Time to Run

“Right away a woman came to him whose little girl was possessed by a demon. She had heard about Jesus and now she came and fell at his feet.” Mark 7:25

She was in desperate straits. There was nowhere to turn. She was not part of the accepted religious people of her time. She was a Greek, a Gentile; she was outside the circle of those who had the golden ticket to God’s blessings. There were pagan gods, to be sure. She could bow to nearly any idol of her choosing.

Perhaps she had. Perhaps she had made her way through the Roman and Greek pantheon of gods and goddesses one my one. That’s what a person does when they are desperate. She conducted the appropriate sacrifices. She left meals at the foot of the huge statues on town, and even had a household idol with the required oil lamp and incense. She wasn’t banned from any of these practices; but none of them brought the results she needed.

Her little girl was possessed by a demon. There were no medicines to meet her daughter’s spiritual affliction. Perhaps we should not fault her for trying everything her culture offered. Maybe she had even tried the Jewish Temple, only to discover that as a Gentile woman, she was afforded only the rear seat of the upper balcony. Like the time my beloved, but somewhat miserly dad bragged about having tickets to Riverdance in Dallas. We entered the beautiful theater and ended up, way up, in the nosebleed section. Fortunately, the sound and excitement were nearly as thrilling from there as anywhere else in the theater.

Perhaps our woman felt like, even among the Jews, she had to choose the cheap seats. So far out of the action, she understood little of what was going on, and received no help at all for her precious daughter. What do you do when you have a plaguing problem and you have tried everything? It doesn’t matter how many celebrities hawk the latest diet plan, if you’re not losing weight, all their words are meaningless. Our Gentile friend was getting no relief.

But, somehow word came to her about Jesus. He was like no other. Although He was a Jew, and, for the most part stayed among the Jews, perhaps He would hear her plea. She heard reports of His compassion and His power to heal, even setting free those who were demon-possessed.

She didn’t wait. She went “right away”. Though caution is commendable, and checking credentials wise, sometimes action is demanded. She had heard about Jesus, and she threw herself at His feet. No pleasantries. No ice-breaker niceties. “Good day, kind sir, and how has your travel been? Good? And, the weather? The disciples, are they enjoying the trip?”

No! Those had not even entered her mind. When you have a need and nothing has sufficed, the time for good manners is past! She begs Jesus to heal her daughter, even though she is among the “despised Gentiles”. Jesus holds back, seeming to rebuff her request. But she stays at it. Desperation sometimes is the best breeding ground for faith!

Finally Jesus tells her she has “answered well” and that He has healed her little girl. He tells her to go home, “for the demon has left her!” And, yes, when she arrived home, her daughter was quietly napping in bed, the demon gone.

I may not have a demon-possessed family member, but all of us certainly have problems that plague us. Or we have relatives who struggle with painful health issues. I want to be like this woman. She refused to be treated like an outcast. She had already been there. She hurried to Jesus and fell at His feet.

Today, why not take the issues that cause you pain, anger or fear, and instead of letting the fester within; take them to Jesus. Run to Him! This is no time for silent pew-time prayer. (Although that may be very appropriate after You have run to Him in desperate faith.) This is time for action. It is time to let that energy of that fear move from your heart down to your feet and drive you to Jesus. Plop down, right in front of Him. The woman wasn’t afraid of how she would look. Stay put, wrestle in prayer a bit. Stay with it. And, as the fear and anger dissipate, listen for Jesus’ voice speaking peace to you as well.