So, being a young pastor, I cannot resist a good pop-culture reference when I see one (even if it is a little dated, most of you remember…). Funny thing about this one though is that connects with Jesus calling someone (actually a group of someones…) a dog in the one of the passages we are blogging on instead of preaching on in our journey through Mark.
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
In the opening of the passage, we can see that Jesus is by now so well known that He cannot hide from the public eye. In verse 25, we see a desperate woman whose little daughter is demon-possessed (yes, it does happen and can be real) and here is the kicker…she is a Gentile.
Up to this point, Jesus had only done significant work among His own people, the Jews. (This is why I believe Jesus declaring all foods clean like we saw last week is not just about food but also about people as well…)
But then, Jesus, breaking with the Sunday school image that many of us have makes a very pointed statement about seeing to feed the children first (the Jews, or maybe even His disciples) before feeding the dogs (which seems to be a vailed reference to the Gentiles…?).
I love how she responds.
“Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
Before you get the idea that this woman is mouthing off to Jesus, I would say that I don’t read this disrespect but rather the depth of her desperation and dependence upon Jesus alone to bring healing into her situation. And look how He responds…
29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
So what is Jesus doing here? He is commending her faith in him.
So the primary point: BELIEVE IN JESUS. TRUST HIM. TAKE ALL OF YOUR BURDENS TO HIM. HE IS OUR ULTIMATE HOPE AT ALL TIMES.
Are we doing that on a regular basis? Even BEFORE things get this desperate?
We would be wise to follow suit.
But there is another secondary message for us here as well in regard to her persistence which reminds me of a story Jesus tells in Luke 18 in regard to how we should persist in prayer.
18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Wow. What a challenge to us…
When was the last time when we were as persistent with Jesus to move on our behalf for His glory and our good?
May we follow this examples in the power of Christ both as individuals and as a community.
Starting now.
