in all things.

     We pray You grant Your peace to those Mothers who’ve lost their children, no matter the method. They will be hurting this day, and if there’s a divine appointment we need to keep, reveal it to us, and let us go to it, that they might be comforted through Your presence in us, and be saved.

     We pray that You heal the hearts of hurting children whose Mothers are no longer here, for whatever reason.

     We thank You for the wives that continue our houses, and help to finish the work You gave us to do.

     May it be done to them as You have said, and today especially, let every household rise together, and call Your blessings on and over our Mothers who are here with us today, and those who are always with us in spirit.

Proverbs 31:

      ²⁷ She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”

  Amen.