Untitled Sermon (13)

Good Morning, turn with me in your Bibles this morning to the gospel of we will be looking at verses 24-30. Have you ever read something Jesus said and thought what in the world is He talking about? I mean there are moments in the Bible where you just wonder don’t you? Aren’t there times when you read about something Jesus did and think to your self, why in the world did He do or say that?

One event that takes place in the gospels is the account of Lazarus a dear friend of Jesus and Mary and Martha his sisters. Lazarus is sick and so since Mary and Martha are friends of Jesus they send for Jesus… duh. I mean He is special right?

His entire ministry was all about healing the sick and casting out demons, making blind eyes see again. If you have someone you love who is sick and your friends with some one who does these kinds of things then you send for Him that’s just common sense. But what doesn’t make sense is what Jesus does when He finds out about His friend being sick.

The messenger arrives and tells Jesus His friend is sick but the Bible tells us that Jesus did something that makes absolutely NO Earthly sense rather than immediately running to the rescue the Bible records that He waits… for two more days before going to him.

John 6:

John 11:6 HCSB

So when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

What?

When someone sends word that someone is sick in these days it wasn’t just a cold, there was something drastically wrong, Lazarus is sick but Jesus doesn’t go immediately He waits. The Bible records that He did this so that the glory of God might be shown to the people. This was accomplished by Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

This morning were not going to be looking at something strange Jesus did, but rather something strange that Jesus says…

Mark 7:24-

Mark 7:24–30 HCSB

He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could not escape notice. Instead, immediately after hearing about Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Allow the children to be satisfied first, because it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she replied to Him, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Then He told her, “Because of this reply, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” When she went back to her home, she found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

This is one of those passages that is strange to hear, but when you look at the context surrounding it, it paints a pretty clear picture of what is taking place. This entire encounter was divinely arranged. We learned last week that Jesus has just had a clash with the religious leaders over what made a man unclean.

What defiled a person in the eyes of God, and Jesus tells them that it is not what is on the outside that counts but rather what comes from within, that shows a persons true colors. Jesus was teaching the religious people of His day what the desire of God was. It was not external change it was a change from the inside out.

You know we do the same thing that the scribes were doing back then even today don’t we? We make sure that when we come to church we try to be on our best behavior, we try to wear our best, we try to be as clean cut as possible, but why?

We come in having had a knock down drag out fight with our spouse or yelling at the kids and then we try to act like we have it all together, but for what reason? Whether we realize it or not we do this because we are more concerned with what is on the outside being conveyed rather than what is truly in our hearts.

When we do this we short circuit true worship because we have come in with the wrong mindset.

You need to ask yourself this question when your about to come to church: Am I coming to Jesus baggage and all with a sincere desire to hear from Him and have Him change me, or am I coming because it is what your supposed to do…

Jesus very clearly told us last week that your religious duty does NOTHING to make your right with God. It may make you feel good but it doesn’t transform at all. This flew in the face of everything that the religious establishment of the time stood for.

But that is not the end of the story....

Now that this encounter is over Jesus withdraws into Gentile territory. But to the Jewish people this was a no no.

In the minds of the scribes this was ritually an unclean place, this is a place where someone who was supposed to be a rabbi a representative of God would never be caught. This is where the sinners were this is where the people who were not religious, not clean, and not interested in God were located.

While He is in this wretched dirty town, Jesus encounters someone else. A mother who is in dire straights.

A Desperate Mother

Mark 7:

Mark 7:24–26 ESV

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. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

So let’s recap Jesus confronts the religious leaders then, he travels about 20 miles into Gentile territory. As he arrives He is met by this desperate woman, who would not be denied. She was like the rest of us would have been she had a child who was being tormented.

Now we are not given the specifics of her daughters torment in this passage but the daughters torment would probably have been like the young boy whose father brings him to Jesus in chapter 9 of Marks gospel where we read....

“Whenever it seizes him it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.”

So the daughters torment would most likely bare some resemblance to this horror, so we can understand this mothers compassion for her daughter given the tormented state of her daughter, and the fact that she felt she had no hope left for her daughter… until… the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth.

Hearing that He was close by this mother feels a strange feeling within her soul, HOPE, HOPE, HOPE for her tormented daughter. She is desperate and she will not be denied. So in

Mark 7:25 ESV

But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.

Mark 7:26 ESV

Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

What mother here wouldn’t do exactly the same thing. Now Mark provides us with details because Mark wants us to feel the tension in the room. That’s why he gives us the specifics of the location. He wants us to feel the tension in the room, shes not an invited guest she’s not an expected guest.

She abruptly and unexpectedly enters the room add to that she is a woman in a culture where women didn’t just barge in and demand the attention in the room, add to that she is a Gentile, add to that her daughter has an unclean spirit.

Of ALL the people that approached Jesus in the gospel of Mark this woman has the most against her from a Jewish perspective. Even the tax collectors and sinners must have gasped at this woman.

Though the scribes and the pharisees would consider her unclean and unqualified in EVERY WAY TO APPROACH JESUS she initiates this encounter with Jesus she falls down at His feet and begs him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

So we find Jesus in a Gentile region a Gentile home,approached by a Gentile woman with a daughter who has an unclean spirit, we are supposed to feel the tension. We have a serious historic drama playing out right here before our eyes everyone present in the room is wondering WHAT WILL JESUS DO?

They are looking carefully HOW WILL JESUS RESPOND TO HER AND HER DESPERATE PLEA.

The Response of The King Of Glory

What an interaction this would turn out to be. This is the heart of the story and no one there anticipated Jesus’ response to her. If you remember there was another person who came to JEsus in desperation and fell at Jesus’ feet his name was Jairus, and he had a daughter who was deathly sick.

He also fell at Jesus’ feet He begged that JEsus would come lay His hands on her so that she would be made well, and Jesus immediately went with him and eventually raised her from the dead. Now this Gentile woman approaches Jesus in the same way and JEsus says to her

Mark 7:27 ESV

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.”

He responds to her by calling her a dog, He tells her a parable and He calls her a dog.

No dont you fin this just a little bit uncomfortable? Listen were all for Jesus being sharp with the Pharisees Jesus calling out those guys. That seems appropriate. But calling this desperate mother a DOG?

don’t you find yourself at least for a moment unsettled?

We need to understand the backround, but to understand this you cannot read our dog loving culture into this scene. At this time and in this culture, dogs were not universally loved. Dogs were scavengers not pets. The Jews associated dogs with uncleanness.

Dogs were how Jews identitfied Gentiles, they considered them unclean. This was clearly an insult, even though Jesus softens the insult a little bit because he uses the Greek word used to mean household pet.

But this still appears to be harsh, and rude and insulting. In response to her desperate plea he tells her a parable and He calls her a dog. He describes a household scene children are being fed and in this parable she IS LIKENED TO THE DOG under the table.

Though this appears to be rude and insulting it is intended to be a test of her faith. He is testing the genuiness of her faith, and whats more shocking than this statement by Jesus is her response to Jesus because she gets it!

She gets the parable, and she gets the point of the parable and she responds to Him with her own parable.

Mark 7:28 ESV

But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Her response is amazing!

This woman teaches us how to approach God, this woman teaches us how to pray and this woman teaches us HOW TO TRUST GOD IN THE MIDST OF OUR SUFFERING AND TRIALS.

She shows us that true faith ACKNOWLEDGING OUR UNWORTHINESS AND AFFIRMING HIS GENEROSITY. True faith involves both.

In His parable JEsus is making a good distinction actually between JEws and Gentiles. Jesus is here acknowledging the special relationship the nation of Israel has with God.

The gospel is to be proclaimed first to the JEw and then to the Gentile.

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:

So it is right that the Jews must be fed first with the gospel of the kingdom of God which is what JEsus is trying to feed them, and Gentiles were not the focus Israel was.

She immediately agrees

She humbly accepts the category of dog. She immediately accepts what Jesus is saying without getting angry humbly acknowledges her unwortihiness, SHE GETS IT, SHE GETS IT I DONT BELONG AT THE TABLE I DONT!

I DONT BELONG HERE I AM NOT NUMBERED AMONG THE CHILDREN, I AM A DOG

I HAVE NO MERIT, I HAVE NO STANDING, I HAVE NOTHING TO COMMEND ME. YES LORD I AM UNWORTHY I AM A DOG.

She agrees shes not worthy, she is not a Jew but notice she hears the words of JEsus and there was one word that jumps out to her. Jesus said the children must be fed FIRST!

First? She thinks to herself that means even though there may not be room for me at the table maybe there is room under the table! By saying first this means she is not excluded.

When JEsus said first that word actually carried hope to her desperate heart.

Mark 1:28 HCSB

News about Him then spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.

Mark 7:28 ESV

But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

She says Lord I don’t need the full meal but I know that even the scraps that fall from your table is the only hope in this world that I have. So if you are will to just drop some crumbs it will be good enough for me.

SHE SAYS BECAUSE YOU ARE GENEROUS AND BECAUSE YOU ARE LOVING HERE’S WHAT I KNOW THERE’S GOING TO BE CRUMBS!

After the children have eaten and have been satisfied there’s going to be leftovers because YOU ARE GRACIOUS AND GENEROUS.

And Lord aren’t those crumbs available for a dog like me?

She accepted her unworthiness but she also affirmed His generosity. She trusts in His generosity.

SHE IS THE PICTURE OF HUMBLE FAITH

She is humble she is a Gentile, she doesn’t have an invitation to the table, she is unclean religiously, she has a daughter with an unclean spirit. But this doesn’t cause her to shrink back and shy away from Jesus at all, instead

She has faith to approach Him, and boldly make this request on the basis of His mercy.

This helps us right here right now doesn’t it? For WE CANNOT APPROACH GOD OR BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD ON THE BASIS OF OUR CHARACTER OUR OBEDIENCE, OUR SERVICE OR EVEN OUR SUFFERING.

WE UNDERSTAND THIS

We are not in and of ourselves worthy we are not worthy, and we will never in and of ourselves be worthy.

“God gives you nothing on account of your worthiness”

Remember

Mark 7:20 ESV

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.

Mark 7:21 ESV

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

Mark 7:22 ESV

coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

Mark 7:23 ESV

All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

This is a fresh reminder of our unworthiness, however this doesnt mean we are to withdraw from God because we are unworthy in and of ourselves it does not please God if we simpoly acknowledge our unworthiness before Him because He is MERCIFUL AND GENEROUS AND HE HAS COME TO RANSOM US AND ADOPT US INTO THE FAMILY AND HE HAS CALLED US TO BOLDLY COME BEFOREE HIS THRONE OF GRACE!

We please Him by acknowledging our filthiness and and and affirming his generosity.

Its not just about agreeing that you are wicked, it is about knowing and desiring to run to the foot of the cross and recieve the crumbs that will fill you to the fullest!

If you are saved but you withdraw from Him in fear, we grieve Him He is not pleased He wants us to run into His arms of grace like the prodigal kids we are and allow Him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness allow Him to save us from this religious masquerade we play from week to week.

I think most Christians are most familiar with the unworthiness part than they are to being familiar with how gracious and generous their God is.

WHEN WE ARE UNFAITHFUL HE IS FAITHFUL!

Too often we use our unworthiness as an excuse to not draw closer to Him, when the remedy for the mediocre life, the remedy for sin is drawing nearer to God. If you are in here this morning and you have never trusted in Jesus Christ He is calling out to you today saying I love you and you can run to me and I will heal you, I will save you, I will take you in as my own and change your life forever, and if your in here this morning and your saved but you are walking ata guilty distance you need to realize and learn from this dog this, gentile unworthy mother, and come hard and fast after Jesus Christ.

the difference in a stale walk with Christ and vibrant one that is alive is the desperation with which we seek after the Savior, RUN TO THE CROSS, RUN CARRYING YOUR SINS IN YOUR ARMS AND RUN INTO THE GRACE THAT WILL LIFT THAT BURDEN FROM OFF OF YOUR NECK!!!

THERE IS MORE MERCY IN CHRIST THAN SIN IN US!

YOU ARE MORE WICKED THAN YOU EVER DARED BELIEVED, BUT YOU ARE MORE LOVED THAN YOU EVER DARED HOPE!

“You say you feel overwhelmed with a sense of unworthiness and guilt, well

This mother gets it and she models for us humble faith, she acknowledges her wickedness but she also knows Jesus is gracious and merciful and He is good and she knows His character and that drives her forward in her request for healing for her little girl.

When you come to Jesus acknowledging your sin and also knowing that He is fully capable not to just forgive you but make you whole oin the inside then notice that Jesus is more than willing to help you no matter how lowdown you believe yourself to be.

The Saviors Response

Mark 7:29–30 ESV

And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

At this point there had to be a sparkle in His eye and a smile on His face, because listen He went to the chosen nation of Israel who were supposed to be living clean holy lives before God , and they rejected Him and didn’t believe in Him.

They were concerned about cleansing but were dirty, but here we find someone who was dirty and found true cleansing.

She doesn’t just get a crumb she gets it all, she gets everything she has asked for and what must that journey home must have been like?

I can see her jumping to her feet and running out the door racing through the streets and bursting through the front door and this desperate mother tears in her eyes, and enter the room of her dear little daughter and all it took was a look, and as she looked into her daughters eyes she no longer saw evil!

She wasn’’t tormented any more, the mother was no longer looking into a demonic stare instead the demon was gone! the daughter was healed delivered and set free!

Think about how refreshing this had to be for Jesus he has just come off a major conflict with the religious leaders and the disciples dont even understand what He is talking about, they aint so bright you know, and now in Gentile territory this woman gets it!

how many of you know there are more sin filled normal people who get and understand gthe gospel than many who fill our churches today, we even though we dont mean to come in for the show, to make ourselves feel better by doing our religious duty, but then someone walks in, and we look and they are real and they get it....

they dont speak Christianese they dont have on a 3 piece suit but on the inside ...... they have beautiful faith.

Wow and what power the son of God has he simply says you can go home the demon has left your daughter. theres no need for me to go with you I already handled it. Demons gone.

This is the Son of God He delivers the child from demon posession with one word from His lips, and Mark just wants us to behold the authority of the son of God. He does not need to be physically present.

What does this mean for us?

DOGS LIKE YOU AND ME WILL BE ADOPTED INTO THE FMAILY OF GOD BECAUSE GOD IS GENEROUS!

How much is He willing to give???? HE IS WILLING TO WATCH YOU PLAY YOUR RELIGIOUS GAMES, HE IS WILLING TO WATCH YOU RUN TO YOUR IDOLS, HE IS WILLING TO WWATCH YOU WALK AROUND LIKE NOTHING IS WRONG BECAUSE YOU HAVE GOT IT ALTOGETHER AND NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW WHATS REALLY GOING ON INSIDE OF YOU!

HE IS WILLING TO WATCH, BUT HE WONT STAND BY WITHOUT LETTING YOU KNOW THAT HE WAS WILLING TO STAND ON THE TRAIN TRACK OF GODS WRATH AND TAKE THE FULL BRUNT OF OUR PUNISHMENT!

HE WOULD BECOME A DOG, HE WOULD BECOME A DOG, HE WOULD BECOME UNCLEAN WITH OUR SIN SO THAT WE MIGHT BE CLEANSED BY THE GRACE OF GOD AND THE BLOOD OF CHRIST SO THAT WE MIGHT BECOME THE CHILDRNE OF GOD HE MADE HIM WHO KNEW NO SIN TO BECOME SIN FOR US, TO BE A DOG ON THE CROSS WITH MY SIN, AND YOUR SIN, SO THAT WE MIGHT BE CLEANSED AND FORGIVEN AND BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD!

IN MY PLACE CONDEMNED LIKE A DOG HE STOOD

WHEN YOU SEE