Of Syrophoenicians and Centurions

       This morning brings thoughts of who is welcome and saved by God. These thoughts come from multiple angles. One is the Holy person we remember today and the other is this passage where the Syrophoenician woman asks for healing of her possessed daughter. In both cases, these are not whom Jesus would have proclaimed as the recipients or inheritors of the kingdom.

       Jesus quite pointedly makes a bold statement about gentiles ( in this case, Syrophoenicians ) ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’  Are the Gentiles to be viewed as dogs?  Am I a dog?  Yet Jesus says that the woman's faith and response have cured her daughter.  The only thing worse to the temple elite here would be if Jesus and done this on the Sabbath as well. 

       Make no mistake, the concept that you could be a Gentile and be saved at all was a major bone of contention to the early Christian community. It was the subject of what we might have called the first 'Church Council'.  Did a Gentile have to convert to Judaism first in order to become a Christian?  Big, big questions and no doubt a very spirited discussion, no pun intended.

        Today we also remember Cornelius, my Confrmational namesake. Cornelius was a Roman Centurion. Recognized as the the first Gentile converted to Christianity. Let that sink in. The officer of the occupying army. This would have seemed like the bizarro world. Everything is upside down. The Jews had been looking for a military saviour, instead they get Jesus. Then the occupiers join the ranks of the Christians.  

        This is not the first time that a Roman Centurion entered into the Scriptures. We hear of one previously in Jesus' ministry when another Centurion asks Jesus to cure his 'pais', that is, the same sex lover of the Centurion. I don't think anyone at the time would have batted an eye at this arrangement. It was common in both Greek and Roman culture.  That it is not about simply sex and that there was genuine feelings and a relationship there between the soldier and his lover is also unremarkable. It was commonplace. When the officer of the occupying Roman army asks Jesus to cure his lover, there is no judgment, no demand for repentance, no other comments by Jesus are noted other than what is written. Jesus cures the sick lover. I am quite sure that here too, the temple elite would have been incensed by such actions by Jesus. 

       Can you hear the religious elite now? 'Stop this inclusive free wielding love stuff!'  As it turns out, it was not just coming from the Temple elite but also many of the leaders of the early Christian church. It is Paul that prevails in recognizing that "The Word" is open to all of mankind.  If it had not been for Paul, we'd all still be Gentiles or strictly Jewish.

        It cannot be minimized that Jesus' message of love, inclusiveness, and all embracing forgiveness is open to everyone. It is especially true when we try to contain the invitation to those we judge as worthy or acceptable candidates. That is clearly not how it works. God uses criteria we cannot see or understand. It does not diminish the love of God for us it simply shows the awe inspiring love of God for all of humanity.

       We owe it to God and better think twice before we even contemplate uttering sentences or mere thoughts that one person or another is not worthy.    

Mark 7:24-37

 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet.Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesusordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’