In today’s Gospel, Mark 7: 24-30, a Syrophoenician woman
approaches Jesus, asking that He heal her daughter, that is, to “drive out the
demon” that possesses her. Jesus says to
the woman: “Let the children be fed
first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the
dogs.” Sounds harsh; doesn’t it? Jesus
was sent first to the children of Israel, not to Gentiles—that is what He is
telling her..
The woman is not deterred in her request and says to Jesus: “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the
children’s scraps.” Jesus then commends her for her faith and immediately heals
her daughter. “For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your
daughter.”
Jesus is teaching His disciples that God reaches out to both
Jews and Gentiles, that is, that God has
come to save all people, not just the Jews.
As we pray over upon this passage, we may reflect upon our
own faith in Jesus and the “demons” from which we need to be healed. What
weaknesses within us keep us from doing the good that God has planned for us
today? And who in our families and among our relatives needs Jesus’ healing
touch so that they, too, live up to their potential as children of God, created
to let their light shine for all to see and from which others can benefit,
being drawn , also to living a life of faith in God, in oneself and in others
who need us to show the way to the Father?
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