She, Herself & God
The Saving Faith of the Syrophenician Woman
“and she begged Him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, ‘First I should feed the children—My own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.’ She replied, ‘That’s true, Lord; but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.’ ‘Good answer!’ He said. ‘Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter.’ And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed; and the demon was gone.” (Mark 7:26-30)
All my life, I have experienced being favored less than other people. Wherever I go, whoever I meet, and whatever I do, there will always be someone more preferred than me, someone more liked than me, and someone more loved than me. I am saying this not because I am a pathetic person nor a pity party goer. I only declare this because this is what I have always observed, experienced, and proven whether at home, in school, and at the workplace. Sad to say, I am not always the first choice, the first priority, and the first on anyone’s favorite list. And it is okay for me because it is a fact of life, anyway.
But after reading the conversation between the Syrophenician woman and Jesus, I understand now why I have always felt unfavored: I am a Gentile. Back to the old times, Gentiles were not the chosen race. We did not have the royal blood because we were just commoners, so to speak. We were not originally considered God’s people because we were not the Jews or the priority group. Like what the Messiah said, we were like the dogs; and the Israelites were the so-called children of the Lord. In other words, they were automatically part of God’s family; while we, Gentiles, did not have an identity that we could be proud of until Christ came into this world, lived the life we should have lived, died the death we should have died, and was risen for our redemption. And it is okay because it is a fact of life, anyway.
As I go back to their conversation, I cannot help but be in awe of the Syrophenician woman. She possessed a faith so great that she convinced Jesus to heal her daughter despite the fact that they belonged to the unfavored race. Even if He rejected her right from the start, she fought for what she believed in: that only the Son of God could cast out the demon from her child. Despite the fact that she was compared to a dog, the woman accepted her status with humility, made her request known, and did not leave until it was granted. She did not take no for an answer that was why she used her negotiating skills to get a yes from the Lord even if she was just an undeserving Gentile at that time.
As a woman of God, each of us has our own experience of injustice whether at home, in school, and at the workplace. We may have felt unfavored because we belong to an unfavored family, an unfavored race, or an unfavored country. We may have been humiliated and compared to a dog like the Syrophenician woman, but each of us is a woman of God now whether we are Israelites or Gentiles. And because of Christ, we can come to the Father, be saved by grace through faith, and ask for a favor or two. We can fight for what we believe in even if we face rejections because the Son of God is backing us up in heaven. We can accept our status with humility but still make our request known because our case may just be a test of faith. Above all, we can use our negotiating skills to get a yes from the Lord, who did not say no to the Syrophenician woman even if she was just an undeserving Gentile at that time.
Almighty God, we thank You because You are a just God who does not practice favoritism whether we are Israelites or Gentiles; thus, Your gift of salvation is now available for all. We praise You because even if we live in an unjust world, we know we are favored by You; and for us, that is enough. We no longer desire to be the first choice, the first priority, and the first on anyone’s favorite list because it is only Your favor that matters now. Please give us the courage to continue our journey and endure to the end even if we are not the more preferred, the more liked, and the more loved ones. And may we always have a faith so great just like the Syrophenician woman so that we can please You wherever we go, whoever we meet, and whatever we do. This is our prayer in the Name of the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Amen.
