Bible Study recap: Mark 7.24-37

The question comes to mind is why all the secrecy? Jesus didn’t want people to know where he was, he took the deaf man aside, away from the crowds, when he healed him ... As the saying goes, “a secret isn’t a secret unless you tell someone”!

What about all the others who need healing? Why was this individually done on a one-on-one basis, could not Jesus have just waved his arms over the whole crowd and say, "Go. You’re all better"?

We know that Jesus did things for others without fanfare, but it would be more efficient and effective, numbers-wise, to heal as many he could as fast as he could. But numbers wasn't really what he was about, we see the quality of personal connection taking place in these encounters.

Why was this particular man so special? Why was that particular woman’s arguments so compelling? It gives assurance and hope to know that if they were ordinary people like us, gaining access to Jesus' presence and healing, then we, ourselves, could also manage the same. All we need is faith (yes, easier said than done).

We spent some time wondering about demons and cults and shared how the thought of demon possession is a matter of opinion: what may be asking honest questions in one opinion is the work of Satan undermining the faith in another's opinion. It’s always an easy excuse to blame the devil than to face the consequences of personal action, or consider that there are some things that God cannot (or will not?) do.

In Jesus' time, there was a particularly acute lack of understanding and mental illness (which isn't necessarily that much more evolved in our time). Perhaps the daughter had a seizure disorder, maybe she was having hypoglycemic episodes. Yet, much like leprosy as diagnosed for any skin irregularity, any deviation from "normal" behaviour was branded as "demonic possession".

We see the mother and daughter, the formerly deaf man receiving new leases on life. They have a chance to reintegrate into their communities after being isolated by their physical, mental or social conditions. This prompts us to remember the power of simply being there for others in times of need ... In the same way that Jesus is with us all, regardless or class, gender or race. Let our minds and hearts be opened to caring.