Lesson 889

(Lesson 889)(02-03-14) Mark 7:24-37:

"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. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 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. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

Today's lesson relates how Jesus continued to work miracles of healing as He traveled throughout the region.
The experience with the Greek woman, related in today's quote, is unique in that it is the first example of Jesus relating the Jewish tradition of separation from the Gentiles.

It is very important to note that the ministry of Jesus and the original twelve Apostles was aimed explicitly toward a Jewish audience and would remain so until Jesus ordained the Apostle Paul to minister to the Gentiles. This is contention is borne out by what His instructions were to the Apostles as He sent them out to teach, "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)

Jesus, while referring to the Jews as "children", referred to the Greek woman and all Gentiles as "dogs" and said, "for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs."

Jesus did, however, because of her faith, heal the Greek woman's daughter as she had requested.

We must understand that throughout His ministry Jesus was bound by Mosaic law to refrain from associating with Gentiles, however, even during the time when the Jewish leadership was desperately searching for a way to silence Him, Jesus was willing to heal and redeem the souls of everyone who believed in Him, including the Gentiles. ~