Great Faith
Mark 2026 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage, we see two miracles, likely of Gentiles. Jesus has just been teaching of the importance of the heart. We will see that their faith is rewarded no matter their race or condition.
Mark was likely the first Gospel written. Under the inspiration of God, he writes with an intent to point his readers toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Those who read are faced with a question: who is this Jesus?
As we grow in our walk with God this year, we want to be Following in the Life of Faith. That means that we must begin with the correct Person to put our faith in. Mark gives us the message of Jesus to all people.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Will you commit each day to believe God and His promises? Will you confess your sins and choose to grow in relationship to Him? If you have not yet, will you believe in Him for salvation? Let’s Follow in the Life of Faith this year and see God do!
Jesus arrives again in Gentile lands in our passage. He has been teaching earlier in the chapter about the importance of the heart. Religion is living a set of rules. To be religious does not require heart involvement but only physical conformity. Jesus, however, is concerned about the heart.
As He travels to Gentile areas, He is returning to where the demoniac had been cleansed in chapter 5. There, He had sent this man to tell everyone what Jesus had done. So Mark,
And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.
The wonder of the people seems to be found in each story now in the Gospel. The people see and are amazed because of what Jesus has done. But what of their hearts? What of the disciples’ hearts? What of our hearts? Do we see God as doing something in our own circumstances?
1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Learning from Children
Martin Luther found great comfort in and inspiration from his children. Disturbed and depressed by his enemies, one day he noticed little Martin nursing in his mother’s arms and remarked, “Child, your enemies are the Pope, the Bishops, Duke George, Ferdinand, and the devil. And there you are … unconcerned.” Even as he noticed his child’s complete trust, he realized his own anxiety was unwarranted; God had promised to protect him.
On another occasion Luther came upon Anasthasia, his four-year-old, prattling away about Christ, angels, and heaven. Whereupon the noted churchman said, “My dear child, if only one could hold fast to this faith.” Quickly she replied, “Why, Papa, don’t you believe it?” Luther was shocked and later wrote, “Christ has made the children our teachers.”
Jesus is the same today as He was here. Let’s see how Jesus rewards the faith of these two.
Declaration
Declaration
Jesus does all things well. No matter the condition, Jesus restores. Today, we have a challenge for our faith to see God do something great in our circumstances.
1. Sometimes Jesus Tests Faith
1. Sometimes Jesus Tests Faith
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
The first miracle in our passage is one of the few miracles that Jesus does involving women. He has traveled to the area outside of Tyre and Sidon. Here, we see that sometimes, Jesus tests faith.
The stories of the Bible are examples of tests of faith in the lives of those who have gone before us. We can think of Abraham, Moses, and David who were tested. Did they believe God? Did they react correctly in struggles? Did they obey God because of who He is and what He has done? The tests of a man’s faith will show what is happening inside his heart. In our passage, we have an example of a test in the life of a Gentile woman.
After the teaching earlier in the chapter, Jesus travels to rest in the north. His previous rest had been interrupted by the multitude and the Feeding of the Five Thousand. He has gone to an area that was mostly inhabited by Gentiles, those considered unclean by the Jewish people of Galilee.
While He is there, we see the care that He takes to be undisturbed. Verse 24 tells us that he “would have no man know it.” But even here, there is a need that only Jesus can fulfill. Isaiah prophesied,
And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, Which shall stand for an ensign of the people; To it shall the Gentiles seek: And his rest shall be glorious.
The Saviour, resting in the north, is now sought for by those in need of rest from the spiritual battle. A woman comes to see Jesus in verse 25. She is a mother that has a serious problem with her daughter. Her care is clear in the earnestness of her requests to Jesus. The woman heard that Jesus was there and came to beg for healing for her daughter. She knows that there is something different about Jesus and she needs His help. Only she addresses Jesus as “Lord” in the Gospel of Mark.
The woman is a Greek. This refers to her language. She is a Phoenician living under the rule of the Syrian district. She comes to beg Jesus to remove the demon from her daughter. She has come to the right person with the right request. What will Jesus do for this lady? Parker says,
Preaching through the Bible: Mark-John Mark 7:30
The prayer of the heart never fails. Its particular object may often be denied, but the heart itself is comforted and quieted by divine ministries.
In response to the woman, Jesus responds with a rejection and an illustration. The illustration is about dogs. First, the children eat at the table and then the dogs eat after the dinner is finished, Jesus says. In other words, the rejection is a choice to place the plan of redemption in the Father-ordained order. The Jews receive the message and the grace first, the Gentiles after. The words “be filled” means to have satisfaction. The children are satisfied first by the Jesus. This is the pattern that is later carried out in the church even by Paul.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The faith of the woman is in the statement of the woman in verse 28. When she is faced with rejection by the Saviour, she responds, not in discouragement, but faith. While Israel may still need to be satisfied, any crumbs that fall under the table can be eaten now by the dogs. Her faith is seen in how she responds to delay and rejection.
How do you respond to the obstacles in your life? Do you believe that God still cares about you? Do you doubt that God has your good still in His sight? We make many things idols in our lives and then expect God to reward our expectations on command. The problem that we often have is that we expect to earn God’s favour by our actions and attitudes. The truth is everything is by grace.
This woman did not expect to get anything through earning it. She did not rebuke Jesus for His statement. Instead, she stayed before the only One who could grant her request and asked for grace. As Martyn Lloyd Jones says,
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount Chapter Thirty-Two: How to Pray (6:5–8)
the highest picture that you can ever have of man is to look at him on his knees waiting upon God. That is the highest achievement of man, it is his noblest activity.
Our faith is tested by Jesus. He wanted to see whether she would continue to pray when He denied her request. Alone among those recorded in the Bible as debating with Jesus, this woman wins by her statement. She was tested and her faith is rewarded. Jesus commands her to return to the place where her daughter was because the removal had already taken place in verse 29. When she arrives, His Word is true.
We serve God by our faith. He is looking for our faith in the tests of life. Her faith is seen in how she reacted to Jesus’ refusal of her request.
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We may just need to be reminded this morning that Jesus is testing our faith. Tests are challenges that we can either embrace or dread. But the truth is that we will always face testing and how we react indicates our grade. How is your faith?
The Bible Exposition Commentary Mark 7:24–30
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.
2. Sometimes, Jesus Rewards Faith
2. Sometimes, Jesus Rewards Faith
And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
There is never a guarantee that exactly what we expect, desire, or request will happen. God knows better than we do. But, sometimes, Jesus rewards faith. We see an example here in verses 31-37.
Jesus travels from the north toward the east and then farther south. He is now in the area where the demoniac had been in chapter 5. As He arrives, some people come to Him and bring a man who is deaf and dumb. They want him "to put his hand upon him". This is different from the pattern before when others were touching Jesus for healing in chapter 6. These seem to have heard of what Jesus has done.
In this miracle unique to Mark’s Gospel, we see a strange occurrence of disability. This man that is in need of help is both unable to hear and has trouble speaking. These are two problems that are in need of healing. But Jesus is the Messiah who has been foretold. He is announcing the arrival of the kingdom. God is ruling even now and Jesus is restoring creation to how it had been in the Garden. Jesus is fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, And the tongue of the dumb sing: For in the wilderness shall waters break out, And streams in the desert.
So, Jesus moves the man to the side of the crowd to a more private situation. He touches the different parts of his body in need of healing, his ears and his tongue. Jesus spits and it seems that He may have used that spit on the man’s mouth. In verse 34, we see the prayer of Jesus as He looks up to His Father and then He sighs.
Carson says that the reason for the sigh is the degeneration of creation from what God had intended to a sin-cursed world. But here, Jesus sighs and restores. He speaks “Be opened” and the man is able to hear and speak! This is the arrival of the kingdom. The man could not hear the Saviour but when Jesus touches Him, he must have believed that Jesus would heal him. This is the business that Jesus is about.
For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.
The command of Jesus is specific to the ears in vers 34. But the healing is both in the ears and in the mouth. It seems that the issue of deafness caused a troubled speech. If you cannot hear how to correctly speak or pronounce words, it causes speech challenges. But Jesus has taken care of both.
And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, And the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
We all want Jesus to reward our faith. We wait and hope and look. We complain and doubt. We expect and feel disappointed, maybe bitter. This man was in need just like we are. Jesus rewarded his faith, not because he is any better than us. He rewarded His faith as a testimony to those around him that Jesus is God Himself and He is in control.
In verses 36-37, Jesus tells those who saw the miracle to keep silent. But, the news is too much for them and they continue to tell what Jesus has done. All who hear are amazed because Jesus is restoring creation back to the way that it was in the Garden. When God created, everything was “very good.” When Jesus heals, “He hath done all things well.” This is the case for both the physical healing of the man and the spiritual healing of all who come to Him.
Jesus saves completely from sin. Each of us are sinners. We are destined for eternal punishment for our actions against God. There is nothing we can do to achieve the perfection demanded by a holy God. But Jesus has done what we could not do. The writer of Hebrews tells us,
Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Jesus is the High Priest who carried His own blood, shed on the Cross of Calvary, into the Presence of God and covered our sin. We no longer are under the judgment if we are under the blood. This man was made right physically but faith in Jesus alone allows a person to be made right spiritually. We are made righteous through the work of Jesus on the cross.
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Have you placed your faith in Jesus alone? The miracles of Jesus are always accompanied by faith in the person healed. This man must have believed that something would change in his life. His friends believed Jesus would do something. They begged Jesus to heal him. Sometimes, Jesus rewards faith. Always, our faith is testimony to those around us. The message of this miracle is to take our concerns to Jesus because He is the right person to intervene in our lives. We may not get what we want, but everything that occurs brings glory to God and moves forward His plan.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus does all things well. No matter the condition, Jesus restores. Today, we have a challenge for our faith to see God do something great in our circumstances.
I want to see God do something amazing in my life. I want to see God answer prayers that I have been praying for years. I want God to be more real to me. I want to see revival in my life, my church and my country.
Only God can do those things. Only He knows what lies ahead. Only He is able to change our lives. In truth, He did almost two thousand years ago when He died on the cross. These two Gentile people experienced restoration through Jesus. So we see that Jesus is not just the Saviour of the Jew but also of the rest of the world.
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
The blood of Jesus is the only way of salvation for every person. When we are saved, we can come boldly to the throne of God. We can bring our petitions to Him and ask for help. But the element that we must have when we come is faith.
How is your faith? Where is your faith? Faith is believing everyday that God will come through for you. Faith is trusting and relying on God alone. Faith is counting on Someone to hold you up. Where is your faith?
Sometimes, Jesus is testing our faith. Sometimes, Jesus rewards our faith. I cannot tell you which is going to happen in your life. What I can say is that He cares about you in this moment. He wants you to believe Him. He wants you to come to Him and tell Him your doubts and fears. God wants to hear from you. Will you bring your concerns to Him and beg Him to do something in your life?
Today, you should pray and ask God for help in what you are facing right now.
Today, you should believe that God is going to do something amazing in what you are facing.
Today, you should continue to pray until God answers.
Today, you should expect God to do something beyond your imagination because He is the God who created all things.
Today, you should be sure that God is restoring everything and He cares about your situation as well.
We need more prayer in our lives. We need more prayer believing God will answer. We need to have Great Faith! Will you obey God today and believe today?
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
