Even though Jesus told us to “Be perfect . . . as [our] heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), we see in this passage that the perfect human, Jesus Christ, lowered Himself to serve and heal those whom the Jews considered enemies by their very nature. Jesus went into enemy territory, the vicinity of Tyre. He hid Himself, but a Greek, Syro-Phoenician (hodgepodge of every non-Jewish race in the area) begged Him to cure her daughter of demon possession.
Peterson’s Message interpretation says Jesus rebuked that mother with, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.” But she said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?”
I don’t believe that Jesus rewarded the Syro-Phoenician mother for quick and witty rhetorical footwork here. God doesn’t need impressive arguments when the root question is our heartfelt humility and gratefulness for anything (even the crumbs) that fall from another person’s blessings so as to meet our need, as well. The bottom-line is that you get blessed just the same, but without any special regard for God’s opinion of your status or prestige. Jesus still responded to her prayer. He didn’t need to use any fanfare or special recognition devices. His compassion and blessing was just as effective by deeming her daughter healed from demonic affliction without a personal entourage processional to her home. The woman went home in faith without Jesus physically showing up and His spiritual healing was just as miraculous when she found her daughter completely cured of the malady.
Later in the Ten Towns district of Galilee Jesus responded in similar covert ways by taking the deaf-mute alone from the people who had brought. They asked Jesus to heal the man. Jesus took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man’s ears, put some spit on the man’s tongue, looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded, “Ephphatha!—Open up!” And then the man could hear and speak clearly.
Like the good news on Palm Sunday or on the banks of the Jordan with John the Baptist, our praise and thanksgiving cannot be quieted even if God tells us to keep quiet. Our free will offering pleases God, “He’s done it all and done it well. He gives hearing to the deaf, speech to the speechless.”
JESUS HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL
September 11, 2001, left me filled with bad news about how imperfect and sinful I am in this world, instead of bearing the good news that I am less imperfect than I was before Jesus came into my life.
Maybe you experienced this too. For a short time you repented from living a very imperfect life. Each of those people who perished in the planes and buildings got up that morning and went about their daily business the way we all usually do. You could no longer carry on in a business-as-usual-way. Living for personal enjoyment and gratification seems so futile, when earthly life ends so quickly and violently. Then you seek a more perfect meaning in life beyond your individual temporal existence here on earth. You might have rededicated yourself to imitate Jesus Christ and live in His presence.
If you can just keep on doing this, then you won’t worry about how you get a blessing from God. It could be under the table like a dog or in a back street alley with the very spit and groaning of Jesus plastered in our ears and mouths.
Then we won’t worry about whether Jesus will cramp our style, slow our career advancement, or interfere with reaching financial security. After all - successful upwardly mobile people on the planes, in the Pentagon, and in the Twin Towers lost their lives without privacy and in glaring broad daylight.
On 9/11/2001 we were like the woman with a disturbed child or those who wanted to bring the hearing and speech impaired man to Jesus so that we could see proof that Jesus Christ alone provides true, lasting fulfillment. If issues of faith really do matter and if Christ really is the source of everything and seeking fame and riches will only provide fleeting moments of fulfillment, then how do we allow Jesus heal our sense of despair and hopelessness from these tragedies.
Well, first of all, we won’t get better spiritually without remaining humbly anchored in God's presence like the Syro-Phoenician mother or the friends of the deaf-mute. JESUS HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL, despite my imperfections, despite my failure to share God’s forgiveness or unconditional love. You can spend each and every day of your life focused on reconciling yourself to God. Job testifies, “Though He slay me, I will worship Him.”
JESUS HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL
Paul tells the church in Ephesus that “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against . . . the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12). David complained to God, “My enemies speak against me" (Psalm 71:10). "Deliver me from my enemies" (Psalm 59:1). "O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!" (Psalm 9:13).
After 9-11 we could not say with conviction, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to live like that -- always on the lookout for danger and enemies!" We now know the unsettling doubt, the strong sense of betrayal and being led astray. We can’t afford to be prideful or distracted by our technological know-how or apparent worldly power. This will only lead us to misdirected judgment and to choose our will over God's will.
Powerful enemies can set up strongholds in our hearts with ungodly opinions about self-importance that lead to practice greed, revenge, lust, and jealousy. I cannot invade this enemy territory and unmask these enemies along. Give me Jesus and let Him walk with me. Come and be my friend, let me be your friend and walk with you, so that our hearts will burn in the presence of Jesus in our community. Then we will praise together as His children, "The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies" (Psalm 118:7).
JESUS HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL
After the resurrection when the fearful disciples were huddle in hiding from the Jews and Romans, Jesus came in the midst of them and showed them His hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord (John 20:20). Before they were dismayed and walked in darkness. We were like that when we asked “where was God when the twin towers were falling?" Television reruns of terrorist attacks reminded us daily of sin, death, destruction, suffering and sorrow. We shared a feelings of vulnerability, anger, and deep sadness for the victims and for us all. Where was God in all this? What is God’s message and comfort in all this?
Perhaps we’ve seen the news photo of a lone New York City firefighter climbing up the stairs of one of the doomed towers as everyone else was running down. I agree with Steve Bryant of Tennessee, who says, “This public servant and others like him was the presence of Christ, the strength of love to freely lay down one's life for the sake of others. (See John 15:13.) I saw that Christ is counting on us; the victory of God's love over hate becomes real through the availability and sacrifice of ordinary people like you and me.”
JESUS HAS DONE ALL THINGS WELL
So, we are to “put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8). You are sending me to interview with the Montgomery police chief this Wednesday so as to become a police chaplain. This is a humbling experience when you are aware of all the specialized care and training our public safety officers require. They are prepared for virtually every disaster, mishap, and calamity. September 11, 2001 showed us how blessed we are to have competent self-sacrificing public servants.
Let us consider how we Christians measure up in our preparedness to face our problems in life. It will take wisdom, faith and hope to deal with death, separation, rejection, loneliness, depression, failure, and bad health. We must share love and compassion to help others who face these challenges, while continuing our training and preparation with Bible study, daily devotions, regular worship at church, spiritual retreats, and prayer.
Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for welcoming us to eternal life with You in spite of our imperfection. Please help us to identify our hidden enemies and to triumph over them. Help us to name our enemies so as to overcome them. Help us to pray for our individual and national enemies. Dear Father, lift us from our fear and sadness. Fill us with your steadfast love so that we embody Your presence to those who ask, "Where is God?"
Thank You for Your steadfast loving kindness that endures forever. Please comfort and bless the families of those killed by terrorists. Grant us strength, O Lord, to manage with faith the difficulties that come our way. Enable us to meet each day's challenges with a growing faith. Bless our police officers, firefighters, 911 dispatchers and responders, EMS staff , soldiers and home and abroad and all others who place themselves in harms way so as to protect and defend us at home or abroad. In the blessed name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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