Mark 7:24-37 - Ask anyway
13/11/22
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7:24-30 A Syrophoenician Woman’s Great Faith
24 And from there he set out and went to the region of Tyre. And when he entered into a house, he wanted no one to know, and yet he was not able to escape notice. 25 But immediately a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, when she heard about him, came and fell down at his feet, 26 Now the woman was a Greek—a Syrophoenician by nationality—and she was asking him that he would expel the demon from her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs!” 28 But she answered and said to him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “Because of this statement, go! The demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she went to her home, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.
Tyre is in present-day Lebanon. It was on the borders of the Promised Land. King Hiram of Tyre supplied the wood to David’s palace [2 Samuel 5:11] and to build Solomon’s temple [1 King 9:11]. Solomon even gifted territory to Hiram [1 Kings 9:12]. Huram [Hiram] sent a man, “a son of a woman from the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre”, with skill and knowledge to oversea Solomon’s building projects. However, relations with Tyre become more strained and God pronounces judgement against them [Isaiah 23]. Jesus speaks favourably of Tyre [Matthew 11:21-22] in contrast to the Jews of the first century who would likely have viewed them much as their Arab neighbours of today. The gentiles were viewed as “dogs”, i.e. unclean animals. This woman is a woman AND a Greek/gentile AND a Syrian!!!
Jesus had previously tried to take some down time in a deserted place [6:31]. Where is he going to try to have a break this time [v24]? Yet, once again, what happens?
Are you shocked at Jesus words [v27]? Describe the woman’s faith and understanding of Israel in the purposes of God [v28]?
Does God’s choosing of a nation excuse their sin? Now look at Jesus’ words regarding Tyre and Sidon [Matthew 11:21].
We saw Jesus rejection at Nazareth in Galilee [Mark 6:1–6]. Now, look at the extra detail Luke provides [Luke 4:16-30 esp. vv25-30]. What does this tell you about God’s purposes for the gentiles all along [Romans 11:13-16]?
7:31-37A man deaf and unable to speak healed
31 And again he went away from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they were imploring him that he would place his hand on him. 33 And he took him away from the crowd by himself and put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting, he touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”). 35 And his ears were opened and his difficulty in speaking was removed and he began to speak normally. 36 And he ordered them that they should say nothing, but as much as he ordered them not to, they proclaimed it even more instead. 37 And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, “He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
Jesus moved from the gentile area of Tyre and Sidon [now in Lebanon] back to the Decapolis [now mostly in modern Jordan except Damascus in Syria and two cities that are just within the borders of modern Israel.
Why is Jesus repeatedly ministering in gentile regions? What had happened just before this [7:1-23]? What is soon going to happen, e.g. 8:31-33?
What is going on in v33? How do we accommodate to our culture without denying God [v34]?
Jesus takes the man away from the crowd to heal him privately [v33]. Does the miracle remain confidential [vv36-37]? Has this happened before? What may be Jesus’ concern?