A Sign of Things To Come
Text: Mark 7:24-37
Core Idea: Jesus does all things well – He opened the door of salvation to all of us as He overwhelms us with His extravagant mercy and shows us incredible honor that we don’t deserve. Through Christ, we’re no longer outsiders, but insiders welcomed to enter the presence of God and enjoy the feast that He has prepared for us.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you, Elaine, for sharing your story with us – and reminding us that in Christ, we’re loved as children of God and that He will continue to work within us to make us more like His Son. As many of you know, we’ve intentionally included these Stories of Faith into our Sunday service because we believe that just like the songs we sing and the Word we hear, telling our stories glorifies God but also encourages and challenges us. In other words, your stories can teach us something about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. So, if you want to share how God has been journeying with you, please don’t hesitate to speak to me.
Well, we’re following the life of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. Last week, we learned that what defiles us is not outside of us, but inside us – it’s the sin-saturated, sin-stained heart. And the only way to get a clean heart is through Jesus Christ, who offers His perfect heart to us on the cross. This is good news to us because this means that no matter who we are or what our background is, we all need the same thing – we all need the mercy of God. Every single one of us needs to have our hearts purified and transformed not by our own efforts but by faith in the power of God which is made available through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then with that in mind, please turn your Bibles to Mark 7:24-37. Let me read this for us.
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet He could not keep His presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about Him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” He told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then He told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him. 33 After He took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to Him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more He did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Jesus has been, for the most part, ministering in Galilee (map). But Mark begins this passage by sharing that Jesus left Galilee and went up north to the vicinity of Tyre but didn’t want anyone to know about it. Why? Most likely for two reasons. First, He needed rest from all the chaos of ministry in Galilee. The crowds were constantly swarming Him, and the religious leaders were constantly harassing Him. He was exhausted and He needed some time to rest and be renewed. But another reason was to demonstrate the truth that He just taught the disciples – that His mercy generously overflows to all people, even the people who were perceived to be unclean, dirty, and defiled. This means that the people Jesus met weren’t random or accidental; they were intentionally, sovereignly orchestrated by God to teach us something about who Jesus is and the mission He came to accomplish. Then I want us to see three things from this passage:
MERCY
HONOR
FREEDOM
1) MERCY
Let’s look at verse 25. We meet this woman whose daughter was being tormented by an impure spirit – and somehow, she found the house where Jesus was staying, came and fell at His feet. But Mark points out a problem in verse 26 – all the reasons why it would be socially unacceptable for her to approach Jesus, who was a Jew. Mark shares that she was a woman (a woman did not approach men alone in their culture); she was a Greek (which meant that she was a gentile, a pagan – someone Jews would do everything they can to avoid because they didn’t want to be unclean); she was born in Phoenicia (which was a region that had a long history of opposition to Israel), and on top of all that, she had a daughter with an unclean spirit. But all these social and religious barriers didn’t stop her from coming to Jesus – she entered the house without an invitation and began to beg Jesus to save her daughter. The word “begged” here in Greek is in the form of present progressive, which meant that she didn’t just beg one time, she kept on begging.
Now, in the parallel account in Matthew, we read that she was crying out. Then I want us to imagine this scene – feel how intense the situation was. This woman was not calm. She was yelling, crying, and begging for a miracle for her daughter because there was absolutely nothing she was able to do for her. Some of you know what that feels like. The situation is so desperate and dire that the only way you can pray is by yelling, crying, and begging God to intervene. If you’re a parent, you may understand the pain that this mother was going through. Not that your child is being tormented by a demon, but you feel this overwhelming anxiety and concern because of the decisions and choices that your child is making. Maybe there’s this agony of seeing your child in physical or emotional pain. Maybe you feel utterly lost and crushed because you just don’t know what to do to help your child. Of course, you don’t have to be a parent to relate to her pain – just think of the people you love. It would break your heart to see them helplessly suffer. There’s nothing you can do to help them – the only thing you can do is just desperately cry, yell, and plead with God to do something. That was what this mother was doing – and nothing, no one was going to stop her from going to Jesus who was her only hope. Pastor Tim Keller described it this way: “You know why she has this burst of boldness, don’t you? There are cowards, there are regular people, there are heroes, and then there are parents. Parents are not really on the spectrum from cowardice to courage, because if your child is in jeopardy, you simply do what it takes to save her. It doesn’t matter whether you’re normally timid or brazen – your personality is irrelevant. You don’t think twice; you do what it takes. So, it’s not all that surprising that this desperate mother is willing to push past all the barriers.” Brothers and sisters, are you desperate and helpless today? The question is, “Will you boldly, urgently, humbly, persistently enter His presence even if you have to push through all the barriers?” Let nothing keep you from going to Jesus. I pray that all of us will have this relentlessness and boldness like this woman when it comes to approaching Jesus.
Then let’s look at how Jesus responded – verses 27. “First let the children eat all they want for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” At first glance, this seems like one of the most disturbing things that Jesus said in all the Gospels – it honestly sounds like an insult, calling her a dog. We know Jesus said a lot of hard things, but this seems like He just went overboard. How are we to understand this? Two things to keep in mind that will help us understand this passage better. First, as disciples of Jesus, we must trust that everything He says is always right – that His Word is completely trustworthy and good. Pastor Francis Chan once said, “When I disagree with something in God’s Word, I just assume that I’m wrong.” That’s what it means for the Word of God to have the highest authority in our lives. The truth is that we will encounter many things in the Bible that will disturb us, that we disagree with, that we don’t like. When we do, it’s a good reminder that we shouldn’t immediately question the Word, but rather we should first question where we are – the state of our hearts to examine why we’re reacting this way. In other words, we must always approach the Word with humility that says, “God, I don’t understand how and why the Word is written this way, but I still believe that Your Word is true, right, and good. Help me understand.”
But let’s be honest, even if we accept the authority of God’s Word, this still sounds very offensive and unnecessary. Then the second thing that will help us understand this is to know that Jesus wasn’t insulting her; He was telling her a parable. Parables, if you remember, are earthly stories with a heavenly meaning – using simple everyday objects, events, and circumstances to illustrate spiritual truths. According to Mark 4:11-12, Jesus spoke in parables to reveal and clarify the secret of the Kingdom of God to those who were willing to listen, but at the same time to conceal and obscure the secret of the Kingdom of God from those who refused to listen. In other words, parables will make those who get it even more hopeful and happier but make those who don’t get it apathetic to the truth or even more upset with Jesus. Then with this in mind, let’s take a look at what Jesus said.
Unlike our culture today, dogs weren’t really considered household pets in Jesus’ days – it was rare to see that. They were stray animals, scavengers – roaming the streets to find whatever they could to eat. So, it would be more helpful to note that they saw dogs as we see rats. They were unclean, dirty animals – and that’s how the Jews would often refer to the gentiles. But that wasn’t what Jesus was doing here – it can’t be because He just preached that it’s not external things that make a person unclean but it’s our sinful hearts that make us unclean, which means that not just the gentiles but everybody, apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ, is unclean before God. Jesus wasn’t about to throw away the truth and treat this woman in the opposite way. Instead, He was using a parable to teach her something. One evidence of this is that the word for “dog” here in Greek wasn’t the usual word for stray dogs – He used another word that was usually used for “household dog” – literally, “a little puppy.” Then seeing that she was a mother, Jesus was offering her a parable that she would understand. Jesus was saying, “You know how families eat (you’re a mom): first the children eat at the table, and afterward, their pets eat too. It’s not right to violate that order. The puppies should not eat food from the table before the children do.” And in saying this, Jesus was revealing His mission – that He came to minister to the Israelites first so that they would reach the rest of the world. He wanted her to know that the blessings will come but she’ll have to wait – that salvation is being offered to all nations but there’s a divine order in God’s plan.
Now, how would you have responded to Jesus? Storm out because you’re offended? Walk away in bitter disappointment? You see, as much as Jesus’ words were surprising, so was the woman’s response. Verse 28, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” What’s happening here? It shows that she understood the parable – she may not have understood everything, but God was at work in her heart to show her something about the order of salvation which is why she was willing to come to Jesus even as a dog. She wasn’t fighting for her rights; she wasn’t insisting that she was worthy of His blessings; she was simply saying, “Jesus, I recognize that I don’t have a place at the table yet because I’m not from Israel. I accept that. But I see something else here. There’s an abundance on the table. It’s a feast. The table is overflowing. So, if crumbs could fall on me in Your bountiful mercy and grace, I’ll gladly take the crumbs because that’s how desperate I am.” She wasn’t saying, “Lord, give me what I deserve on the basis of my goodness.” Rather, she was saying, “Give me what I don’t deserve on the basis of Your goodness.”
Then what does this mean for us? I want us to reflect on how she can be so persistent, how she kept on begging and did not give up. What caused her to be this way? I think it must have been because she believed that Jesus wasn’t just powerful, but that He was also merciful and gracious – she believed that He was not only able but that He really was willing, that He was good and compassionate. That’s exactly what we see. Verse 29 – we see that Jesus sent her away with the promise that her daughter would be set free, and she was. It’s amazing how she was willing to come to Jesus as a dog but in the end, she walked away not as a dog but as a child. This is so important to point out because this might be the very reason why you’re struggling to enjoy intimacy with God – you believe that He is able, but you struggle to believe that He’s actually willing to do anything about it. You believe that God is sovereign, that He’s in control, that He has a plan, but you struggle to believe that He is good and that He cares. If this is you, listen to what Martin Luther said about this passage: “All this is written for our comfort that we should see how deeply God hides His face and how we must not go by our feelings but only by His Word. All Christ’s answers sounded like no, but He did not mean no. He had not said that she was not of the house of Israel. He had not said she was a dog. He had not said no. Yet all His answers were more like no than yes. This shows how our heart feels in despondency. It sees nothing but a plain no. Therefore, it must turn to the deep hidden yes under the no and hold with firm faith to God’s word.” In other words, he was saying that it’s so easy for us to distort who He is, distort His Word in light of our pain (we may see Him to be apathetic or being stingy with His grace). But we know that His mercy extends to our specific situations when we look to the Word and especially the cross because, on the cross, Jesus became a dog for us so that you and I might become children of God. He was spat on, mocked, and hung up on the cross so that you and I can be invited to the table. Then as Paul says in Romans 8:32, “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” His mercy overflows. Come to Jesus and sit at the table.
2) HONOR
Jesus’ journey continued into the region of Decapolis, another gentile territory. Verse 32 tells us that some people brought to Jesus “a man who was deaf and could hardly talk.” Now, in an oral and auditory culture, the inability to speak or hear probably cut that person off from their community – so, a group of people, most likely his family and friends, begged Jesus to put His hand on him. Verse 33. Think about this scene with me. Jesus took this man aside, away from the public; He put His fingers into the ears of this man; He spat on His hand and touched the man’s tongue. What in the world is going on here? Now, we’ve seen over and over again that Jesus can do incredible things only with His words – He calmed the storm, He cast out a legion of demons, and He freed this woman’s daughter simply with His Word. In other words, He didn’t have to do this. Then why did Jesus do this? It can’t be because Jesus needed it, but rather because the man needed it. Jesus was slowing down to speak to this man in a way that he could understand. Sinclair Ferguson put it this way: “This man could not hear Jesus and he was also incapable of verbal communication. So, Jesus ‘spoke’ to him in the language he could understand – sign language. The fingers placed in his ears and then removed meant, ‘I am going to remove the blockage in your hearing.’ The spitting and the touching of the man’s tongue meant, ‘I am going to remove the blockage in your mouth.’ The glance up to heaven meant, ‘It is God alone who is able to do this for you.’ Jesus wanted the man to understand that it was not magic but God’s grace that healed him.”
Here’s what’s so amazing and beautiful about this story: by healing him like this, Jesus wasn’t just showing compassion to this man, He was showing him honor, dignity, and respect – something that he may have never experienced in his life. He wasn’t treated as a means for Jesus to showcase His power, he wasn’t rejected in a humiliating way, and he certainly wasn’t looked down upon because of his disabilities – instead, he was honored and loved by Jesus. Jesus intentionally slowed down to give him undivided attention, going out of His way to communicate in a way this man understood. Then here’s something that all of us need to be reminded of – that all people including those with physical, emotional, and mental disabilities are created in the beautiful image of God. Unfortunately, we forget this obvious truth which is why we often overlook them – but it’s so important to state that they’re not less human, less valuable, and definitely not less capable of bearing the image of God. They have inherent dignity regardless of their physical or mental conditions because they have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God – and they certainly are invited to the Kingdom of God, which also means that they’re invited to the community of God. Brothers and sisters, I pray that our church will become a place where all people including the people with disabilities can come and not just feel welcomed but feel part of the community – a place where they can call home. Then more broadly speaking, is this how we’re treating one another in this community? Are we slowing down to give our undivided attention to each other in order to honor them, love them, and serve them? The incredible thing is that Jesus did that to us when we were utterly undeserving of His grace. We’ve been honored because Jesus took our shame. And He has given us everything we need to emulate Him and follow in His steps. Disciples don’t just come to Jesus; they become like Jesus. They don’t just receive His mercy, but they also overflow with His mercy.
This is so important because this really is one of the ways we cultivate the gospel culture in our community. If you come to my neighborhood at the right time, you’ll be able to smell freshly baked cookies because we literally have a cookie factory nearby. When I smell the sweetness of it, the first thought that comes to my mind is, “I want those cookies,” then “I need to have those cookies!” In other words, the smell draws you to the source. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:15 that we are “the pleasing aroma of Christ.” Then how will people respond when they “smell” us? Will they repel because of the stench we give off or will they be drawn to the source of our aroma, Christ Himself, because of the sweetness we display? It’s so important to know the gospel truth but it’s also important to allow that truth to now establish gospel culture here – and we can do this through the way we honor and love one another. Then let’s do just that. Remind yourself that everyone who enters this place is created in the image of God (regardless of their gender, age, color, history, career, or socioeconomic status). Let’s begin to show honor to one another in a way that will ultimately bring honor to God. Maybe God is already impressing on you the names or faces that you ought to do this. Then don’t delay – let’s go and serve them, love them so that they would be drawn to God through us.
3) FREEDOM
Let’s go back to verse 35. When it says, “His tongue was loosened,” the Greek literally says, “The chains of his tongue were broken.” It’s a figure of liberation – like a prisoner bound in chains, Jesus broke the shackles of captivity and set him free. Isn’t that amazing imagery? Jesus Christ came to break chains. Jesus came to free us from every form of bondage that keeps us fully enjoying our relationship with God. So, friends, hear this: Jesus is able and is willing to break every form of physical, mental, psychological, or societal bondage but most importantly, He came to break every form of spiritual bondage in us – not just to reverse the curse of sin but to redeem us from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. This is why He commanded people not to tell others about what they had seen because, although physical healing was part of His ministry, He didn’t want that to distract people from His ultimate mission – the mission that would lead Him to the cross to die for our sin.
If you’re exploring Christianity, this is what you really need to know – who Jesus really is. He is the Promised Messiah, the Savior King who came to offer His life as a sacrifice, as the only permanent remedy to our sin and guilt before God. And that’s why He came to the Jews first – to proclaim the good news that He is the fulfillment of all of God’s OT promises. But it doesn’t end there. His mission opened doors for people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to be saved, and this will be completed through us, His disciples. Then these stories were placed here in Mark as a sign pointing us to the things to come – a sign that something new was about to happen. In other words, Jesus was paving the way for the gospel to reach the world.
How do we know that Jesus is a sign? Take a look at verse 32. The Greek word for “hardly talk” is “mogilalos” – a word that was used here and no other place in the Bible except in Isaiah 35:5. It’s a very rare word and Mark would’ve intentionally used it to cross-reference what was happening in this story and Isaiah 35. Let me explain. Isaiah 34 is about the judgment against the nations. This was a prophecy that a righteous Judge will destroy them – the wicked ones. But the mood suddenly changes in chapter 35 because it says that God will come and save them. Listen to Isaiah 35:3-6, “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution He will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute [the word mogilalos] tongue shout for joy.” In quoting this, this is what Mark was saying, “Do you see the blind opening their eyes, the deaf hearing, the lame leaping, and the mute shouting? Just as He promised, God has come. He has come to save you. And His name is Jesus.”
I love how this story ends. Verse 37 – the people were overwhelmed with amazement and said, “He has done everything well.” Brothers and sisters, Jesus does all things well. He lived a perfect life that we couldn’t live, He died the death that we should’ve died, and He conquered sin and death so that you and I can have life and life to the full. He’s not just sovereign but also good, faithful, and trustworthy. Jesus does all things well. Christians, this is our hope. This is why we can persevere through all the challenges and trials of life. This is why we can look to the future – take another step forward and not give up simply because Jesus does all things well.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus does all things well – He opened the door of salvation to all of us as He overwhelms us with His extravagant mercy and shows us incredible honor that we don’t deserve. Through Christ, we’re no longer outsiders, but insiders welcomed to enter the presence of God and enjoy the feast that He has prepared for us. Then as Psalm 34:8 says, let us “taste and see that the LORD is good” and faithfully endeavor to cultivate gospel culture here in this community as we passionately take the gospel truth to the places that God calls us to be.
Discussion questions
God can often feel as if He is hidden from us (that’s how the woman might have felt when Jesus was silent as she kept on begging). Why do you think this is? What hope do we have when God feels hidden from us?
In what ways does this woman display boldness and assertiveness? In what ways does she display humility and submission? How can we learn to approach God in the same way?
Discuss the way Jesus healed this man. What can we learn from this so that we can show the same kind of honor to others?
What is one thing you want to remember from this passage?