0115 THE SILENCE OF JESUS

THE SILENCE OF JESUS

This chapter contains one of the more confounding actions of Jesus, so I’d like to have us focus on that. In the last chapter, we saw that people have been crowding around Jesus, pressing in on him to seek healing, touching the tassels on his robe. And everyone who touched the tassels of his robe was healed. 

It was common practice for Jews, and especially for rabbis, to wear robes with four tassles that have special knots in them, to remind them of the law of God. This is why the hem of a robe was their focus. But just imagine, Jesus is surrounded by all these Jews, who are coming to be healed, and it happens without a word. Talk about spiritual authority! As with the Roman centurion, no words are needed. No incantation. No prayer. No confession. No command.

But the immense pressure is constant. Yesterday’s chapter opens with Jesus trying to get away from the crowds, and it didn’t work. Where to go from here? Up north. Up into Gentile country, near Tyre and Sidon, where they will leave his robe and him alone for a season.

And now, though there are not crowds pressing in, it’s not just Jesus and his followers. A very determined Gentile woman starts following Him. She cries out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! my daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession." 

Jesus does not answer a word. Not a word. Doesn’t even acknowledge her presence. Just keeps walking, chatting with the disciples.

this is not at all what i expected from the Gentle Shepherd. He healed entire villages. Could his silence be because she is a Gentile? He had nearly been killed in His home town for hinting that God cares about gentiles. He initiated a conversation with the samaritan woman at the well. Why on earth would Jesus give this gentile woman the silent treatment? it seems so unlike, well, Jesus.

what does this mean? does He want her to plead? is this the test to see if she will prevail? surely it isn’t because He doesn’t care! whatever He is doing, i’d like to know, because i think sometimes He is doing the same thing with me. i am, after all, also a gentile (though grafted into the olive tree of God’s people). Like her, i call Him by the right name and ask Him for a favor. Like her, i don’t sense Him saying yes or no to my request. i just hear silence. Not a word. is Jesus ignoring me?

finally the disciples (who always seem to have mixed motives) urge Him to send her away. Sounds like what they said about the five thousand just yesterday, doesn’t it? Now Jesus speaks. But when he does, he strangely tells her that He came only for israel. 

But that is not the end of her. She keeps pursuing him, pressing him for mercy. She wisely answers that she’s happy to be a lowly dog and just get some scraps from the table. Now Jesus sees what He has needed to see: this woman has great faith. She may be a Gentile dog, but if so, she is the family pet, and she is still part of the family, right? 

He smiles at her. And He says the word. Her request is granted, just like that.

it is the unanswerable question: why the silence?

why does Jesus sometimes have no conversation?

Jesus had just said, “keep on asking, and you will receive." i sometimes get silence confused with a “no" Answer, and I mistake silence for anger. So, i give up too soon. The silence of God in this case is not a “yes" Or a “no," Or even a “wait." it really is silence. 

what do i do in the meantime, while i wait for an answer? i keep on asking. i keep on seeking. i keep on knocking. Eventually i will  receive, i will find, and it will be opened to me.

while i am pleading and banging on heaven’s door, I wonder if the angels are whispering to Him, “make him go away!" or shall i trust that this is the silent non-answer of a loving Father who knows what is best and when is best, and who knows how many times i need to ask before i get my petition right.

sometimes God is silent.