Jesus Went to a Cursed People to Reclaim Sinners for Himself
Truth Taught- Our Lord travels to Tyre and Sidon to reclaim a people for Himself
We have just finished two weeks of looking at Jesus and the Pharisees debating where defilement and uncleanness come from. Remember their take was that defilement came from the outside. Disregarding their traditions, disregarding ritual hand washing and eating ceremonially unclean food. Jesus taught along with the entire Bible, that defilement is within us because it is the heart, our very core that is unclean.
Now Jesus travels to a region to show the world that because of Him, the unclean can be clean and those not beloved He will call beloved.
Mark 7:24–30 (ESV)
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
1. Jesus Left Israel and Entered an Unclean Land (7:24)
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.
Right after this encounter with the religious leaders of Israel, Jesus departs His homeland and heads north about twenty miles or so into the region of Tyre and Sidon. Everything our Lord did had purpose and meaning. Why did He go to the region of Tyre and Sidon?
At the current time of Christ’s earthly ministry this region was the vilest, pagan and the most hated people by the Jews. They were a cursed people.
This is the only recorded time Jesus ever ventured this far north. He has a purpose…
On the surface it seems like He wanted to get away from everyone and everything and rest but Jesus cannot be hidden and He came for another purpose.
If we are to see why Jesus went there, we must understand the theology of this region.
First, we must see that everyone is cursed because of the Fall of Adam and Eve. We all live under the curse until we come to trust Jesus Christ for salvation. So, the people of Canaan were a doubly cursed people…
This is true of the Canaanites. They were a doubly cursed people. The curse originated from their father Ham.
Genesis 9:20–25 (ESV)
20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard. 21 He drank of the wine and became drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. 23 Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned backward, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,
“Cursed be Canaan;
a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.”
Because of Ham’s sin, his descendants became a doubly cursed people.
All this is important because the woman in today’s text is a Canaanite. A descendant of Ham one who was doubly cursed.
In the first century, the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus, made the remark that Tyre represented the most bitter enemy the Jews had at that time. That was two thousand years ago, and that enmity is exploding every minute, even as we speak this morning. It was from that region that Jezebel came and tormented the prophet, Elijah. It was also that region that the rabbis of antiquity assessed as the region most grossly committed to paganism. There is paganism, and then there is paganism. The paganism in and around Tyre and Sidon in this region was notorious for its wholesale activity with respect to idolatry.
So, Jesus went into this hotbed of idolatry, into this den of rank paganism, trying to find respite from the crowds that were pursuing Him. But we read from Mark that He could not be hidden. That observation Mark made then is true today—no matter how much people try to hide Jesus, He cannot be hidden, even in the darkest places of this world.
2. A Cursed Gentile Comes to Christ (7:25-26)
25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
We know this woman is a Canaanite from Tyre and Sidon, a cursed people. She comes to Jesus in a mode of humility and worship. The text tells us she fell down at His feet. The original is more detailed, she fell down against Him. She had nowhere else to turn and no one else to go to. She has heard of Jesus or possibly even seen Him before. She fell at His feet a mark of deep reverence and great and profound grief. Faith is born out of need.
She knew Jesus was able to help…
Mark 3:7–8 (ESV)
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.
Matthew’s account adds a little more detail…
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”
Here, we see that she knew something of Jesus. He is not some visiting preacher. He’s not some Miracle worker. He is the Lord, the Son of David. She did not understand a lot but she understood that He is the Lord and Heir to the Throne of David.
She is not an Israelite; not privileged to have the information about Jesus she knew who He was and she is showing that she has faith. According to Mosaic Law, this woman was unclean. She was a pagan of the worst sort. Her life was surrounded by idols and the occult. She was a descendant of Ham who had been cursed. She had no real reason to think Jesus would have mercy on her. But she came just the same.
What made her come to Jesus? She came out of great need. Often times faith is born out of need. This is true here. She came because her small child was demon possessed and she knew Jesus had the power to cast out the demon. Her great need worked within her to birth faith.
The same is true for everyone of us. Faith in Christ is born of need. When we begin to see our sin for what it truly is and that there is nothing, we can do about it ourselves and when we realize only Jesus can remove our sin then we come to Christ by faith. Do you see the similarity here? When we realize we have a great need to be forgiven by God that need births saving faith. We realize too that all this is a work of God.
There is more…
3. Jesus Shows Her Real Need (7:27)
27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Notice with me that the focus of this entire account is not the demon-possessed daughter at all is it? The focus is on this woman’s amazing faith. One principle we learn here is that faith is often born in difficulty and hardship. That’s true for us as well. Often God takes someone through a trial then they are ready to receive the gift of faith from Him. It takes hardship to humble us and make the soil of our lives ready to receive the seed of faith. A trial is like the plow that turns up the soil and sometimes our hearts need plowed and replowed to break up stony ground to prepare it for the Gospel seed.
Perhaps there is someone here today who is going through a difficult situation. What is God doing? Is it perhaps discipline? Is it a time of humbling? Is it a reminder to trust Him more? Or is God bringing you down to a lowly estate to make you ready for the Gospel?
This woman had been brought to a point of great trouble and distress. She is now almost ready to meet Jesus. I say almost because she must be brought down one more notch.
Why would Jesus not listen to her and show her mercy?
Matthew 15
23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Her great need and her faith are driving her to be persistent. At first, Jesus did not answer her so she begs His disciples and she will not stop.
What does Jesus tell her? 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
He was sent to the House of Israel. We must notice again that He is not in Israel and she is not an Israelite. What is Jesus doing. She thought her great need was for her daughter who was demon possessed but Jesus is beginning to show her that her need is greater than she ever imagined. She is cursed by God. She is utterly pagan and lost. She is not one whom Jesus was sent to. She’s not an Israelite.
In Jesus’ statement that it’s not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to dogs is a direct reference to her. It would be wrong to take the blessings intended for God’s children and give them to this woman. He takes her even further down, doesn’t He?
She does not really understand her own condition fully. Notice she is cursed because of the Fall. She is also of a specifically cursed people due to the curse of Ham. She is not of the House of Israel. Jesus came first for the Israelites. Her daughter is demon possess. She has no hope. She also has no real understanding. She knows her daughter is demon possessed but does not fully grasp her own sinful and lost condition.
Her faith is persistent and her view of Jesus is expanded. He is the One who is the promised Messiah of Israel. He is the One with great blessings for God’s people Israel. He is the One and she has no claim at all on any blessings or anything else. Her eyes are fixed on Jesus anyway and her view of Him is expanded. The more she realizes her hopelessness the bigger Jesus becomes in her view.
Beloved, we are not of the House of Israel either. We are not among God’s OT people.
She knows all this because she is focused on the greatness of Jesus now. Her needs are great but Jesus is greater.
Watch how her need brought faith and her focus on the Person and greatness of Jesus Christ. This focus is the answer to all of her needs.
I want to make sure we understand that the greatness of Jesus is the answer to our need as well.
4. The Greatness of Christ (7:28-30)
28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Notice first she is in no way arguing her status as a cursed person. However, it is her faith that shows her Jesus. What does she see here that is vital and yet somewhat tucked away in the text? She sees that Jesus is so great and His blessings so immense that the scraps of food that fall through the fingers of the children to the ground are ample enough for her. She’s not taking the food away from the children; she’s not depriving the children of anything, but the table of Christ is so big and food piled so high that the crumbs that fall to the ground are more than enough for her.
We should see too that in humility, we are a cursed people. We are not worthy to sit at the table but the scraps that fall are ample enough for us.
When she tells Jesus this, He sees her great faith, grants her requests and her daughter is healed that very moment.
Don’t let the problems in your life side track you. Focus on Christ. Focus on the great bounty that can be found at His table and now as believers, Jesus has lifted us from the floor and seated us at His table ansx His children.
I’m reminded of the OT account of David and Mephibosheth
2 Samuel 9:1–13 (ESV)
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
9 And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” And he said, “I am your servant.” 3 And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?” Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.” 4 The king said to him, “Where is he?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.” 5 Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. 6 And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!” And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.” 7 And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.” 8 And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”
9 Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. 10 And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.” Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king commands his servant, so will your servant do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table, like one of the king’s sons. 12 And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Mica. And all who lived in Ziba’s house became Mephibosheth’s servants. 13 So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, for he ate always at the king’s table. Now he was lame in both his feet.
We are Mephibosheth and we are the Canaanite woman. We have no claim or right to salvation. Then God works and gives us faith. God is so great and has a table so full that we can be fed from the scraps. God is so great that He takes a cursed people and sits us not on floor under the table but places us as King David did with Mephibosheth right up at the table as His children.
Romans 9:25–26 (ESV)
25 As indeed he says in Hosea,
“Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’
and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ”
26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’
there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
Resources
Mark by William Lane
Words of grace
Leave a Reply