Mark 7:24 (LLSB) 24 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.
Jesus sought a quiet place; a refuge where He would go unnoticed.
But His efforts proved futile, as word of His presence spread rapidly.
Mark 7:25 (LSB) 25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
The woman in the above verse was of Syrian descent; a Greek (Gentile, non-Jew). And she persisted in requesting help from Jesus.
It is important to note that, being a Gentile woman, her request was unusual considering Jesus being a Jew.
Mark 7:26 (LSB) 26 Now the woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician descent. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
He considered her request. And His response is something that can be shocking if taken only at face value and without spiritual understanding.
Mark 7:27 (LSB) 27 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.”
In His initial reply, Jesus denied her request for help, stating that His first priority was “the children” (Jews). And it is not good to take what is intended for them and throw it to the “dogs” (Gentiles, non-Jews).
The reaction of our flesh when we first read this could be anger, frustration, and bewilderment. But let’s look deeper into this and find the real intent of Jesus.
Upon hearing the words of Jesus, what did the woman do? Was she shocked? Did she lash out in anger and frustration? Let’s read on.
Mark 7:28 (LSB) 28 But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
She never expressed disagreement with Him. She simply addressed Him in faith, recognizing her place in the context of what He had said, and boldly requested that she may partake in the “crumbs that fall beneath the table of the children.”
Wow! This woman had serious faith in Jesus and understanding of the spiritual order of things!
And because of her answer, look at the reply of Jesus.
Mark 7:29 (LSB) 29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
Did Jesus compare this woman to a dog? Yes.
But what isn’t readily evident is that He used a word that represented a small dog – kynárion (puppy, house dog). This word conveys affection and family membership vs. the word commonly used, kuon (a filthy street scavenger of no value) when referring to Gentiles.
And because of Her faith, He granted her request, setting her daughter free from the demon that had tormented her.
You see, Jesus was not hurling insults at her. His “dog reference” was a metaphor, as if He was saying, “The meal is for the children first, not for the puppies quite yet.”
And the woman understood this, acknowledging the order of things, accepting her place in that order, and believing that her faith would be enough as she gently asked Jesus for the crumbs that fall from the table.
What can we learn from this?
We must learn to understand the proper order of things set in place by God.
The Jews were chosen by God first, and Gentiles after.
We each have our place in His kingdom. Understanding this is important.
And instead of being easily offended by something we may not understand, we must learn to discern, dig for the truth, and embrace what God teaches us, in faith.
Lord, let us be content with the crumbs that fall from Your table 🙏
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
49 N Lamplighters Walk
Hampstead, NC 28443
401-439-3780
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