Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-10, 14-18; Mark 7:24-37
We might
think that the Bible doesn't say that Jesus couldn’t do something, but today’s
Gospel lesson says just that. After arriving in the village of Tyre, Jesus
entered a house and tried to keep people from knowing that He was there, but
“He could not keep His presence secret.” (Mark 7:24). It’s no surprise that
Jesus was unable to move about secretly. He was very popular and people were
seeking Him out. News of His teachings and healings were bringing people to Him
from all over Galilee. Looking for rest, He journeyed to the Gentile territory
of Phoenicia, but even there people had heard about Him. One of them, a woman
whose daughter was possessed by a demon, showed her faith in Jesus by coming to
Him and seeking His help. She was glad that Jesus couldn't keep His presence a
secret.
Why do
we try to do what Jesus was unable to do while He was in Tyre: keep His
presence a secret? Although He has done even greater things for us than He did
for the Syro-Phoenician woman, we hide Jesus in our lives and keep people from
knowing Him. We have our reasons for being so quiet about Jesus, but in one way
or another they all boil down to us being afraid. Whether we are afraid of
being criticized, dismissed, ridiculed, or rejected, or if we face the
unlikelihood of serious persecution and are afraid of bodily harm or death,
fear drives us to keep Jesus a secret.
The book
of James challenges us to confront our fears when it declares that “faith by
itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17) God’s Word
makes it clear that hiding faith (and, in turn, hiding Jesus) is not possible
for us. Genuine faith in Jesus cannot be hidden by us any more than He could
keep His presence a secret in Tyre. It’s true that fear always works and tempts
us to hide our faith and hide our Savior, so God encourages us to set aside our
fears and He promises us the strength of His presence. “Say to those with
fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come … He will save
you.” (Isaiah 35:4) He has come. He has saved you. He does not keep His
presence a secret, but shows Himself to you in many ways to ease your fears and
give you the confidence to share, not hide, Jesus in your life — and to rejoice
with those who are glad that we’re not keeping Jesus a secret.
Gracious Father, we rejoice that You did not keep hidden Your love for us, but while we were still Law breakers estranged from You and destined to eternal condemnation, You showed Your heart to us by sending Your Son into our world. In His life You satisfied the righteous demands of Your holy Law. Though His death, You revealed the full extent of Your love for us and rescued us by Your grace. Grant us the courage, strength and faith to live our lives in ways that clearly reveal that Christ lives in us and we in Him so that others may also come to know Your love and grace. Amen.
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