Is the Work of Jesus for Me? (The Syrophoenician Woman)

Introduction: Jesus and the Gentile Woman

Good morning! Today we’ll be continuing our sermon series through the book of Mark. So if you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me in your Bibles to the second book of the New Testament, to the gospel of Mark. And we’ll continue to see events in the life of Jesus that reveal his character, and that reassure us of his identity as the true Son of God, come down in human flesh. Already in Mark, we’ve seen Jesus miraculously healing a paralyzed man and a bleeding woman, He’s been overpowering demons in a Gentile man, and teaching God’s Word with special authority – and doing all kinds of other things to give evidence of his divine power. And most of the people helped by Jesus up to this point have been the Jews – the special, covenant people of God who have been waiting hundreds of years for God’s promises to reach their fulfillment. But over the next few weeks, we’ll see how the work of Jesus extends beyond the Jews, and reaches to people from all kinds of national and personal backgrounds.

I’ll be reading from Mark Chapter 7, starting at verse 24. If you’re using one of our church Bibles, you can find our text on page 792. But before I read our text this morning, let’s ask for God to help us as we come to his word. Let’s pray:

[Pray and Read Text]

Outside or Inside?

At different points in life, sometimes we’re put into situations where people perceive us to be in some sort of in-crowd, even though deep down, we actually feel like an outsider. You could argue it’s kind of like a version of imposter syndrome. It could be you’ve been invited to stand up in somebody’s wedding as a groomsman or bridesmaid – but you feel less connected to the married couple than everybody else. Or maybe you’ve been invited to watch the Superbowl with a number of hardcore NFL fans. But as they’re sitting around the TV, talking about players and stats from that season you hardly know how to contribute anything meaningful to the conversation.

In those types of situations, it’s easy to feel like we don’t have any business being there. Surely if people knew who I really am – how unconnected I am, how ignorant I am – surely I wouldn’t be welcomed in. And, of course, this is the way that many people feel about Church. On the one hand, we know that the church doors are open to us. We probably appreciate the warm-hearted ways that people interact with us. But for many people – perhaps even for many of us, there can be an insecurity. We can sometimes feel like we don’t belong, and we can struggle to believe that the rich benefits of Jesus are really extended to us.

But in our text, Jesus shows us that his many kindnesses aren’t just for the people we would think of as being established insiders. But he truly and freely gives his gifts to everyone who comes with faith – even to those who were once outcasts and outsiders (like the woman in our text).

As I seek, with God’s help, to unpack this big idea, there are points from the text that I’ll work through that help us to more clearly see Jesus’s heart-posture and his priorities in all this. First, we’ll consider Jesus’s pursuit of foreigners. Second, we’ll see Jesus’s preference for hiddenness. Third, we’ll see Jesus’s particular concern for his covenant people. And then fourth – we’ll reflect on Jesus’s pleasure with hungry faith. These are the four main points I’ll work through – Jesus’s pursuit of foreigners. His preference for hiddenness. His particular concern for his covenant people. And his pleasure with hungry faith.

Jesus’s Pursuit of Foreigners

So let’s consider, first, Jesus’s pursuit of foreigners. In verse 24, we’re told that Jesus went away from the Jewish community of Bethsaida, by the Sea of Galilee – “From there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

Tyre and Sidon were two historic cities along the Eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. And the reason why it’s a bit surprising that Jesus would choose these cities as a destination – it’s not just because Tyre and Sidon were far away. But it was also because these were Gentile cities – meaning that they were Non-Jewish cities – cities that were primarily inhabited by pagans who rejected the Lord God of Israel.

In fact, Sidon especially had a bad reputation in the history of God’s people. Because hundred of years earlier, one of Israel’s kings, named Ahab, had married a woman from Sidon. And as it turned out, this queen, Jezebel, was infamously wicked. She murdered faithful prophets of God. She used her influence to coerce the nation to worship false gods. And it was understood that Jezebel was simply a reflection of what the city of Sidon was like.

And with this background, and with Sidon’s continued Gentile population, and paganism – the Jews regarded the people there as defiled and despised by God. Jewish people would still sometimes travel there to buy and sell. After all, Tyre and Sidon were major port cities on the Mediterranean. You could purchase supplies there from other regions or export your own products. So there were some Jews who traveled there or took up residence there. But by and large, the Jews had a rather negative perspective about the people who lived there. And for cleanliness reasons, the Jews were usually reluctant to have any close interactions.

And yet our text tells us that Jesus – on his own initiative – he goes to that place. And at first, it’s a bit of a mystery why. As far as we can tell, he doesn’t have any need to go there for economic purposes. He doesn’t have commodities to buy or sell. So what’s his purpose? Why does he go to such a sleazy city like this?

Well, by the time we get to the end of our text, here, Mark gives us an answer. There’s a divine appointment set up here. Jesus comes to this region in order to encounter the foreign (Gentile) woman who’s mentioned in our text. And Mark draws attention to how strange and unseemly this encounter would have been. Because in verse 26, he explicitly tells us that this woman was non-Jewish: a Gentile. She’s Syrophoenician by birth. She’s of the same people that Jezebel was. And yet in spite of all this, Jesus comes to her. He comes for her.

And this isn’t the first time that Jesus has intentionally pursued a Gentile, to show mercy. You may remember, Mark gave us another example of this back in Mark Chapter 5. Jesus crossed the sea of Galilee for the sole purpose of setting a demon-possessed Gentile man free from the power of evil (even before meeting this woman). And now here in Mark 7, Jesus does the same kind of thing. He makes an inconvenient journey, to a defiled land, in order to extend his kindness to someone who has every reason to be treated like an outsider.

And over the next couple weeks it’ll be clear, that this encounter with the foreign woman isn’t just another one-off occurrence. But in Chapter 7, here, Mark gives multiple examples of how Jesus pursues people with scummy, shameful backgrounds. We’re supposed to see that Jesus pursues people in their spiritual ugliness and uncleanness – in order to make it clear to us that his help, his ultimate healing power, his happiness is intended to reach to all kinds of people. Not just the clean-looking people.

In fact, Mark was laying the groundwork for this in our text last week. Because Jesus was teaching that being clean isn’t a matter of what you’ve touched, or what you’ve eaten, or what your personal, family history is as Jew or Gentile man or woman, as insider or outsider. But we are made clean, when God gives us a new heart, and we trust in the saving kindness of Jesus.

And I think it’s easy to forget this – but part of the reason why Mark takes the time to emphasize these things is because his audience included Gentiles. That’s why Mark feels the need to explain certain Jewish words and customs, like we saw last week when he explained the washing rituals of the Pharisees. Many people in Mark’s audience were Gentiles. And he wants to make sure they understand – even though they aren’t Jews, even though it might be tempting to think that Christianity was never really intended for them – that they’re just an afterthought – Mark wants them to see that Jesus very intentionally cared for and chased after outsiders with his great love and saving kindness.

So here in Mark 7, he’s very intentionally developing a bigger theme – that Jesus Christ and the fullness of his good gifts aren’t just for the clean-looking people. They aren’t just for the people who seem like insiders. But it really is Jesus’s purpose to pursue and purify those who are far off – even those who may not feel like they belong.

And so if this sounds like you – if you have a hard time believing that you’re legitimately welcomed to Jesus, and forgiveness, and hope, and loving fellowship with his people – if you struggle to believe that these rich gifts are really intended for you, then give attention to our text, here. Verse 24 shows us how Jesus decisively comes out to the neighborhood of this Gentile woman. He pursues her with his special kindness. And Jesus is still doing the same thing today, through the service of his people – the Church.

Jesus’s Preference for Hiddenness

But at the end of verse 24, there’s a rather strange comment that’s made about Jesus, and his preference for hiddenness. And this brings us to my second point – how Jesus’s heart posture is further shown in his preference for hiddenness. Because Mark tells us that when Jesus came to Tyre and Sidon, “… he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.”

So you can see, here, when Jesus came to the region his goal wasn’t to put on a fireworks show of miracles. He wasn’t on a public tour, with the hope of increasing his fan base or something. But he desired to come quietly. More or less, he wanted his presence there to be hidden.

Now, usually, for you and I, when we’re trying to hide something, it’s because we don’t feel good about what we’ve done. We have a sense of shame – and we’re embarrassed for people to see us. And we might be tempted to think that maybe that’s the issue here, too. Maybe Jesus is ashamed that he’s coming to this Gentile city (and this Gentile woman). Maybe he’s a bit embarrassed about some of the things he said to the Pharisees last week, and so he’s trying to run away and hide where people won’t find him.

But that’s not at all the right way to understand this passage. As far as we can tell, none of the Jews considered it a sin to travel to Tyre or Sidon. And in whatever else Jesus said or did, he never did anything that was the least bit sinful or shameful. Jesus was tempted in every way, like us, but he never gave in – and as Hebrews 4:15 confirms, he was without sin. He never had anything evil or embarrassing that he needed to hide.

And so if that’s not Jesus’s reason here – than what was his motivation for hiding? Well, from what we’ve seen so far in Mark, this pattern of Jesus trying to keep things quiet – of trying to restrain his publicity – it’s been there throughout his ministry. And in previous sermons, I’ve pointed out a number of likely reasons for this. For one thing, Jesus was probably aware that having extra publicity would make it more likely for people to develop and popularize ideas about him that were skewed. And he likely wanted the opportunity to reveal himself, and to do it rightly. There was probably also the practical concern – if large crowds are constantly around you, poking, pushing, and pleading – it makes it hard to get anywhere – and it makes it hard to eat, to sleep, to have rest.

But, of course, Jesus’s insistence that he isn’t looking for popularity, that he isn’t lusting after public acknowledgment and influence – it also shows us Jesus’s modesty. And we shouldn’t take Jesus’s modesty for granted. Because you would expect that someone as great as Jesus – the true Son of God, in all of his divine authority and supernatural abilities – you’d expect that if anyone has the right to be a narcissist, it would be Jesus. Some people think they’re perfect, but Jesus truly is! He alone, of all people on earth – he alone has had the heavens open over his head, and the Father’s voice say, this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. If Jesus had gone through Tyre and Sidon demanding parades and banners and twenty-one gun salutes – he would have deserved all that!

But Jesus’s trip to Tyre and Sidon – it isn’t about making a name for himself. It isn’t about his PR. But in the perfect submission of the Son, taking on the form of a servant, in our human flesh – Jesus came to seek outcasts and to serve other people, rather than serving himself. That’s another factor, here, of why Jesus seeks to come quietly and privately.

And yet, the text tells us, Jesus can’t remain hidden. The glory of his presence – it turns out that it’s not possible for it to go undetected. And as an extra thought, here, this may not be Mark’s original intent but this illustrates in a helpful way that the glory of a humble heart – it won’t be hidden. You may not gather adoring crowds. In fact, sometimes in your service to God you may encounter agonizing crosses. Certainly that was true for Jesus. But God won’t lose track of your secret obedience and quiet expressions of love for others. And even in this life, the beauty of a modest heart won’t go unnoticed – just like Jesus, it can’t be hidden for long.

Jesus’s Particular Concern for His Covenant People

But starting in verse 25, we’re introduced to the main substance of this interaction between Jesus and this Syrophoenician (Gentile) woman. And we see that this woman, hearing about Jesus – she comes to him. She falls down at his feet, a position of absolute self-abasement and humility. And this woman pleads with him to cast out a demon that’s been afflicting her daughter.

Now, as Americans who aren’t so familiar with the context, here – I think many of us would assume that Jesus’s next words would be “Okay! Receive my healing power. Go in peace.” But that’s not what Jesus says. Instead, he responds in a way that shows his particular concern for his covenant people. And that’s the third main point we see in our text here. Jesus’s particular concern for his covenant people.

We see this in verse 27. Jesus replies to the request of the Gentile woman. And he says, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.” Now, this response might seem confusing at first. But Jesus isn’t literally changing the subject to talk about children and dogs, but he’s speaking figuratively. When Jesus mentioned children, here, he was referring to the Jews. These were the people who had been in a special covenant relationship with God – like a father-son relationship. This had been going on for nearly two thousand years, ever since God set apart a man named Abraham, who became the father of the Jewish peoples. And as he cared for these children, God had revealed himself to the Jews through his prophets – in the Scriptures. And the Jews had been waiting for God to fulfill his promises for centuries. They’d been waiting for the true bread of spiritual blessing.

And so Jesus is saying, the children (the Jews) – should receive the bread first. Let the children be given the first opportunity to be fed. In this comment, here, Jesus isn’t claiming that the Jews are more important or more worthy than the other peoples on earth. But there’s a certain logic and order laid out in Scripture, that the covenant people of God are the ones we’d expect to have the initial right and responsibility to come and eat at the table.

Of course, in Jesus’s analogy, here, he also says that it’s not right that the bread would be thrown to the dogs. And, of course, the dogs are a clear reference to the Gentiles. The word used here isn’t just the generic Greek word for dog, but it’s the word kunarion, which refers to a little dog. Now, the law identified dogs as unclean animals, but this didn’t mean that Jews couldn’t own them. In fact, a number of Jews did keep large outdoor dogs, that could carry out certain practical jobs, like being a guard dog, or a sheep dog. But when it came to having little lap dogs in the house – not only did the Jews view little dogs as unclean – they viewed them as worthless, not fit for doing anything good.

So as Jesus makes this comment – that the bread should be given to the covenant people, and not to the little dogs – he’s making a strong distinction between the two. And I think people often have a hard time with what Jesus says here. Because some people – they interpret this comment as a personal insult against the Gentile woman. Or they think that Jesus is being very cold-hearted and prejudiced against people of a different ethnicity (the whole people group of the Gentile woman).

But that’s not the point here. Instead, in Jesus’s comment, he’s just underscoring that the blessings of God are bestowed on those who are in a relationship with God. Jesus is saying that the Jews, who knew the one true God, could expect to have bread extended to them. And the Gentiles, the nations who didn’t know the true God – who had their own idols and temples and traditions – they shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the LORD. Those who look to the LORD God of Israel as their God – the covenant blessings of true teaching, and healing, and peace are for them. But for Gentile people who were following Jupiter, or Zeus, or Baal, or the Roman Emperor – they shouldn’t expect to receive the same special covenant blessings as the children of God.

And so essentially, Jesus is just denying the idea that all religions are equally valid – that all belief systems lead to God and his blessings. Jesus denies it, here. And he insists on the importance of knowing and embracing God truly, as he’s distinctly revealed himself in his word. Some people have claimed that if Hindus or Muslims or very spiritually-oriented people are just really sincere in their different religious system – that God will end up saving or blessing those types of individuals. But with this little illustration, Jesus says no. The blessings of God are outwardly extended and confirmed to those who are in his covenant. And the fullness of those blessings are only ultimately received by those who embrace the Lord of the covenant through faith – by trusting in him. Jesus isn’t arguing for Jewish ethnic superiority over other people groups – but he’s instead insisting on the difference between true religion and falsehood.

Jesus’s Pleasure with Hungry Faith (The Faith of the Gentile Woman)

And with a comment like this – you would expect that if the Gentile woman here were really committed to Baal, or Asherah, or some other Sidonian deity – you’d expect her to be really offended by Jesus’s comment here. But in the last couple verses of our text, the woman makes a remarkable comment. And we see evidence of Jesus’s pleasure as he looks upon her hungry faith, which brings us to my last point from the text: Jesus’s pleasure with hungry faith.

Just notice how the woman responds to Jesus, in verse 28. She answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” There are a number of significant things to point out here. First, you’ll notice that the woman says yes. She receives what Jesus has said as truth. She doesn’t argue about who deserves to be called children and who deserves to be referred to as the dogs. She doesn’t try to defend her religious life up to this point. But she simply says yes. Yes, I’m a dog who hasn’t been close to the true God. Yes, I shouldn’t feel entitled to any of God’s gifts. She accepts and believes Jesus’s word.

And second, you’ll notice that she refers to Jesus as Lord – as master – as one with true authority. It wasn’t necessarily an uncommon title in those days. But up until this point in Mark, not even Jesus’s own disciples have addressed Jesus so honorably. In fact, this is the first time in Mark’s gospel that anyone refers to Jesus as Lord. And so this is supposed to catch our attention. This foreign woman rightly sees Jesus’s greatness and humbles herself before it.

And then the third thing to notice in her response, is that she expresses an extraordinary hunger for God’s special kindness. And she has a real expectancy that if she comes to the Lord, she’ll find it – she’ll be fed from it. Yes Lord, she says – I don’t deserve a spot at the table. Yes Lord, I have no worthiness or entitlement to receive any of your gifts. But the true God of Israel gives so freely, so generously – surely if I come, I’ll find crumbs. Surely, if I come, I won’t be sent away empty? Even the dogs find crumbs under the table. Can’t I have some, too?

And as Jesus looks upon the faith of this Gentile woman – how she’s coming to him, trusting in him, hungering for the rightness and restoration that only he can bring – Jesus is pleased, out of his mercy – he’s pleased to fill her. And he doesn’t just give her crumbs. But instead, in verse 29, Jesus says to this Gentile woman, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” He gives to her the same special kindness he’s been giving to the Jews. He gives her the same extraordinary kind of miracle – the same confirmation of his saving power – he gives it to this woman. And he doesn’t give it reluctantly. These aren’t just crumbs under the table. But he pulls up a chair for her. And he confirms that even the furthest foreigner, even the most awful outsider can be brought near into this special covenant relationship – that by faith, anyone, can be broken out of their ugly past and their embarrassments, and they can be brought to the table, to eat from the richness of God’s grace.

If you’re trusting in Jesus, then the gift of true, total forgiveness for all the wrongs you’ve done, and will ever do – that forgiveness is yours. It’s yours in Christ. And if you’re trusting in him, then the gift of Jesus’s righteousness is placed on you, like clean clothes that can’t ever be dirtied. The gift of adoption, being a child of God with a sure spot in the home – that’s yours, too. The gift of the church – and relationships where you have brothers and sisters who love you and who are committed to you – that isn’t just a gift that God gives to other people, but this is a gift that God gives to all his children, even those who have spent all their lives feeling unwanted and isolated. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives us confidence to endure difficult days – because His presence assures us of God’s everlasting blessing in the ages to come. The gift of the Spirit also makes it possible for our desires and thoughts to be changed, and for battles against sin to be won. By His Spirit, the Lord feeds us and teaches us from His Word, and supplies us with the strength we need to do the work we’re called to do. Through faith, God brings a rushing downpour of his covenant promises. He fills our table with bread. And he is pleased to feed his children. All of them. Each of them. (Including this Gentile woman!)

I think so many of us, we don’t value the incredible things that God would like to give us. I imagine – if you’re anything like me, there have been days where you’ve picked up your Bible, and reading it has felt like a chore. It’s almost been like reading the Bible, is some sort of obstacle that you need to get past, and then you can get on to the things that you really want to do that day.

And yet even though we’ve been given such a rich, full loaf of bread, we have brothers and sisters around the world who just have crumbs. There are men and women who have never learned to read. And so all that they have of this precious Word from heaven, is a few verses that they’ve memorized in their own language. And yet with hunger, with faith, they have made better use of those crumbs – those three or four verses – then we’ve made of our overflowing table.

Don’t take for granted what the Lord has given. Don’t imagine that the trophies and treasures and temples of this world can offer you a better meal than the meal that’s been spread for us by God himself. Because even the crumbs from his table are richer than the finest steak dinners of unbelief. Stay hungry – be hungry for the grace and mercy that are in Jesus. And that’s where you’ll be filled. Let’s pray:

Fellowship Reformed Church is a Bible-believing Presbyterian Church in Mt Pleasant, MI.