WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.639 Well, this is an important passage, and in some ways it's a difficult passage as we read it, 00:00:06.179 --> 00:00:10.439 because one of the things that we've consistently noted throughout our study of Mark's gospel 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:20.000 is the compassionate heart of Christ. Everywhere he went, Jesus demonstrated a tender spirit. 00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:27.940 He demonstrated a caring nature. I mean, really, everything that we've seen about him up to this 00:00:27.940 --> 00:00:35.079 passage in Mark's gospel, unless it is confronting error and the false teaching of the Pharisees, 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:42.340 we see really just an amazing compassion in Jesus, a tenderness that is unmatched, and this 00:00:42.340 --> 00:00:49.100 caring nature that many of us often do not experience, perhaps have never really experienced 00:00:49.100 --> 00:00:56.880 in the way that these people did when Jesus came by. And these gospels even often use that phrase, 00:00:56.880 --> 00:01:02.600 moved with compassion when talking about Jesus, right? So often we see the gospel writer saying 00:01:02.600 --> 00:01:07.520 Jesus considered the people, he looked on the people, he thought about the villages he had gone 00:01:07.520 --> 00:01:12.719 through, and he was moved with compassion on them. And sometimes that moving of compassion, 00:01:12.939 --> 00:01:22.099 the fires of compassion in his heart were a result of their error, that they lacked a true knowledge 00:01:22.099 --> 00:01:27.979 of the gospel. And of what God desired for them, and of the salvation that he provides and offers. 00:01:28.699 --> 00:01:33.979 Sometimes it was because of their physical needs. We saw that in the feeding of the 5,000. He was 00:01:33.979 --> 00:01:39.179 moved with compassion on the people because they were hungry, and he desired to meet their need. And of 00:01:39.179 --> 00:01:46.399 course, we've seen that many times. We know that Jesus is compassionate. After all, it was his divine 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:54.820 love that led him to the cross. John makes that clear to us in perhaps the most famous verse in all the Bible. 00:01:55.640 --> 00:02:04.040 In John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only son. It's divine love that led Jesus to 00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:10.319 the cross. It's divine love that brought him to earth to do the things that he did and to suffer in the way that 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:19.560 he did. It's divine love that led to the resurrection. He's a compassionate Savior. And no person, no matter how 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:29.859 vile, was ever turned away by Jesus when they came to him in true faith. No person is excluded from this 00:02:29.859 --> 00:02:38.000 offer of forgiveness and eternal life. His heart beats for sinners and for sufferers. And the scriptures 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:44.620 prove that time and time again. He's not only the sovereign Lord. He's not only a loving Savior. 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:50.240 He's a compassionate friend. And it's one of the things that draws us to him, isn't it? 00:02:51.039 --> 00:03:00.759 And it's because of what I know of Jesus's tenderness that leads me to always pause with a measure of 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:07.979 confusion when I come to this particular passage. Because when we come here and we begin to read 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:15.580 especially in Matthew's account, we see this maybe come to life a little bit stronger. On the surface, 00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:25.979 it seems that Jesus's interaction with this woman is cold. We might even say it's even heartless to an 00:03:25.979 --> 00:03:34.219 extent. Here's this woman who is begging, not for herself. She's not asking for Jesus to do something 00:03:34.219 --> 00:03:41.599 to meet her physical need, but she has a little girl who is tortured by a demon. And she's begging for 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:51.500 God to help, begging for Jesus to help. And yet he seems so atypically cold and unconcerned at first. 00:03:52.740 --> 00:04:00.020 Of course, a careful reading reminds us that Jesus wasn't being cold here. He was just as concerned 00:04:00.020 --> 00:04:04.640 about this woman and her daughter as he is for anyone else. And that's ultimately shown in the 00:04:04.640 --> 00:04:10.600 fact that he commends the woman's faith and then he heals her daughter. So we know the ending. We know 00:04:10.600 --> 00:04:17.540 what Jesus is going to do for them. And so we have to understand that Jesus is not being cold. 00:04:18.460 --> 00:04:23.360 We usually have kind of an idea. This is how we envision God doing his work. And this is how we 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:29.460 desire him to do his work. And so seldom does it actually meet what our expectation is. He works in 00:04:29.459 --> 00:04:35.019 ways that we don't often understand. But there's always a purpose to God's ways, which means there 00:04:35.019 --> 00:04:42.419 was always a purpose to Jesus's ways. And my hope this morning is that I can articulate the purpose 00:04:42.419 --> 00:04:48.839 and meaning of this passage in such a way that you will be able to see past this, what seems to be a 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:54.419 coldness on Jesus's part on the surface to really the true intent and purpose of this passage. 00:04:54.420 --> 00:05:04.319 The events here are not linked in and of themselves, but the message of this story is absolutely linked 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.700 with Jesus's confrontation with the Pharisees and the scribes. That's where we've been the last two 00:05:08.700 --> 00:05:15.439 Sundays. In those first 23 verses, we saw Jesus in this confrontation with these men. And the events 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:21.600 themselves, this event isn't necessarily happening immediately after, but it's placed here in Mark and 00:05:21.600 --> 00:05:27.879 Matthew's gospels intentionally because the message is absolutely linked. The Pharisees, 00:05:27.980 --> 00:05:34.060 if you remember, they believed that acceptance with God came from conformity to the law, even through 00:05:34.060 --> 00:05:41.400 their own law that they had added to God's word. And they ignored the sinful reality of their heart 00:05:41.400 --> 00:05:50.700 and fixated entirely on ritual and ceremonial cleansing. And so Jesus taught them, as we discovered last 00:05:50.699 --> 00:05:56.000 week, that it's actually their very nature, their very heart is evil, and that it's not that they 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:01.000 needed clean hands to be acceptable with God, but they needed a clean heart. And there's no way for 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:07.300 them to actually clean their heart. They need for God to do that. And there's no salvation that comes or 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:11.599 no purity that comes from religious practice. That was his point. That's what he's getting across to 00:06:11.599 --> 00:06:18.379 those men and then to the disciples as well. And we understand salvation comes as God declares 00:06:18.379 --> 00:06:24.740 righteous those who put their faith in Jesus. He doesn't declare them righteous because they've 00:06:24.740 --> 00:06:30.699 done their best and they've tried their hardest and they've gone to church and they've done the things 00:06:30.699 --> 00:06:35.779 that people say that they need to do. That's not where God declares a person righteous. He doesn't 00:06:35.779 --> 00:06:43.779 justify us on that basis. He justifies us on the basis of our faith in Christ, which is what Romans 3 00:06:43.779 --> 00:06:50.879 makes clear. For by the works of the law is no man justified in his sight, since through the law comes 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:58.119 the knowledge of sin. All that the law and religion can do is condemn you. It cannot actually provide 00:06:58.119 --> 00:07:04.459 life and it cannot provide forgiveness. And then Paul goes on to say in Romans 3, but now the 00:07:04.459 --> 00:07:10.799 righteousness of God has been made manifest apart from the law. And here is the righteousness of God 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:17.759 through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. That was the point of Jesus's confrontation. 00:07:18.420 --> 00:07:23.180 That your cleanliness and purity and acceptance with God is not on the basis of what you do. 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:30.120 It is on the basis of God's mercy and grace as you come to Christ in faith. But then we remember that 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:39.920 the disciples had lived their entire lives engulfed in this pharisaical Judaism. And they had difficulty 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:45.699 grasping the truth behind Jesus's teaching. It's not that they didn't believe Jesus. It's not that they 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:50.939 didn't believe that he was being truthful. It's that they had a difficult time grasping it all. 00:07:51.379 --> 00:07:59.480 And the interaction between Jesus and this Syrophoenician woman was a living illustration of what 00:07:59.480 --> 00:08:08.100 Jesus was teaching his disciples in verses 14 to 23. It wasn't that Jesus was being cold to this woman. 00:08:08.100 --> 00:08:17.420 He was testing her faith. He's testing her. As she comes, he ignores her intentionally on first, 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:23.879 at first in order to test her faith, to draw out the faith that he knew to be true in her heart. 00:08:23.960 --> 00:08:30.420 And why in the world would he do that? Why would he make it so difficult for her? Why would he test her 00:08:30.420 --> 00:08:37.300 so severely? Because he knew the faith of her heart? And he desired to take that faith and put it on 00:08:37.300 --> 00:08:43.620 display for these 12 men that were following him around Galilee and now into Gentile regions. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:50.759 And so the point of this passage, the point of this story, why it's here, is that the gospel of Jesus 00:08:50.759 --> 00:09:00.279 is for all people. It's for everyone. And it comes only through faith in Christ and it's apart from any 00:09:00.279 --> 00:09:07.179 human work or deed. That's the point. It's a gospel purpose here as we read this story and understand it. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:13.879 And so though the focus of Jesus's ministry was primarily on the Jewish people, 00:09:13.879 --> 00:09:20.720 it would be the responsibility of his apostles to take this gospel around the world. And indeed, 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:27.980 ultimately, that's exactly what they would do. And this event was foundational to their understanding 00:09:27.980 --> 00:09:35.179 of that purpose. Okay. The first thing I wrote down is an unusual retreat, an unusual retreat. 00:09:35.620 --> 00:09:43.519 Look with me at verse 24. And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:50.120 And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 00:09:50.860 --> 00:09:59.700 And the next few chapters in Mark's gospel reveal that Jesus was entering a season of widespread travel. 00:10:00.419 --> 00:10:07.899 So everything between now until chapter 11, Jesus is really moving outside of the Galilean region. 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:11.720 In fact, there's only two times in Mark's gospel that it shows him coming back. 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:16.960 Both of them are kind of under the cover of secrecy and they're just quick stops. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:21.620 In chapter 8, he goes to Dalmanutha or Magdala is probably where that was. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:27.000 And then in chapter 9, he goes back to Capernaum, but he doesn't want anybody to know he's there. 00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:28.960 He just makes a quick stop and then he moves on. 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:35.800 All of his other movement at this point is in Tyre and Sidon and then the region of the Decapolis. 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:40.039 And then he's going to go to Caesarea Philippi and then he's going to go to Mount Hermon. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:43.319 And then he's going to move down to Judea just before his crucifixion. 00:10:43.419 --> 00:10:45.899 So he's moving out of Galilee at this point, okay? 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:49.419 And so this itinerant schedule begins here. 00:10:49.779 --> 00:10:55.519 And it begins with this withdrawal from Galilee to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 00:10:55.779 --> 00:10:59.959 And there's really three reasons, I think, that Jesus needed to withdraw here. 00:10:59.960 --> 00:11:03.639 The first one would be safety, safety. 00:11:04.200 --> 00:11:05.060 Now think about this. 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:13.420 Both secular and religious authorities were doing what they could to arrest and execute Jesus at this point. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:15.660 He caused them enough problems. 00:11:16.040 --> 00:11:19.220 The Pharisees and the scribes, they've been doing this since chapter 3. 00:11:19.320 --> 00:11:26.900 They've been trying to find a way to arrest him and to silence him and destroy him is the word that Mark uses. 00:11:26.900 --> 00:11:27.980 They wanted to destroy him. 00:11:27.980 --> 00:11:30.659 And they were in cohorts together to try to make that happen. 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:36.399 Well, their patience is running thin and their plan is no longer a secret, okay? 00:11:36.580 --> 00:11:38.879 Everybody knows that they want to kill Jesus. 00:11:39.019 --> 00:11:41.240 They want to do something about Jesus. 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:42.639 He's causing them so many problems. 00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:47.639 But then you've got Herod, on the other hand, who we learned in chapter 6, 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:50.899 thinks that Jesus is a reincarnated John the Baptist, 00:11:50.899 --> 00:11:58.459 which he had murdered because that he spoke against his unlawful marriage to his sister-in-law. 00:11:59.079 --> 00:12:01.819 And so now Jesus has not only Pharisees and scribes, 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:05.500 but he's also got the Herodians who are trying to silence him. 00:12:05.539 --> 00:12:07.000 They're trying to do something about Jesus. 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:12.779 So one of the reasons that Jesus is beginning to move outside of Galilee is just simply safety. 00:12:12.779 --> 00:12:15.139 And it's not that he was moving out of fear. 00:12:15.419 --> 00:12:17.480 It's just it wasn't time for him to die. 00:12:18.199 --> 00:12:19.600 That time had not yet come. 00:12:19.720 --> 00:12:24.480 And it was necessary for him to move out of that area so that he could finish the training of the disciples. 00:12:24.699 --> 00:12:27.500 The second reason, I think, is just very simply he needed rest. 00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:29.039 He needed rest. 00:12:29.039 --> 00:12:35.279 The last time that Mark tells us that the men desperately needed rest, they didn't actually get it. 00:12:36.179 --> 00:12:36.579 Remember? 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:41.159 Jesus said, we need to go to a desolate place so you guys can rest. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:45.639 And when they got there, there were 5,000 people waiting and wanted to be fed. 00:12:46.539 --> 00:12:50.299 And so then they left that place, maybe thinking that they're going to get some rest now. 00:12:50.339 --> 00:12:52.419 And then they had that storm in the middle of the night. 00:12:52.500 --> 00:12:54.480 And Jesus walked on the water, so they didn't get any rest there. 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:56.480 And then they finally got to the other side of the sea. 00:12:56.559 --> 00:12:58.959 And immediately people were coming from all over the place. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:00.399 I mean, these men were tired. 00:13:01.219 --> 00:13:02.799 Jesus was tired. 00:13:03.599 --> 00:13:08.439 And it's not unusual for us to see in the Gospels him needing to go and rest, 00:13:08.459 --> 00:13:10.480 which is a great example to many of us, right? 00:13:10.579 --> 00:13:13.759 The necessity of rest and the necessity of retreat. 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:19.459 Part of the reason he's moving out of Galilee is because he's going to go to places where people don't know him as well. 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:21.379 And he can get the rest that he needs. 00:13:21.379 --> 00:13:23.639 But then really the primary reason is this. 00:13:24.199 --> 00:13:24.599 Training. 00:13:25.259 --> 00:13:25.879 It's training. 00:13:25.879 --> 00:13:34.279 The closer Jesus got to the cross, the more intensely he trained his disciples. 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:39.659 And in the next few chapters, that's going to become incredibly focused for Jesus. 00:13:39.879 --> 00:13:42.860 And it was important because he wasn't going to be there much longer. 00:13:43.220 --> 00:13:46.559 And so they traveled to places that had fewer distractions. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:50.319 Now, so we understand the retreat and we understand really the purposes for it. 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:52.619 But I said it was an unusual retreat. 00:13:53.259 --> 00:14:00.759 And what makes it unusual is not that he did it, but where he went to do it. 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:10.980 Jesus could have gone to Judea and he could have continued his ministry to the Jews there, which was really his primary purpose in coming. 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:15.899 That was the focus of his mission was the Jews and the fulfillment of the covenant promises. 00:14:16.559 --> 00:14:20.580 He could have gone to Judea and done that and left Galilee and gotten at least away from Herod. 00:14:20.580 --> 00:14:30.280 And if privacy was the issue, there were plenty of desolate places, especially maybe around the Dead Sea, that they could have gone and got the seclusion that they needed. 00:14:30.440 --> 00:14:32.340 But Jesus didn't go to Judea. 00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:36.139 He didn't go to the wildernesses of Judea and southern Israel. 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:37.540 That's not where he chose to go. 00:14:37.639 --> 00:14:42.200 Instead, he went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 00:14:42.200 --> 00:14:46.460 Now, these two cities were coastal cities on the Mediterranean Sea. 00:14:47.420 --> 00:14:51.900 Tyre was about a 35-mile walk north of Capernaum, northwest of Capernaum. 00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:56.120 And then Sidon was about another 20 miles north of Tyre. 00:14:57.080 --> 00:14:59.060 And they were Gentile cities. 00:14:59.920 --> 00:15:01.460 They weren't Jewish at all, actually. 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:03.080 They were very pagan. 00:15:03.700 --> 00:15:06.280 They were known for their paganism even by the Jews. 00:15:06.280 --> 00:15:12.180 The Jews had a history of being influenced by the idol worship of these two cities. 00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:20.020 And so to a Jew, someone from this area was as defiled as an unclean animal. 00:15:20.820 --> 00:15:24.900 But Jesus went there on purpose, intentionally. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.780 And really, much of the apostles' ministry was going to be to the Gentiles. 00:15:31.040 --> 00:15:36.820 But Jesus needed to first teach them that salvation was available to such people. 00:15:37.620 --> 00:15:39.879 And so why is Jesus moving here? 00:15:39.879 --> 00:15:45.200 He's going there to prove that salvation is not just for the Jews. 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:47.120 It's for all people. 00:15:48.439 --> 00:15:49.980 And it always has been. 00:15:51.240 --> 00:15:55.740 It's not that the Old Testament taught one thing and the New Testament now teaches another thing. 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:59.679 God's promises has always been for all people. 00:16:00.419 --> 00:16:01.720 Remember what he told Abraham. 00:16:01.720 --> 00:16:05.720 Through you, all the families of the earth will be blessed. 00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:08.080 Consider Psalm 67. 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:15.420 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us that your way may be known on the earth, 00:16:15.540 --> 00:16:18.740 your saving power among all nations. 00:16:19.040 --> 00:16:21.000 Let the peoples praise you, O God. 00:16:21.139 --> 00:16:23.000 Let all the peoples praise you. 00:16:23.440 --> 00:16:25.800 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy. 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:31.539 For you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. 00:16:31.659 --> 00:16:33.479 Let the peoples praise you, O God. 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:35.139 Let all the peoples praise you. 00:16:35.599 --> 00:16:38.279 Salvation was never meant to be exclusive for the Jews. 00:16:38.439 --> 00:16:43.199 That was just the conduit by which God was bringing his plan of salvation. 00:16:43.500 --> 00:16:45.879 He was bringing his Messiah through that nation. 00:16:46.039 --> 00:16:48.500 But salvation was always meant for everyone. 00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:51.799 The gospel was always meant for everyone. 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:52.319 Everyone. 00:16:52.639 --> 00:16:54.299 It's not exclusive to any nation. 00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:56.439 It's not exclusive to any status. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:17:01.319 It's freely given to anyone who will come to Christ in faith. 00:17:02.439 --> 00:17:07.119 And Jesus took his disciples to Tyre and Sidon to make this truth abundantly clear. 00:17:07.639 --> 00:17:08.659 So it's an unusual retreat. 00:17:08.779 --> 00:17:11.079 And then we get to really the primary point here. 00:17:11.299 --> 00:17:13.639 And that is that we see an unreserved faith. 00:17:14.379 --> 00:17:15.519 An unreserved faith. 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:16.919 Look at verse 25. 00:17:16.920 --> 00:17:24.200 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him, came down and fell at his feet. 00:17:25.080 --> 00:17:29.220 Now the woman was a Gentile, Syrophoenician by birth. 00:17:30.019 --> 00:17:34.600 And the people of Tyre and Sidon, they weren't totally unfamiliar with Jesus. 00:17:35.380 --> 00:17:42.259 Mark chapter 3, when all of those crowds were coming to Jesus, it said that people were coming from as far as Tyre and Sidon. 00:17:42.259 --> 00:17:51.599 And they were bringing their sick and diseased in order to press against Jesus is really what they were doing in order to experience his healing power. 00:17:52.319 --> 00:18:02.680 And though he may not have been as quickly recognized there as he was in Galilee, it was really only going to be a matter of time until people realized that he was there. 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:05.799 And who this actually was that had moved into town for a few days. 00:18:05.799 --> 00:18:12.379 And one such person was a mother whose daughter was really in desperate need. 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:20.859 The word here for daughter is little girl, but younger than marrying age, which at that time would have been 12 or 13 years old. 00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:27.240 So we're talking Ashlyn age little girl who has been possessed by a demon. 00:18:27.779 --> 00:18:33.200 We don't know how long, but it's torturing her and it's wreaking havoc on her family. 00:18:33.200 --> 00:18:41.100 And Mark doesn't tell us exactly what was happening with her, but chapter 9 tells us about another instance when a little boy was possessed by a demon. 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:42.759 And here's what Mark has to say. 00:18:42.759 --> 00:18:44.299 They brought the boy to him. 00:18:44.420 --> 00:18:48.400 And when the spirit saw Jesus, immediately it convulsed the boy. 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:52.000 And he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. 00:18:52.680 --> 00:18:56.100 And Jesus asked his father, how long has this been happening to him? 00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:58.019 And he said, from childhood. 00:18:58.900 --> 00:19:02.900 And it has often cast him into fires and into water to destroy him. 00:19:03.200 --> 00:19:06.559 But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us. 00:19:07.279 --> 00:19:13.500 So if her experience was anything like this other family's experience, this was really a devastating situation. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:14.360 She was desperate. 00:19:15.019 --> 00:19:19.000 And we can certainly imagine the heartache that she was experiencing in this moment. 00:19:19.860 --> 00:19:24.000 The interaction between Jesus and this woman is the focus of this story. 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:31.940 Her circumstance is a picture of what it means for anyone to come to Jesus in genuine faith. 00:19:32.579 --> 00:19:33.480 Now think about this. 00:19:34.079 --> 00:19:38.119 From a Jewish perspective, she had everything going against her. 00:19:38.119 --> 00:19:48.419 Not only would she have typically been passed over because she was a woman, but she was a Gentile that was Hellenized in Greek culture. 00:19:49.159 --> 00:19:53.500 She was from an area that was known for its paganism and idolatry. 00:19:53.859 --> 00:19:59.959 And Matthew says she was a Canaanite, which means that her ancestors were the historical enemies of Israel. 00:19:59.960 --> 00:20:04.559 There is nothing positive about this woman from a Jewish perspective. 00:20:04.900 --> 00:20:11.960 In fact, based on the customs of the day, the average rabbi would have considered himself unclean if he even looked at her. 00:20:12.500 --> 00:20:19.720 In fact, there's examples historically of rabbis in this day that were so dedicated to this ritual cleanness 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:24.819 that whenever a woman, they would pass a woman in the marketplace, they would close their eyes. 00:20:24.819 --> 00:20:30.759 They called them the blood and bruised Pharisees because they were constantly running into things. 00:20:31.379 --> 00:20:34.619 Because they were so afraid to look at a woman, they thought they'd be unclean. 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:41.059 Well, now there's a woman here who just has absolutely nothing going her direction as far as the Jews are concerned. 00:20:42.439 --> 00:20:43.619 She was like each of us. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:50.220 She was in desperate need for God's intervention in her life, but she was utterly undeserving of his attention. 00:20:50.220 --> 00:20:59.240 Which means she was the perfect person by which Jesus could teach this lesson, this vital lesson to his disciples. 00:21:02.380 --> 00:21:08.160 There's three features to her faith here that I want to point out to you because that's really the focus. 00:21:08.360 --> 00:21:14.539 She was full of faith and Jesus was testing that faith, as I mentioned, and he was putting it on display. 00:21:14.720 --> 00:21:17.339 And there's really three features to it that I want you to note. 00:21:17.339 --> 00:21:19.960 The first one was that it was a focused faith. 00:21:20.220 --> 00:21:21.819 It was a focused faith. 00:21:23.000 --> 00:21:29.079 By focused, I mean she was turning specifically to Jesus. 00:21:30.839 --> 00:21:38.680 Now, there are people who are intrigued by Jesus and see him as a possible solution to their problem. 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:40.100 You know what I mean? 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:43.200 It's not that they necessarily reject Jesus. 00:21:43.460 --> 00:21:45.039 It's they are actually intrigued by him. 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:48.000 There are a lot of people in the Gospels that fit that description. 00:21:48.279 --> 00:21:49.640 They're intrigued by Jesus. 00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:53.800 They see that he could be a possible solution for their problem. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:56.820 He could be a possible solution for their sin. 00:21:56.980 --> 00:22:06.480 And then there are people who are entirely and wholly convinced that he is the only solution for their problem. 00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:12.380 And we understand as we study the Gospels, we understand the Gospel itself. 00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:18.680 Only the person who sees Jesus as their only hope actually possesses a saving faith. 00:22:18.680 --> 00:22:26.259 And this woman clearly had a focused faith that was not seeing Jesus as just a possible remedy. 00:22:26.259 --> 00:22:29.519 She saw him as her only hope. 00:22:29.519 --> 00:22:33.819 It's likely that she had exhausted every other avenue for help. 00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:42.519 She had probably done whatever the temple priest in Tyre had told her to do in order to achieve some type of healing. 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:47.279 She had probably prayed to however many gods she would have worshipped and nothing helped. 00:22:47.279 --> 00:22:49.259 Nothing could work. 00:22:49.940 --> 00:22:56.460 And she had come to a point to understand, if there is hope, it's only going to be in this man, Jesus. 00:22:57.339 --> 00:23:00.039 And so her faith was focused. 00:23:00.519 --> 00:23:03.339 Now I want you to flip over to Matthew 15, if you've got your finger there. 00:23:03.559 --> 00:23:06.160 And I want you to look with me at verse 22. 00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:08.500 Matthew 15, verse 22. 00:23:11.200 --> 00:23:12.040 Matthew writes, 00:23:12.120 --> 00:23:15.820 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying. 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:17.100 Here's what she was saying. 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:22.100 Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. 00:23:22.960 --> 00:23:25.980 My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. 00:23:26.560 --> 00:23:29.860 Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David. 00:23:30.300 --> 00:23:32.180 Now notice the language she's using there. 00:23:33.640 --> 00:23:35.580 She's not only crying for mercy. 00:23:36.820 --> 00:23:40.040 She's recognizing Jesus as her Lord. 00:23:40.400 --> 00:23:45.040 And then she's referring to him by his messianic title, son of David. 00:23:45.340 --> 00:23:48.300 Now we don't know how much this woman actually knew about Judaism. 00:23:48.580 --> 00:23:50.400 We don't know how much she knew about the Old Testament. 00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:54.800 She at least knew enough to recognize that Jesus was not just another Jew. 00:23:55.560 --> 00:24:01.040 She's referring to him with his messianic title, Lord, son of David, Messiah. 00:24:01.040 --> 00:24:03.920 Have mercy on me. 00:24:03.920 --> 00:24:07.220 And then Mark says that she fell on her feet. 00:24:07.420 --> 00:24:09.800 And he uses that word proskuneo. 00:24:09.860 --> 00:24:12.180 It's the same word that he used with Jairus. 00:24:12.300 --> 00:24:15.680 When Jairus fell at Jesus' feet, it means to worship. 00:24:15.680 --> 00:24:22.000 When this woman comes to Jesus in this moment, it's not because she thinks he might be able to help. 00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:24.299 She thinks he's the only one that can help. 00:24:24.519 --> 00:24:26.299 She's recognizing him as Lord. 00:24:26.519 --> 00:24:29.019 She's recognizing her desperate need for him. 00:24:29.060 --> 00:24:31.779 And she's crying out for mercy. 00:24:31.779 --> 00:24:38.519 Isn't that how it works for anyone who comes to Jesus in genuine faith? 00:24:41.460 --> 00:24:44.819 Do we not have to recognize that Jesus is our Lord? 00:24:46.639 --> 00:24:50.700 Do we not have to acknowledge that he is the Messiah and the Savior? 00:24:50.700 --> 00:24:56.819 And should that not then lead us not to appeal to him on the basis of what we do, 00:24:57.080 --> 00:25:01.620 but solely on the basis of the mercy that he possesses? 00:25:02.140 --> 00:25:03.259 That's what she does. 00:25:03.740 --> 00:25:04.600 It's focused. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:06.900 Because faith is only as good as its object. 00:25:07.120 --> 00:25:08.799 There's a lot of people that talk about faith, 00:25:08.940 --> 00:25:10.940 but faith in yourself isn't going to get you anywhere. 00:25:11.160 --> 00:25:12.960 No matter what the world tells you around, 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:15.299 faith in yourself is going to lead you to hell. 00:25:15.299 --> 00:25:19.000 Faith in this church is not going to lead you very far. 00:25:21.240 --> 00:25:25.960 Faith in whatever rituals you may subscribe to is not going to do very much for you. 00:25:27.399 --> 00:25:29.119 Faith is only as good as its object. 00:25:29.480 --> 00:25:31.859 And she had found the right object, Jesus. 00:25:32.919 --> 00:25:34.319 But it wasn't just a focused faith. 00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:35.919 It was a persistent faith. 00:25:36.399 --> 00:25:37.159 Persistent faith. 00:25:38.059 --> 00:25:39.940 Back in Mark, at the end of verse 26, 00:25:40.220 --> 00:25:43.480 she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 00:25:43.480 --> 00:25:45.480 It was a continual begging. 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:52.339 Now, a distinctive mark of true faith versus a mere intrigue is perseverance. 00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:55.160 That's clear in the New Testament, right? 00:25:56.000 --> 00:26:01.819 And her persistence in crying out to Jesus follows a pattern that we've seen actually quite often in Mark's gospel. 00:26:02.059 --> 00:26:02.620 Think about that. 00:26:03.259 --> 00:26:05.200 You remember the leprous man in chapter 1? 00:26:06.799 --> 00:26:07.599 Remember his persistence? 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:10.839 He broke every law that he could break to get to Jesus. 00:26:11.319 --> 00:26:12.539 He wasn't supposed to be there. 00:26:13.539 --> 00:26:14.440 And he made his way to Jesus. 00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:15.139 He was persistent. 00:26:15.379 --> 00:26:16.319 He's trying to get to him. 00:26:17.440 --> 00:26:19.359 What about the woman with the issue of blood? 00:26:20.440 --> 00:26:23.359 She had exhausted every other opportunity that she had. 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:24.119 Nothing worked. 00:26:24.500 --> 00:26:26.960 She knew that Jesus was the only one that could help. 00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:30.680 And she presses through this crowd of people just to touch the hem of his garment. 00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:34.059 Just to touch the tassels at the bottom of his robe. 00:26:34.059 --> 00:26:35.480 If she could just get to those. 00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:37.420 And she's persistently, she's pushing. 00:26:37.500 --> 00:26:38.319 She's not giving up. 00:26:38.319 --> 00:26:40.799 She's pushing to get to where Jesus is. 00:26:40.939 --> 00:26:42.819 What about the paralytics friends? 00:26:43.700 --> 00:26:45.980 They show up to Peter's house in Capernaum. 00:26:46.379 --> 00:26:48.639 They know that Jesus can help their friend. 00:26:48.839 --> 00:26:50.939 But there's so many people they can't get to him. 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:51.819 So what do they do? 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:53.220 They climbed up the house. 00:26:53.379 --> 00:26:54.639 And they tore the roof apart. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:58.159 They were persistent trying to get to Jesus. 00:26:58.379 --> 00:27:00.299 Jairus was the same way. 00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:04.960 And Mark wrote that she continued to beg Jesus to intervene. 00:27:05.579 --> 00:27:08.519 But Matthew's account provides a few more details here. 00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:11.319 Look back at Matthew 15 verse 23 this time. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:14.259 Notice what Jesus did. 00:27:15.339 --> 00:27:18.359 He did not answer her a word. 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:22.079 And his disciples came and begged him saying, 00:27:22.599 --> 00:27:23.740 Send her away. 00:27:24.379 --> 00:27:26.779 For she's crying out after us. 00:27:28.519 --> 00:27:29.759 What's happening here? 00:27:30.740 --> 00:27:32.559 This woman comes to Jesus. 00:27:33.019 --> 00:27:34.460 Falls before him. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:38.419 And says, Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David. 00:27:38.579 --> 00:27:40.440 And she tries to explain the situation. 00:27:40.779 --> 00:27:41.980 And Jesus ignored her. 00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:43.879 And he kept going. 00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:45.799 And so what did she do? 00:27:46.619 --> 00:27:47.399 She followed. 00:27:48.259 --> 00:27:50.379 And as she's following what she's doing, 00:27:50.579 --> 00:27:52.919 she's crying out, Have mercy on me, Lord. 00:27:53.079 --> 00:27:54.919 Have mercy on me, son of David. 00:27:55.180 --> 00:27:56.119 Help my daughter. 00:27:56.379 --> 00:27:57.220 Have mercy. 00:27:57.220 --> 00:28:00.279 To the point that the disciples, ultimately, they get annoyed. 00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:03.839 And they say, Jesus, will you not send this lady away? 00:28:04.839 --> 00:28:06.460 If you don't do something about her, 00:28:06.600 --> 00:28:08.480 everybody in town is going to know that we're here. 00:28:08.480 --> 00:28:12.120 She was persistent. 00:28:12.740 --> 00:28:14.480 It wasn't that Jesus was being cold here. 00:28:14.640 --> 00:28:16.660 He's not ignoring her out of rudeness. 00:28:16.819 --> 00:28:18.660 He's drawing out her faith. 00:28:19.160 --> 00:28:22.360 He's drawing out the persistence in her faith 00:28:22.360 --> 00:28:24.380 in order that his disciples might see it. 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:26.900 And at first, they completely missed it. 00:28:27.860 --> 00:28:29.200 Because on the other hand, 00:28:29.259 --> 00:28:32.039 he's exposing not only the reality of her faith 00:28:32.039 --> 00:28:33.339 and the strength of it, 00:28:33.420 --> 00:28:35.799 but he's exposing the lack of compassion 00:28:35.799 --> 00:28:37.039 in these disciples. 00:28:38.180 --> 00:28:39.779 What they should have been doing 00:28:39.779 --> 00:28:41.680 was interceding for this woman. 00:28:43.220 --> 00:28:45.440 Think of all the things they had seen Jesus do. 00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:48.079 Think of all the transformation 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:50.299 they had witnessed Jesus 00:28:50.299 --> 00:28:52.940 before their eyes accomplished in people's lives. 00:28:53.079 --> 00:28:54.599 They should have been coming to Jesus 00:28:54.599 --> 00:28:56.759 and saying, Jesus, can we not help this woman? 00:28:57.720 --> 00:28:58.599 Can we not help her? 00:28:58.639 --> 00:28:59.619 We know you can. 00:28:59.960 --> 00:29:00.940 Will you stop and help her? 00:29:00.940 --> 00:29:02.180 But that's not what they did at all. 00:29:02.320 --> 00:29:03.059 What did they do? 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:04.720 They run to Jesus and they say, 00:29:04.779 --> 00:29:06.880 Jesus, will you please get rid of this woman? 00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:08.660 She's about to drive us crazy. 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:12.400 And I wonder how many times 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:15.299 we fit that description in our lives. 00:29:17.059 --> 00:29:18.480 And we've got these, quote, 00:29:18.559 --> 00:29:19.860 problem people in our lives. 00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:22.140 And instead of interceding for them, 00:29:22.240 --> 00:29:24.880 that God would do his gospel work in their life 00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:26.620 and that he would do something for them, 00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:28.080 we go to God and we say, 00:29:28.080 --> 00:29:30.460 would you please do something about these people, Lord? 00:29:30.940 --> 00:29:33.140 Would you please get rid of these people? 00:29:33.220 --> 00:29:34.279 They're driving me crazy. 00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:39.779 It was failure on the part of these disciples. 00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:42.440 But it was an incredible faith 00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:43.420 on the part of this woman. 00:29:44.680 --> 00:29:47.660 And it's peculiar to see Jesus respond this way, isn't it? 00:29:48.820 --> 00:29:51.100 But doesn't he always respond in ways 00:29:51.100 --> 00:29:52.680 that we don't understand? 00:29:52.680 --> 00:29:56.560 There's many times in the gospels 00:29:56.560 --> 00:29:58.380 where the way that he acts 00:29:58.380 --> 00:30:01.480 leads people to think he doesn't care. 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:05.180 You remember the storm on the Sea of Galilee? 00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:06.840 The ship's falling apart 00:30:06.840 --> 00:30:08.320 and the disciples think they're gonna die. 00:30:08.539 --> 00:30:10.160 What was it that they said to Jesus 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:10.960 when they woke him up? 00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:11.720 He's just asleep. 00:30:12.380 --> 00:30:13.039 He's asleep. 00:30:13.740 --> 00:30:14.759 What was it they said? 00:30:14.759 --> 00:30:17.559 Master, do you not care? 00:30:19.039 --> 00:30:21.579 Do you not care that we're perishing right now? 00:30:21.740 --> 00:30:23.799 We're dying, Jesus, and you don't care. 00:30:24.039 --> 00:30:24.700 You're just asleep. 00:30:27.019 --> 00:30:30.279 Remember when Lazarus, Jesus' friend, died? 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:33.960 Jesus tells the disciples, 00:30:34.099 --> 00:30:35.019 Lazarus is dead. 00:30:35.279 --> 00:30:36.039 We're gonna go see him. 00:30:36.059 --> 00:30:37.379 And he shows up four days after. 00:30:38.619 --> 00:30:41.220 They had sent a runner to let Jesus know that he was sick. 00:30:41.220 --> 00:30:42.299 He could have gone straight there 00:30:42.299 --> 00:30:44.000 and healed Lazarus from his sickness. 00:30:44.380 --> 00:30:45.960 But that wasn't Jesus' plan. 00:30:46.839 --> 00:30:48.019 And you remember when he showed up? 00:30:49.180 --> 00:30:50.500 Mary runs out and she says, 00:30:50.579 --> 00:30:51.779 Lord, if you had just been here, 00:30:52.740 --> 00:30:54.440 if you had come when we asked, 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:58.259 then what did Jesus do? 00:30:59.700 --> 00:31:02.779 He performs a much more incredible miracle 00:31:02.779 --> 00:31:04.079 than what he would have performed otherwise. 00:31:04.839 --> 00:31:07.140 It wasn't that he was being negligent of his friend. 00:31:07.579 --> 00:31:09.980 It's not that he didn't care about the disciples in the boat. 00:31:09.980 --> 00:31:12.360 And it wasn't that he was being rude to this woman. 00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:15.440 Jesus works in ways that we don't understand 00:31:15.440 --> 00:31:16.900 because he has a purpose in it. 00:31:17.420 --> 00:31:19.460 And the purpose here was he was showing 00:31:19.460 --> 00:31:21.160 how much faith she actually had. 00:31:21.259 --> 00:31:22.220 And at the same time, 00:31:22.240 --> 00:31:24.539 he was showing how little faith the disciples had. 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:26.759 So her faith was focused. 00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:28.559 Her faith was persistent. 00:31:29.200 --> 00:31:30.559 And then her faith was humble. 00:31:31.500 --> 00:31:32.360 It was humble. 00:31:34.500 --> 00:31:36.400 Now, it would be a grave mistake 00:31:36.400 --> 00:31:38.759 to insinuate that the woman's persistence 00:31:38.759 --> 00:31:39.900 earned God's favor. 00:31:40.099 --> 00:31:41.700 That's not what's happening here. 00:31:42.680 --> 00:31:44.839 He didn't respond because she asked him 00:31:44.839 --> 00:31:46.039 a certain amount of times. 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:50.099 Her persistence was just a demonstration of her faith. 00:31:51.579 --> 00:31:53.220 And if God works in our lives, 00:31:53.220 --> 00:31:55.879 is contingent on what we do 00:31:55.879 --> 00:31:58.039 or how much we do it, 00:31:58.599 --> 00:32:01.420 then salvation comes through our merit 00:32:01.420 --> 00:32:02.579 rather than his grace. 00:32:02.579 --> 00:32:05.980 But the Bible is abundantly clear about this. 00:32:06.659 --> 00:32:08.960 Salvation is only by God's grace. 00:32:09.179 --> 00:32:10.019 Ephesians 2. 00:32:10.519 --> 00:32:12.960 By grace are you saved through faith, 00:32:13.519 --> 00:32:14.720 not of yourselves, 00:32:15.159 --> 00:32:16.240 not of works, 00:32:16.599 --> 00:32:17.500 lest you could boast. 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:19.259 He's not responding to her 00:32:19.259 --> 00:32:21.199 simply because she reached the quota 00:32:21.199 --> 00:32:23.299 of times that she was supposed to pray. 00:32:23.500 --> 00:32:25.019 God doesn't work that way. 00:32:25.579 --> 00:32:27.419 If you've got an issue in your life right now, 00:32:27.779 --> 00:32:30.220 don't let someone deceive you into thinking 00:32:30.220 --> 00:32:31.900 that you just have to pray harder 00:32:31.900 --> 00:32:33.759 and you have to pray more times, 00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:35.299 God's not gonna respond to you 00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:36.779 because of anything that you do. 00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:39.019 He's not because of what you do. 00:32:39.660 --> 00:32:40.680 It's his grace. 00:32:41.140 --> 00:32:42.740 And it was this woman's faith 00:32:42.740 --> 00:32:44.900 that was humble enough to see 00:32:44.900 --> 00:32:47.039 that there was no merit in her. 00:32:47.039 --> 00:32:49.220 And that's the message of this 00:32:49.220 --> 00:32:51.880 really unique conversation 00:32:51.880 --> 00:32:53.360 that she and Jesus have. 00:32:53.500 --> 00:32:55.940 Now, set this up against the Pharisees 00:32:55.940 --> 00:32:57.460 that Jesus had just dealt with. 00:32:58.279 --> 00:33:00.120 The Pharisees considered themselves 00:33:00.120 --> 00:33:01.900 to be unbelievably worthy. 00:33:02.960 --> 00:33:04.079 They did all the stuff. 00:33:04.180 --> 00:33:05.460 They washed their hands before they ate. 00:33:05.920 --> 00:33:06.680 They did all the things 00:33:06.680 --> 00:33:07.539 they were supposed to do. 00:33:07.660 --> 00:33:09.319 If anybody was worthy of salvation, 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:11.259 they thought they were worthy of salvation. 00:33:11.460 --> 00:33:13.319 And then we get to this Syrophoenician woman 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:14.880 and what we discover in this passage 00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:16.819 is that she knew she was unworthy. 00:33:17.640 --> 00:33:18.640 She knew it. 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:21.759 So her faith wasn't just focused or persistent. 00:33:21.980 --> 00:33:22.680 It was humble. 00:33:22.880 --> 00:33:23.360 Let's look at it. 00:33:23.380 --> 00:33:23.980 Verse 27. 00:33:23.980 --> 00:33:25.240 And he said to her, 00:33:26.360 --> 00:33:27.880 let the children be fed first, 00:33:28.579 --> 00:33:30.460 for it's not right to take the children's bread 00:33:30.460 --> 00:33:31.660 and throw it to the dogs. 00:33:32.380 --> 00:33:34.140 But she answered him, yes, Lord. 00:33:35.099 --> 00:33:36.640 Yet even the dogs under the table 00:33:36.640 --> 00:33:37.839 eat the children's crumbs. 00:33:39.339 --> 00:33:41.299 So Jesus responds to her with a parable. 00:33:41.519 --> 00:33:42.380 This is what this is. 00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:48.220 It's a story about children and dogs 00:33:48.220 --> 00:33:50.279 and who gets to eat dinner first 00:33:50.279 --> 00:33:52.360 is essentially what this story is. 00:33:52.359 --> 00:33:53.659 And on the surface, 00:33:53.819 --> 00:33:54.959 it really does seem like Jesus 00:33:54.959 --> 00:33:56.339 is being insulting, doesn't it? 00:33:56.679 --> 00:34:00.439 Doesn't dog typically refer to an insult in the Bible? 00:34:00.599 --> 00:34:01.379 Yeah, it does. 00:34:01.799 --> 00:34:02.199 Often. 00:34:03.299 --> 00:34:05.319 But Jesus isn't insulting her here. 00:34:06.579 --> 00:34:08.420 He wasn't demonstrating an arrogance 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:11.219 that was so prevalent and pervasive among the Jews. 00:34:11.880 --> 00:34:13.679 And a careful reading will help us with this. 00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:15.579 Just let me cover it this way. 00:34:15.659 --> 00:34:17.759 Let me try to give the meaning of this parable 00:34:17.759 --> 00:34:18.980 and then we'll look at the purpose. 00:34:19.099 --> 00:34:20.059 Okay, here's the meaning. 00:34:20.059 --> 00:34:23.920 It's not teaching that some people 00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:25.960 are more worthy of the gospel than others. 00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:27.980 That's not what this parable means. 00:34:29.299 --> 00:34:31.159 And we know this can't be the case 00:34:31.159 --> 00:34:33.820 because Jesus often worked in Gentile people. 00:34:33.940 --> 00:34:34.980 We've seen him do it. 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:38.039 Remember the demoniac in Gergesa? 00:34:38.860 --> 00:34:39.739 He wasn't a Jew. 00:34:40.139 --> 00:34:42.759 Yet Jesus crossed the lake on purpose 00:34:42.759 --> 00:34:45.880 to get to him to cast out the legion of demons. 00:34:45.880 --> 00:34:49.599 Okay, this story, it can't be about the salvation 00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:51.780 and the gospel being for some people and not others. 00:34:51.900 --> 00:34:53.880 How about the woman at the well in Samaria? 00:34:54.460 --> 00:34:57.059 John, I think is John chapter six tells us about that. 00:34:57.660 --> 00:34:59.660 The first person that we see in the scripture 00:34:59.660 --> 00:35:02.579 that Jesus actually just kind of lets it all out. 00:35:02.660 --> 00:35:03.619 Yeah, I'm him. 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:04.619 I'm the Messiah. 00:35:04.740 --> 00:35:05.340 I'm the one. 00:35:05.480 --> 00:35:08.440 And he reveals it not to a Jew, not to his disciples. 00:35:08.660 --> 00:35:11.599 He reveals it to a Gentile woman, a Samaritan woman. 00:35:11.599 --> 00:35:16.639 What about the centurion that had a servant that was sick 00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:19.000 and he comes to Jesus asking for help? 00:35:19.299 --> 00:35:20.739 And remember the great faith that he had 00:35:20.739 --> 00:35:23.980 calls Jesus to marvel and Jesus does this work in his life. 00:35:24.119 --> 00:35:27.219 So this is not Jesus saying that the gospel is for some people, 00:35:27.319 --> 00:35:29.900 some people are worthy of it and some people aren't. 00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:33.480 The very fact that he's in Tyre and conversing this woman 00:35:33.480 --> 00:35:35.360 shows that the gospel is for all people. 00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:38.179 The story just simply expresses 00:35:38.179 --> 00:35:40.639 that the priority of Jesus's ministry 00:35:40.639 --> 00:35:42.739 was focused on the nation of Israel. 00:35:43.339 --> 00:35:44.619 It had to be. 00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:49.219 The covenant promises of God were given to Israel, 00:35:49.460 --> 00:35:51.480 not because they were special. 00:35:52.199 --> 00:35:54.079 They were just God's chosen. 00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:57.619 And his ministry had to concentrate on him. 00:35:57.819 --> 00:36:01.219 Otherwise, the promises of the covenant 00:36:01.219 --> 00:36:03.940 would not have been fulfilled by Jesus. 00:36:04.440 --> 00:36:06.960 His ministry had to have its priority there. 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:09.440 That's really what this story is about. 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:12.220 And yes, indeed, dog is often used as an insult, 00:36:12.220 --> 00:36:15.019 but the word that Mark used here is a diminutive form. 00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:16.579 It means little dog. 00:36:16.820 --> 00:36:19.559 It's a reference to whatever would have been the closest thing 00:36:19.559 --> 00:36:21.119 to a household pet for these people. 00:36:21.900 --> 00:36:25.139 He's not calling her a scavenger and a repulsive person. 00:36:25.139 --> 00:36:27.539 It's just a part of the story. 00:36:28.519 --> 00:36:31.900 God was not going to abandon his covenant promises to Israel 00:36:31.900 --> 00:36:35.940 in order to make his ministry first about the Gentiles. 00:36:36.079 --> 00:36:37.359 He could have traveled to Rome. 00:36:37.539 --> 00:36:38.819 He could have gone to Tiberias. 00:36:38.980 --> 00:36:41.039 He could have gone to these other places to have his focus. 00:36:41.219 --> 00:36:43.179 He didn't do that because that wasn't his purpose. 00:36:43.639 --> 00:36:45.219 That's what the disciples were going to do. 00:36:45.299 --> 00:36:45.559 Okay? 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:48.019 But it's not about saying that some people are worthy 00:36:48.019 --> 00:36:49.039 and some people aren't. 00:36:49.359 --> 00:36:50.879 It's just a story about his purpose. 00:36:51.219 --> 00:36:52.879 Okay, now here's the purpose of that story. 00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:54.019 Here's why he's saying it. 00:36:55.780 --> 00:37:00.039 You could almost assume a pride in the disciples at this point. 00:37:00.119 --> 00:37:00.820 Can you imagine that? 00:37:00.860 --> 00:37:02.059 That's how I would have been probably. 00:37:02.280 --> 00:37:04.480 You're standing there, and this woman comes up. 00:37:04.579 --> 00:37:06.000 You're already annoyed by her. 00:37:06.300 --> 00:37:08.260 And then Jesus' first response is, 00:37:08.440 --> 00:37:12.940 it's not right for me to throw bread to the dogs before the kids. 00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:16.059 And you can imagine maybe what's going through one of the disciples' head 00:37:16.059 --> 00:37:17.180 and thinking, yeah, that's right. 00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:18.539 He's here for us. 00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:19.900 Move along. 00:37:20.780 --> 00:37:20.940 Right? 00:37:20.940 --> 00:37:25.760 You know, since that coming up, perhaps they were thinking that. 00:37:25.820 --> 00:37:26.220 I don't know. 00:37:27.500 --> 00:37:30.440 She took no offense to the parable because she understood it. 00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:35.920 And whatever she may or may not have understood about God's covenant with Israel, 00:37:36.400 --> 00:37:40.220 she believed that there was enough of his grace to overflow to her. 00:37:41.720 --> 00:37:42.360 Yes, Lord. 00:37:43.400 --> 00:37:46.340 But even the dogs eat the crumbs from the children's table. 00:37:46.840 --> 00:37:47.679 What's she saying? 00:37:47.679 --> 00:37:49.379 I know, God. 00:37:49.940 --> 00:37:50.899 I know, Lord. 00:37:51.819 --> 00:37:53.019 I know I'm not worthy. 00:37:53.339 --> 00:37:57.739 But I know there's enough grace in you that even if I just get a little bit of it, 00:37:57.859 --> 00:37:58.719 it will be enough. 00:37:59.259 --> 00:38:00.139 It will be enough. 00:38:02.519 --> 00:38:07.399 She didn't make her appeal based on her own goodness like the Pharisees would have done. 00:38:08.139 --> 00:38:11.019 She made her appeal based on the goodness of Christ. 00:38:11.019 --> 00:38:17.159 And isn't this what David was getting at in his psalm of confession in Psalm 51? 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:19.039 Remember verse 1? 00:38:19.780 --> 00:38:26.980 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy, 00:38:27.639 --> 00:38:29.119 blot out my transgressions. 00:38:29.480 --> 00:38:31.159 Her faith was focused on Jesus. 00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:34.460 It was persistent in her pursuit, but it was also humble. 00:38:34.460 --> 00:38:39.619 She recognized that she was actually unworthy, but she recognized how good he is, 00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:42.940 how much grace and mercy there is in him. 00:38:44.099 --> 00:38:47.599 And then we see, finally, this unrestrained grace. 00:38:48.500 --> 00:38:49.480 Unrestrained grace. 00:38:50.320 --> 00:38:50.920 Verse 29. 00:38:50.920 --> 00:38:53.519 And he said to her, 00:38:54.380 --> 00:38:56.420 For this statement you may go your way. 00:38:57.139 --> 00:38:58.599 The demon has left your daughter. 00:38:59.039 --> 00:39:03.280 And she went home and found the child lying in bed, and the demon was gone. 00:39:04.260 --> 00:39:08.460 And again, Matthew adds a note that gives kind of a fuller understanding to this. 00:39:08.740 --> 00:39:10.680 Look back at Matthew 15, verse 28. 00:39:13.340 --> 00:39:14.780 Then Jesus answered her, 00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:18.420 O woman, great is your faith. 00:39:18.420 --> 00:39:21.519 Be it done for you as you desire. 00:39:21.980 --> 00:39:23.500 O woman, great is your faith. 00:39:24.119 --> 00:39:26.420 Ah, there it is. 00:39:27.519 --> 00:39:28.860 That's why he was doing it. 00:39:29.659 --> 00:39:30.980 That's why he was doing it. 00:39:33.619 --> 00:39:39.639 So sometimes I can picture almost a playfulness on Jesus' part, 00:39:39.680 --> 00:39:42.659 and you can almost imagine that up to this point in the conversation 00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:45.659 and his reaction to this woman, 00:39:45.800 --> 00:39:48.200 maybe he's a little bit stoic and a little serious. 00:39:49.159 --> 00:39:50.460 Maybe even in his expression. 00:39:50.940 --> 00:39:52.539 And then as soon as she makes this statement, 00:39:52.639 --> 00:39:53.639 that's what he was waiting for. 00:39:53.800 --> 00:39:55.059 As soon as she makes this statement, 00:39:55.260 --> 00:39:58.780 you can almost picture the tenderness in his eyes 00:39:58.780 --> 00:40:02.760 and maybe the smile light up on his face as he says, 00:40:03.159 --> 00:40:03.440 Yes. 00:40:04.579 --> 00:40:05.539 Great is your faith. 00:40:06.619 --> 00:40:07.440 Great is your faith. 00:40:07.659 --> 00:40:09.400 And imagine the disciples seeing this. 00:40:10.579 --> 00:40:12.000 Seeing Jesus' response. 00:40:12.800 --> 00:40:14.480 He knew what he was going to do for this woman. 00:40:16.900 --> 00:40:18.679 He had planned to do that all along. 00:40:19.219 --> 00:40:20.739 That was his purpose in going. 00:40:22.280 --> 00:40:25.059 But he wanted his disciples and probably the woman too 00:40:25.059 --> 00:40:27.940 to understand the extent of saving faith. 00:40:29.300 --> 00:40:32.099 And here we just see another proof that he is indeed the Messiah 00:40:32.099 --> 00:40:33.699 and the Son of God, as we mentioned earlier. 00:40:33.699 --> 00:40:37.359 He demonstrated this power over the demon 00:40:37.359 --> 00:40:40.699 and he did so without even being present with the girl. 00:40:40.699 --> 00:40:43.299 And you say, 00:40:43.379 --> 00:40:46.259 Well, this is just about healing the girl. 00:40:46.379 --> 00:40:49.399 This really doesn't have anything to do about the gospel and salvation. 00:40:50.980 --> 00:40:52.839 But I'm not so sure that that's true. 00:40:52.840 --> 00:40:58.820 Who would we ever think would come to Jesus with this kind of faith 00:40:58.820 --> 00:41:01.280 and not be granted forgiveness and eternal life? 00:41:02.780 --> 00:41:06.480 And she must have continued to follow Jesus after this 00:41:06.480 --> 00:41:09.660 because how in the world would Mark and Matthew 00:41:09.660 --> 00:41:12.579 have known what happened when she finally got home? 00:41:13.840 --> 00:41:15.980 Their subsequent meetings with this woman, 00:41:16.120 --> 00:41:18.579 they're finding out perhaps while they were still in tire, 00:41:18.860 --> 00:41:21.559 perhaps years later in their old ministries as they're going about, 00:41:21.559 --> 00:41:23.199 this woman was a part of it. 00:41:23.380 --> 00:41:24.840 Her faith was in Christ. 00:41:25.759 --> 00:41:28.840 And she received the unrestrained grace 00:41:28.840 --> 00:41:33.320 that he provides to all who come in him in faith. 00:41:34.440 --> 00:41:36.279 Now, ironically, in conclusion, 00:41:37.519 --> 00:41:41.860 the Pharisees in the earlier verses had the bread 00:41:41.860 --> 00:41:44.519 and yet they were lost. 00:41:45.739 --> 00:41:47.299 They had every advantage. 00:41:48.920 --> 00:41:50.099 They had the promises. 00:41:50.320 --> 00:41:50.980 They had the covenant. 00:41:50.980 --> 00:41:51.980 They had the word. 00:41:52.179 --> 00:41:53.219 They had all the things. 00:41:53.500 --> 00:41:54.400 And yet they were lost. 00:41:55.300 --> 00:41:57.800 And here's this woman and all she has is the crumbs. 00:41:59.360 --> 00:42:00.679 She couldn't have known much. 00:42:02.099 --> 00:42:03.280 But she knew enough. 00:42:03.280 --> 00:42:04.280 And she was blessed by the Savior. 00:42:04.280 --> 00:42:06.340 And she was blessed by the Savior. 00:42:11.920 --> 00:42:15.519 Maybe you're being tested today one way or another. 00:42:15.519 --> 00:42:21.579 And it's easy to come to this passage and think, 00:42:22.099 --> 00:42:23.719 why would Jesus just be, 00:42:23.940 --> 00:42:25.340 why would he make it so hard? 00:42:26.420 --> 00:42:27.559 She was already coming. 00:42:28.759 --> 00:42:30.739 Why did he have to test her so hard? 00:42:31.239 --> 00:42:33.519 Why did he have to test the disciples so hard? 00:42:33.599 --> 00:42:35.000 Why is it always so hard? 00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:36.480 Why would he have to test her so hard? 00:42:36.480 --> 00:42:39.519 And maybe you're in a period of testing right now as well. 00:42:40.800 --> 00:42:41.780 Can I just say, 00:42:42.000 --> 00:42:50.179 sometimes God will test us to expose the weakness of our faith. 00:42:50.179 --> 00:42:58.279 sometimes he will test us to prove that our faith is true 00:42:58.279 --> 00:43:06.579 and he dealt with this woman in such a way that it proved to his disciples and everyone else 00:43:06.579 --> 00:43:12.039 that the gospel is for all people that it's received through faith alone 00:43:12.039 --> 00:43:18.940 and that he has the power to provide it it wasn't about making it hard on her 00:43:18.940 --> 00:43:24.000 he was proving to her and everyone else that she had true faith 00:43:24.000 --> 00:43:29.380 and there may be three types of people that would relate to different people in this story 00:43:29.380 --> 00:43:33.880 maybe you're here and you're more like the pharisee 00:43:33.880 --> 00:43:42.720 you've convinced yourself that you are worthy and can i just tell you you're not 00:43:42.719 --> 00:43:53.659 you study the new testament you see paul he was a pharisee and he got to philippians chapter 3 00:43:53.659 --> 00:44:00.779 and he listed all the things that made him worthy according to judaism everything i mean no one none 00:44:00.780 --> 00:44:06.060 of us could ever reach those marks that he had and he said but all of that i counted as loss 00:44:06.060 --> 00:44:13.640 it was like dung he says it didn't mean anything and there may be somebody here today you just think 00:44:13.640 --> 00:44:21.840 you you're good you're not as bad as most people i mean you're here on a sunday in vacation season 00:44:21.840 --> 00:44:25.400 a lot of people are out and you're you're doing what you're supposed to do can't just say you're 00:44:25.400 --> 00:44:30.940 not worthy of his grace if you were it wouldn't be grace and why would god emphasize grace so much 00:44:30.940 --> 00:44:36.559 you're not worthy your problems your heart you need to figure that out maybe you're more like the 00:44:36.559 --> 00:44:43.320 disciples you have an understanding of your unworthiness and and and you're getting it you're 00:44:43.320 --> 00:44:50.860 getting it as far as the gospel relates to you but it's still maybe pretty common for you to look at 00:44:50.860 --> 00:44:58.579 others and think i'm more worthy than them at least you know i wasn't too far beyond god's reach but 00:44:58.579 --> 00:45:04.200 there's just some people they're just too far they're just too far this syrophoenician woman would 00:45:04.200 --> 00:45:11.400 have been one of those people and i tell you you need to repent of that there's no difference between 00:45:11.400 --> 00:45:21.579 us and anybody else perhaps you're more related to the woman here you know you're not worthy 00:45:21.579 --> 00:45:28.320 and maybe in your case you let your unworthiness actually keep you from coming to jesus 00:45:28.320 --> 00:45:34.920 you think why would he take me you don't know what i've done 00:45:34.920 --> 00:45:39.619 you don't know how far gone i am 00:45:39.619 --> 00:45:44.780 i tell you you can come to this text and be encouraged 00:45:44.780 --> 00:45:50.300 you're not worthy but he is 00:45:50.300 --> 00:45:55.780 and there's no sin you've ever committed that's beyond his forgiveness 00:45:55.780 --> 00:46:04.180 it doesn't matter what you've done paul was a murderer he said he was the chiefest of sinners 00:46:04.179 --> 00:46:12.500 actually and yet god so graciously helped him saved him and then there's this woman like we said 00:46:12.500 --> 00:46:19.299 everything was going against her why would jesus want anything to do with her no one else did 00:46:19.299 --> 00:46:29.759 oh because it's not about her it's about him it's not about you either it's about him would you just 00:46:29.760 --> 00:46:41.500 come to him you'll find in him tenderness you'll find care and compassion you'll find hope that you 00:46:41.500 --> 00:46:47.320 can't find anywhere else and he offers it freely if you will just come to him 00:46:47.320 --> 00:46:47.840 you 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:46:47.840 00:46:47.840 --> 00:47:17.820 Thank you.