Title: “Crumbs, Dogs, and True Faith” Script: Mk7:24-37/Mt. 15:21ff
Type: Expos. Series Where: GNBC 4-3-22 GNBC
Intro: Anyone who owns a pet knows that it takes money to care for that cute dog or cuddly cat. I was surprised recently, however, to know just how much Americans spend on Fluffy and Fido. According to the American Pets Products Association, in 2018 US Citizens spent…$72.13 BILLION dollars on our furry family members! Now, let me put that into perspective. The UN states that in 2018 there were 192 nations in the world. The amount Americans spend on their pets surpasses the entire Gross Domestic Product of nations (Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, DRC, Uganda, Tanzania all but about 3-4 African nations)70 -192!!! There is no doubt about it, Americans love their canaries, cats, and dogs! Well into today’s passage we are going to see that Jesus loves “Dogs” too! (Pause) I am not talking of the four footed variety, but rather people who were despised by religious elites of His time. See one such person in today’s passage.
Prop: In Mk 7:24 Jesus Meets a woman whose faith impressed Him.
BG: 1. Account is recorded both here in Mk. and also in Mt. 15 (will use as well).
2. “Syrophonecian” big word that described a small region under Roman rule during the time of Christ. Phoenician and Syria. Matthew refers to this woman as a “Canaanite”.
3. Gentile woman with a problem – demonized daughter. Knows she needs Christ..
Prop: Read Mk 7:24ff & better understand the faith of this woman that impressed Jesus.
I. 1st: Incident Takes Place Due to Xst’s Attempt to Rest. V. 24
A. Christ and the Disciples travel to Tyre in an Attempt to gain some privacy.
1. Christ and disciples were exhausted and need a time of rest.
a. Illust – v. 24 – See in this passage that Jesus enters into a home in Tyre, most likely that of a Gentile. Why? Wouldn’t this have made Him ceremonially unclean? Yes, unless had been a Jewish home in that region.
b. Ever since Mk. 6:31 and John’s execution we’ve been following Xst’s crisscrossing of Galilee in an attempt to find a place and a time to get away from all ministry activity and rest. And yet: death of friend, interrupted by 5000 hungry people, rescues disciples on the sea, demonized man at Gennesaret, arguing with scribes and Pharisees constantly! No wonder, v. 24! Walks 40 miles NW of Capernaum/Bethsaida thru Galilee to Phoenician city of Tyre on coast of Med. Sea. Something very relaxing about the sea isn’t there?
2. No matter hard Christ attempted to get away, there were always individuals seeking Him.
a. Notice key phrase in v. 24 “He could not escape notice.” We all think from time to time that we would like to be incredibly famous. Maybe a politician. Maybe an actor. Maybe a sports of music celebrity. Don’t be so sure! Recently Ted Cruz got some neg publicity in an airport when got a bit testy. Meghan Markle found another side to marrying a royal. And now everyone walks on the other side of the street when see Will Smith coming!
b. Everything about Jesus’ mission on Earth was about saving us from our sins. The name Jesus means “Jehovah saves”, the word salvation means to rescue. Jesus’ name describes His mission and purpose of coming to Earth. Jesus gives us the Way, the Truth, and Life (John 10:10). Jesus gave us the way to God. No wonder people sought Him.
B. We need Rest as believers.
1. Let me reiterate the spiritual value of rest to the Christian…and even non-Christian.
a. If our Lord was in need and sought out opportunities to find places of rest, we need to as well. Some of us run ourselves absolutely ragged, usually for our kids, for things they may not even wish to do. Do not believe the culture’s lie that all kids have to have “stuff and activities” all the time in order to be happily, properly socialized, and well adjusted. Most kids I know would rather have a few minutes more a day with Mom and Dad, then being frantictly carted from one activity to another by a frazzled parent.
b. Christ said, "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28-30) It is something Christ has to give you, however it is conditional and dependent upon a certain attitude that believers must have. Christ explained how believers can have spiritual rest. We all need and want to experience real joy, peace, contentment, and be free of fear and worry. "Take my yoke and learn of me" are Christ's instructions. To do that, a believer must become "meek and lowly in heart" as Christ is. I believe this is one of the most important statements that Christ ever made, and it has to do with a spiritual rest (Sabbath).
2. Rest is a necessity for all of God’s creation!
a. We are starting to learn health benefits: Harvard Women’s Health Watch (Jan. 2006) – 6 reasons why need more sleep: Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later. Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite. Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, traffic mishaps etc. Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do. Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat. Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
b. The Sabbath rest, if really practiced, is not duty, but the product of passion and intellect. Such rest waits for the deeper things of God. It is time to examine our hearts, minds, and relationships. Recreation is good, but it does not create anything new in us. It simply makes us ready to go back to the fray of life. Deeper rest, waiting on God, is an act of love. It has the potential to change the person I am. If certain Christians made the Sabbath “getting rid of fun,” real Christ followers knew it was precious time to love God and our neighbor. Loving requires a restfulness together that is neither play nor work, but merely togetherness. All lovers know the difference. Lovers work and play, but they also wait on each other. They stop, reflect, and wait. When you are really in love, saying and doing “nothing” together can be the deepest kind of communion. The Bible talks about a man who waited his entire life to see God. Finally, at the end of his days, his waiting ended and he was able to hold the infant Jesus. It was enough for him. Plenty of people did things that day, but we do not remember their names. Aged Simeon waited on God and held Jesus. No wonder he said that he could know die in peace. (John Mark Reynolds, Aug. 2011)
C. Applic: Even in an attempt to take a vacation Jesus was overcome by people seeking His attention.
II. 2nd: Interaction Takes Place Due to a Troubled Woman’s Request and the Savior’s Unexpected Refusal. Vv. 25-26
A. A Troubled Heart Comes Asking for a Miracle.
1. Troubles, sorrow, pain, and heartache know no borders or ethnicity.
a. Illust – Everyone who is a parent can instantly relate to this woman. When you have a child who is in trouble your heart is in trouble too. Sick. Accident. Emotional. Relational. Crime. When your child hurts you hurt too.
b. Illust – When I was in N. Ireland during conflict that was still very active in the late 1980s &1990’s I saw some pretty horrific things. Survivors in those situations reacted in one of two ways: Hatred or sympathy. Some individuals who had loved ones maimed or killed became many of the “hardest” individuals you will ever meet in this life. On the other hand, when you saw that the blood of Catholics and Protestants ran red in the streets others realized the very human element of crime and victimization. Every victim was some mother’s son/daughter, someone’s brother or sister, husband or wife. Trouble and heartache knows no boundary, border, or ethnicity.
2. Who was this troubled woman?
a. Who was this woman? “Syrophoenician” – Syrian/Phoenician. Gentile. Not a Jew. Not of the nation of Israel. Remember where Christ is. Tyre. Complete Gentile region. Not associated with the Covenants and Promises of Israel. Pagan region. Reprobate religion. But she is a woman, nonetheless, with a problem, a demon possessed daughter. She calls on Jesus, but strangely, may I even say, uncharacteristically, Jesus doesn’t even RESPOND to her? Has Jesus reached His boiling point? Is He being rude or ethnocentric? Is He a racist or sexist as some liberal scholars would want you to believe? NO! NO! NO! Something greater going on here. It is our job to explore the Scripture to understand.
b. As Messiah, Christ’s ministry was to the nation of Israel. Let’s remember that Jesus was now outside of the physical borders of Israel. This woman, somehow or another, knew of the Person and position of Christ. She calls to Him: “Have mercy, O Lord, Son of David…” “Son of David” was a specific Messianic title of and by the Jews for the Messiah. Jesus Christ is the Messiah of the Jews. He is the Savior of the World, but the Messiah of the Jews. Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the "son of David." But the question arises, how could Jesus be the son of David if David lived approximately 1000 years before Jesus? The answer is that Christ (the Messiah) was the fulfillment of the prophecy of the seed of David (2 Samuel 7:14-16). Jesus was the promised Messiah, which meant He was of the seed of David. This Gentile woman had absolutely NO connection to Israel, the Messiah, or the prophecies of Christ. Yet, she recognized what Jews rejected.
B. A Troubled Heart Perseveres.
1. This mother needed to speak to Christ and would not be deterred. You have to love determination in an individual…and this mother was politely not going to take “no”. Parents of wayward child are you grasping the garments of God in prayer?
a. Illust – Persistence is important in finding success in life. Thomas Edison tried more than 3,000 different theories for creating a high-resistance element that would significantly lower the amount of electrical power required. In January 1879, he finally succeeded in creating a high-resistance filament, using platinum, but it only burned for a few hours. In attempt to improve the life of the bulb, Edison tested more than 6,000 types of plant materials along with every other filament he could think of, including tungsten, the most common component of modern filaments. Eventually, he tried a carbonized cotton thread, which burned for 15 hours. He continued to improve on that filament until, by late 1880, he had a marketable 16-watt bulb that would burn for 1,500 hours. When asked about all of the failures, Edison said: “I didn’t have 9,999 failures.” “I learned of 9,999 ways not to make a light bulb!” Persistent!
b. God’s dreams are often long in coming to pass, and we are forced to wait. Far too often we are like young children and grow tired of waiting. But God has a plan for our waiting—we are to grow in faith and in perseverance, expectantly looking toward the day that God answers our prayers and our dreams come true. We are to move forward as He leads.
2. The Perseverance of this woman is ultimately rewarded.
a. Although Christ initially refuses to respond to this woman’s request, the Syrophoenician woman is persistent in her faith. This woman knows that Jesus ALONE can solve her problem and she is not going to take “no” for an answer. She is going to keep calling on Christ. We read that his disciples are getting annoyed (Mt. 15:23). What is the disciples’ response? They haven’t learned yet! “Send them away!” Still haven’t learned lesson of the loaves! Church, listen up, it is not your and my right to run off people that Christ wants to minister to! I believe that every person who walks through these doors on a Sunday or any other day needs what ONLY Christ offers. Salvation!
b. Illust - Jesus once told a parable, “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming’” (Luke 18:2-5).God wants us to be persistent in our prayer life. This does not mean that we pray the same words over and over, but that we constantly keep our wants and needs before His presence. We can only do this by living for Him on a daily basis. When God is constantly in our thoughts, we are living in faith and we believe that He hears our prayers and is willing to grant our wishes or give us something better than that which we are asking Remember God doesn’t work on our time schedule.
C. Applic: Don’t let anyone or anything deter you if you need Christ this morning! Come to Christ! Don’t leave because the service is over or if inconvenient. If you recognize your problem call on Christ!
III. 3rd: The Interaction Culminates in Christ Responding to the Woman’s Faith.
A. The Heart of God is Always Moved by Faith.
1. We see this truth played out in the passage.
a. I told you a few moments ago why Christ did not at first respond to this woman…almost as though Jesus doesn’t hear or ignores her. She was presumptive of her relationship with Him. She was not ethnically Jewish. Then she prays: Mt. 15:25: “Lord, help me!” Praise God friend, Jesus hears that prayer! Are you presumptive of your relationship with Christ? Illust: Recently learned of young woman at a Christian College 4 years. Confronted to give her testimony. Couldn’t. No individual faith in Christ. Salvation not based on Christian parents. Attendance at church or Bible college, or US citizenship! But praise God when the repentant sinner cries out: “Lord, help me!”, the Savior’s heart is moved!
b. Jesus tests this woman’s faith and resolve with a story everyone could relate to. Again, Jesus has already said in (Mt 15:24.) that He has come for the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”. She comes back to him, crying “Lord, help me!” She is at her wit’s end. No other hope! That’s a good place to be lost soul! Illust – Jesus states this story – “Good for the children to eat first (Israel), for not good to give what is for children and give to the dogs.” Again, He is reiterating the nature and focus of His ministry. Israel first. Why? This was God’s order. Even in Acts 1:8 – told how to take Gospel forth: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, ends of the Earth. Gentiles would be reached, but in logical order. NT Wright makes an important commentary on this passage: “Here we see that Jesus’ fundamental mission is being defined. Jesus was not simply a traveling doctor healing every sick person He met. He had a very specific calling. Israel needed to know that God was fulfilling His promises. His kingdom of which He was its herald, was beginning to appear, and He was her unquestioned King. That is why Israel was to hear first.”
2. The woman humbly demonstrates her faith in Christ.
a. Illust – This is one bright woman. Doesn’t bat an eye and fires right back at Christ. She’s not offended at the implication of being a “dog”, she isn’t part of the promise of Israel and she knows it. Actually, the word Jesus uses for “dogs” is not the word of insult for the vicious feral curs that roamed the streets of 1st century Palestine. Rather, He uses the diminutive form, like saying “little puppies”, lovable, cuddly, family pet. Yet with great spiritual perception and humility asks for “the crumbs” off the table. Illust – Again, anyone with a dog sees this one coming. Reuben lies on ground near the table when eating meals. Sometimes Reuben makes you even think that he is sleeping. he isn’t. If some scrap accidentally falls from the table, he pounces into action. Ready for scraps. Loves Sunday scraps. Give to kids first. Their scraps then be given to the dog. Is the dog blessed by Sunday dinner? You bet ya! This woman has her Ph.D. in theology. Listen to what she is saying! She is essentially telling Jesus: “I recognize that you are Messiah, and that you are bringing salvation’s blessings to Israel, but ultimately, the blessing of the Messiah will be manifested (Will fall off the table!) and bless everyone else as well! Praise God! In the Old Testament, everything that seems to be for the nation of Israel had to be passed down to Jesus, who then fulfilled the realities of the promises for us in His own person and work. This is how the Apostle Paul could say, “All the promises of God find their Yes in him [Christ]” (2 Cor. 1:20). Praise God we don’t just get the scraps, but we are invited to the great Wedding feast of the Lamb! (Rev. 19:7-10)
b. Not just Israel, but the entirety of the world needed the salvation that Christ had/has to offer. This Syrophonecian woman has seen debauchery and defilement and depravity and she has seen how it has affected her life and now even demons are harassing her daughter and she goes to the Only One Who can help, Jesus Christ! (Who/what/where seek comfort?)
B. Jesus is moved to admiration of this woman’s faith.
1. The woman’s response to Jesus shows her faith. (v. 28)
a. “Yes, Lord…” – this woman acknowledges the right Jesus had to refuse her request. Brothers and sisters, that’s an important lesson for all of us to learn. Jesus is no genie in a bottle that we can control and manipulate. He will do what He intends to do. Yet, this woman then states that she would be happy “with just the crumbs” if Jesus saw fit to give them to her. Humility! The Bible says: “God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (Ja. 4:6) No longer concerned with the right phraseology and proper presentation, in desperation and openness, she worships Jesus. In simplicity, she says, "Lord, save me" and a miracle was underway. Come to Christ in humble brokenness. We too!
b. Jesus then compliments this woman’s faith! (vv. 29-30 read) Jesus is impressed with this woman’s faith. Now, what do you suppose the disciples were thinking at that moment? (Why complimenting her? She’s a gentile “dog”. “She’s a woman!” “Hey, why don’t we get complimented…” Result: Her daughter was healed instantly! (Mt. 15:28)
2. Illust – Bros & Sis – today we too are blessed by Faith in Christ. Thru faith we are no longer: w/o Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, w/o hope and w/o God in the world! But now, in Him we: brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13), Reconciled as one body in Xst (Eph. 2:14), have access to the Father (Eph. 2:18), Fellow citizens with saints and members of the household of God! True to Jesus’ own promise in Mt. 8:11-12, you and I do not need to be content to catch falling scraps, we can now sit at the table of salv. and full fellowship in the KOG!
C. Applic: Remember Pastor Thony Paul telling of when first heard the Good News. He was a poor Haitian boy living up in the mountains. No food signs of severe malnutrition, no clothes, dirty, under the power of Voodoo. Heard an American missionary preaching in a remote mission station. Felt too unworthy to even walk inside the building. Stood outside hoping could receive the scraps of what was being offered inside! Gave life to Christ. Found self invited to Banquet of the Lord!
