Going the Distance Just for You

Rev. Karen McGhee
Mark 7:24-37 (NIV)
24Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[a] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil[b] spirit came and fell at his feet. 26The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27″First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” 28″Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[c] 32There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
33After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!” ). 35At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
36Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

This passage has two distinct accounts. In the first story of the Syrophoenician woman, Jesus has traveled outside of Israel entering into a house to perhaps rest from his journey as he is placed in Jerusalem earlier in the chapter. Even here Jesus’ power is well-known as attested to a non-Jew, and a woman at that, comes to plead with Jesus, who some think he spoke rather roughly, to cast the demon from her daughter who is back at her home. Surely Jesus knew leaving Israel his chances of encountering Gentiles would be greater, so why is he there? Not to be deterred, the woman secures an edict from Jesus by which her daughter is healed.

The second story is of a man, perhaps Jewish since there is no mention of his ethnicity, who is deaf with a speech impediment. Here too Jesus is in another region outside of Israel where his power is well-known. Having been approached in public by family or friends who bring this man to Jesus, they ask Jesus to lay his hands on the man. Without objection, Jesus puts his fingers in the man’s ear, spat touching his tongue, and commanded the man’s ears be opened. Not only could the man ear but he spoke clearly.

These two stories say no matter gender, ethnicity, religion, distance, the only one, present or not, those who come to Jesus believing will get their answer.

Rev. Karen McGhee
Kairos Community A.M.E. Church
Nashville, Tennessee