Prayer and Providence: A Look At Mark 7:24-30

“Now Jesus stood up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He was wanting no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician descent. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He was saying to her, ‘Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered and said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.’ And He said to her, ‘Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.’ And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left” (Mark 7:24-30).

Jesus traveled about thirty-five miles northwest to go to Tyre. He went to be alone. How do we know this? Because He says that He did not want anyone to know, yet He could not be hidden.

“He could not be hidden; though a candle may be put under a bushel, the sun cannot. Christ was too well-known to be long hidden anywhere; the oil of gladness with which He was anointed, like ointment, would betray itself, and fill the house with its odors.” - Matthew Henry

Although the account provided to us by Mark gives us several examples of when Jesus requested that no one announce the miracles that He had done, and even when He commanded the demons not to say who He was, in this narrative we notice something quite significant. Jesus traveled a great distance to make Himself known to this weary mother.

Jesus made Himself known to this woman. Obviously, His fame went ahead of Him and followed after Him everywhere He went, and Jesus came to ultimately reconcile both the Jew and the Gentile unto Himself. His time spent in and around Nazareth, Judea, and Jerusalem made it clear that He had come for the Jews, and now He makes clear that He has also come for the Gentiles.

We see this truth echoed by the apostles as well in the book of Acts.

“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region” (Acts 13:46-49).

Luke here was of course quoting Isaiah: “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth” (Isa. 49:6).

It will be helpful to us to read the synoptic account from Matthew as well: having the details in both of these passages will aid us greatly in understanding the significance and the serious nature of this woman’s need. It will help us to comprehend her sorrow of heart and teach us that the best place we can take our burdens and our cares is to the Lord.

“And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 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’” (Matt. 15:21-22).

Some folks may see only one person “afflicted” in this passage, but there are two at the very least. The daughter was possessed, the mother was devastated, and we can be sure that others were affected as well. As this mother comes to Jesus crying out and falling at His feet, she is bringing her burden and her weight to Jesus, who is able to shoulder the load.

“At that time Jesus declared, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light’” (Matt. 11:25-30).

We are taught in the book of Hebrews that “since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:1-2).

In these verses, we see the Jew and Gentile distinction that is typified throughout the whole of the Bible.

In these verses we see the Grace of God extending to both the Jew and the Gentile. While we are using this terminology, keep in mind that technically speaking, when we read these terms as used in the text of Scripture, they are to be understood not in terms of neither ethnic superiority nor ethnic inferiority, but rather should be understood in terms of the totality of humanity in general.

The Scriptures place all under the condemnation of sin, whether Jew or Gentile. While it is true that the Jews referred to the Gentiles as dogs, for us to glean context from this passage, we must recognize these statements. This woman, being a “Syrophoenician,” was a Gentile by birth. While the term “dog” was used in a derogatory fashion by the Jews, the term used by the Lord is not the same. Notice the Lord here in the text uses a word in Greek that means “little dog.”

The term “dog” was used with a negative connotation in reference to the Gentiles by referring to them as basically “wild dogs.” Most times the point of reference was to those large and uncontrollable feral dogs that ran loose in the region. However, the term used here by the Lord is a reference to a “little dog,” referring to a house pet. This creature lived indoors and enjoyed the privilege of being in the house. Notice in the passage that the term “children” is a reference to the Jews, while the term “little dogs” is a reference to the Gentiles. Christ came to the Jews, but He came for both the Jews and the Gentiles. In essence what Jesus said to her was that He Himself, who is the bread of life, should be given to the children first because it would not have been right for the children’s bread to be taken from them and served to the little dogs.

Notice the woman’s response. She recognizes the correctness of His statement. She did not deny the statement, nor did she argue with the statement, nor did she become offended by the statement. She affirmed His statement: “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”

I am so thankful that God in His wisdom, sovereignty, and providence so worked out the council of His divine will in such a way that he included the “little dogs” in His plan of redemption. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, born of a woman, and of Jewish descent was identified as the King of the Jews. This man Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law, lived a sinless life, died the death we deserved, took upon Himself the wrath of God, was buried, and on the third day arose from the grave alive forevermore. He made atonement not only for the sins of the Jews but also for the sins of the Gentiles.

What do we read in the last two verses? For this statement: “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” In other words, because she had faith, the demon was gone. It was not popular opinion that caused Jesus to heal this woman’s daughter.  It was her faith. It was the gift of God that gave this woman eyes to see and ears to hear, and a mind to understand and a heart to believe.

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven'" (Matt. 16:13-17).

Faith is what we see here in the text. It is faith that has caused this woman to come crying out to Jesus. She did not come for a quick fix, nor did she come to have a selfish desire satisfied. Rather she came because Jesus was the only one who could meet her need. She came because she recognized Jesus as the only begotten Son of God, full of Grace and Truth.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5‬).

Have you put your faith and trust in Christ? Jesus died for the sins of His people. Does it offend you to hear that if you have not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God for your salvation that you are yet doomed to eternal damnation? I hope that some do become offended today and that in your pride of heart the gift of faith would burst upon you like a spring shower, and that you, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, would be born again.

There is a story in the biography of George Whitefield about a man named Thorpe, who was a bitter opponent of everything holy. He and a group of his friends, all of them young, rebellious thugs, conspired together to mock and oppose Whitefield and his evangelistic ministry.

Whitefield had severely crossed eyes, as you will notice in any realistic likeness of him. These thugs used to refer to him as “Dr. Squintum.” They called their little gang the “Hell-Fire Club,” and they disrupted meetings, mocked Whitefield on the streets and in public places, and generally tried to make his ministry a reproach in their community. The preaching of Whitefield had already made a deep and lasting impact in Bristol, and these young ruffians hated him as a result. Thorpe took one of the published sermons preached by Whitefield and took it to the local pub, where the “Hell-Fire Club” was gathered to drink together while they made fun of Whitefield.

Thorpe was apparently pretty good at doing impressions, and he had all of Whitefield’s mannerisms and gestures down. He stood in the center of the pub, crossed his eyes, and began to deliver a derisive rendition of Whitefield’s sermon. But in the middle of the sermon, the Word of God pierced his heart, and he suddenly stopped and sat down, trembling and broken-hearted. Right then and there, he confessed the truth of the gospel and believed on Jesus Christ. His aim was to taunt and ridicule, but he accidentally converted himself! The power of the Word of God penetrated his soul and cut him to the heart. He became a preacher himself and quite an effective evangelist because he knew so well the power of the Word of God to penetrate hardened hearts.

It was Grace, free Grace, that moved the Father so to love the world, as to ‘give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16). It was Grace, that made the Son to come down and die. It was Grace, free Grace, that moved the Holy Ghost to undertake to sanctify the elect people of God. It was Grace, free Grace, that moved our Lord Jesus Christ to send forth his ministers to call poor sinners this day.” - George Whitefield

"The general offer of Christ to all is a ground of reception to any that will believe in Him. Then the way is open, and Christ is free for me as for any to come in to receive. Christ as a common Savior to Jew and Gentile and to all sorts, yes, even the worst sorts are accepted with Christ when they believe in Him. There is no respect of persons with Christ, but everyone that will may receive Him and shall be received of Him." - Edward Reiner

In closing, the first and most important application of this text has just been presented to you. Repent today, turn from your sin, call on Jesus, and you will be saved. Tell your family, tell your friends, and tell your enemies what Christ has done. Tell your elders, get counsel from your elders, and be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. Get plugged in at your church. Be there every time the doors are open. Give yourself to God’s people. Pray regularly.

The providence of God positions us where we are. The circumstances may be dire or they may be pleasant, but in either case, we are where we are so that God may demonstrate His grace and goodness. This woman’s circumstances were dire. She was born where she was born and she lived where she lived, all according to the providence of God. It is no accident that we are gathered today as we are. The Lord has graciously given us this opportunity: He has given this day that we may say, “He does all things well.” Amen!