The
woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the
demon out of her daughter.
“First
let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take
the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
“Yes,
Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s
crumbs.”
Then
he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
She
went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Then
Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of
Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
There
some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they
begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the
crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the
man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!”
(which means, “Be opened!”).
At
this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak
plainly.
Jesus
commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept
talking about it.
People
were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He
even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
This
church has been on our list to visit for a long time and I am glad He led us
here today. We must have been greeted by most of the church as I think there
were fewer than two dozen of us in worship. The pastor quoted Matthew 18:20 (“Where
two or more are gathered in My Name…”) and I know Christ was there.
The
sanctuary is white on white with a soft gold trim. The cross is yellow gold looked
small, but against the large white wall it became a good focal point. There was
signage downstairs and the restrooms were marked but a woman led us to the
area.
Something
I have not experienced before: the church was silent before the service
started.
The
pastor knelt at the Communion table for prayer, which made a powerful
statement.
The
sermon was “He Has Done Everything Well!” Some highlights: “You don’t need the Devil
to sin, he is happy to let you sin by yourself.” We must live through our
trials, we can’t read ahead to see how things work out. We ask God to bless us,
but want Him to bless us our way. We prefer God to be a footnote that we can
apply whenever…to our country, to ourselves. There is no way but to come in
humility and submit to God and plea for His mercy.
I thought
the message went a little wide; the pastor brought it back into focus with
Scripture, a good conclusion, and relevance to today.
Each
of us is part of the ongoing story of Christ.
This
is another church I pass on my commute to work, so it’s been on our list for a
while.
The
facility is older, decorated simply, and well cared for. I was impressed with
the signage, especially the directional signs to the restrooms. We received a
warm welcome and were able to wander around the premises briefly.
We
thought we had something of an idea what to expect at a Reformed Presbyterian
church, but found our impressions were not entirely accurate. The music was an
important part of worship, and the songs were all new to me.
I
appreciated the pastor’s kneeling on one knee to offer the Pastoral Prayer.
There was a fair amount of Scripture reading throughout the service, which was
a treat, as it is often abbreviated.
The
sermon was entitled “He Has Done Everything Well!” The part that spoke to me
had to do with the woman who asked Jesus to heal her daughter and the
subsequent conversation and, ultimately, the healing.
I
always found this exchange to be fascinating, as Jesus’ response seemed so out
of character. The pastor pointed out that she was a sub-plot…just as we are. As
important as each person is, we are not the point. Each individual receives
personal attention, but we are still illustrations in God’s story.
And
just as the woman in this portion of Scripture accepted her position but did
not let it determine the outcome of the encounter, we too should not give up. The
woman did not respond to Jesus with a list of her qualifications, but with a
statement of faith in His goodness.
We
want God to be a footnote in our lives, but if we submit to God’s plan and join
Him, we can be a real live point in God’s story.
The
Holy Spirit spoke to me through this sermon and gave me answers to some recent
questions. Again I am grateful for God’s leading.
Dear Father, We pray this church realizes and accepts that they are part of the ongoing story of Christ, and that they go forward boldly, acting for You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
