As I prepared the sermon, I considered preaching on Jesus' command to not tell anyone about what he is doing in Mark with James' commentary on the power of the tongue. It might have been an interesting comparison, which perhaps I will work on later. ultimately, I focused on the two stories in the Mark text (this we last week's lectionary passage - I had preached the lectionary's passage from James and wanted to preach on these two stories, so I did it a week later)
I generally like preaching narrative, and did so this week as well. I am not sure if I should have just focused on one of the stories and not included the other. The lectionary includes both passages in the same week, so I decided to go with both.
“Doing Everything Well?” September 16, 2018, SAPC, Denton; Mark 7: 27-34; James 3: 1-12 Richard B. Culp
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, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 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.” 28 But she answered him, “Sir,[h] even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
31 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. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus[i] ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
Introduction: “he has done everything well”
wouldn’t’ it be great If after someone has told two stories about you, the final comment is “she has done everything well.” Quite a statement.
“he has done everything well.” That’s what the Gospel of Mark says about Jesus.
By the end of the two stories, maybe so. But it does not start out that way.
move 1: In fact, it begins with Jesus a bit cranky.
a. jesus has arrived at a home in Tyre.
1. Tyre - a town to the north of Jesus’ usual stomping grounds.
2. Like Decapolis, the town in the second story,
Tyre it is largely populated by Gentiles. (http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-18b/?type=the_lectionary_gospel, Leonard Vander Zee)
3. In other words, Jesus is away from his home turf hanging out with the Gentiles, the outsiders.
b. Apparently, Jesus is trying to get away.
1. To take take a break.
2. Maybe he’s not in the mood to mingle with a bunch of Gentiles.
3. trying to hide out in this house.
c. But, a woman comes to find him.
1. A Gentile, Syro-Phoenician.
2. not the target audience for jesus’ ministry.
2. But here she comes anyway, a desperate mother whose little daughter is sick.
3. We are not told how she knows Jesus is there or why she would even think he could heal her daughter, but a surely a desperate mother will do almost anything to save her daughter.
4. She arrives unannounced and falls at the feet of Jesus. (http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-18b/?type=the_lectionary_gospel, Leonard Vander Zee)
5. Her presence a reminder that Jesus has a target on his back - we often think about those who were trying to stop him, or argue with him, but do not forget that he is a target for those those who are desperately looking for him to save them.
d. When the woman finds Jesus, he gets a bit cranky.
1. She asks for him to heal, and he answers with a sharp remark that seems to suggest she is no more than a dog, and as such unworthy of anything Jesus can offer her.
2. She responds, well she responds like a desperate mother willing to accept anything from Jesus if he will heal his daughter.
3. “Don’t I even get the crumbs?”
4. Some biblical scholars suggest their exchange and his sharp response reveals Jesus’ humanity, his human side that is tired and cranky and does not want to deal with anyone, including this mother.
3. Some biblical scholars suggest Jesus knows what she is going to say, so he is setting her up to make a point about his willingness to engage outsiders.
4. I do not know if either theory is correct, but I do know that the desperate mother appeals to Jesus who then heals her daughter, without even going to see her little daughter.
d. Jesus hears the pleas of the desperate.
1. In doing so, he reveals the God of the Israelites who generation after generation has heard their cries and acted to save and redeem them.
2. If you hear nothing else this morning, hear this good news: God hears our desperate pleas and responds to heal and save us.
e. that truth reveals our role as the body of Christ - to hear the pleas of the desperate.
1. to bring to them the hope and help of God’s saving grace.
2. As we have heard and watched the unfolding story of Hurricane Florence, you have probably heard mention of the Cajun Navy are informal ad-hoc volunteer groups comprising private boat owners who assist in search and rescue efforts in Louisiana and adjacent areas.
3. These groups were formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and reactivated in the aftermaths of the 2016 Louisiana floods and Hurricane Harvey.
4. The Cajun navy came into being during Hurricane Katrina when former Louisiana state senator Nick Gautreaux put out a plea across local TV and radio for "Anybody [who] wants to go help the people of New Orleans please come to the Acadiana Mall." Between 350 and 400 boats and people showed up. This makeshift flotilla that became known as the Cajun Navy is credited with rescuing more than 10,000 people from flooded homes and rooftops. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_Navy).
5. they heard the cries for help, and answered.
6. As the body of Christ, we are called to listen for the cries of the desperate and answer.
Move 3: Following Jesus healing the little daughter, we have the story of Jesus healing the blind man with the speech impediment. A couple of things from this second story.
a. the role of our task as the body of Christ continues to be lifted up.
1. Notice that friends bring the man to Jesus.
2. The deaf man with the speech problem is not left alone.
3. those around him recognize his need for healing and take him to the one who can bring him healing.
4. In their actions, they model for us our task as the body of Christ - to notice those in need and help them find healing and hope.
b. And then the deep sigh, the single Aramaic word that sounds like a sigh, “Ephphatha!”
1. It’s interesting that Mark should keep this word, so strange to his Gentile audience.(http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-18b/?type=the_lectionary_gospel, Leonard Vander Zee)
2. Maybe from a dramatic sense it reveals that this is at the core of who Jesus is - the one who can transform lives and bring hope.
4. maybe the one telling the story uses this as a literary device - an Aramaic word to draw attention to itself and then the follow-up Greek words “Be opened” defining the Aramaic and offering an emphasis that no hearing or reading the story can miss.
5. “be opened” what Jesus offers the world; what we as followers of Christ are called to do - open our eyes and ears to see the power of God in Christ, and then open our hands, our hearts, and our mouths to share God’s power to change the world.
Conclusion: “he has done everything well.”
Are you doing everything well?
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