MERCY OVER JUDGEMENT - by Revd Gilbert Wong

Texts: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; Mark 7:24-37

10 September 2006

The 13th Sunday after Trinity

Introduction

The Bible has always been encouraging us to love our neighbours as ourselves.  To help our neighbours, we cannot be judgemental but be merciful.  And that is the point of my sharing this morning. It is mercy over judgement which defines the role of the church.

Jesus is the head of the church and what he does must surely mean that the church should do the same.  And there are two situations recorded for us in Mark 7:24-37:  One is of a Syrophoenician woman and the other of the healing of a deaf and mute man.

Let us look at these two stories in turn.

First, the Syrophoenician woman (7:24-30).

This woman does not deserve the healing of Jesus.  Why?  Because this woman is a Gentile.  She is asking Jesus to heal her daughter who has been demon-possessed.  It is not for herself but for her own daughter.  But we are appalled by what Jesus said, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs” (7:27).  Jesus is seemingly reluctant to offer her anything because she is not a Jew.  If this woman is a Jew then she would be enjoying the food as one of the children.  But since she is a Gentile, then she is a dog! 

Jesus answered the way he did because he knows the hearts of men and women.  There are many accounts in NT where Jesus knows peoples’ hearts and responds accordingly.  For example, in Mark 12:15 when Jesus was asked whether money should be paid to the ruling government and “Jesus knew their hypocrisy.”  Jesus surely knows this mother’s heart too – and knows that she will not give up if he presses her a bit.  He does so to give her the opportunity to win her case.  It appears at first that Jesus was judgemental in announcing that she is a Gentile not deserving healing but then we can now see that Jesus knows the heart of this woman and ultimately despite of this woman’s social status, Jesus heals her daughter.

Jesus’ initial resistance to healing this woman is necessary as Jesus really is focussing on the Jews.  “The four Gospels, all of which were written for primarily Gentile audiences, indicate that Jesus’ contact with Gentiles were few and exceptional” (Hare, 85). The time will come when the Gentiles would be reached but in the meanwhile it is for the Jews only. 

The woman answers well. She acknowledges the rightful place of the Jews and yet calling attention to the fact that even dogs do belong to the owner.  And so what harms is there she says if the dogs simply eat the crumbs which have fallen off from the table.

Jesus commends her answer and sends her off home with the assurance that the demon has already left her daughter.  And indeed the woman finds her daughter well and good. 

This story serves to teach us a few lessons:

• This woman appeals to the mercy of Jesus even though she knows that she does not nor her daughter deserve any mercy.  She already judges herself as not being worthy which is true.  Jesus affirms that too when she is being referred to as a dog.  But she persists because she knows that Jesus whose nature is always to have mercy will indeed answer her.  I wonder how many of us would be as persistent as this Gentile woman.  She could have been discouraged when in front of many onlookers she is being embarrassed.  She feels that she is being judged.  Is she not?  And yet, she persists knowing that God whose nature is always to have mercy would surely bless her.  And she is not disappointed.
• While recognizing the social and religious difference between the Jews and the Gentiles, Jesus is not prevented from crossing it and blessing this woman.  Increasingly in Singapore, many churches are middle or upper middle class.  And many of those who may need our help may find it hard to step into our church because the barrier of difference is too large a gap for them to jump over.  There of course must be a meeting of minds between the poor and the rich. In other words, we the so-called rich should reach out to the poor like Jesus did with this woman and the poor should be like this woman who should not be embarrassed in asking for help.  At least for us Christians, Proverbs 22:2 should be bore in mind when it says “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” And it is this understanding that our Lord created them both that we are to help the poor if not Proverb 22:23 “the Lord will take up the case (of the poor) and will plunder those who plunder them.”

The second story also speaks of exercising mercy over judgement. 

The story of the healing of a deaf and mute man (7:31-35)

Jesus goes to Decapolis (7:31) and this is significant.  It shows that Jesus chooses to stay in a Gentile area rather than to return to the more familiar nearby cities of Galilee. 

We are not sure whether this deaf and mute man is a Gentile or not. Some say yes and others say no.  It should not matter as much.  The point is that this deaf man needs mercy and not judgement.  He has difficulty speaking clearly, because he cannot hear how words sound.  This man who “could hardly talk” (7:32) might indicate that he was not deaf from birth but that he learned some speech however imperfectly before becoming deaf. 

And Jesus took him aside and the reason for that is likely that Jesus does not want the public to know (see7:24).  He “puts his fingers into his ears and he spat and touched his tongue” (7:33b).  Now I do not know about you but I would be offended by his fingers in my ears and his spittle on my tongue!  But this is what Jesus does.  Jesus seems less engaged with the woman in the earlier story but here Jesus appears to be too much engaged with this one. 

And Jesus looks up to heaven, sighed and said, “Be opened” (7:34).  And looking to heaven demonstrates Jesus’ dependency on the Father.  And his sigh demonstrates his sympathy and compassion.  And the man is healed. 

Just as the earlier story teaches two important lessons of us constantly appealing to the mercy of God, and secondly, of the poor we should narrow the financial, social or whatever gap.  Here in the story of this blind and almost mute man, we too can learn some important lessons

• Jesus does not have a fixed way of healing people.  With the woman, he uses one method and with this man he uses another.  As a church, we should remain open to what God may be doing in and through us.  The using of spiritual gifts should be encouraged as we worship the Lord together.  And by worship I do not mean the section of the service where we sing a couple of fast songs or worshipful songs.  The whole service from start to finish is our worship unto the Lord.  And spiritual gifts are being expressed all the time.  Speaking in tongues, singing in tongues are only two of the whole array of spiritual gifts.  Being judgemental would mean that there is only one way of healing and one way of spiritual gifts.  But mercy would influence us to see that God expresses himself in many ways than we have yet experienced.
• Finally to exercise mercy over judgement, like Jesus we need to look to heaven.  We must demonstrate that we are dependent on our heavenly Father.  On our own, we are more likely to be judgemental than merciful.   I do not know about you.  I have many struggles for it is always easier to judge and move on than to have mercy and that means to continue to linger on as one attends to the problem or the person.

And God wants us to be merciful as he shows us through his son in these two stories of the Syrophoenician woman and this blind and mute man.

May God help us.

Church of the Ascension, 13 Francis Thomas Drive, Singapore 359339
Mailing Address: Toa Payoh Central Post-Office P.O. Box 162 Singapore 913106 
Tel (65) 6283 3988 Fax (65) 6283 3220 Email: [Church Office][Website Editor]
All Rights Reserved
[Home] **