"Not Without My Child" -Mark 7:24-30
-Pastor A. L. Torrence,
Cross of Life Lutheran Church
I want you to turn to the person next to you and tell them, “Neighbor! Oh neighbor! I don’t know about you but I made up my mind that Satan and his kingdom, cannot and will not take my child.”
The Oscar winning actress, Sally Field, once starred in a movie entitled, “Not Without My Daughter” which is the real life story of a woman named Betty Mahmoody. She was an American woman who went to the Middle East with her daughter and native-born husband. It was intended to be just a vacation where her husband visits his family living in the political climate of Iran. But Betty discovers that her husband never intend to bring his family back to America. Now, she becomes a stranger in a foreign land forced to live in a society were women are subservient, abused, and oppressed. Her husband and the government tell her that she may return to the United States; however, her daughter must stay behind. Without hesitation, Betty decides she will not leave without her daughter even if it means her death. She is willing to break down cultural barriers and face humiliation for in order to get her child back home to safety.
In our text, we see another woman, seeking to get her child back to safety. She is stranger in a foreign land seeking help from the Lord. While Jesus sought rest from his labors, this woman sought rest from her troubles. She is tired frustrated parent desperately in need of some help. And in her struggles are some precious gems of wisdom that can help us save our children from grip of the enemy.
First, we learn that this woman is willing to go some extra distance to save her child. Mark tells us that she is a Syro-pheonician, a Greek. She was from Tyre, a small island off the coast of Sidon. Matthew calls her a Canaanite, a descendant of Canaan. Both writers are trying to point out that culturally, racially, and socially, she is different. Her situation is different from other families in her community. There may not be father figure in the home. She may not be part of the American workforce- she may be receiving some form of governmental assistance. Her situation is different. To the Jews, she was regarded a pagan, a heathen. And this woman knew of the long-standing hatred between her people and the Jews. But prejudice and racism did not hinder her from seeking help from her enemies. When you house is burning you don’t care who helps you put out the fire. She knew that when she came into the presence of Jesus, the saints would roll their eyes and talk about her. Oh come on, some of you know what’s it is like to go to ‘parents night’ and hear folks murmuring – that’s John Doe’s mother. Some of you know that your telephone number is no longer in the parent’s directory but it is now on list of emergency numbers. This woman had a problem going on in her home. Her child was out of control. She was in crisis. And obviously, for her to seek help outside of her culture, race, and possibly her religion shows that she was desperately seeking a solution. You see this woman realized that in order to save her child she had re-arrange her schedule, re-organize her priorities. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to take a day off from work and seek out Jesus. She had to go some extra distance to get some help from. God. You see many of us want help from the Lord but we are not willing to go out of our way to get that help. We are not willing to make time or take time for Jesus. This woman, in our text, need some help with her parenting skills, so if she had to leave work early to make a session with the Lord, she did it. If she had to cancel her only night out with the girls, she did so. If she had to lose a few dollars at work that would have paid the mortgage or rent, she did it, because she came to conclusion, it does not make sense having a house that is really not a home. No she was a desperate mother now seeking Jesus.
In today’s society, there are many like this woman still seeking out Jesus. There is a great spiritual thirst in the land. More people are seeking after the true God than before. And it matters not to them what the sign says out front – they just want Jesus. They are seekers after Christ. They are willing to go anywhere and do anything to get a blessing from Jesus. They are no longer driven by the aesthetic beauty of buildings. They are not hindered by denomination. They are not threatened by dogma and doctrine. They don’t care whether the preacher has a whoop or the choir has sway. Seekers just want to be in the presence of Christ. Seekers want to see the manifestation of Jesus in their lives. They are looking for answers and not entertainment. They want to know how to deal with their addictions and habits. They want to know how to mend their broken homes and raise that difficult child. Seekers just want to lay down their heavy burdens and find a sweet relief.
This woman was seeking relief. Her daughter was ill and she was willing to do anything to save her baby. Her child was possessed with an evil spirit. Something or someone had possession of her little girl. And she is now alone in her plight. Many of us have children in the same condition. Something or someone has taken possession of their minds. They now have an unrecognizable personality. What once were beauty biscuit like babies are now these ugly, arrogant animals. Something has taking over their lives. Some are possessed by vanity and pride. They obsessively concern with their looks and appearance. Every week the nails must be done. The hair must be perm. They are skipping meals and building up their muscles. Closets have become filled with Kani, Kenneth Cole, Fubu, and CK. Others have been possessed by greed. The demand to have things has increased. They cannot survive without the latest Pokeman card or Sega game cartridge. They need that beeper and cell phone to stay in contact with their friends. Some of our children are possessed by anger and rebelliousness. Saturday morning chores become a public demonstration of the injustices that take place your address. You often find yourself becoming like Verizon strike negotiators – making bargains and deals. Our children have become possessed by those great American spirits of pride, materialism, and rebellion and, like the woman in our text, we need help.
Can’t you imagine this woman’s daily struggle with her child? She is coping with a demonic possessed child. That means that there are bouts of temper-tantrums and acts of rage. She may not entertain much because of the conditions in her home. Doors in her house may be damaged from the stress of slamming and kicking. Baskets of laundry may be carelessly on the floor by the washing machine. She herself could have scars from physically battling her daughter.
I can imagine her efforts in trying to get some help. She took her daughter for therapy and got a prescription for Prozac. That did not help. She took her out of public school and placed her into a private school. They tested her daughter and placed her in special education classes from problem children. On frustrated days, she could have sent her daughter to be with the grand parents. However, she learned that her daughter would sneak out of their house to be with some boy or group of kids she met in the neighborhood. It would seem that no matter what she tried, nothing could save her daughter from this cycle of self-destruction. What we must realize that no matter how hard we try to secure a future for our kids, we are somewhat powerless. We can only pray that God will keep them safely in his care.
So, now this woman prostrates herself at Jesus feet. For most of us the preacher is the last person on our list. We will try every one else first then when our back is up against the wall we turn to the preacher hoping he could fix it. Come on now, the preacher gets called in after the police have our child in lock-up. The church is asked to pray after the pregnancy test comes back positive. We try to God involved after we find the joints and foils of white powder. This woman has reached the end of her rope. She realizes that this is one scrap and bruise her child has that she can kiss and make better. This is one illness where her mama’s down home remedies will not cure.
So, she comes to Jesus causing a major disturbance. Matthew tells us that Jesus ignores her at first but her pleads for help are causing too much noise. His disciples even suggested getting rid of her because she was upsetting the scheduled program – their worship service. But this woman knew nothing of protocol and procedures. She knew very little about Jewish customs and rituals. She just knew that this, Jesus was a man representing the God that turned Canaan and Israel upside down. She just knew that Jesus had a rep for fixing problems. And, that’s the prospective of the un -churched and the unsaved. They know nothing of our protocols and procedures. They know nothing about our liturgy and our religions. They just know that God can save them if they surrender all to him. So, they may come in causing a disturbance. They may come to his house with body piercing, wearing dinky jeans, a tee shirt, a mini skirt, and “halter’ top. It will take them longer to find scripture in the bible. They may place notes in the collection plate when they have no money. They may speak out of turn during worship and say prays that to us make no sense. But that is why we call them the un-churched because they do not know the principles of the local church. This Canaanite woman was desperate. Church protocol and procedures were the last things on her mind.
She comes in the door – falls out on the floor, crying Jesus, lord have mercy on my child. And that’s second point of this morning’s message. She is willing to humble herself before God. Look at the text. She begs for help and initially it seems like Jesus says no. It seems that our Lord and savior denies a prayer request because of someone’s identity. He tells her that, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Jesus indirectly referred to this woman as a dog. Now, that tells me right there – she wasn’t a Black woman because a true sister would have told him off. No, Jesus begins to go the root of her problem. He begins to address a generational problem. You see the Jews traditionally regarded the Gentiles as dogs. The Greeks called shameless women dogs. It was the ultimate insult. It was the same horrible connotation used today when someone calls a woman the b-word, a female dog. You see to be called a dog was to be compared to the sway dogs who travel in packs in ancient Palestine. They had no one to care for their needs. So they had to fend for themselves. They were the scavengers of the street – diseased and dirty. They were always nosing around the garbage for anything to satisfy their scraggy bodies. If you recall, it was dogs that ate the remains of Queen Jezebel. Dogs also licked the wounds of Lazarus as he sat outside the rich man’s gate wanting to eat the table scraps from the rich man’s table. Dogs were usually viewed with contempt.
Jesus had referred to this woman as a dog – a term that seems a little harsh coming from our savior. But I believe that Jesus knows and understands that people who have been living a rough life often tend to lose their sense of humanity. Their behavior often reminds us of the beast within us. Often we see them performing acts that we think only the lowest animal would do. We see the homeless picking out of garbage cans and often urinating in public. We see packs of young boys dressed like convicts traveling in packs and harassing young girls. Often we see young prostitutes, jumping from one car to the next. We may not outwardly call them dogs, but when we hear they names we get someone uncomfortable – drug addicts, and crack heads, alcoholics and drunks, gang bangers and hoodlums, pedophiles and rapists, transvestites and drag queens. We secretly have our own names for them.
Jesus called this woman in need a dog but Jesus was not referring to wild dogs but little dogs, puppies, and lap dogs. He was referring to household pets. Pets are loved in a family but our children have priority. Jesus was telling her that there is a hierarchy in his ministry. His ministry is first for the chosen children of God. The needs of his people were his first priority. They were to receive the first choice portions of his blessings. But the truth of the matter is that he is testing her desperation. He is seeing if she’s willing to lose her identity to get what she needs. You see many of us come to God thinking we are better than those hypocritical church folks. We’ll come to the family table of God seeking a word but refusing to formally join his family. It’s like having the neighbor’s kid constantly over for dinner but he’s doesn’t want to become part of your family. It’s like having a lover constantly wanting to have the sexual benefits of marriage but not wanting to make a commitment. Oh, some of you know what I’m talking about. We have folks who eat from our table but they are not willing to formally become a part of our family. We say we love God but can’t stand being a part of his church. Oh I have heard it so many times. Well, Pastor I still a member of “First Church” in Alabama. But they are not feeding you. Well, pastor I don’t think I need to join a church to get to heaven. No you don’t. But Jesus is letting you know right now that his saints – his church gets first priority. You see, you are not really enjoying the fullness of salvation. You are settling for ‘crumbs of life’ when you can have the bread of life. It’s like a husband who has both a mistress and a wife. His priority is with his wife. You only get him every Wednesday and Thursday. And even when you’re with him, he still may call home to his wife. Jesus is telling this woman that his bride, the church, gets priority. And whether we like it or not, the word says that he is coming back for a church. And when we all get to heaven it will the church, the saints that will crown him Lord of Lords.
Jesus tells this woman you are on the bottom of my list. He tells the woman, “let me first feed the children of promise who need my help. Wait until after they are filled from my meal.” Wait until they have been healed and cured of their soul diseases. Wait until they have been blessed with the anointing power of God’s spirit. However, this woman refuses to wait for leftovers. She points out to Jesus that although the children are to eat first, even the little puppies and dogs can get scraps that fall from the table without disturbing the meal. She tells Jesus, you don’t need to interrupt the meal plans; I ask only that let something fall from the table.”
This old scene reminds me oh my little dog. She is a good, loving dog – very well trained. I gave her a Hebrew name, Shabach meaning praise, glorify, or to glory in. What always stuns me about Shabach is that whenever I sit down to eat at the dinner table, she would sit patiently near, staring, waiting, and sometimes barking for me to throw her some of my food. Even when I placed her regular “Kibbles–n-Bits” in her bowl, she still wants what was on my plate. And often I would comply. However, the expert dog trainers tell me that giving her scraps from the table while I was having my meal was not a good idea. The experts say that dogs must be trained to sit and wait quietly until their owners have finished eating. Then, we should put some of the leftovers into their dog bowls in their usual dinner area. Giving them leftovers while we are eating is essentially, rewarding their barking.
Well, Jesus does reward this woman for her noise. She gets a blessing from the Master’s table because she got his attention. She wasn’t too proud to beg or too stubborn to grovel. She needed help and the lord provided. And I don’t know about you but it is good to know that if you cry out for help, God will answer. If you are willing to call upon his name, He will be there. Jesus is available to serve the helpless in the face of social, religious, physical, and psychological pressures surrounding them. There is no prejudice in his compassion. His love for humanity is colorblind. He saw a faith in this foreign woman that he had not seen among his own people. She got his attention.
What was it about her faith that got his attention? Why was she different? How can we too get his attention and receive similar blessings.
Jesus saw humility in this woman’s faith. She did not come to Jesus with arrogance. It is certain that she knew who she was and what the Jews thought of her. She was willing to accept the position and title placed upon her by Jesus. She didn’t get offend by what the preacher said. His brief sermonette did not ruffle her feathers. The preacher told her the truth and she accepted it. She humbled herself in order to receive a blessing for Jesus. If my people who are call by my name humble themselves and seek my face then will I heal their lands.
Then Jesus saw that she had an active faith. She put her faith into action. This woman was willing to travel a distance to see Jesus. She knew that this Jewish rabbi could help her situation. Faith resulting in action is the only kind of faith that is real. It our faith does not lead us to act, we are fooling ourselves. What we claim to be faith is not faith at all. It may be a misty sentimentalism, but it is not faith. True faith, biblical faith leads us to action. You see- faith is more than just believing in God and reflecting upon His word. Faith is also the using that belief and knowledge to determine our destiny. It is living out our vocation and acting on our value and purpose in this world as Christians. In other words for faith to work for us, we have to work at our faith. We have to put our faith to action. If mountains will not move, be willing to climb the mountains. If waters will not part, be willing to forge the stormy sea.
Through faith we can receive from the Lord’s table more than just crumbs. This woman received part of the bread loaf. Likewise, God has a blessing waiting for us. He has prepared a place just for us. But we must put our faith into action. For our children we must be willing to put our faith into action. Act with prayer. Act with worship. Act with faith. And let Jesus work a miracle in your life.
