The Gospel of Mark 7:24-30
Now Jesus
stood up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had
entered a house, He was wanting no one to know of it; yet He could not escape
notice. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean
spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Greek, of
Syrophoenician descent. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her
daughter. And He was saying to her, “Let the children
be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw
it to the dogs.” But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the
dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” And He said to her,
“Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And going
back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.
After Jesus
explained the parable and the heart of mankind, remember, it’s not what goes
into your mouth but what comes out of your mouth that proceeds from the heart
that defiles a man; He stood up and went away from there to the limits of Judea
that bordered Tyre and Sidon.
He went
there to get rest for even though Jesus is God, He is also a man, and Mark
shows Jesus’ humanity in that he went and entered a house privately wanting no
one to know about Him being there. One cannot place a candle under a basket for
the basket would catch fire, let alone “The Light of the World.”
Jesus' name
had spread throughout Judea and even though the region He was in was far from Jerusalem,
it would appear that, His name even reached this far for “He did not escape
notice.” For a woman heard Him and fell
at His feet crying out for Him to remove the demon from her little daughter.
“Now the
woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician descent. And she kept asking Him to cast
the demon out of her daughter.” In my study, I found that in this time Jews referred to
non-Jews as “Greeks.” Even Paul makes this reference in Romans 1:16 when he states,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation
to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Further,
this woman was a Syrophoenician which is not a region associated with the covenant
of old between Yahweh and His chosen people and was thus profane. Yet She
humbly implores Jesus to remove the demon from her daughter. “She here
acknowledges his Divine power and implores his help; hence showing that she
believed him to be the Son of God and a rewarder of those who sought him.”
(M. Poole)
Jesus
responds, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take
the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” "Dog" here
signifies a little dog, and he uses this term that he may seem to speak more
reproachfully.” (GN M: 7:27) Jesus was sent to the House of Israel first to
bring the promises of God to the Jews, His chosen people. In John 1 the
Gospeler says that Jesus “came to what was His own” (Jn 1:11) and in Romans
Paul states, “Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the
glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and
the promises,” (Rom 9:4)
Therefore,
Jesus was sent to the Jews first and not to the “Greeks” and His statement to
her is disparaging, but it also intimates a hope for the coastlands and outer
regions of Israel. He said, “Let the children be satisfied first” “intimating
that there was mercy in reserve for the Gentiles, and not far off; for the Jews
were already tired with the gospel of Christ, and some of them had desired Jesus
to depart out of their lands. The children began to play with their food,
and their grumblings and loathing would be a feast for the Gentiles.” (M.
Henry)
Jesus was
aware of her faith, and it would be amiss to not note that He sometimes pushes Gentiles
to test their faith. For would it not be of one after hearing such a remark to
give up and quit? To go home and suffer with whatever ails you? Is this not the
way we think? “Why bother Jesus with my problems, He won’t respond the way I
want Him to respond, and I can do this on my own.”
Yet here we
see this Greek woman, like the widow who faced the wicked judge for justice and
received it, humble herself before Jesus and answer, “Yes, Lord, but even
the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
It is as if
she had said, “Lord, I confess the Jews are children; I am a dog, a poor
heathen, no proper member of the household of God; and it is a truth that it
seems unreasonable that I, being a dog, should be served before all the
children are filled. Lord, I do not beg such a full manifestation of thy power
and goodness for the Gentiles. I beg but a crumb of mercy for myself and poor
child; and, Lord, though we do not give our loaves prepared for our children to
the dogs that feed under our table, yet even the dogs under the table feed on
the children’s crumbs. Lord, I know you have plenty of grace and blessing, the
children may be filled, and yet I may have some crumbs?” (M. Poole)
This woman
showed Jesus her humility by acknowledging that she is a dog as a member of a
nation that is not in the household of God. Modesty by requesting only a crumb
and no more, and fervency by not giving up on her request. Thus, we learn to Go
to God in prayer in humility and implore Him modestly, “not lagging behind in diligence,
being fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, persevering in
affliction, being devoted to prayer,” (Rom 12:11-12)
For those
here who are not in the household of God, Jesus said “Ask, and it will be
given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For
everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it
will be opened. But what father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give
him a snake instead of a fish? Or, if his son asks for an egg, will give him a
scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those
who ask Him?” (Luke 11:9-13)
Seeing the woman’s faith, He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.” How merciful is our God, that He sees the faith in this woman, and from a distance He rebukes the demon in her daughter and frees her from that oppression.
How many
times can I state the obvious and you do not see, hear, or understand? Jesus
has freed His people from their sins, he has made us more than conquerors, for
our sin has been conquered by the Messiah and now we “rule over it.” We rule
over our sins, and we put them to death because the Messiah saved us from our
sins by bearing them on His cross.
Jesus came
to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because
they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of
God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men.
They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind,
and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation
and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity
in the lake of fire.
However, God so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins; He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in Jesus may have peace with God. Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation.
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