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“Refusing To Take ‘No’ For An Answer”
James 2:1-10, 14-17
Mark 7:24-37

September 10, 2006 - Kim M. Henning

Two middle-school teams were playing football this week out in California. It was your typical football game: lots of emotion, spectators, two teams playing hard against each other. But with the clock winding down, a penalty occurred. A player from one teams tackled a player from the other team well after the play was over. And a penalty flag was thrown.

But there was more to come. As the players returned to the huddle, it seems that a parent came running onto the field. The father of the player who had been tackled ran the full length of the field. And what did he do? The father ran up behind the young boy who tackled his son and the father returned the favor—pushing him to the ground.

A little too much emotion, you think? What the father did was wrong, not to mention, illegal. His behavior must not be condoned. But if there is any understanding at all, remember that he was a father—and the player who had been tackled was his son. A father......A son.......

On one occasion, a mother came before Jesus because she had a little daughter with an unclean spirit. It was more than this mother could cope with. Her daughter whom she loved was possessed with a demon. Physically, this child could not control herself. Mentally, emotionally, she was out of her head. And the mother sought help.....

Now this woman was a Syro-Phoenician. She was a foreigner. She was not an Israelite. She did not believe as the Jews believed. But she was a mother and she came to Jesus because she needed help. She came, bowed down and begged Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. “Please.”

Can you see the emotion? Have you ever pleaded like that? Can you see the adrenalin? Have you ever found yourself begging like that? It is a curious thing about parenting. More than parents care for themselves, many times, they care for their children. We can accept illnesses, we can accept diseases, we can accept rejection ourselves.....but when it happens to our children..... watch out.

A Syro-Phoenician mother came begging to Jesus. It takes a lot of courage to beg.....“Jesus, cast this demon out of my daughter.”

And what happens next, is startling. What happens next is very uncomfortable. According to the way that the Gospel of Mark tells this story, Jesus said with a tone of indifference in his voice, “Let the children (of Israel) be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

Can you see Jesus? It is like he has his arms crossed; it is like Jesus saying, “I’m not going to foreigners, I have my hands full with the Israelites.” It is like Jesus is saying, “I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time or the energy.”

This is a tough story. We just read this story in the Gospel of Mark. According to the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gives her the silent treatment. As Matthew tells this story, it says simply that Jesus does not answer her. The disciples ask if they should send her away. Jesus says, “I have been called to the lost sheep of Israel (and you are not a lost sheep from Israel.”)

A couple years ago, I listened to someone preach this story, and he was nervous and uncomfortable. He was squirming in the pulpit, you could see it. He finally said, “I don’t know what to do with this story-----I don’t know what to say about this story, but it was there, and I had to read it to you.”

What do you make of this story? A Syro-Phoenician woman comes pleading to Jesus for the healing of her daughter. Jesus says, ‘no.’ That’s not the typical stereotype we have of Jesus who is always waiting for us; who is always ready to listen to us; who is always available at our beckoning call, who is always loving, loving, loving....even at three o’clock in the morning; even when we have committed the worst of sins; even when for the seventh time we said what we were never going to say again. But today, Jesus says, ‘no.’ What’s going on here?

For one----the story began with saying that Jesus was in a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. He was in a house, and did not want anyone to know he was there. Apparently, Jesus was tired. Exhausted. He wanted to be alone. Apparently, this human side of Jesus–the side that thirsted, the side that slept, the side that cried at the tomb of Lazarus; apparently this human side of Jesus was exhausted. The story doesn’t say so much, but could it be that Jesus, the human, flesh-encased Jesus had spent himself dry. He needed rest. He finds a home. Locks the door. You know how we are....when we are tired. You know the things we say....when we are tired. Jesus wanted to be alone. That’s what the story says. Is that why Jesus says harshly, “This bread is for the Israelites.....it is not for dogs.” Did you hear what Jesus called her, ‘dog.....’

Why did Jesus give her the cold shoulder when she was pleading for help?

Here’s another thought. This story is in Mark, chapter 7. Two chapters earlier, Mark, chapter 5-----there were a series of stories about Jesus teaching and Jesus healing and Jesus casting out demons.....and apparently Jesus had offended the people in that area.....and they ‘asked him to leave.’ Two chapters earlier, Jesus had been ushered out. Was Jesus thinking to himself, ‘you didn’t want me before, why would you want me now?’ Was Jesus simply shaking the dust off his feet....because these people had earlier said, ‘we don’t want anything to do with you.

Why did Jesus give her the cold shoulder? Why did Jesus offend her? Why did Jesus give her the silent treatment? Do you think something bigger might have been going on here? Do you think—perhaps—that Jesus was checking out the depth of her plea? All kinds of people are pleading for help----very few of those pleading for help will be around a month or two months later. All kinds of people are looking for hand-outs-----very few of those looking for hand-outs are willing to form life-long relationships. All kinds of people are begging and asking for things—especially ‘free things’; but very few are willing to commit themselves, ‘with all their heart, with all their mind, with all their soul, with all their strength.’ Maybe, maybe Jesus was tired—just all tired out from giving, giving, giving, and feeling little in return.

Why did Jesus give her the ‘brush-off’? What would you do with a brush-off like Jesus gave that woman?

Jesus said to this Syro-Phoenician mother, “it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” And with that, you would have expected this woman to take leave. OK, I’ve had enough of you. OK, take your bread to the lost sheep of Israel. But that is not how this mother responds. She says in one of the most power statements of faith ever uttered, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

“I’m not asking for the world,” this woman selflessly says to Jesus. “Just crumbs.” I’m not asking for me. “Just my daughter.” “I’m not walking away because of the harshness in your voice, Jesus. I have a daughter. I love her. AND I NEED YOU, JESUS. Is there any surplus from your ministry that you can afford to give us?

Listen to her. She refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer. “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And when she said that......Jesus was aghast. He says, “In all of Israel, I have not seen such faith.” In that moment when this mother refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer, Jesus is energized. He sees faith. He knows that the faith in this woman is more than skin deep. He knows that the faith in this woman is a faith that is pleading, begging....she is even willing to give her all to a God she has not known before. And Jesus says, “I’ve not seen such faith before. I’ve not seen such trust before. I’ve not seen such passion before. I’ve not seen such devotion before.” “She’s not just saying words. She’s not just reciting the creeds. She’s not just going through the motions of faith, she really believes.”

This week Thursday, we hosted a speaker at Grace Congregational Church by the name of Ron Healy. Ron is a quadriplegic. He became a quadriplegic at age 17 in a diving accident. Ron ahs quite a story to tell. He began Thursday evening by saying, “Don’t feel sorry for me.” “I may be paralyzed from the neck down----it sure beats being paralyzed from the neck up.” Then, he kept returning to that theme, he may be paralyzed from the neck down.....pity those who are paralyzed from the neck-up.

Today, a Syro-Phoenician----comes before Jesus—and she is “anything but” paralyzed from the neck-up. She’s alive. She believes. She trusts. She’s a mom. She loves her daughter. She wants whats best for her daughter. She wants a healing. And she knows that there’s one Jesus Christ.....who can make all the difference in the world.