Looking for Faith in All the Wrong Places
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Mark 7:24-30
LOOKING FOR FAITH IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES
Mark records three miracles that Jesus performed as He ministered to the Gentiles in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This is the only recorded instance of our Lord actually leaving Palestine as an adult. He was practicing what he had just taught the disciples: there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, for all are sinners and need the Savior.
He makes this short-term missions trip up to the north with little results… The area was not known for its faith… Except for one woman of faith…
Her story is inspiring to us because she had so many things going against her… But… Jesus admires her tenacity and faith, and with what sounds like an insult – He draws her faith out, into the open, and heals her daughter because of her faith.
Ladies, listen up as Mark challenges you to be women of great faith.
The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
Mark 7:24 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.
· Jesus is attempting to get alone for a while, but His enemy keeps the crowds coming to ruin His retreat.
· At His feet is a woman who had nothing in common with Him, except she believed in Him, and she was desperate.
26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
· In Matthew, it is recorded that she uses a Jewish term while speaking to Him, “Son of David.”
· Picking up on the Jewish term, Jesus answers her…
27 But Jesus said to her, "Let the children (Children of Israel) be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs (Puppies)."
· On the surface, this sounds kind of cruel, doesn’t it?
· BUT… How does the verse begin? “But Jesus…”
o The desperate Mom is doing what desperate Moms do…
o And… Jesus is going to help her – Help her with her faith, which is MORE IMPORTANT than the health of her daughter! IT REALLY IS!
§ SHE doesn’t think so, YET.
§ But she DOES now!
§ Jesus DOES NOT call her a stray dog… He calls her a puppy.
· In a few minutes, we’ll look closely at the reason the Lord is talking to her this way… But listen to her faith!
DESPITE THE INSULT….
28 And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs."
· Chuck Smith – Knowing that she was a woman of great faith, Jesus draws out her faith when all she is feeling is panic…
o He takes one step back… She takes two steps forward. She believed in Him!
o Imagine this conversation with the woman’s face creased with worry… Jesus is smiling – knowing that her daughter is about to be healed.
· Her response – FINE! If the Jews are first, so be it. I’ll take the crumbs from under their table.
o Her heavenly citizenship was stronger than her earthly nationality.
o She does not even begin to argue with Jesus… His gruff response is accepted with great faith.
o BUT… Before you become too offended – remember WHERE this is taking place: Tyre and Sidon.
§ A different country than Israel…
§ Jesus has crossed a border to bring salvation to this woman.
§ He has left the comfort of home to minister to a foreigner in a foreign land.
ADMIRING HER FAITH…
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.
Of the thirty-five recorded miracles in the Gospels, four directly involve women:
1 - the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Mar_1:30-31);
2 - the raising of the widow’s son (Luk_7:11-17);
4 - the raising of Lazarus (Joh_11:1-57);
4 - the casting out of the demon as recorded here.
Jesus came to this area (about forty miles from Capernaum) so that He might have some privacy, but a concerned mother discovered He was there and came to Him for help.
Wiersbe says there were five obstacles in her way, yet she overcame them all by faith and got what she needed.
#1 - To begin with, her nationality was against her: she was a Gentile and Jesus was a Jew.
· Her faith overcame her fear!
· THAT… Is a great lesson!
#2 - Besides that, she was a woman, and society in that day was dominated by the men.
· Our society screams for us believers to sit down and shut up!
· NO THANK YOU!
· Ladies, Moms… PLEASE for the love of God…
Speak up for truth.
Speak up for God.
Speak up for your family!
#3 - Satan was against her, for one of his demons had taken control in her daughter’s life.
· He is a liar, a thief, a robber and a destroyer…
· DO NOT BE AFRAID of him…
· Do what the Syro-Phoenician woman did and keep asking Jesus to protect your family!
#4 - The disciples were against her; they wanted Jesus to send her away and let Him (and them) have some rest.
· If you have a spiritual leader, teacher, counselor or friend who is not encouraging you to trust the Lord…
FIRE THEM NOW AND REPLACE THEM!
Let’s practice – “You’re Fired!”
Again… Again…
Listen now……
#5 - For a time, it looked as though even Jesus was against her! It was not an easy situation, and yet she triumphed because of her great faith.
· Samuel Rutherford, the saintly Scottish minister who suffered greatly for Christ, once wrote to a friend: “It is faith’s work to claim and challenge loving-kindnesses out of all the roughest strokes of God.” That is exactly what this Gentile mother did, and we today have much that we can learn from her about faith.
· When she first asked Him for help, Jesus did not even answer her! (From Matthew’s gospel)
· Encouraged by His silence, the disciples urged Him to send her away.
· When Jesus did speak, it was not to the woman but to the disciples; and His words seem to exclude her completely: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mat_15:24).
o However, none of these barriers stopped her from pressing on with her plea.
The first time she cried for help, the mother addressed Jesus as “Son of David,” a Jewish title; but the next time she cried out for help, she simply said, “Lord, help me” (Mat_15:25).
· It was then that Jesus spoke about feeding the children (Israel) first and not throwing their food to “the little pet puppies.” Jesus was not calling the Gentiles “dirty scavenger dogs” as did many of the proud Jews; He was giving her hope, and she took hold of it.
Her reply revealed that faith had triumphed. She did not deny the special place of the “children” (Jews) in God’s plan, nor did she want to usurp it. All she wanted were a few crumbs of blessing from the table; for, after all, “Salvation is of the Jews” (Joh_4:22).
It must have rejoiced His heart when she took His very words and used them as a basis for her plea! She accepted her place, she accepted JESUS… she believed His Word, and she persisted in her plea; and Jesus not only met her need, but commended her for her faith.
Great faith is faith that takes God at His Word and will not let go until God meets the need. Great faith can lay hold of even the slightest encouragement and turn it into a fulfilled promise. “Lord, increase our faith.”
Stand In Faith
Stand in faith
Even when you can’t see your way
Stand in faith
Even when you feel like you can’t face another day
Stand in faith
Even when the tears want to flow from your eyes
Stand in faith
Knowing that our God will always provide
Stand in faith
Even when you feel that all hope is gone
Stand in faith
Knowing that He is always there for you to lean on
Stand in faith
Even when you feel like giving up
Stand in faith
Because He’s there ... saying, "Just look up"
Stand in faith
Even in those times you feel so alone
Stand in faith
He is still on His throne
Stand in faith
Even when it’s hard to believe
Stand in faith
Knowing that He can change your situation, suddenly
Stand in faith
Even in those times you feel it’s hard to pray
Stand in faith
And believe that He has already made the way
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen
So stand in faith
Because you already have the victory!
J. V. Chandler
Smith30