Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 34:4 (Autumn 2020)
Article: Women Count
Author: Jeff David Miller

PP 34:4 (Autumn 2020) p. 17

Women Count

Jeff Miller

Jeff Miller is editor of Priscilla Papers and teaches biblical studies at Milligan University in eastern Tennessee. He holds an MDiv from Emmanuel Christian Seminary in eastern Tennessee and a PhD in biblical interpretation, offered jointly by Iliff School of Theology and The University of Denver. His research and publishing interests include New Testament manuscripts, gender-accurate Bible translation, and promoting women in Christian leadership. He has held youth and music ministries in Nebraska, Tennessee, and Colorado. He and his wife, Dana, have two married daughters and four grandchildren.

This sermon was first published in Leaven: A Journal of Christian Ministry 19/4 (2011) 222–26, Pepperdine Digital Commons © 2011, used by permission.

From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. (Mark 7:24–30 NRSV)

It would be difficult to overestimate the complexity of what’s happening here in this sanctuary. At first glance, one might simply say, “We’re listening to a sermon.” And while that is true, much more could be said. Think for a moment about your morning. Most of you have had a good morning, but very likely a few of you have not. Some of you slept well; perhaps a few of you just came from a night shift. Now think about yesterday . . . and about last week . . . and last month. On and on it goes. My point is that an incalculable number of trajectories are converging right here, right now. Your family, your education, your profession, your emotions; my family, my education, my emotions . . . we bring all these themes here with us, and they strongly influence how we’ll experience this sermon. So, if a visitor were to look in on us and ask, “What’s happening in there?” No simple answer would suffice. You could say, “We’re worshiping.” Or, “It’s a sermon.” But whatever you say would surely lead to more questions.

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