The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary invite us to contemplate our relationship with God when we find ourselves as outsiders whether of our own movement or as a consequence of our cultural experience as outside the dominant group.
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| Seeing those outside |
The reading from the First Book of Kings describes the End of Solomon’s Reign when the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord.
* [11:1–13] The next major unit of the Solomon story corresponds to 3:1–15. Like the earlier passage it includes the narrator’s remarks about Solomon’s foreign wives and his building projects, and a divine word commenting on Solomon’s conduct. However, where 3:1–15 is generally positive toward Solomon, the present passage is unrelievedly negative. Chronicles has no parallel to this material.1
Psalm 106 on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin.
* [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5)... mingling with the nations (Ps 106:34–47). The last, as suggested by its length and generalized language, may be the sin that invites the repentance of the present generation.2
In the Gospel of Mark, the Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith is demonstrated for Jesus.
* [7:27–28] The figure of a household in which children at table are fed first and then their leftover food is given to the dogs under the table is used effectively to acknowledge the prior claim of the Jews to the ministry of Jesus; however, Jesus accedes to the Gentile woman’s plea for the cure of her afflicted daughter because of her faith.3
For Colleen Chiacchere, these readings invite her to reflect on the times when she was welcomed and awarded more love than she deserved or more acceptance than she predicted.
I think of my time teaching in Pine Ridge at Red Cloud Indian School, when I, as an outsider was welcomed by families, parishioners and community members into their homes and lives. I think of second chances I’ve been given when I have made mistakes. I think of the warm and welcome embrace I feel time and time again. And, in the Ignatian sense of acting from that place of gratitude and feeling loved, the readings also invite me – and each of us – to model that magnanimous love for others in our lives. For the students who keeps turning assignments in late…for the immigrants and refugees in our midst…for those who live with a stigma in society (the felon, the outcast, the homeless person, the high school dropout, the estranged family member, etc.). Who are the ones in our lives that need a second chance or some really expected love? My prayer for each of us today is to channel God and Jesus’ magnanimous love and demonstrate that for everyone around us. 4
Don Schwager quotes “Great was the power of her faith, and for our learning,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"See her humility as well as her faith! For he had called the Jews 'children,' but she was not satisfied with this. She even called them 'masters,' so far was she from grieving at the praises of others. She said, 'Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.' Behold the woman's wisdom! She did not venture so much as to say a word against anyone else. She was not stung to see others praised, nor was she indignant to be reproached. Behold her constancy. When he answered, 'It is not fair to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs,' she said, 'Yes, Lord.' He called them 'children'” but she called them 'masters.' He used the name of a dog, but she described the action of the dog. Do you see this woman's humility? Then compare her humility with the proud language of the Jews: 'We are Abraham's seed and were never in bondage to any man'(John 8:33). 'We are born of God' (John 8:41). But not so this woman. Rather, she calls herself a dog and them masters. So for this reason she became a child. For what does Christ then say? 'O woman, great is your faith.' "So we might surmise that this is the reason he put her off, in order that he might proclaim aloud this saying and that he might crown the woman: 'Be it done for you as you desire.' This means 'Your faith, indeed, is able to effect even greater things than these. Nevertheless be it unto you even as you wish.' This voice was at one with the voice that said, 'Let the heaven be,' and it was (Genesis 1:1). 'And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.' Do you see how this woman, too, contributed not a little to the healing of her daughter? For note that Christ did not say, 'Let your little daughter be made whole,' but 'Great is your faith, be it done for you as you desire.' These words were not uttered at random, nor were they flattering words, but great was the power of her faith, and for our learning.He left the certain test and demonstration, however, to the issue of events. Her daughter accordingly was immediately healed." (excerpt from COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW, Homily 52.3)5
The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 7:24-30 comments that we might think that this woman should be commended for her faith, and we would be right. It took great confidence in Jesus for her to plead her case. But faith is only one of her virtues. She could have believed all she wanted, but it would have gotten her nowhere if she hadn’t pushed back against Jesus’ seeming reluctance. She needed determination as well. And she clearly had more than enough of that!
For instance, it doesn’t show a lack of faith if you ask the Lord to give you a job and then spend most of your day checking the want ads and going on interviews. Neither does it show spiritual weakness if you ask God to heal a relationship and then take the first step toward reconciliation with an estranged friend. If anything, God applauds these efforts because they show that you are putting your faith into action. They show that you are expecting that he will not leave you high and dry when you step out on your own.
We all have areas in our lives where we need to take the first step—and the second and third steps—before we will see God work. Let’s take those steps, firm in our faith and trusting in God’s provision.6
Friar Jude Winkler outlines the situation facing Solomon with as many as 1000 wives and concubines for whom he built temples and joined in their pagan worship and sacrifice. The pagan Syrophoenician woman demonstrates Jewish chutzpah in seeking a cure for a demon in her daughter. Friar Jude reminds us that faith is demonstrated in those we too often dismiss.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces James Cone (1938–2018) is one of the greatest American theologians of this past century, yet sadly many Christians have never heard of him. His work laid the foundation for a liberation theology that spoke directly to the injustice, oppression, and violence faced by the Black community in the United States. Jesus made it clear that he came to bring “good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18), showing that if we liberated the people on the margins, the good news would float upwards—in the opposite direction of the “trickle down” economic model, which is largely an illusion. Jesus’ teaching empowered Rev. Dr. Cone to write, “Any message that is not related to the liberation of the poor in a society is not Christ’s message. Any theology that is indifferent to the theme of liberation is not Christian theology.” [1] Cone reflects:
White theologians built logical systems; black folks told tales. Whites debated the validity of infant baptism or the issue of predestination and free will; blacks recited biblical stories about God leading the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, Joshua and the battle of Jericho, and the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace. White theologians argued about the general status of religious assertions in view of the development of science generally and Darwin’s Origin of Species in particular; blacks were more concerned about their status in American society and its relation to the biblical claim that Jesus came to set the captives free. White thought on the Christian view of salvation was largely “spiritual” and sometimes “rational,” but usually separated from the concrete struggle of freedom in this world. Black thought was largely eschatological [focused on the ultimate destiny of humanity] and never abstract, but usually related to blacks’ struggle against earthly oppression. [2]7
When we miss the relationship between God and those we may ignore as outsiders we may be turning away from great revelation of Divine mercy, compassion, and justice.
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