Mark 7: 24 – 30
Puppies
24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
As a reminder to those of you who have been studying our Lord’s Holy Word, and for those of you who are just joining us, let me say this. The first Gospel was written by Matthew around 50 AD. About 5 years later the disciple Mark penned Peter’s observations of all he witnessed our Lord say and do. Then 10 years after this the disciple Luke came to Jerusalem and interviewed all the eyewitnesses. I find it very interesting that our Precious Holy Spirit kept Luke’s investigation away from this event that the apostles Peter and Matthew witnessed. Here is what Matthew wrote in chapter 15, “21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.” 23 But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
I do not know about you but when I first read of this situation between our Lord and the woman I was bothered. It almost seemed like the Lord was rude. [Please forgive me Lord for even considering that sinful thought]. It was my ignorance of course of not fully meditating and learning His Holy Word.
It is good to know your geography when you study the bible. Now please note the location where our Lord and His disciples are at. In fact both Matthew and Mark list the same spot,
24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
Our Lord wanted a break from the daily mob.
And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.
So He traveled to an area that is presently the country of Lebanon. Knowing this fact helps us bring things more into focus.
Our Lord’s popularity and fame however had now not only made its way throughout all Israel, but also to the surrounding nations. So, when He wanted just to get a little time alone our Precious Holy Spirit had different plans for Him.
25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
The Greeks and Phoenician got around pretty much because they made use of the sea. As you well know from today’s news Syria is adjacent to Lebanon. So, this woman came from three cultures that inhabited this area that our Lord went to.
For some reason her daughter had involved herself with fallen spirits and as a result was demon-possessed. In Luke chapter 4 we read this important fact, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” Please note that our Lord at all times as this Scripture indicates was ‘led by the Holy Spirit.” Our Lord Jesus Christ had completely given Himself over to the Holy Ghost to be guided by Him into each situation that happened each day to Him.
As I mentioned previously that everything our Lord was involved in was a set up. Our Precious Holy Spirit brought our Master to in order to display and prove that He was The ‘Anointed’ Holy One sent from the Adoni Yahweh. Here our Wonderful Holy Ghost is arranging the situation for our Lord to fulfill another prophecy that we find in the book of Isaiah chapter 49, “ “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, and take heed, you peoples from afar! The LORD has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name. 2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; In the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft; In His quiver He has hidden Me.” 3 “And He said to me, ‘You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’ 4 Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the LORD, and my work with my God.’” 5 “And now the LORD says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him (For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength), 6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 7 Thus says the LORD, The Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, The Holy One of Israel; And He has chosen You.” 8 Thus says the LORD: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, and in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, to cause them to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That You may say to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’ to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ “They shall feed along the roads, and their pastures shall be on all desolate heights. 10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst, neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, even by the springs of water He will guide them. 11 I will make each of My mountains a road, and My highways shall be elevated. 12 Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, and these from the land of Sinim.” 13 Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted.”
27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”
As you can see from Isaiah’s prophecy our Lord Jesus Christ was sent to the house of Israel in fulfillment of Yahweh Elohe Yisrael – The Lord God Of Israel.
Do you think at any time He would refuse this woman’s request? No, all you have to do is go back through the previous chapters and find out that He healed all who came to Him. He didn’t ask these people where they came from before He would heal or cast out demons.
In front of all His disciples our Lord Jesus Christ was letting them know that He again is the Qedosh Yisreal – The Holy One of Israel and has come to fulfill all God’s promises.
The woman’s faithful and humble response was to recognize that she was not a Jew but because of the arrangement of God setting up the Jews to pass on His Holy Word the rest of the world would benefit. In Genesis we as Christians love the Jews and we adhere to this remark to Abraham in chapter 27, “ 28 Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be master over your brethren, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be those who bless you!”
The woman recognized that other nations would be blessed if they came to the only living God Who has manifested Himself to the nation of Israel. She lovingly responded to the Lord Jesus Christ that even puppies, which are not human get to receive food from their masters. How much more should she not receive from the Master of masters.
Now picture the disciples listening in. Remember, they had asked previously in which we have read in Matthew’s version that they wanted to chase her away from them – ‘And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
He ignored them and in fact didn’t ignore her for He spoke to her about the fact that He was Israel’s promised Messiah. The woman’s answer pleased the Lord and He responded positively to her request.
29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
Please note the cause and effect of this woman’s faith. Our Lord could have said anything to get rid of her. He could have said, ‘Okay, go on home your daughter is healed.’ However, the woman knew that our Lord was not a liar. If He said it, then it is true. She went home with full belief that her prayer was answered. She didn’t come into her house with any doubt. She walked in and there was her daughter healed and in her right mind.
May we all take this to heart the next time the ugliness of doubt creeps into our thoughts. Thank you Lord Jesus.
