Mark 7:31-34

Mark 7:31-34 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!”).

Jesus goes to a new area next: Decapolis. It’s on the other side of Galilee from Tyre. There “some people” brought a deaf mute to Jesus and pleaded with Him to heal the man. Again, intercession. The man couldn’t ask for himself, he was deaf and dumb. There are people who are deaf to the Gospel and who won’t ask for themselves because they don’t know. They need someone to intercede for them.

He looked up to Heaven with a deep sigh. The word for sigh here means groan. Because He partners with us in His compassion He suffers with us.

Instantly the man could not only hear, but speak plainly. He may never have heard anything in his life, so to speak clearly was even a bigger miracle.

Next Jesus gives them orders not to tell anyone about this. He didn’t come to physically heal people and He didn’t want to be known for that so people would only come to Him for that purpose. But they were so excited they had to share. Every time God changes a heart we should get just as excited and run share the news!

Mark 7:24-30

Mark 7:24-30 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.

Jesus was a traveling Rabbi and it would have been unusual for Him to travel outside of the Jewish area. But here He did. He went to Phoenicia and met a Gentile woman who gives us an example of intercessory prayer. She was begging Christ to help her child and she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Intercessory prayer is persistent.

She fell at His feet and pleaded with Him. In the Matthew version she says, “Son of David, have mercy on me.” On behalf of her faith she’s asking Him to have mercy on her child.

Matthew 15 tells us that He actually ignored her. And when He finally says something, it’s very strange and seemingly very mean. “Let the children be satisfied first” refers to the nation of Israel. Jesus is clarifying His mission. He came to the Jewish people first and foremost. Even after all their rejection of Him, He is still patient with the Jews.

BUT, even though He came first and foremost to the Jews, He WAS in Tyre – a Gentile region.

Next He basically calls her a dog. The difference between this and someone just insulting someone else is; Jesus knew her heart and He was drawing her faith and humility out of her. This was actually a merciful action. You have to be humble with God. You have to need Him. To know He is the only thing that can help you. He is the only answer.

And her answer was right. She was fine with letting the Israelites get help first. She just wanted the crumbs. She somehow understood there was more then enough and would settle for being under the table if that’s what it took to get into the room!

Sometimes God doesn’t give us a yes answer right away. He may be trying to tease some faith out of us. We need to be persistent, humble and have faith.