Week 5 of Ordinary Time, Thursday – 10th February 2022 — Gospel: Mark 7,24-30
Model of Indomitable Faith
In this striking incident a Syrophoenician woman turns out to be a model of Christian faith. She is not the last person who has come to Jesus with an urgent request. She is neither discouraged nor disheartened by the apparent setback with Jesus’ behaviour. The remarkable thing is how she corrects Jesus. She turns Jesus’ words around and bends the dog metaphor to her advantage. Jesus recognizes this immediately and dismisses the demon from her daughter. She perseveres in intrepid confidence. Somehow what she has heard about Jesus has given her a profound intuition that he cannot be indifferent to her plea. So she refuses to take “no” for an answer. She exemplifies with her persistent efforts, refusing to go away until she gets what she came for. She stands out with her hopeful insight, refusing to believe that even a tiny speck of grace isn’t out of reach and knowing just a scrap can make the difference for her. And she demonstrates her trusting acceptance, in her willingness to take Jesus at his word and journey home alone to confirm her daughter’s healing. All that is needed is faith.
