Seek the Person, Not the Formula
Mark 7:24-37
In the C.S. Lewis story, Prince Caspian: the Return to Narnia, Aslan said to Lucy, “Why didn’t you come to me for help?”
Lucy responded, “I’m sorry, why didn’t you come in to save us like last time?”
Aslan replied, “Things never happen the same way twice.”
I don’t necessarily believe that nothing can happen the same way twice; but, one thing I do know is that Jesus never healed the same way twice, with His miracles found in the Gospels.
Sometimes Jesus’ healing was public, sometimes it was private; sometimes Jesus spoke a word from a distance, and other times He would simply touch a person; sometimes He used His spit.
Jesus' pattern of healing may seem strange to us mortals; but, because He is God, His methods are always right and His ways are not our ways.
Please open your Bibles to Mark 7 as we continue that study
Last week, we learned how the Pharisees traveled about 70 miles to come and correct Jesus about His Disciples eating without properly washing their hands, according to traditions.
Jesus met the people’s needs; but, the religious leaders were more concerned with appearances and rules, than the needs of the people.
Then Jesus rebuked those hypocrites, because the real issue was not the dirty hands of the Disciples; but, the real issue was the dirty hearts of the religious leaders.
Jesus taught that we are not defiled by things from outside of the body; but what comes out of the heart, defiles a person; not eating with dirty hands.
In today’s passage, Jesus went into an area of the Gentiles and He wanted to remain anonymous; but, He is recognized again and because of His love, He performs a healing.
After that Jesus goes into another area and heals someone else in a completely different manner. So first…
I. Jesus went to a pre-judged area.
Read Mark 7:24-26
Tyre and Sidon were port cities located in modern day Lebanon on the Mediterranean coast.
These cities had already been judged by the Lord because of their wickedness in the past.
In the prophecy of Ezekiel as well as other OT prophets, Tyre and Sidon were prophesied against because of their wickedness.
Tyre was also the capital of Canaanite culture and religion, which had completely saturated Israel; which led to Ezekiel's repeated pronouncements of God's wrath against Israel.
God promised a swift end would come to these cities under the armies of Nebuchadnezzar, and eventually these cities were also conquered by the Greeks, the Persians, and even Rome.
John the Baptist sent men to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah…
Jesus said, Matthew 11:20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:
Matthew 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
Matthew 11:22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. NKJV
Jesus being fully God as well as fully man is omniscient, (meaning having complete knowledge); so He knows the future better than we know the present.
Here we are, approximately one year before His crucifixion and Jesus travels into this pre-judged area; an area God previously promised to give to the Jewish people as an eternal possession.
The Promise Land was an unconditional promise to Israel; however, the Children of Israel never fully took possession of the entire the Promised Land.
Jesus shows up to this Gentile territory and He meets a woman.
Being Syro-Phoenician means she was half Phoenician and half Syrian, considered a true Gentile half breed by the Jews.
The Syro-Phoenicians were known for the worst kinds of idolatry and satanic acts.
This teaches us the Lord wants us to leave our comfort zones, so we can reach the unlovable, people who are different than us.
Jesus crossed over borders to reach people, including people like us. Jesus crossed over borders to save people like me!
What do you think the Disciples were thinking about this time?
Why would Jesus want to go over to these Gentile dogs? These people are not worthy of our time or attention.
This woman comes to find Jesus; and we learn…
1. This woman heard about Jesus. (vs. 25)
Mark 7:25 a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him…NKJV
Someone had told this woman about Jesus. We learn that we should tell someone about Jesus and our personal testimony, how we were lost, but now we are found.
You don’t have be a great sales person to evangelize; just tell people what Jesus has done for you and He will handle the rest.
2. Jesus will not hide from a person in need who truly seeks Him.
Jesus left Israel after telling the religious leaders that they were defiled; but He didn’t hide from this woman who was in need.
Jesus is always available to the broken and needy who call Him.
This woman falls at Jesus’ feet in worship; because she knew Jesus was her daughter’s only hope.
Remember the religious leaders, who had studied scripture all of their lives, simply condemned Jesus over ceremonial washings and would not give Him the respect He deserves.
The religious leaders accused Jesus of being unclean; but here, this woman has a daughter who has an unclean spirit.
So, this pagan half breed, Canaanite woman seeks Jesus and worships Him, as she asked Him to heal her daughter.
In Jesus’ day, a good Jewish man would have no dealings with a half breed Gentile; nor would a man publicly associate with a woman; but this woman seeks Jesus anyway!
II. The test of faith.
Read Mark 7:27-30
Giving bread to little dogs must have seemed like a harsh rebuke to this needy mother; but, it was meant as a lesson for her.
In this same narrative, Matthew 15:22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." NKJV
Henry Ironside said, “As Son of David He had come to minister to Israel and reign eventually as King on the throne of David.”
“As such, for the present, a Gentile woman had no claim upon Him; and so He answered her not a word.” (H.A. Ironside)
God’s plan was to go to the Jews first then to the Gentiles.
Paul said in Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. NKJV
God so loved the whole world; but, the original plan was to go to the household of Israel first and then to the Gentiles.
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NKJV
This woman calls Jesus Lord. (Greek, “kyrios”: master, owner)
Imagine the desperation of this woman had for her daughter who was severely demon possessed. The Syro-Phoenicians were known for the worst kinds of idolatry and satanic acts.
People can open themselves to demonic influence and power by practicing drug use or other kinds of idolatry and satanic acts.
Somehow this girl had been possessed and this mom is desperate
The Jews considered Gentiles to be dogs. In the original language, dogs can mean a literal dog, contempt or abasement.
The feeling towards the Gentiles from Jewish people continued even after the Resurrection of Christ.
In Acts 22, Paul was arrested for preaching Christ and said…
Acts 22:19 So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You.
Acts 22:20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'
Acts 22:21 Then He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.'"
Acts 22:22 And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!"
Acts 22:23 Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air. NKJV
So the Jews hated the Gentiles and even believed that they were only good to stoke the fires of Hell; but originally, the Lord called the Jews to reach the Gentiles for God.
Isaiah 42:6 "I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, NKJV
Why did Jesus say it was not good to throw the bread to dogs?
The word Jesus uses in vs. 27 is the Greek word for a puppy.
It would be easy to mistake this for an insult; but, Jesus is trying to teach not only this woman a lesson, but His Disciples as well.
Jesus was basically saying, “The priority now is for the house of Israel; but, there is coming a time when salvation will be available to the entire world.”
Jesus is communicating that no one would take bread from the family to feed a puppy. There was no such thing as puppy chow, so a family would feed their pet leftovers from the meal.
In vs. 28, the woman is saying, “I understand that Israel must be first, however if You simply use a crumb of Your power, it will be enough to heal my daughter.”
David Guzik said, “It was as if she said, “Jesus, I understand that the focus of Your ministry is to the Jews – that they have a special place in God’s redemptive plan.
Yet I also understand that Your ministry extends beyond the Jewish people, and I want to be part of that extended blessing.”
This pagan woman heard of Jesus somehow and then called Him Messiah (Son of David) and Lord (Master).
This woman was showing more faith than even Jesus’ Disciples.
Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire."
In Matthew 15:28, Jesus said this woman has great faith; the only other time Jesus used these words about someone’s faith was when speaking of the Centurion’s faith, another Gentile.
Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
Matthew 8:9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! NKJV
The daughter being demon possessed drove her to Jesus’ feet; but, it was her faith and trust in Jesus that healed her daughter.
This woman’s faith was great because she believed and trusted Jesus, even when everything was against her.
Her ethnicity was against her; her gender was against her; the Disciples were against her, it even appeared that Jesus’ words were against her; yet she persists in her request to Jesus.
This woman’s faith was so strong because she believed Jesus was the only way to her daughter’s freedom; she is without other options, so she persists until Jesus answers here plea.
Spurgeon said, “Even thought the door was slammed in her face, she kept knocking on it”
Re-read Mark 7:30
III. A different way of healing.
Read Mark 7:31-37
G. Campbell Morgan said, “These people were most probably heathens gathered from the region of the Decapolis.
Decapolis was a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, (modern day Jordan); on the opposite side of the Sea of Galilee from where the feeding of the 5000 occurred.
The Bible records two of Jesus' visits to this region. The first time Jesus visited this area is in Matthew 8 where He meets two men possessed with a "legion" of demons.
This happened after Jesus had calmed the first storm on the Sea of Galilee. And the second time is our narrative this morning.
Henry Ironside said, “As soon as people knew He was there, they thronged the roads and ascended the mount on which He sat, bringing with them their sick and maimed friends”.
“He met them all in grace, and healed every one, thus demonstrating again his Messianic authority.” (Ironside)
Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; He will come and save you."
Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isaiah 35:6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert. NKJV
Remember the Gentile lady from we just spoke of asked Jesus for a simple crumb of His Grace and Power to heal her daughter.
Matthew 15:30 “great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.”
As Jesus healed this Gentile crowd, it proves that the Gentiles in fact were getting more than just a few crumbs from the table.
Imagine all of these people helping their friends and relatives up the hill to get them to Jesus. There were no wheel chairs, so to carry these folks up the hill would have been quite a task.
People who were lame, were carried there by someone else, were then able to walk away on their own.
This healing was so remarkable that these pagan Gentile people began glorifying the God of Israel; the very thing the religious leaders of Israel refused to do on the other side of the Sea.
This should be the result we witness anytime there is a sign or miracle performed; signs and miracles are designed to glorify the Lord; not the vessels God uses to complete the miracle.
To God be all Glory, praise and honor.
The Gentiles asked Jesus to put His hand on this man to heal him. We often try to figure out how Jesus could answer our prayers and come up with ways He could use that are wrong.
Can I tell you a secret; if we can figure out how to perform a miracle in our own power it probably isn’t a miracle from God.
Isaiah 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
Isaiah 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. NKJV
Instead of Jesus simply taking their advice and touching the man; Jesus isolates the man from the crowd, puts His finger in the man’s ear, spits on His hand and touched the man’s tongue.
Sometimes the Lord isolates us away from the noise of the crowd so that He can open our ears to hear Him.
Think of Elijah, while in the cave after he ran from Jezebel; he finally heard the Lord through His still small voice of God.
Just like Elijah, there are times we cannot hear from the Lord until we are all alone with just God and us.
There are times the Lord allows seasons of isolation in our lives simply to get us alone with Him, so we can hear Him.
William Barclay said, “The whole story shows us most vividly that Jesus did not consider the man merely a case; he considered him as an individual.”
Jesus took the man aside privately in order to communicate individually with him apart from the crowd. In his brokenness, this man had the undivided attention of God.
Notice, as Jesus was making this man whole, He would not make a spectacle of this man!
After putting His fingers in the man’s ears and spitting, Jesus touched the man’s tongue. He ministered to this man in a way that was sensitive to the man’s needs.
Timothy Keller said, “Jesus always gives you what you need, and he knows better than you what that is. He’s the Wonderful Counselor.”
Jesus begins to speak to this deaf man in a language the deaf man could “hear”.
Why did Jesus heal the man this way? Why did He give him privacy? Why did He put his fingers in the man's ears?
Why did He spit and touch the man's tongue? Why did He look up to heaven? Why did He say, "be opened"?
The phrase “his tongue was loosened” could be translated "the chain of his tongue was broken." It was loosened.
The word is most often used in the New Testament to describe prisoners that are set free. It is a word of liberation.
Jesus liberated the man from being deaf and dumb and gave him the ability to hear the words of God. What Jesus did for this man physically; Jesus does for us spiritually.
IV. Practical application.
Many church movements today settle for false emotions rather than true moves of the Holy Spirit.
Methods and formulas are dangerous because people want to try to control the Holy Spirit by reproducing what He has done in the past using man’s power instead of relying on the Lord.
Sometimes the Lord shows up in a special way to a concert or a conference and someone desires to repeat the move of the Spirit they experienced; so they try to reinvent what happened there.
They ask, “What was the atmosphere like, what songs were sung, what lights were used?”, so they can be repeated.
When people manipulate the situation, it is counterfeit. I would much rather experience one true moment with Jesus, than rev the crowds up with manipulation hype.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus used many different ways of healing. He healed with a word, healed without a word, healed in response to one’s faith.
Jesus healed those who asked, and healed those He approached.
Jesus didn’t use just one method; this shows His power was not dependent on a method; but, on the sovereign power of God.
The Gospel never changes; however, we often see the Gospel communicated in a way that the culture can understand.
Last week I said, “True worship of the Lord is connected to true doctrine; if something is not normative in scripture, it should not be practiced by Christ followers in worship!
We must be so careful, not to be offended by different people’s worship styles, just because they are different than us.
The methods of how we worship or communicate the Gospel can be different as long as they don’t go against Scripture.”
Only an authentic touch from Jesus can enable us to really experience the Kingdom of God. Only Jesus can enable us to understand the wisdom and the ways of God.
Only Jesus can make us His witnesses in this world. Jesus heals people in need, while in their brokenness.
We must never accept a counterfeit, when we can have the real thing through an authentic relationship with Jesus.
James Edwards said, “The Son’s work in redemption is like the Father’s work in creation: it is done well and leaves nothing to be desired.”
Seek the person of Jesus and don’t accept formulas. Don’t settle for a counterfeit, when you are invited to have the real thing.
