A Woman of Faith

Isaiah 49:1-12; Mark 7:31-37 / Exodus 8:1-9

I. A Stranger Wanted Help

A. Jesus went on a short vacation; times of rest may be more important than we sometimes admit. “And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.” (Mark 7:24)

B. Enemies from both sides of the culture were combining to stop Jesus; grace scares evil into unnatural alliances. “Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” (Acts 4:25-30) see Psalm 2

C. A woman came to Jesus for help with her little daughter who had an unclean spirit. “For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:” (Mark 7:25)

D. The woman was a Greek by culture and ethnically Syrophenician; she was a desperate mother, not a Jew seeking the Messiah. “The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.” (Mark 7:26) Syrophenicia was a territory near Damascus and was distinguished by this name from the people of similar culture found in North Africa. She was a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, an alien to the covenant of promise.

E. Grace does not observe natural human categories and restrictions of race, class, nation, or clan. “Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:11)

II. There Was No Normal Reason To Expect Help

A. There is no reason to expect the good things of God when one refuses to become part of the community of grace; mercy begins at home. “But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.” (Mark 7:27)

B. Jesus was not someone casual observers might expected to be open to outsiders. “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.” (Matthew 7:6) “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:” (Matthew 10:5)

C. Still, grace is worth a wild try. “And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.” (Mark 7:28) “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” (Isaiah 45:22)

III. Grace Transcends Any Obstacle

A. Jesus granted the appeal. “And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.” (Mark 7:29) “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;” (Ephesians 2:12-14)

B. The woman received what she sought. “And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.” (Mark 7:30)

C. Follow the Syrophenician example; remember what Jesus said about prayer. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:7-11)