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24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The 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 the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After 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. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (Mark 7:24-37 NIV Bible)
Happy Labor Day! I pray this day bless you and restore you. May God bless all who labor on our behalf; and may all of us labor in love for Him with all of His people!
One warm Saturday afternoon, Nellie and I were blessed to be holding two tickets to a UT Longhorn game. It was the first UT game I even attended in Austin and I learned that the bleacher seats were not even required as all people around me were standing, and no one even showed an interest in sitting down much to my displeasure. But as the game started, one of the ladies in front of us made a remark to her friend, "Where is the yellow line on the field that shows where the first down is?" I had to chuckle, for obviously she had seen a lot of televised football games and knew all about the yellow line. Someone forgot to tell her that only on tv does that line appear; it is an electronic magical trick by the networks to make the game more enjoyable. Stadiums no not yet have that ability, or at least since the last one I attended. And you may also have noticed that while flying from one nation to another, there are no visible lines marking borders. Yes, there are some natural landmarks, like the Rio Grande River, and others that mark the border between states and nations. Yes, the Chinese many years ago did erect a Great Wall, but other such walls and border markers are not easily visible. And on an even more personal levels there are some individuals who do erect invisible borders on how close they want others to be with them or vice versa.
Jesus did not have that problem. Yes, of course, He was Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah and our Lord and Savior, but as a human, He did not fear being touched or touching others. More so when He was performing miracles. Sometimes, He did things that most people would find unusual or down right disgusting.
These passages reveal Jesus' willingness to cross boundaries and reach out to those who are marginalized or overlooked. The Syrophoenician woman’s faith illustrates that God's grace is available to all who seek it with sincerity and humility, regardless of their background. The initial contact is a bit awkward, as she is Greek, born in a region not known for their friendliness with the Jews. Jesus says He has a people with whom He must address, but she counters, with faith, that Jesus can, and should help her daughter. Jesus is convinced and the daughter is free of the demon.
The healing of the deaf and mute man shows Jesus’ deep personal care and His ability to transform lives in profound and meaningful ways. Jesus uses touch to heal him, and most of us reading this remember that due to the Covid pandemic, touch is something many of us fear, especially with those we don't know. Jesus also spits and with that spittle touches his tongue, and saying, "Ephphataha!", the man's ears were opened, and his tongues loosened and he could now speak plainly.
In both instances, faith is the common thread. The Syrophoenician woman’s faith is persistent and inclusive, while the man’s healing is intimate and transformative. These stories encourage us to approach Jesus with faith that transcends our own limitations and to expect that He can act powerfully in our lives and the lives of others.
PRAYER. Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts full of gratitude and awe for Your boundless love and grace. Thank You for the reminders in Your Word that Your compassion knows no boundaries and that Your power to heal and restore is limitless. We ask for the same persistent faith as the Syrophoenician woman, who trusted in Your mercy and grace, and we pray for the courage to approach You with our needs and the needs of those around us. Lord, open our ears to hear Your voice clearly and open our mouths to speak Your truth boldly. Help us to reach out beyond our comfort zones and embrace those who are marginalized or in need. May we reflect Your love in all we do, and may our lives be a testament to Your transformative power. In Jesus' strong name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! YOUR CALL TO ACTION: As you go through your week, seek opportunities to extend grace and compassion to those who may be on the fringes of your community or experience. Look for ways to actively listen and speak words of encouragement to those who need it. Have faith that bridges gaps and heals hearts. Engage with others with openness and kindness, and let your actions reflect the inclusive and transformative love of Christ.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
