Mark Vol. 2 - Week 5 (7:24-37)
Mark 7:24-37
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The King Who Displays Radical Compassion
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Mark 7:24-37 〰️ The King Who Displays Radical Compassion 〰️
In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6, Jesus says that the birds of the sky "don't sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you worth more than they?" (v26). In this week's passage, we'll get another glimpse of Jesus' heart and see His love and care for everyone. When we read a passage like this, the translation into English can seem course and insulting, and when we read these passages one section at a time, we're more prone to losing the overarching narrative from Mark. It's been mentioned just about every week, but a large part of Jesus' mission was to turn the Law and the Jews' understanding on their head, and our passage this week is no different.
In Mark 7:24-37, we again read about Jesus seeking time away from crowds. And again, He's "interrupted" by someone seeking healing. This time, it is a Gentile woman from Phoenicia, a region in Syria (hence Syrophoenecian). She is not Greek by blood but by culture and religion.¹ Mark stresses her non-Jewish identity because of the cultural baggage and context of the time. Gentiles were considered so un-spiritual that the Jewish people believed if they got too close, they would become ceremonially unclean as well. Wild dogs were viewed similarly, and so the common insult used by Jewish people towards Gentiles was to call them dogs.
When the Syrophoenician woman comes to Jesus asking for healing, Jesus answers in a metaphor that serves multiple purposes. Jesus responds, saying, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." (v27). There's a lot we could talk about, but there are two things specifically that I want to unpack in Jesus' response.
1. Did Jesus insult the Syrophoenecian woman?
There are several different schools of thought as to who the "children" are and what the "bread" is, but most importantly, it's widely agreed that the "dogs" are Gentiles. A first reading can send us reeling. Did Jesus just insult a woman who came begging for help? Not at all!
When translating the Old Testament from Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament from Greek, it can be easy for us to lose some of the nuances of the languages, as English isn't the most elegant language. (As an example, the Greek language has six words for "love," each with its own specific meaning; we just have one that requires specification). The word that Jesus uses when addressing the woman is kynarion. The root of this word, kyōn, means dog, but kynarion is more closely translated as "puppy," "little dog," or "house dog."² Jesus takes this prejudice and hurtful insult and flips it into an endearing and empathetic descriptor! At first, we think Jesus is using a slur against the woman, but He's actually taking a common insult and bringing it a new, loving meaning.
2. Jesus' mission
If we read over v27 again, what did Jesus say about the children and the dogs (puppies)? The children are to be fed first. So we can learn (with future New Testament context) that the Gentiles' time for healing and hearing the Gospel will come. Salvation isn't just for the Jewish people anymore, but right now, in the middle of Jesus' earthly ministry, that's who He is focusing on. We know now that God seeks Jews and Gentiles, calling them to follow Him. I myself wouldn't be here today if the LORD didn't have a heart and desire for Gentiles!
Paul writes of this to the Romans as well. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16). The Gospel was to first berevealed to God's chosen people, Israel, before the rest of the world. Imagine if Jesus came and taught salvation to Gentiles first, then Jewish people. They very likely would have completely rejected His message. The Jewish people were under the thumb of Rome, a Gentile nation. How long had they waited for the Messiah to save them, only to have Him not save them first but the pagans of the world?
When Jesus told the woman this, she said, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." (v28). She seemingly accepted and understood Jesus' purpose and priority in His earthly mission, but she still wanted the future promise of provision and healing now. This is where we can get a glimpse of the greater redemptive story of the Bible.
Because of her faith and submission to the LORD's will, her daughter was healed. Just like in the last few passages, Jesus is changing perspectives. What was unclean-- the Gentile woman (a dog in Jewish eyes) and her daughter (with an unclean spirit)-- Jesus declares clean (calling the woman a member of the family and casting out the unclean spirit).
This section closes with a brief story of Jesus healing a deaf man. Jesus brought healing to the man, but afterward, He told everyone to keep quiet about it. Jesus has done this several times, and the purpose is that the more notoriety He gains, the more attention He receives from the religious leaders. If everything He did was publicized to the maximum, it would have sped up the process of His execution. So, as we jump into discussion, we'll look at what it might have been like to be in the shoes of the Syrophoenecian woman, as well as those who might have been listening. What would it have meant to hear this great teacher seemingly insult this woman? Would we have understood what He meant by effectively calling her a member of the family?
Discussion Questions
What stood out to you from the passage?
Does anything in this passage remind you of another part of Scripture?
Do you have any questions?
What characteristics of Jesus do we see in this passage?
How can we see the greater redemptive story of the Bible come more into focus in this passage?
Has there ever been a time when you felt unworthy of God's compassion or mercy? What was the source, and what did that feel like?
What can we learn about faith, patience, and humility from the woman's response to Jesus?
Are there any areas of your life where you struggle with impatience while waiting for God's timing? How does reading a passage like this affect you?
1. John D. Grassmick, Mark in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 135.
2. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2952/kjv/tr/0-1/ ; https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2965/kjv/tr/0-1/