Mark 7:24-26 (CJB) Next, Yeshua left that district and went off to the vicinity of Tzor and Tzidon. There he found a house to stay in and wanted to remain unrecognized, but keeping hidden proved impossible. Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit in her came to him and fell down at his feet. The woman was a Greek, by birth a Syro-phoenician, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.
The area Yeshua traveled into is the area we would call Syria today. This woman had Greek ancestors. This is why the reference a Syro-Phoenician. Definitely she was not of Jewish ancestry. She and her people were regarded as Gentiles. Everyone not a Jew was a gentile, and because of their not having a connection to the One True God there religious practices was regarded to be unclean.
The verse tells us Yeshua did not wish to be recognized. So he has stopped at a rural house to stay. This unclean Gentile has singled him out, most likely she has traveled some distance to find him. By her actions she proclaimed him to be the Messiah. A title and position the chosen children of God has yet to pronounce on him. His Messianic mission in coming was for the Jews, the chosen children of God. The nation of souls promised to Abraham.
This mother has so great of a heart for her daughter, she is willing to belittle herself by begging and falling at the feet of a Jew. She would not be the first of her kind to be shown the insulting attitude and behavior Jews showed to her kind. Yes, her actions and focus is a loving concern for her daughter. With this love being so great, falling to her knees, she begs this young Jewish rabbi to cast demons from her daughter. She is giving blessing and praise to the very Son of God by her heartfelt actions.
Why is it that this mother has figured out what the leaders of the Jews have not figured out? The Sadducees, Pharisees, and Scribes have not fallen at his feet giving blessings. But when he was born, did wise men travel a great distance to kneel and pay homage to the new born king of the Jews? Yeshua has told us no one can profess him without God the Father bringing the Word of Knowledge as an introduction.
Yeshua despite his teachings about God our father, despite healing people in miraculous ways was not accepted as being the long awaited for Messiah. Not by the leaders or people he came to save. Why, let's consider the human aspect first. People like to put God in a box. People want to declare the ways of God instead of acknowledging the ways of God are wiser than the ways of man. The most important reason is a divine reason. Simply stated, the Jewish leadership has not been properly introduced by the Father. God has a plan for salvation spreading from the Jewish nation to the Gentiles.
Continuing with the human perspective, the Jewish religious leaders and people only thought they knew Yeshua. Why Yeshua is the carpenter's son, his dad was not a member of the religious group. They said we knew his father Joseph, we know his mother is Mary. They also knew his brothers and sisters. But you and I should remember who Yeshua said was his family. My family are the ones who love and do the will of God.
A loving mother with intercessor's care has knelt before his feet begging for an urgent miracle. "Drive out the demons inside of my child". Is this Gentile serving the glory of God? Would Yeshua shares God's glory on a non-Jew?
Mark 7:27-28 He said, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s food and toss it to their pet dogs.” She answered him, “That is true, sir; but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s leftovers.”
It is an important point that this woman understands her status. There was an air of arrogance held by the Jewish nation about their status being God's Chosen. Too many times people forget just who should be serving who. God is okay if my desires, needs, and wants are being met. But let God not behave like is a servant and people will proclaim God to be dead and powerless.
There is none of that God is to be my servant attitude; when a sinner humbled by life's failures and hurts, is falling at the feet of Jesus begging forgiveness. Many of us sinners know our status, like we know the sins that brought us to such a point in our lives seeking to be rescued, wanted to be saved. "But even a little house dog", a pet can feed on the blessed crumbs carelessly dropped on the floor.
Mark 7:29-30 (CJB) Then he said to her, “For such an answer you may go on home; the demon has left your daughter.” She went back home and found the child lying on the couch, the demon gone.
When you have faith in our Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; there is an inner understanding that you do not need to insist of the healing or miracle to occur in the way thought by a human. Yeshua did not have to travel to a gentile's home, he did not have to even lay hands on the little girl, all he had to do he did by commanding the demons to depart. The woman believed and found her reward with a daughter not tormented by demons.
Two lessons about this woman that carries over into the next miraculous healing. First is the importance of bringing the attention of your concern for others to Yeshua, Christ Jesus. Second, the Syro-Phoenician woman did not dictate how Yeshua, Christ Jesus should do his work.
Our role in life is to acknowledge the needs of even the least of these our brothers and sisters. While there are needs we can provide for they have needs that we should be intercessors in prayer for. Bring these concerns, bring these people to Yeshua, Jesus Christ. But our job is not to put God in a box and define the way God works.
Mark 7:32-34 (CJB) They brought him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment and asked Yeshua to lay his hand on him. Taking him off alone, away from the crowd, Yeshua put his fingers into the man’s ears, spat, and touched his tongue; then, looking up to heaven, he gave a deep groan and said to him, “Hippatach!” that is, “Be opened!”.
The people brought to Yeshua a man who being deaf could not speak correctly. The request was for hands to be laid on him. People want to put God in a box and tell God what to do.
Yeshua, moved the man away from the crowd, a little one on one time is needed. After all what is the purpose behind the healing miracles? To grow faith. Do you remember a time in your spiritual life when you were moved away from the crowd? Maybe you were in a room full of people, and the Son of God had some one on one time with in your soul.
Humans learn to speak by hearing. Humans avoid dangerous situations by hearing. Humans grow in faith by hearing the word of God. Yeshua wants to bring spiritual growth to this man. When a sinner comes to the Lord, the sinner might be in a crowded area. But the Lord takes us apart for some one on one time. The Lord will in this brief time help to grow within our soul, faith in God.
The method of the growth and healing is as individual and personal as we each are. Its not necessarily one same method for everyone. God knows each of us individually.
I have every ounce of faith that God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit can go against the laws of nature and bring about miracles and healing. What I am still trying to understand is why from time to time we read about Yeshua spitting. An easy idea to consider is that spitting is like a response to something distasteful. When Yeshua is proceeding to heal the deaf and mute man he spits. Was that to show his disrespect towards the evil that brought this man into this condition? Was it a way to communicate to the man about his understanding of the man's problem? Then another problem begins to surface, why does Mark's gospel focus upon Yeshua's spitting?
The Gospel of both Mark and John records when Yeshua spit to heal a blind man. But the accounts by Matthew and Luke mention spit or spittle when its done against Yeshua. The Old Testament addresses spittle as an action to reflect peoples disapproval of another. Factually I just have to wait until I am with the Lord to learn about holy spittle. But until then I do have a comfort about it being a form of communication and possibly aimed at the evil that brought on this deaf and mute condition.
I am led to believe this because of something else important that Yeshua did. Yeshua groaned. Groaning is also a form of spiritual communication while in spiritual battle.
Romans 8:26 (CJB) Similarly, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we don’t know how to pray the way we should. But the Spirit himself pleads on our behalf with groanings too deep for words;
To groan communicates either annoyance, grief, or pain. I find it to be very humbling that the Son of God would groan over the least of these. A man who could not hear, or speak plainly. But in all honesty who many of us has our Redeemer and Savior groaned over. The thought is not that far off when you think about the number of times you caused your parents to groan. Maybe you might identify better considering the causes of your spouse to groan.
Mark 7:37 People were overcome with amazement. “Everything he does, he does well!” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak!”
Everything our Redeemer and Savior does is perfect and right. And everything he does fulfills the prophesy and promises of our heavenly creator and father. Consider the prophesy given to Isaiah.
Isaiah 35:5-6(CJB) Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped; then the lame man will leap like a deer,and the mute person’s tongue will sing.For in the desert, springs will burst forth,streams of water in the ‘Aravah;
May the Blessings and Peace of our Lord be with you today.
