SERMON OUTLINE:
• Distance (7:24-30)
• Deliverance (7:31-37)
• Defective faith (8:1-9)
SERMON CONTENT:
Ill:
• Some time ago the ‘Reader’s Digest’ magazine told a story;
• About a company who mailed out some special advertising business post cards.
• Glued to the postcard was a mustard seed;
• The card also contained the following words:
• "If you have faith as small as this mustard seed in our (particular product),
• You are guaranteed to get excellent results and be totally satisfied.".
• Signed, The Management.
• A few months later one person who received this promotional postcard;
• Wrote back to the company and said,
• "You will be very interested to know that I planted the mustard seed;
• That you sent on your advertising card;
• And it has grown into a very healthy bush producing wonderful tomatoes!"
• Point:
• Sometimes we grow things we didn’t expect, because we plant that wrong seeds!
God wants us to plant seeds of faith, to trust him to work in our lives;
But so often we plant seeds of self-sufficiency or mediocrity.
• Quote: Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6:
• “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.
• That principle is illustrated for us in our three stories from Mark’s gospel.
Ill:
• Before we look at the passage – I want us to watch this clip:
• ‘Trust/Fall’ sketch – available from Sermonspice.com
We are looking at three short stories from Mark’s gospel:
• They contain two examples of faith;
• And one example of failure;
• The two examples of faith come from unexpected sources;
• And surprisingly it was those closest to Jesus;
• Those who had the odds stacked heavily in their favour;
• That failed the test and according to Hebrews 11 verse 6 disappointed the heart of God!
(1). Distance (7:24-30)
Ill:
• It might surprise you to know;
• That the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England is Hadrian’s Wall.
• The wall was built as a defensive fortification.
• They began building in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian,
• The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Roman Empire.
• It ran 80 Roman miles (73 statute miles) from coast to coast.
• A significant portion of the wall still exists today;
• Particularly the mid-section.
There were a number of walls stopping this woman discovering the living God.
(A). GEOGRAPHICAL BARRIER.
• But that barrier is removed when Jesus went outside of Israel;
• He was based in Galilee (the North).
• Jesus and the disciples went another 40-60 miles further on;
• Into a region called Tyre and Sidon (these Phonician cities were part of Syria).
• This is the only time Jesus went beyond the borders of Israel;
• During his preaching ministry.
Notice:
• Verse 24 tells us that he came to this area for some peace and quiet;
• Some privacy.
• Jesus was fast becoming a celebrity figure:
• i.e. After all no-one could do the miracles he was able to do.
• i.e. No-one taught with authority the scriptures like he was able to do.
• i.e. And no-one took on the religious leaders (and won!) like Jesus had done.
Ill:
• So Jesus was a public figure and everyone wanted a piece of the action:
• Celebrities often say that there is a down-side to fame.
• The problem with being a celebrity is that you become public property;
• Whenever you go out there is always someone who wants an autograph or a photo;
• Or wants to shake your hand.
• And the celebrity is expected to oblige – after all that’s the price of fame.
• So to get some ‘peace and quiet’ and some quality time alone with the disciples;
• Jesus went outside of his homeland into Gentile territory;
• About 40 miles from Capernaum for a few months break.
ill:
• We have just reached the end of the football season in England,
• Many footballers (soccer players) head of to USA for the summer holidays.
• The reason being football is a world game except for America;
• So they know they will not be recognised or pestered,
• They can just blend in to the crowd as just another person.
• Now although verse 24 tells us that he came to this area for some peace and quiet;
• Some privacy.
• I like the quotation that says:
• Quote: “There were no accidents in the life of Jesus Christ only appointments!”
• I believe it was no accident, coincidence that Jesus crossed the pathway of this way.
• To meet her he would have to break down a geographical wall.
(B). NATIONAL BARRIER.
• She was a Gentile and Jesus was a Jew.
• Jews and Gentiles did not mix.
• In fact she is described as ‘a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia’.
• That description stresses her non-Jewishness character;
• She is Gentile by both birth and culture.
• Here is somebody whose every designation shouts aloud that she is not Jewish!
• ill: That is why the story of the story of the Good Samaritan had such an impact.
• To A Jew you could not be a Good Samaritan.
• It was like saying here is an honest thief!
(C). SOCIAL BARRIER.
• Not only was she a Gentile she was a woman!
• “Big deal” you say; listen it was!
• The society of its day was dominated by men;
• Women were second class citizens in many ways.
• ill: Common Jewish prayer that men prayed each day was:
• “Thank you God for not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave” (Menahoth 43b-44a.)
• ill: In our country during Victorian times there was a saying;
• “Children should be seen and not heard”.
• That type of saying was very much how New Testament times operated;
• Women should be seen, but never heard and never the focus of attention!
• So this incident breaks cultural regulations;
• As Jesus values and gives prominence to a woman.
(D). PHYSICAL BARRIER.
• The woman’s daughter was possessed by an evil-spirit;
• She was in a dire situation and in need of immediate help.
• But the daughter was not present – only the mother – the daughter was elsewhere!
• ill: Surely the doctor needs to see the patient!
Notice:
• If these four barriers were no enough;
• When you read verse 27;
• It would seem on first reading that Jesus was also against here.
• Because he answers here in a strange way,
• Quoting a proverbial type response to her question.
Question: What broke down the barriers?
Answer: The woman’s faith!
• In verses 27-28 a cultural conversation takes place;
• I call it that because to us in our modern western world they are strange verses.
• But to those who first heard it,
• It would have made perfect sense and it would have been very appropriate.
In answering the woman Jesus said: “He had come to feed the children.”
• Question: Who were the ‘children’?
• Answer: The children of Israel – the Jews. The descendents of Father Abraham,
• Jesus went on to say to the woman;
• “You would not take their food and give it to the dogs”.
• Note: Jesus was not calling her a dog!
• The Greek word used in the original text means ‘little puppy’.
• It reminds me of our expression of ‘casting pearls before swine’
• You are not calling people pigs when you use that quotation;
• You are rather implying your words are wasted on those who cannot appreciate them.
In these verses Jesus is simply saying;
• That his preaching/teaching & healing ministry;
• Was first to the children of Abraham the Jews;
• But only first – later we know that salvation was to the Jew first and then the Gentile.
• In other words it was through the Jews that the whole world will be blessed.
• i.e. Jewish scriptures, Jewish Messiah, Jewish apostles,
• i.e. And the first Christians of course were all Jewish.
Notice:
• Jesus gave the woman hope in his reply when he said in verse 27,
• “First, let the children eat....”
• ‘First’, therefore the indication is that there is a second;
• I like the wisdom, the wit and the insight of the woman’s reply.
• She playfully enters into a dialogue with Jesus.
• In verse 28 she does not deny the special place of the ‘Children’ (Jews) in God’s plan;
• Nor did she want to usurp it.
• All she wanted was a few crumbs of blessing from the table;
ill:
• I was enjoying a curry last week in Hounslow (UK) with some Asian friends;
• One man who had come over from India and only been here a couple of months;
• Looked at me eating and said; “Why are you using a fork?”
• He then showed me his right hand and said; “God has provided these for eating curry”.
• ill: In New Testament times you did the same;
• You ate with your fingers and then you wiped them clean on bits of bread,
• Which you threw on the floor and the family pet would come along and eat up.
• Although Jews did not keep dogs as pets;
• They did allow their children to play with puppies;
• And often the puppies were brought into the house.
• The word Jesus used here in verse 27 is the diminutive word ‘puppy dogs’,
• And not the harsh word ‘dog’ which has very different connotations.
I think it must have thrilled the heart of Jesus,
• When the woman took his words and used them as a basis of her plea.
• So in verse 29 Jesus said; “Because of that answer”
• All the barriers were all completely broken down;
• And she was able to go home and find her daughter restored!
This story is a great reminder that Jesus cannot resist faith!
• Quote: Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6:
• “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.
• Therefore when we exercise true faith in the true God;
• He is pleased and he ‘rewards’ those who demonstrate it:
(2). Deliverance (7:31-37)
• A man who is both deaf and dumb;
• Although verse 32 says he had a little bit of speech, but only a little.
• Is brought to Jesus by the crowd.
• The fact that Jesus took the man (verse 32), “away from the crowd”.
• Suggest to me that the crowd did not have sympathy for the man and his condition;
• They saw him as an opportunity to witness the spectacular, to see a miracle.
• So Jesus gave the man respect and privacy;
• He would not make the man a public spectacle.
• It is bad enough being unable to communicate one to one;
• But it is even worse when surrounded by a crowd.
Notice: there are six actions of Jesus in this miracle.
• First: He took him aside from the crowd.
• Second: He put his fingers in the mans ears;
• ill: It was sign language, Jesus was telling him;
• “ I am going to do something for your ears.”
• Third: He spat (probably on his own finger);
• And then with that finger touched the mans tongue.
• Question: Why spittle? Honest answer: We don’t know!
• Fourth: He looked up to heaven.
• Indicating to the man that help came from above;
• He was asking God the Father to work through him and heal the man.
• Fifth: He sighed.
• Jesus empathised with mans pain and sorrow.
• Sixth: Jesus cried out in Aramaic ‘Ephphatha’ which means ‘Be opened, be released’.
• I wonder if this was the very first word that this man had ever heard?
• Immediately the man was cured of his deaf and dumbness.
• And as you can imagine he was thrilled to bits!
(c). Defective faith (8:1-9)
• Please notice this miracle (feeding the 4,000);
• Is different to the miracle we call ‘The Feeding of the 5,000’.
• A casual reader of the Bible (or those naughty critics);
• Might assume it is the same event and Mark has just got some of his facts wrong!
(A). CONTRAST.
(a).
• Mark records that incident (the feeding of the 5,000) in chapter 6 verses 30-44.
• Here in chapter 8 he records an entirely different event.
(b).
• All four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) all record the first miracle (5,000).
• But only Matthew and Mark record this similar miracle; when Jesus feeds 4,000 people.
(c).
• The first miracle (5,000) took place in Galilee, near Bethsaida,
• And the crowd were mainly made up of Jewish people.
• This miracle takes place near Decapolis;
• And involves mainly Gentiles (non-Jews).
(d).
• In the first miracle (5,000) the disciples bring the problem to the attention of Jesus.
• In this miracle Jesus brings the problem to the attention of the disiples (vs 35).
(e).
• In the first miracle (5,000) Jesus starts with five loafs and two fish;
• In this miracle Jesus starts with seven loafs and a ‘few fish’ (vs 7).
(f).
• In the first miracle (5,000) the crowd had been with him for one day;
• In this miracle the crowd had been with him for three days (vs 2).
(g).
• In the first miracle (5,000) they collect up twelve baskets of leftovers;
• In this miracle the crowd they collect up seven baskets of leftovers; (vs 9).
(h).
• In the first miracle (5,000);
• A different word is used that is translated into our Bibles for basket.
• In this miracle the seven baskets of leftovers are ‘large’ baskets; (vs 9).
• They are the type used by Gentiles not the smaller baskets that the Jews used.
• ill: A bit like a litre or a pint – there is a cultural difference here.
(B). TEST.
Notice:
• In this miracle Jesus brings the problem of the crowds hunger,
• To the attention of his disiples (vs 35).
• For the disciples this should have been ‘Déjà vu’.
• It was a similar situation that they had faced before;
• You would therefore expect them to take a similar course of action.
• i.e. Look to Jesus to meet the needs of the large crowd.
• Especially as the odds are stacked in their favour.
• Last time it was 5,000 people Jesus fed;
• This time it is only 4,000 people.
• Therefore it should be easier for Jesus to meet their needs!
But the disciples fail the test:
• Verse 4 tells us they are looking for human means (a Tesco’s, a bakery etc);
• Instead of looking to the Lord.
• Had there faith grown over this in-between period of time;
• Sadly the answer is no!
• In contrast to the woman and crowd in the previous two stories;
• Who did show faith in Jesus;
• And remember they were Gentiles, not even believers in the coming Messiah.
• His own Jewish disciples had not developed their faith at all;
• They were slow to learn and they disappointed the Lord on numerous occasions!
Punchline: How is your faith?
• Quote: Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6:
• “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.
Question: Do you have saving faith?
Question: Christian are you walking by faith or living a self-sufficient life!
