The power of the kingdom, which is the power of God, operated in
[Jesus] and through him upon the lives others. ~Albert E. Day
Welcome dear
friend, to a series on the healing stories of Jesus. The root of the word healing
in New Testament Greek, sozo, is the same as that of salvation
and wholeness. (UM Book of Worship)
I invite you
to enter into a time of Lectio Divina, contemplative prayer with
scripture, as we explore one of the healing stories of Jesus. Gather your
journal if you have one, your bible and something to write with or simply use
your computer, I've provided everything you need.
This may be
my favorite Jesus story ever. Jesus was on vacation. Jesus needed his vacation. From reading the gospels my sense of Jesus is
that, much like the whirlwind life we live invites us to be today, he was
always “on.” He was like a rock
star. No matter where he went groupies
followed, waiting and watching to see what he was going to do next. I’m not a rock star and I have no groupies
but I feel like I am, too, am always “on,” waiting and watching to see what God
is going to do next. This sometimes makes me impatient and short with people until I slow down and listen. I can relate to how Jesus is feeling in this passage and how he reacts to this desperate mom's request.
Jesus seems so human in this exchange with the Syrophoenician woman. We are told that Jesus was fully human AND
fully divine, all at the same time but we don’t often see the human part. Yet, here his humanity invites me into the passage and I want to know more. As the passage unfolds I am further encouraged to examine my own humanity and the way I respond to people who aren't "like" me. I wonder, "am I an inclusive person or an exclusive
person?" I think that I don’t
intentionally exclude people but studies show that, as human beings, we are
creatures who gravitate toward people who are like us. So I think that means if we want to be
as radically inclusive as Jesus was in this passage, we have to be radically teachable. I love that
in this passage, Jesus is teachable. This quality makes me admire Jesus deeply and it makes me want to be like him. As a result of this quality of teachability, Jesus listens and responds to the syrophoenician mom and the kingdom of God is opened up and expanded. In the kingdom of God, we are all equal and loved by God. Ideally, everyone belongs! I want everyone to belong!
For
more background information and analysis on the nuances of this passage, take
this link to my Page: The Power of the Gospel Explodes
in Radical Inclusion
Breathing in ... Radically Inclusive Jesus
Breathing out ... Teach me and open my eyes to your kingdom
Repeat your breath prayer until you feel
relaxed and centered
Pray for
illumination of the text, use this one or pray what emerges from within
you: Healing Jesus, shine your light upon this passage as I read
and let me see new ways of living a radically inclusive life. Amen.
1.
Lectio/Read: Mark
7:24-30 (NET)
As you read,
perhaps there is a word or phrase that will speak to your heart. Let
that word or phrase draw you into the story.
How does the energy of the story gather around your word or phrase? Let that energy lead you into your next
reading.
After
Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. When he went into a house, he
did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to escape notice. Instead, a
woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him
and came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin.
She asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the
children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread
and to throw it to the dogs.” She answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under
the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “Because you
said this, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” She went home and
found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
 |
| Les Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Folio 164r, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons |
2.
Meditatio/Meditation
Read the
text a second time. You may find that the same word or phrase has energy
for you, but you may also find that the energy has shifted for you. As
you think about your life and relationships, how does your word or phrase
illuminate where you are right now. Take your journal or a page on your
computer and write … Don't think about what you are writing as you let God lead
you deeper into the text illuminated by your life.
3.
Oratio/Pray
Read the
text a third time. Then read your own writing if you wrote
anything. Are there any connections you can make between what you read
and the writing that flowed from your reading? How do you respond to how
God is calling you? What do you want to say to God about what you
are hearing? Take a moment to write again in your journal or on your
computer as a prayer in response to what you have heard.
4.
Contemplatio/Contemplation
Take a
moment to pause. Allow your breath prayer to emerge again. You can
use the same one from the beginning or perhaps a new one will emerge for
you. As you continue to pray, let the words fade away into silence. Spend
time simply "be"ing with God.
Breathing in ... Loving Jesus
Breathing out ... fill me with love for all people
Repeat your breath prayer until
it fades into silence ...
Allow your
experience of praying with this healing story of Jesus to come to a close when
you are ready to move on. Let the Spirit lead you and guide you into the
presence of God as you engage your life as a loving and healing presence to
others.
Close with a
prayer to send yourself into the world, use this one or pray what emerges from
within you: Loving Jesus, I am
inspired by the way you encountered this woman.
I want to be as teachable as you.
Amen.
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