The “Right” Faith

We want to be right.

No one likes to lose or to be wrong.

Failure seems like the worst experience.

This goes along with the first point. We do not want to fail and we have started to experience that failure means we are “worthless”. Our culture has become so toxic in this way we have given rise to anxiety upon anxiety.

The pursuit of being right can be debilitating.

Very similar to some of what has been said because we want to be right we can take no action because sometimes we think it is better to not have tried than to not be right, perfect and so forth.

Mark is trying to shape our faith.

The point of the Gospel of Mark is to convince us of who Jesus is and shape our faith in such a way that pleases him.

Don’t miss the irony of our stories.

Mark intentionally, I believe, puts these healing stories right after the discussion about what is and is not clean.

Jesus is in Gentile territory.

Jesus has gone away from the Jews for a reason. We do not know why and we can only speculate which I will not do this morning.

The eyes of Jesus are filled with compassion.

If there is a “theme” text this morning it is this.

Mark 8:2 NIV

“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.

The “right” faith is persistent.

This woman does not allow the first “no” be the final one.

The “right” faith is humble.

The woman and the man who is deaf and mute are not presented as coming “deservingly”. In fact, it is this realization by the woman which leads to her request.

The “right” faith allows Jesus to heal “his” way.

We do not always understand why Jesus does things the way He does. I certainly don’t. I many times try to take matters into my own hands.

Become desperate for Jesus.

This may be our biggest issues as humans, especially western Christians. We have no need for desperation.