Just A Few Crumbs Mark 7:24-30

The Gospel According to Mark  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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There are only 2 instances in the Gospels where Jesus is amazed by the faith of an individual. Both were Gentiles. This passage is one of those instances.

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As we get started this morning, go ahead and turn in your copies of God’s Word to The Gospel of Mark 7:24-30. But I also want you to mark Matthew 15:21-28, because we will be going back and forth between the 2.
In last weeks message entitled “The Definition of Clean”, we watched as Jesus drew the battle lines between He and the scribes and the Pharisees. Oh, they had been battling from the early days of His ministry, but it moved from minor skirmishes to an all out battle from that day forward, as Jesus upped His attack on their clear hypocritical actions. With that in mind, I guess you could say that Jesus was going away to prepare His troops for the upcoming battle. They left Galilee, in fact they didn’t just leave Galilee, they left Israel, and headed into the territory of the Gentiles. As long as Jesus and His disciples remained in Israel, the crowds were so large that Jesus had little time to prepare the disciples for ministry in His absence. With less than a year remaining before His crucifixion, time was of the essence. Much of the coming months would find Jesus spending less and less time with the crowds and in Israel, and more and more time teaching and training the disciples in areas predominantly inhabited by Gentiles. They had so much to learn, and in today’s passage, God provided a perfect venue for teaching. They had clearly learned a great deal by seeing Jesus great compassion on people, but one specific area they still needed work on, was compassion towards the Gentile world. In many ways, they were under the mistaken impression that God’s love was reserved only for the Jew, on this day they would see Jesus compassion in a whole new light.
With that in mind, please stand for the reading of God’s infallible Word.
Next Slide
Mark 7:24–30 ESV
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
May the Lord as His blessing to the reading, not of the words of Mark, but the very Words of God!
It would not surprise me if some of you weren’t thinking, as we read the passage, wait a minute, I don’t see a ton of compassion in this passage, and at first glance, I’d have to agree with you, but I think as we break what is taking place down this morning, you’ll see that there was much more at play than initially meets the eye. But before we get to the lessons taught by the compassionate Savior. Let’s take a look at the remarkable woman.
You’ve heard the phrase, He’s starting the inning off off with 2 strikes, well in this instance, this lady lady is: Next Slide
Starting the Inning With Three Strikes. Mark 7:24-26; Matt. 15:21-22
It’d be easy to miss the strikes, so let me lay them out for you. Next Slide
Strike # 1-She was a woman.
In much of the Middle East to this day women are treated as inferior to men. While this meant nothing to Jesus, for His disciples and the culture as a whole, this was significant. You’ll see that in a few minutes when we see the response of the disciples as it is recorded in Matthew 15. The fact that she even approached Jesus was significant. Next Slide
Strike # 2-She was a Gentile.
To be honest, this went well beyond her just being a Gentile. In Matthew account he adds that she was also a Canaanite. Why is this important. Well, had the Nation of Israel obeyed the commands of God after entering the Promised Land, they would have completely eliminated that Canaanites from the face of the earth. They were such a corrupt people, whom God had given countless opportunities to turn to Him over they years, that when the Nation of Israel entered the land, God said they were to wipe them out, man women and child. Perhaps you might be thinking this kinda harsh, but God realized that as long as they were around, the Nation of Israel would continue to worship idols. The point is, there was no love loss between the Nation of Israel and the Canaanites. Again, this meant nothing to Jesus. Next Slide
Strike # 3-She was Syrophoenician.
On top of being a Gentile, she was also a Syrophoenician. As bad a relationship as Jews had with Gentiles, it was even worse with Syrophoenician’s. The Syro part was added many centuries later when Rome came onto the scene and ruled, but the Phoenician’s went way back. There was a time they had a good relationship with the Jews, in fact they provided much of the timber for the building of Solomon’s Temple. But the relationship soured during the reign of King Ahab. You see King Ahab formed an alliance with the Phoenician’s via a marriage with a Princess from there. That Princess’s name was Jezebel. If you look at the history of the Nation of Israel, it doesn’t take long before you find out that there were 2 idols they worshipped over and over again that continually put them at odds with God. The first one was was Baal. While there was a certain degree of Baal worship earlier in the history of the Nation of Israel, Samuel had gone to great lengths to eliminate this idol worship when he served as a Judge for the Nation. However, once Queen Jezebel come on to the scene, Baal worship largely became, almost the National religion for Israel, in fact Jezebel did everything she could to turn the Nation of Israel from worship of the one true God, to the worship of Baal. Many historians believe that as she was being raised, she became a priestess of Baal and brought that worship with her to Israel. The second one was Asherah, she was the goddess of fertility and another god brought to the forefront by the wicked Jezebel. Her devotion to these 2 idols was so strong that she sought to wipe out any who worshipped the God of Israel.Great destruction was brought on to the Nation of Israel because of their idolatry, idolatry largely introduced by the wicked Jezebel.
Yes, this woman had everything stacked against her, but as we read on, we see a number of incredible traits in her. Traits that she be present in every follower of Jesus.
Traits of the Follower of Jesus
The first trait: Next Slide
She Knew Where to Turn. Vs. 25; Matt. 15:22
There is little doubt that this woman had been raised participating in idol worship, probably steeped in it, but those false gods could do nothing in the face of the demon possession that had taken over her daughters life. Then, one day, she heard about Jesus, better still, she found out he had come to her area. She turned her back on the idols that enslaved she and her daughter and turned to the One true God.
The next trait we see is a little clearer in Matthew’s account of this encounter in chapter 15. In fact, take a moment and turn to Matthew 15:21-28, we will be looking there for the next 3 traits we see in this woman.
In looking at Matthew 15, we find: Next Slide
She Was Persistent in coming to Him Matt. 15:22-28
I don’t think Duracell was invented yet, but she’s like the Energizer Bunny, she just kept coming and coming and coming. So much so that in Matthew 15:23 the disciples come to Jesus and ask Him to send her away because her persistence was getting on their nerves. But she wasn’t about to stop. Her daughter was in torment and there was nothing she could do to change things, so, once she heard about this man with mysterious power in region, she wasn’t about to take know for an answer. We will see that even more as we continue.
This brings us to her next trait: Next Slide
She Knew What to Ask For. Matt. 15:22
Look at Matthew 15:22, what is the first thing she asks of from Jesus? (She asks for mercy). What does the fact that she is asking for His mercy tell you about her? (She realizes that she does not deserve what she is asking for).
“She knew she did not deserve Jesus’ help, that she was unworthy of Him, and that her only hope for undeserved forgiveness was in His gracious mercy. By definition, the person who asks for mercy asks for something underserved. This woman did not come demanding but pleading. She did not ask for Jesus help based on her own goodness but on the basis of His.” (John MacArthur).
The next trait we see in her is: Next Slide
She Knew To Whom She was Speaking. Matt. 15:22
To fully understand this, let me ask you a quick question in review. What is this women’s nationality as well as her religious heritage? (Gentile and an idol worshipper)
Yet how does she address Jesus midway through verse 22? (O Lord, Son of David).
Just a few days after Jesus confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees, religious leaders for the Nation of Israel, who thought Him to be a lunatic who was empowered by Satan, here is a pagan Gentile woman who approaches Jesus with a Messianic title. She knew enough about the Jewish religion to know that they were waiting for their Messiah, and He would be called the Son of David. The use of the word “Lord” right before the phrase “Son of David”, gives the indication that she understood Him to be the Sovereign Lord, the long awaited Messiah. Even His disciples were still not fully grasping this truth. She is pleading for mercy from non other than the sovereign Lord, the Messiah.
Which leads us to the next trait: Next Slide
She Knew How to Approach Him. Mark 7:25; Matt. 15:25
Look at Mark 7:25, what did she do the moment she approached Jesus? “fell down at His feet”. This was a sign of deep reverence to Him.
This brings us to the next trait we will look at in the woman: Next Slide
She Was Persistent In What She was Requesting. Mark 7:26-29; Matt. 15:22-28
I will get to what, I believe, is going on with how Jesus responds to her in a moment, but what we see here in the woman is, He seems to initially turn her request down. He let’s her know that, at the moment, He was there for the Nation of Israel, not for the Gentile Nations. That’s what Jesus is saying when He tells her “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Undaunted, she asks only for scraps from the table.
Which brings us to the last trait we see in the woman, a very powerful trait:
Next Slide
She Had Great Faith. Mark 7:28; Matt. 15:27
Interestingly, she wasn’t asking for the very best in Jesus, she wasn’t asking to feast at His table, she was just asking for a few crumbs, Just A Few Crumbs, nothing more. She had enough faith in Jesus that she understood that even His table scraps were more than enough to overcome the power of the evil one. Even Jesus was impressed with her faith. I love His response to her in Matt. 15:28; “O woman, great is your faith”.
As the account unfolds, He proves Himself worthy of her faith. He doesn’t just give her a few crumbs, He welcomes her to His banquet table and provides her a feast. Without even speaking, without even going to her home and seeing the daughter, confronting the demon face to face, Jesus, almost casually says to her; “you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”
Is our God Awesome or what!
Now, in the few minutes remaining, I want to take the time to give an explanation for what we are seeing in Jesus in this encounter. Next Slide
Wait, Did He Just Say What I Think He Just Said? Mark 7:27; Matt. 15:24 & 26
Glancing at verse 27 briefly, this appears to be the most head-scratching statement Jesus ever makes! Insulting even. Here a desperate mother comes to Jesus, pleading for the well being of her young, demon possessed daughter, and He refers to her as a dog. We would understand completely if she was offended by His statement. But let’s drill down a little deeper into what is taking place here.
First of all, the Gospel message Jesus was bringing was, from the outset , brought to the children of Israel. In fact, the word that Jesus uses in verse 27 for children was not something that would be translated “little children” but more of a generic word for children. It is the exact same word that would be used for the “children of Israel”, as in the “Nation of Israel”. In modern day lingo, it would be like me telling you, “I have 2 children, Steven (who turns 30 in less than 2 weeks) and Brittany (who is here this morning and is 22). My children are both adults, but they will always be considered my children, no matter the age. As a result, when Jesus says “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right for to take the children’s bread”, He is speaking specifically of the Nation of Israel.
The next thing we notice when we dig a little deeper is that when Jesus continues; “and throw it to the dogs.” The word He is using for “dogs” is not the one that Jew’s commonly use when referring to Gentiles. That word is of a mongrel dog. They roamed around the ancient near east in packs and were not just a nuisance, they were dangerous. The word Jesus uses is the word “little dogs”. If you are reading from the New King James version this morning, that is what you see in this verse. The picture here, while not the case in most homes, was the case in many homes. And that was that there were many homes that had some small dogs that were household pets. In fact, I would not be surprised if that wasn’t the case in the home Jesus was in at that very moment. In other words, Jesus here is saying....actually, let me give you a picture what He is saying.
When I was about 9 or 10 years old, our family went to my grandpa’s for vacation. I say my grandpa, because none of us called his wife grandma, which was fine by her. This was probably marriage #4 for grandpa, and she wasn’t real fond of any of us. At any rate, to shorten a long story, not long after we got there, I was sitting on the couch in the living room. We were all there together. I look down at my feet and there was her little dog looking up at me. I wasn’t completely sure what to do, but within a short time my grandpa’s wife let me know; “Jimmy, you’re sitting in Princess’s seat.” I’m still not quite sure what to do, until she clarifies things for my young mind, “You need to move!” Well there was only one other place to sit in the room and that was the floor. In our home, dogs were never permitted on the furniture, furniture was designed for humans, not animals. That is the picture Jesus is giving to this woman. While His ultimate purpose in coming was to bring the Gospel to all mankind, at this point in time in His ministry, it was primarily to be reserved to the Nation of Israel, the children of Israel.
Notice her response in verse 28, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Did you happen to notice that there is no hint that she is insulted in any way. Actually, you get the impression that she understands Him completely. She does something else here that we don’t pick up in our translations. When she says, yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs” she changes Jesus wording in referring to children. The word she uses literally refers to “little children”. I believe she is painting a very specific picture here for Jesus. The picture she is painting is of a little child at the table. You and I both know that the top place your dog is going to be at meal time is under the table where the small children sit. That is the most likely place for the dog to be rewarded with crumbs. When she makes this statement, she is acknowledging that she is undeserving of the meal prepared for the Nation of Israel, she would be happy with the crumbs that fall from the table. Her faith in Jesus is so strong that crumbs is all she is requesting.
But I believe there is something else at play here, something else that plays a role in her refusal to be offended and insulted by Jesus. Now, I want to admit at the outset, this is speculation on my part, but I think the language of the event leads to my speculation. In verse 25 and 26 when she talks about her daughter, the Greek language is specifically referring to a little girl 10 years or younger. Most likely a little girl of that age would have done nothing to open herself up to demon possession. It is very likely that actions of her own mother, the one who now knelt before Jesus pleading on behalf of her daughter, had done something that opened the door to her daughters demon possession. She wasn’t insulted by Jesus because she knew she wasn’t worthy to eat at His table.
This brings us to today, and the role we play in relation to coming to Jesus.
The first thing is, we need to understand that none of us are worthy to eat at Jesus table. We are no different that the Syrophoenician women. Our own actions have placed us at the point where we are deserving of an eternity in hell. But, by God’s grace, and through our faith in God’s grace and mercy, we are given an opportunity, not just to eat of the crumbs under the table, but to feast at His table as Children of God.
The next choice is up to you, you can choose to be insulted or offended at the predicament you are in, a predicament your own actions brought on you! Or you can do what this woman did that day, bow humbly before the Savior, seeking “Just a Few Crumbs”.
Let’s pray.
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