The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith (Mark 7:24-30)

Just before the feeding of the five thousand, recorded in Mark 6, Jesus had indicated that he wanted a time of rest for his disciples. Several events had prevented them reaching such a location and maybe this is what is described in the opening verse of our passage. Whether it was or not, the incident here reminds us that Jesus was prepared to travel outside the geographical limits of Israel in order to bring blessing to sinners.

Although the intention of Jesus was to have a time away from regular activities, we should recall that he is teaching his disciples how they should serve him. So we now move to a classroom in a Gentile community and here several important lessons were conveyed to his disciples. In a sense, Jesus was showing them what they would yet be doing for him after he had returned to heaven.

Don’t despise religious outcasts

It is an obvious fact that the religious leaders of Israel would not have wanted to help this woman because she was not an Israelite. She was a stranger to the religious privileges that they enjoyed as the nation whom God had blessed. Most people who lived on the border with Israel would have known that they were outsiders. Yet the disciples would travel far beyond those borders with the Gospels and here they are being shown how to deal with Gentiles seeking for the help of Jesus.

Don’t use gender in a wrong way

It was also the case that women were despised by many of the Jews. Indeed a devout Jewish male would thank God that he had not been born a woman. No doubt the disciples would have imbibed this attitude. We are informed about them that they were surprised that Jesus had been speaking to the woman of Samaria (John 4). Did they learn to value the role of women? All we have to do is look at what is said about women in the Book of Acts. Indeed it starts by informing us that women were with the disciples as they waited for the coming of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

Notice how to pray for children

Obviously this mother had a particular burden with regard to her child and we can understand why she was so concerned. Yet we can say that she is a picture of how parents should intercede for their children until they are in the kingdom. And connected to this, what would she have said to her daughter when they were together later that day? I am sure that the mother would have spoken about the blessings that can be received from Jesus. She would have told her daughter that Jesus could help her in numerous ways.

Don’t dismiss the hostility of the kingdom of darkness

What would be a clear case of satanic animosity? It is a fact that the devil and his agents hate all the members of the human race whether or not they are Christians. We also know that the devil can lead some sinners into awful sinful activities. It is not difficult for us to deduce that such individuals have been blinded in a spiritual way by the devil. At what age does he begin to try and destroy humans? We can see from this incident that he began with this child when she was very young. It was good for her that she had a mother determined to get help for her.

Don’t think interruptions to a planned spiritual retreat are wrong

We have already mentioned that this may have been the time when the disciples could refresh themselves in a spiritual way by enjoying the company of Jesus. Maybe they had lots of questions to ask him. Whether they had or not, they could see that Jesus’ wish for quietness was hindered (Matt. 15:23). Yet what is significant is that he did not get annoyed.

The impossibility of Jesus being hid

It is the case that we cannot assess how far the news of a person or an event will travel. I once went into the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem and was asked by one of the workers if I knew a particular person in Inverness. Several times in America I have been asked if I knew about a certain ministry in Britain and sometimes I was asked because the report that had reached America was bad. The reality of this possibility should make us very careful about what we say and do because we never know the tentacles of an action or a statement.

The news about Jesus had clearly reached beyond his geographical area. No doubt, this was caused by word of mouth. People were speaking about the amazing things that he did in the lives of people. It would be wonderful if such reports were to happen in our city or in our area, that people heard of the amazing things that he was doing through his people in the lives of others.

The immediacy of approach to Jesus

The woman of Samaria had heard that Jesus had come to her community and she resolved immediately to try and obtain his help. It is worth asking how she was led to take this step because it would not be usual for a Gentile to approach a Jew. Although we are not told the various stages in her experience, there are some elements that we can safely deduce.

First, someone must have told her about Jesus. Those individuals are the unmentioned contributors to this story. They may have known her well or they may not have. The point for us is that they told her about Jesus. In this they are a challenge to us. Moreover they might never in this life have known of the outcome of their passing on the information. While we know that the telling in this case may only have been casual, it does remind us of the wonderful possibility of the ignorant teller and the recipient meeting one another in heaven and of the teller discovering the outcome of his mentioning Jesus to someone.

Second, she had experienced the failure of her pagan gods to help her. The inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon were not worshippers of the true God. Probably she had gone to their temples in order to get help for her daughter. It does not matter how many she had gone to, all of them had been unable to help her. All she experienced from them was disappointment followed by disappointment. In this she is a picture of those who try the many broken cisterns that this world offers. They try them one after the other and discover that none of them can meet the needs of the soul.

Third, she was aware that she could draw near to Jesus. It is likely that this information came to her from those who had described how Jesus had helped all kinds of people. She learned from the experience of others that Jesus was approachable. But knowing that he was approachable was not enough. In addition he had to be approached by her. It is easy for individuals who have a connection with a Christian church to realise that it's members believe that Jesus is approachable. Yet the matter cannot be left there. In addition they have to approach him and ask for his help.

Fourth, she was persistent in her approach to Jesus with regard to her concern. She did not ask him once but repeatedly (v. 26). Even his initial silences did not deter her from achieving her aim. Faith in Jesus will not be silent about what the person knows he has promised to do. But sometimes, the person with such faith has to persevere with spiritual energy (which in her case came secretly from the silent Saviour).

Fifth, she was aware that Jesus had to be approached in a particular way, with respect and reverence. Her response included her posture (she bowed before him) and her words (she begged him to help her). She realised that she could not approach Jesus as an equal and demand anything from him. It is easy for people today to go for help to a government agency or to a charity and demand help. After all, those giving help may be kind, but in essence they are not greater than the asker. The one in need can speak to the provider as an equal. But we cannot approach Jesus in such a way, insisting that he help us. We have to realise that if he will help us it must all come from his grace.

Sixth, she was determined to follow Jesus even although she may have been the only person in the place who believed in him (it is the case that Mark says in 3:8 that people from Tyre and Sidon were listening to Jesus, and perhaps she was one of them). If she was alone, her isolation from other believers did not minimize her determination to get Jesus to do something for her. Although she was alone, she was prepared to identify herself with Jesus.

So we can say that in order to approach Jesus we need to have information (the gospel), we need to believe the information (which is a form of faith because such believe his promises are reliable), we need to realise our emptiness (for all we know, she could have been a rich lady or she may have been a poor widow), and we have to implore his aid (even although he has promised it). That is one way to describe how a sinner gets in touch with Jesus.

The intriguing test that was set her

It was not only the disciples who were in the classroom watching the Master at work. On this occasion another pupil joined the class. Sometimes when a teacher wants to show that a problem is solvable he will ask a more experienced student to answer the question. Here the disciples were to watch how an instructed disciple from an unlikely place would illustrate how to persuade Jesus to help her.

It may have been the case that Jesus pointed to a literal set of children being fed, with their pet dogs running around at their feet. I suspect this was the case because it would show to the woman that there was an answer to his request that she could give immediately. She would have looked at what was happening and observed that the children’s pet dogs were sitting under the table eating the falling crumbs.

What did Jesus intend by this illustration? He indicated that there was a group who had certain privileges (indicated by the children) and there were a group who would not know what to do with the privileges (illustrated by the dogs). Moreover he said that there was an order of time as far as the feeding was concerned – the children were to be fed first. I don’t think it is difficult to work out who the children represent – the Jews. To them, Jesus had been sent first and he was now engaged in working among them showing that he was the Messiah (Matt. 15:24). It was not yet the time for the kingdom to spread out into the Gentile world.

How would she react to this testing comment by Jesus? First, she did not dismiss his claim to be working first among the Jews. Many people at that time might have been offended by Jesus saying what he said in this regard and argued about why the Jews were so privileged. What stopped her doing so? The fact that she had a great need took priority over other matters. The same should be the case with ourselves. We may have a range of questions about how to understand some things Jesus says or does, but we need to focus on our spiritual needs of forgiveness and peace with God.

Second, she was willing to take a low place as long as she was provided for. This is the point of her answer when she said that the dogs under the table received a little food. Perhaps she saw the disciples of Jesus as the equivalent of the children, and she saw herself as receiving the equivalent of crumbs. Of course, even that shows the greatness of her faith – delivering her daughter was like one of the crumbs in contrast to the spiritual provision the disciples were receiving. But it was an amazing crumb! Notice she also used the plural ‘crumbs’. She was indicating that she believed that Jesus could do great things for her. What is important for us is that she used a compelling argument in prayer. And there are always compelling arguments that can be used.

Spurgeon, in preaching on this incident, observed that ‘the brightest jewels are often found in the darkest places’. And he was right because here was a Canaanite woman (Matt. 15:22), a descendant of the ancient enemies of Israel, receiving spiritual help from the Messiah through the persistent faith that she exercised in him.