09.01.24 - Mark XX - Improvising the Plan

In today’s episode of the Gospel of Mark (7:24-30), Jesus attempts an anonymous getaway in nearby territory (the region of Tyre and Sidon). It turns out He’s a rock star up there too, and as soon as He unpacks, a local woman immediately finds Him, throws herself at His feet, and asks Him to cast the unclean spirit out of her daughter. This comes directly after Jesus’ spat with the Pharisees down in Capernaum over their botched thinking about what impurity/uncleanness really is and where it comes from. This Syrophoenician woman is as Gentile as they get (thus unclean by definition). At first Jesus makes a case that His first responsibility is to the Jews - in faithful adherence to God’s covenant with Israel - but she asserts a plucky faith by meeting Jesus head on in His (hopefully) playful dog parable banter. She clearly moves Him to CHANGE HIS MIND ABOUT HIS PLANNED COURSE OF ACTION (or rather, non-action). Our takeaways are pretty big. First, we are part of God’s massive master plan. The Abraplan is still in force and rolling on to eternity. We walk in the grace and presence of Jesus the Christ as well as the God of history: of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He has added us to His family and we are now just as much heirs as the physical progeny of Abraham. And Jesus makes clear in this exchange that what we say to Him MAKES A DIFFERENCE (see Luke 18’s importunate widow) and the possibility exists of His changing His mind in response. So in addition to just asking in prayer: reason, argue, plead your case, give Him an earful. He’s listening.

To investigate this most important of stories further, go here.