26

Food from the Master’s Table
(Mark 7:24–30)

Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. (7:24–30)

Because Mark wrote his gospel for a Gentile audience, he was careful to highlight the fact that the message of salvation was not limited to Israel but extended to the entire world (cf. Mark 13:10; 14:9; 16:15). For first-century Jews, that notion was radical and revolutionary. Even in the early church, many Jewish believers initially struggled to accept the idea that Gentiles could be saved without first converting to Judaism (cf. Acts 11:1–18; 15:1–11).

The Israelites viewed non-Jews as outcasts who were separated from the kingdom and purposes of God (cf. Eph. 2:11–12). Accordingly, Gentiles were considered unclean, cursed, and consigned to divine judgment. The Jews assumed that they alone (along with proselytes) could receive the blessings of salvation because they were part of God’s chosen nation. That myopic perspective reflected a misunderstanding of the Old Testament, which declared Israel to be a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6) who would reflect the blessings of salvation to all the families of the earth (cf. Gen. 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14). God intended the Jews to be His faithful witnesses to the world, so that souls from every nation would join them in glorifying Him. As the book of Psalms exclaims:

Thus, the people of Israel were called to be a light to the nations, so that through them the inhabitants of the whole earth would sing God’s praise and give Him glory. Engulfed in idolatry and immorality, the nations of the world needed to know about the one true God (cf. Isa. 45:5), without whom they could not be saved (Isa. 43:11; cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

The Lord God always intended the message of salvation to reach the whole world, originally using Israel as the means to that end (cf. Gal. 3:8). Thus, the gospel was given to the Jews first that through them it might extend to the Gentiles (cf. Rom. 1:16). Tragically, Old Testament Israel failed to embrace their missionary role. Perhaps no biblical figure illustrates that failure more vividly than the prophet Jonah, who preferred running away from God to preaching a message of repentance to the Ninevites (cf. Jonah 4:1–3). Rather than viewing the surrounding nations with compassion, the Israelites grew to despise foreigners—treating them as enemies instead of a mission field.

All of that changed with the Messiah’s coming. As Isaiah 49:6 predicted regarding the extent of the Messiah’s ministry: “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” A few chapters earlier, the Lord God expanded on the Messiah’s global impact:

Where the nation failed in its global witness, the Messiah would triumph. He would be the unfailing light to the nations, so that the message of God’s salvation would spread throughout the entire world.

The prophecies of Isaiah were clearly fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Though the focus of His earthly ministry centered on the nation of Israel, His offer of salvation extended to every person—whether Jew or Gentile. For example, He revealed Himself as Messiah to an outcast Samaritan woman in John 4:26. After His death and resurrection, He commissioned His followers to be His witnesses “both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8; cf. Matt. 28:19–20). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the early Christians turned their world upside down (cf. Acts 17:6), so that the light of salvation spread to engulf the world (cf. Matt. 5:14–16). The gospel’s global reach is perhaps most richly expressed in Revelation 5, a passage that depicts the glorified church in heaven. There, the four living creatures declare to the Lamb: “You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (v. 9). For all of eternity, redeemed people from all ages and all nations will glorify and worship their Savior.

The Messiah’s salvation ministry to the entire world is previewed in this text (Mark 7:24–30), as a Gentile woman from Tyre demonstrates saving faith in the Lord Jesus. The passage can be organized under five headings: Jesus’ foreign retreat, the woman’s fervent request, Jesus’ focused reply, the woman’s faith-filled response, and Jesus’ favorable reaction.

JESUS’ FOREIGN RETREAT

Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. (7:24)

After more than a year in Galilee, Jesus’ extended ministry there had come to an end. Though some believed, the majority of people rejected Him (John 6:66; cf. Matt. 11:20–24), including the residents of His hometown of Nazareth (cf. Mark 6:1–6). The Jewish religious leaders had grown increasingly antagonistic (3:20–30) and sought to kill Him (3:6; cf. Matt. 12:14). King Herod, fearful that Jesus posed a threat to his political power, also wanted to execute Him (cf. Luke 13:31). Aware of the mounting opposition against Him, and knowing the cross was still months away, Jesus left Galilee for a concentrated time of training with His apostles. He did not withdraw out of fear (cf. Luke 9:51; cf. 19:28) but out of a deliberate desire to prepare the Twelve for their coming apostolic challenges. Rather than traveling south into Judea, where it would be nearly impossible to find the privacy He sought, the Lord journeyed north. As Mark explains, Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre.

The region of Tyre, situated to the northwest of Galilee, refers to the Gentile territory of ancient Phoenicia, which today is located in southern Lebanon. In his parallel account, Matthew identifies it as “the district of Tyre and Sidon” (Matt. 15:21; cf. Gen. 10:19; 49:13; Josh. 11:8; 1 Kings 17:9). Tyre and Sidon were coastal cities, located about twenty miles apart along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. According to Mark 7:31, after spending an unspecified period of time in this region, Jesus journeyed through Sidon before traveling east and then south along the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. In the face of His own people’s rejection, Jesus sought rest and seclusion in a Gentile place. Roughly nine hundred years earlier, the prophet Elijah journeyed to this same area during Israel’s drought, when wicked King Ahab sought to find him (cf. 1 Kings 17:9; 18:10; Luke 4:25–26).

Arriving in the vicinity of Tyre, Jesus, along with the Twelve, had entered a house. That this was a private tour is indicated by the fact that He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. Inevitably, as happened wherever Jesus went, news about His arrival quickly spread. Even deep in Gentile territory, roughly thirty-five miles northwest of Capernaum, the people had heard about Him. According to Mark 3:8, people from “the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon” had been among the crowds that followed Jesus during His Galilean ministry (cf. Luke 6:17). They undoubtedly returned home with firsthand reports of the amazing miracles they had witnessed. As a result, word about Him spread far beyond the borders of Israel.

Though the Lord intended this trip for rest and private instruction for His disciples, He also knew of the divine appointment that awaited Him. In fact, that planned encounter was a critical part of the apostles’ training to be His witnesses. His meeting with the Gentile woman provided the Twelve with a vivid example of true faith and a preview of what was to come, when they would begin to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

THE WOMAN’S FERVENT REQUEST

But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. (7:25–26)

After hearing that He was staying nearby, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Apparently she had previously heard about Jesus. Perhaps she had even traveled to Galilee and seen Jesus’ miracles herself. If so, she had already witnessed His power to heal diseases and cast out demons. Like many others who desperately sought help from Jesus, this woman approached Him in humble reverence, falling down before Him (cf. Matt. 17:14; Mark 1:40; 5:22; Luke 17:16; John 11:32). Jesus regularly healed Jews. But as Mark explains, the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. From the perspective of first-century Judaism, she had everything going against her. First, she was a woman, which even among the Jews meant she was viewed as inferior to a man. Second, she was a Gentile. The adjective Syrophoenician described people from this area at that time; Phoenicia had been annexed to Syria under a Roman general named Pompey (about 65 B.C.). According to Matthew 15:22, she was a descendant of the Canaanites, the ancient enemies of Israel (cf. Ex. 23:23; Num. 33:52–53; Deut. 7:2; 20:16–17). Third, she came from an area that was engulfed in pagan idolatry and was undoubtedly an idol worshiper herself. Tyre and Sidon were major centers of worship for the fertility goddess Astarte, known as Ashtaroth in the Old Testament (cf. Judg. 2:13; 10:6; 1 Sam. 7:3–4; 12:10; 31:10). In the minds of the Jews, no self-respecting rabbi would ever allow a Gentile, especially an idolatrous woman, to remain in his presence. The Lord wanted to show His disciples that the message of salvation was for the nations, those whom they had been taught were outside Gods’ grace and blessing.

The woman had an urgent problem, which is why she kept asking Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. Demons are fallen angels who operate in the kingdom of darkness. In this horrific instance, a demon was cruelly possessing a little girl (cf. Matt. 15:22). (For more on demon possession, see chapter 17 in this volume.) As a mother, this woman’s heart was aching for her daughter. With her life and home in satanic turmoil, she had likely performed whatever ceremonies she thought would appease her false gods, but to no avail. When it became obvious that idols of stone could not deliver her child (cf. Ps. 115:4–8; Isa. 44:9–20), she abandoned her pagan practices. Turning away from her impotent idols (cf. 1 Thess. 1:9), she came to Jesus, hoping Israel’s Messiah could rescue her daughter.

The fact that she kept asking for His help indicates that she was unwilling to give up. Her love for her daughter, the horror of demonic power in her home, combined with her confidence in Jesus’ power, fueled her unwavering resolve. That heartfelt persistence was matched by an attitude of humble penitence. As the parallel account in Matthew 15:22 explains, she “began to cry out, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.’” Recognizing her own unworthiness, like the publican in Luke 18:13, she begged for mercy on the basis of His inherent goodness, not her own. Her address to Jesus was also characterized by reverence and a recognition of His messianic role. Even though she was a Gentile, she acknowledged Him as Lord and identified Him by the messianic title “Son of David” (cf. Matt. 21:9). Her words suggest more than a superficial familiarity with the religious beliefs of neighboring Israel. She rightly understood who Jesus was.

Matthew 15:23 indicates that, although she kept asking persistently, initially Jesus “did not answer her a word.” At first glance, the Lord’s silence may seem a bit startling. He was not being rude or indifferent. Rather, He was illustrating a vital spiritual point—both for her and for His disciples. The reason Jesus did not answer her immediately was to allow the robust character of her faith to be put on display. After experiencing the superficial faith of many in Israel (cf. John 2:24; 6:64, 66), the Lord found true faith in a Gentile woman from the region of Tyre. The barriers He erected were not designed to push her away but to showcase the authenticity of her faith. Unlike the rich young ruler, whose faith crumbled when tested (cf. Matt. 19:16–22), this woman’s faith was unbreakable. That the Lord had compassion on her is borne out by the rest of this account (cf. John 6:37).

JESUS’ FOCUSED REPLY

And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” (7:27)

The disciples misinterpreted Jesus’ silence, assuming His refusal to answer indicated that He wanted the woman to leave. As she continued to plead, their frustration and impatience toward her increased. Not only was she a Gentile and a nuisance, her loud appeals were attracting attention at a time when they sought privacy and seclusion from the crowds. Thus, according to Matthew 15:23, “His disciples came and implored Him, saying, ‘Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.’” They found the woman bothersome and simply wanted her to be silenced and sent away. The Lord, however, intended to teach them a valuable lesson about the character of genuine faith.

In response to the disciples’ request, but within earshot of the woman, Jesus “answered and said, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Matt. 15:24). The Lord’s words reminded the disciples that His initial mission was to the Jewish people (cf. John 4:22; Rom. 1:16; 15:8), and that the time for them to be witnesses throughout the whole earth had not yet arrived. His statement also tested the woman’s faith, since it sounded as if He might not help her because she was a Gentile. Those with lesser faith might have erupted in anger or walked away in dejection. Instead, “she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’” (Matt. 15:25). The phrase “to bow down” (from the Greek word proskuneō) is often rendered as to worship, and underscores her reverential attitude toward Jesus. Knowing He was her only hope, she humbly refused to be dissuaded from coming to Him (cf. Luke 18:1–8).

Jesus continued to test her faith by again delaying His response. Essentially restating what He had just told the disciples, He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” With a simple analogy, the Lord reiterated that His ministry priority was first to Israel. A meal prepared for the children should not be given to the dogs. Similarly, the Messiah’s priority was to preach the news of the kingdom to the children of Israel (cf. Matt. 10:5–6; 15:24; Mark 1:14–15; John 1:11; Acts 10:36). Though the gospel would soon be preached to all the nations, that global expansion was waiting for Christ’s ascension and the arrival of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; cf. John 10:16; 11:51–52). The New Testament uses two different Greek words for dogs. One refers to the feral mongrels that roamed the streets in packs and scavenged for garbage (cf. Matt. 7:6; Luke 16:21; Phil. 3:2; 2 Peter 2:22; Rev. 22:15). The dogs referred to here (from the Greek word kunarion, sometimes translated as “little dogs”) were diminutive household pets that were cared for by the family. Thus, Jesus used a term for dogs that was far less harsh than most first-century Jews would have applied to the Gentiles. Even so, the woman understood the Lord’s point. His primary focus was on feeding the children of Israel (cf. John 6:35), and she was not included.

THE WOMAN’S FAITH-FILLED RESPONSE

But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” (7:28)

The Lord knew the woman’s divinely bestowed faith (cf. Eph. 2:8–9) was genuine, and that it would not be discouraged or dissuaded (cf. Luke 13:24; 16:16). Rather than being offended, she responded with undaunted trust. Extending Jesus’ analogy, she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” She recognized her unworthiness and acknowledged her place as a Gentile. Unlike many of the Jews, who responded to Jesus with self-righteous pride, her attitude was very meek and poor in spirit (cf. Matt. 5:3). For her, just the crumbs were sufficient. A tiny fragment of Jesus’ power could heal her daughter and that was all she sought. Though the priority of Jesus’ earthly mission was to the children of Israel, the crumbs of the gospel did fall from their table to satisfy humble Gentiles who hungered for true righteousness (cf. Matt. 5:6). The covenants, Scriptures, and the Messiah may all have been given to Israel (cf. Rom. 9:4–5), but God intended for Gentiles to receive the overflow (cf. Rom. 11:12). The message of salvation that came first to the Jews is the same gospel message that was and would be given to the Gentiles. The several Gentile conversions in the Gospels are previews of the future salvation of souls from all nations.

The woman’s response, elicited by the Lord Jesus, expressed a quality of faith that He called “great faith” (cf. Matt. 15:28). On an earlier occasion, the Lord made a similar remark about a Roman centurion who asked Jesus to heal his servant: “I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel” (cf. Matt. 8:10; Luke 7:9). In both cases, it was a Gentile who demonstrated such remarkable faith. With the woman in Tyre, the context suggests that her faith was more than just a nominal belief in Jesus’ healing power. Her humble, reverent, and persistent appeal to Christ implies that God was at work in her heart, drawing her to salvation (cf. John 6:44). Had her faith remained in the pagan deities of her Canaanite culture, it would have been empty and worthless. True faith sets its hope in the one true God (cf. Heb. 11:1, 6) and fixes its “eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith” (12:2).

The greatness of this woman’s faith is magnified when compared to the little that she knew. Born and raised in a pagan culture, she did not share in the privileged heritage of the Jewish people. She was removed from the temple, the sacrificial system, and even the Scriptures. Yet, even though she had received only a little revelation, she believed. The magnitude of her faith was evidenced by her willingness to turn from the pagan deities of her upbringing and embrace Jesus Christ in faith. That response stood in stark contrast to the Jewish religious leaders, who arrogantly condemned their own Messiah as a blasphemer (cf. John 10:33), a friend of sinners (cf. Luke 7:34), and an ally of Satan (cf. Mark 3:22). In Matthew 11:21, Jesus offered this severe warning to the Israelites who rejected Him: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” Here was a pagan woman from the region of Tyre who proved the truthfulness of Jesus’ words. What a rebuke she was to apostate Israel, a Gentile who embraced the Messiah when so many self-righteous Jews rejected Him (cf. Rom. 11:11).

JESUS’ FAVORABLE REACTION

And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. (7:29–30)

Though Jesus prolonged His interaction with this woman, in order to put the nature of genuine faith on display, He knew all along what He was going to do. The Lord never refused anyone, Jew or Gentile, who approached Him in sincere faith (John 6:37; cf. Luke 7:9; John 4:39). After hearing her reply, He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” Because she possessed true belief in Him, the process of being tested only strengthened it (cf. Rom. 4:20; 1 Peter 1:7). Her resolve did not waver but intensified. And Jesus was highly pleased with her response.

The Lord granted her request by casting the demon out of her daughter. He had such control over the spiritual realm that He did not need to be with her. His power was omnipresent, and the evil spirit was immediately compelled to evacuate. Having embraced the Lord Jesus in faith, the woman returned home confident in His power. And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. That her daughter was lying down in bed suggests both that the child was exhausted due to the struggle with the demon (cf. Mark 1:26; 9:20) and that she was finally able to rest peacefully, now that the evil spirit was gone. Undoubtedly, like Jairus and his wife upon the resurrection of their daughter (cf. Mark 5:42) or the countless others whom Jesus healed, this woman responded in joy-filled astonishment that her daughter had been delivered.

The daughter’s healing, though wonderful, is not the primary point of this account. Rather, the focus centers on both the substance of this woman’s faith—being characterized by humility, penitence, reverence, and persistence—and the object of her faith—namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. This woman’s story is a magnificent illustration of the fact that genuine saving faith forsakes idols, abandons pride, and reverently yet persistently begs for divine mercy and grace (cf. Matt. 7:7). In some ways she is like Job, whom God tested to demonstrate the genuineness of his faith. True faith persists and endures until it receives the grace it seeks.