Luther Seminary

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Archives for September 8, 2006

Friday, September 8, 2006

Mark 7:24-8:1 (NRSV)

Read Mark 7:24-8:1 on biblegateway.com

Verse 24From 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, Verse 25but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Verse 26Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Verse 27He 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." Verse 28But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Verse 29Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-the demon has left your daughter." Verse 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Verse 31Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. Verse 32They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. Verse 33He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Verse 34Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." Verse 35And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Verse 36Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. Verse 37They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Chapter 8In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them,

Devotion

This woman is desperate. She sees Jesus as the only hope to save her daughter and refuses to take “no” for an answer. She turns Jesus’ harsh words to her advantage. Jesus responds to her unrelenting faith by releasing her daughter from her torment.

Many times we too are desperate. Like the woman, we pray for loved ones and struggle with death and evil in our world.

And, like the woman, we know where to go in our desperation. We know Jesus is ultimately our only hope. We don’t know what Jesus will do. But we know Jesus loves us and those for whom we pray.

This anonymous woman shows what to do with our greatest concerns – take them to Jesus. Then we are in the right place – the only place – where there is hope in the face of illness, evil and even death, because then we are with Jesus.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we desperately come to you. Hear our prayers and help us always to turn to you with the greatest concerns of our lives. Amen.

David Baer Immanuel Lutheran Church, Whitewood, S.D.