Mark: The Syro-Phoenician Woman [Mark 7:24-30]

Mark: The Syro-Phoenician Woman []

Stand for the reading of the word of God []

Not sure if any of you knew this or not, but I am a certified scuba diver. I and certified to dive in open water, that is water without structure…no caves or wreckage, up to 80 feet deep. Below 100 feet you begin to need special equipment because the pressure is greater. While testing to become a scuba diver, that took 6 weeks and three nights a week, I learned many things…most of which I have forgotten, after all it was in 1997 when I got the certification. But one thing that popped into my mind this week as I studied this text was the pressure testing.

Pressure testing was a big part of becoming a scuba diver, there is pressure testing on the diver as well as on the equipment the diver uses. The air tanks divers use must be pressure tested every year…the tanks are exposed to pressure well beyond the normal pressure to ensure they do not have any hidden flaws. Divers are exposed to the pressure of the water the first time they go down. I recall the first time I descended below the thermal plane, the thermal plane is that depth of water where temperature changes it’s about 20-25 feet…you can actually see the temperature change. But it’s the pressure that is a real challenge, and the pressure starts at about 10 feet…and every 10 feet or so you have to equalize the pressure in your head by holding you nose and blowing out… if you don’t…pop goes your eardrums…and trust me…you can feel it when the pressure builds.

While doing our testing we reached the bottom of the quarry where we did our testing, which was around 40 feet, we stood on a sunken platform and went through a series of more pressure testing, where we had to take out our respirator and goggles, recover them and put them back on all while 40 feet under water…that was a little nerve racking. But the toughest test didn’t come in the deep water but in the swimming pool, where we were required to swim under water 100 feet while exhaling the entire time…on one breath…and you could hold your breath you had to exhale. The purpose was to simulate equipment failure, that if your equipment did fail you could ascend while exhaling the whole way up, because if you held your breathe you could possibly get the bends, which is very harmful to your body.... now that I describe it out loud to you I wonder, why in the world did I do that???

What does scuba diving have to do with the Syro-Phoenician woman??? Pressure is quite a tester. Pressure exposes flaws but is also equips the one tested to handle more. What I didn’t tell you about taking the pressure tests at the bottom of the quarry was the whole time the instructor was right there ready to rescue me if I got in trouble. This is what we see in today’s text, a women under pressure already concerned about her child, has her faith tested, and Jesus is there to rescue. We are going to face pressure testing in our lives…pressure from this world, pressure from the Devil, pressure from our own flesh…but the whole time Jesus is there, like that scuba instructor ready to hand us the respirator when we’re drowning…we see that in our text today.

V.24 Jesus heads north into the Phoenician country, Tyre and Sidon were coastal cities in that region. This is Gentile land.

The Serious need: At the Door of mercy []

V.24 Jesus heads north into Phoenician country, Tyre and Sidon were coastal cities in that region. This is Gentile land. As far as we can tell, this is the only time when Jesus travels beyond the borders of Israel. Tyre and Sidon are Pagan Gentile land, as Matthew tell us [] it’s Canaanite country. This region had a long history of opposition to Israel. This had been the home of Jezebel []. Both Ezekiel and Zechariah prophesied against this region. This area represented the most extreme case of paganism a Jew could expect to encounter. Yet, Jesus goes there and graciously expanding his mercy. In this Jesus destroys the idea of what the Jewish Messiah would look like…to the Jew…he was just for the Jew…but what Jesus shows us here a glimpse, that would come to full light later through the apostles preaching to the Gentiles is…Jesus, the Messiah, is not bound by geography, ethnicity, gender, or religion…i.e. Jesus is not just for one nation…He’s for all nations and all peoples…Jesus is for all people and so should we be as well.

Let me make an observation here from verse 24…Jesus went to a house in Gentile land, to get some rest…it says, “he wanted no one to know it…but he couldn’t be hidden.” Jesus is trying to escape the crowds, He’s trying to escape the religious leaders, and he did get away from them, because they were not going to follow Jesus into this area. Remember verse 24 comes right after verse 23, no kidding right, but my point is the context of last weeks study, the religious leaders were consumed with cleaning objects and clean food…so you could say the lesson learned from Jesus from the first 23 verse is there is no unclean food, in this section Jesus is about to show there is no unclean person. To the Jew in that day to avoid defilement not only did they avoid unclean food they did not have any contact with Gentile people either…well Jesus breaks all them rules because they were man-made. No one is so unworthy that they cannot receive the blessing of Jesus Christ.

Word gets out quickly that Jesus is in the house and an unlikely guest appears asking for help. She’s a woman, she’s a Gentile, and she’s a Canaanite by birth. A Pagan, Gentile woman could not have been farther from the citizenship of Israel. There is no doubt she is fully aware of how socially unacceptable it is was for her to approach a Jewish rabbi on any level. But this woman comes and falls at the feet of Jesus.

Her motive…her child is demon possessed. See how closely the sentiment of family brings us to the gospel? Where parents are willing to take great risk and go to great lengths for the sake of another, i.e their child. See how closely that brings us to the gospel where Christ laid down His life for the sake of others?

The attraction: she had heard of Jesus’ merciful works. There were many obstacles between her and Jesus, her nationality…she’s a Gentile Jesus is a Jew. Her gender, she’s a women in a society dominated by men. Even Satan is against her, her daughter is demon-possessed. The disciples are against her, telling Jesus to send her away. For a time, it looked as though even Jesus was against her…yet her faith triumphed as she stands now at the door of mercy. She appeals to the heart of Jesus in spite of her differences, she appeals to Jesus in spite of the obstacles in her way, she appeals to Jesus in spite of the pressure she faces. Jesus’ response...

The woman’s faith: the door ajar []

Jesus’ response here is one of the most shocking and controversial statements he ever made. It’s problematic, if you don’t see this as problematic then you’re not thinking…if someone calls you a dog how would you respond? It doesn’t matter if they call you a fancy poodle or a mangy mutt, they still called you a dog. This, at first, sounds like a rebuff or refusal to the woman’s petition…but what we have to do is ask ourselves, “is that consistent with what we know about Jesus?” Is Jesus just having a bad day and just doesn’t want to deal with this lady? Or is there something else?

Yes it’s true that in Jesus day Jews referred to Gentiles as dogs, the word for dogs often used to refer to Gentiles by Jews was scavenger dogs, unworthy to receive salvation. But that’s not the word Jesus uses here, Jesus refers to little dogs or pet dogs, not the wild scavenger dogs that are dangerous, but household pets. But, while this is slightly better…it’s still a dog right. Jesus words are used in parabolic form, i.e. he is using modern language and ideas to make a greater point. What seems like harsh refusal really is testing of her faith.

The key word of Jesus is “first”, he said, “let the little children be filled first.” i.e. Jesus is testing her faith by saying in essence, “I must first minister to the needs of Israel.” Paul said the same thing in , “for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew and also to the Greek.”

Our Lord has a deep love for the Jewish nation. He wept bitterly over her rejection of Him as her Messiah []. In spite of her unbelief he still loves her, God is not through with the Jews. makes that clear.

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,

And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

i.e. God cares for the Jews.

27 For this is My covenant with them,

When I take away their sins.”

Now it would have been easy for the woman to walk away in bitter disappointment, but she responds in boldness. Remember she is concerned for her daughter, so she does whatever it takes to help her beloved child. with wit, courage, and faith the woman responds. She doesn’t take offense to the words of Jesus [that’s amazing], she doesn’t even question the accuracy of Jesus words. in fact she takes it a step farther, she carries the analogy on and responds in verse 28, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” This is amazing insight! She gets it! I believe she sees something in Jesus’ eyes or body language that suggests otherwise.

28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable

She finds the encouragement needed even in the appearance of refusal. Matthew notes for us that Jesus didn’t respond right away, but was silent and didn’t speak a word…in that silence she found encouragement. I wonder, do we find encouragement or disappointment in heavens silence? When our petitions are not immediately meet are we down trotted? When promised a son how long did Abraham have to wait for that promise? When promised a kingdom how long did David endure before receiving that kingdom. God works in his time, not ours and this woman finds encouragement in silence. What a witness to us.

Have you been praying for someone, for something, for God to do this or that in your life or for this or that person…but no answer from heaven…take a page from this Gentile woman…in silence she found hope and kept asking in faith. This woman has the proper submission and supplication, she recognizes Jesus power to deliver, and is not deterred by His apparent hesitation and testing. What faith! Jesus commends her, Matthew records Jesus says what great faith! Interestingly enough only twice does Jesus refer to someone have great faith once here the other is with the Roman Centurion, both Gentile people…I find that interesting.

This woman doesn’t pretend to belong at the table, she doesn’t come and argue her place, even with this great need before her, she doesn’t come telling Jesus how unfair it would be if He didn’t help her…no she humbly accepts her place before the Lord Jesus. She says in essence, “Lord, I agree with you, I’m a dog, and I don’t belong at your table, I’m a sinner, undeserving of your favor…but I believe there is enough at your table for even a dog such as I. Just a few crumbs will be enough.” Wow!!!

Jesus’ response: The Door opened []

Jesus’ response to the woman’s amazingly discerning reply was immediate and positive. He commends her, he says, “that was a pretty good response.” He informs her that her daughter is healed, similar to the faith of the Centurion who’s servant was healed even though Jesus never went to the Centurion’s home, the daughter is healed from distance. When she returns home she finds her daughter just as Jesus said, restored, delivered from the demon. This woman stood at the door of mercy, at Jesus feet, in what seemed like a closed door because of who she was and what she had done, now stands open to faith, it is opened by God’s grace, and it stands open for ever to those who come to Jesus in faith.

Charles Spurgeon said, “This woman had amazing faith…her faith was not hindered by exclusive doctrine which seemed to confine the blessing to the children of Israel alone....her faith was not hindered by admitted unworthiness…she did not dispute her worth but felt she was only worthy to be compared to a dog…she did not expect to win blessing of any merit of her own-she depended on Jesus’ heart, not her own goodness. Her faith was not hindered by Jesus’ reply which could have depressed her…his words could have been as cold water poured on a flame…yet her faith was not quenched..her faith assented to all Jesus said…that is the faith that saves, faith that agrees with the mind of God whether they appear to be pleasant or terrible-the faith that assents to God’s word, whether it is like a balm to its wound or like a sword to cut and slay. She, not only, assented to what Jesus said, but to Him as Lord....She doesn’t request a place at the table but just the crumbs from the floor of the Lord’s table…Jesus was so delighted with her wise, prudent, humble, but courageous faith he answered, “you may go, the demon has left our daughter.”

This is amazing grace! Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch [a dog] like me. In His mercy and by His grace the savior lifts this woman up…no longer a dog [sinner], but now a child [saved], no longer under the table looking for scraps, now a member of the family sitting at the table of God!

Are you willing to see yourself as the dog you are that you might be transformed into the child you might become? Perhaps your sin is greater than you realize…but friends…His grace is greater than all you could ever imagine! Grace that is greater than all my sin…have you called upon Jesus in this manner? Lord…Help Me…have mercy upon me…save me!

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.