Mark 7:24-37 | “Jesus Came for the Dogs and the Deaf”

The Early Church’s Biggest Problem

Arguably the biggest problem that the first Christians faced was unity in the church.  The church then, just like the church now, struggled to love each other, struggled to accept people who were different than themselves, struggled with ethnic divisions and selfishness.    

This was and is no small problem.  The credibility of our witness in the world hangs on whether or not we love one another.  Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35).  Jesus prayed, “Father…I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (Jn. 17:20-21). 

One of the primary ways we do evangelism is by living in loving unity with one another.  There is so much inherent power in this that, when we live in loving unity, the world sees that we belong to Jesus and that Jesus was sent from God. 

Jews and Gentiles in the Early Church

The earliest Christians struggled with unity for a very simple reason.  Because the first Christians were Jews, they had a really hard time accepting Gentiles into the church.  The first ever church council was convened to address this problem.  Some were teaching that Gentiles had to become Jews, or be circumcised, in order to be saved (Acts 15:1).  James, Jesus’ half-brother and the leader of the Jerusalem church, reminded the church of the promises of God to include the Gentiles in his people.  He led the Jewish church to accept Gentiles into the church without putting undue and unbiblical restrictions on them (Acts 15:12-21). 

“Who were the people of God?” was a pressing question in the early church.  What were the boundaries of the people of God?  Who was in and who was out?  How could unclean Gentiles be included in the saving work of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah?  To put a fine point on the problem, the question for them, and for us Gentiles, is: How do we know that Israel’s Savior is also our Savior?  In other words, what right do we Gentiles have to the blessings and rewards of Jesus’ work?  If you’re a Gentile, how do you know that Jesus loves and accepts you?

Gentiles Should Beware of Pride

We Gentiles might assume that we deserve Jesus as much as anyone else, maybe even that we deserve him more than his own people the Jews because they’ve mostly rejected him.  Paul warns against this in Romans 11:17-22.  The tree of salvation is a Jewish tree.  Gentiles must humbly acknowledge this and recognize that we’re a part of God’s people only because of God’s kindness.

The Old Testament says that God would bless all the nations through his people Israel.  The last thing Jesus told his disciples was that they should “make disciples of all the nations” (Mt. 28:19).  But before this, during his ministry, Jesus focused primarily on his people the Jews.  When he sent the twelve apostles out for ministry he even told them to not go into Gentile towns, but rather to go “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt. 10:5-6).  Jesus prioritized ministry toward the Jews.  But he didn’t totally ignore Gentiles before he gave his Great Commission.

The next section of Mark’s Gospel shows us Jesus deliberately engaging with Gentiles in Gentile regions (7:24-8:10).  What we’ll see in our text this morning is Jesus going into two different Gentile regions to show that his love and power is for the Gentiles too, not just the Jews.  This section would have been sweet music to the ears of Mark’s original audience, Gentile Christians in Rome, who struggled to believe that a Jewish Messiah was also deeply committed to them.

In 7:14, Jesus called his hearers to “hear and understand.”  But they didn’t have ears to hear or hearts that understood.  In our text this morning (7:24-37), we’ll meet a Gentile dog who understood who Jesus is and a deaf Gentile who heard the words of Jesus.  These are our two points this morning: Jesus came for the dogs who understand and the deaf who hear.   

Jesus Goes to Tyre and Sidon

In verses 24-30, Jesus leaves Galilee and goes into a Gentile area.  He enters “the region of Tyre and Sidon.”  This region was on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in modern day Lebanon.  This region had a long history of antagonism toward Israel.  This was where Jezebel was from, who in Elijah’s day sought to lead the Northern Kingdom into idolatry and paganism.  This was a region avoided by most Jews because it was a pagan, Gentile region.  The Jewish historian Josephus said that the inhabitants of Tyre were “notoriously our bitterest enemies.” 

The Israelites expected their Messiah to come and destroy all their Gentile enemies.  What does Jesus do?  He takes his disciples there, most likely to rest, and ministers to a woman in need (vv. 25-26).  From a Jewish point of view, few people had as much against them as this woman.  She was a woman and would therefore not get the time of day with most Jewish teachers.  She’s a Gentile from an area (Syro-Phoenicia) with a long history of animosity toward Israel.  Her daughter has a demon, which would socially ostracize her and make her unclean in Jewish eyes. 

Jesus, in this one encounter, is shattering all the categories the Jews have for their Messiah.  He expands and enlarges their understanding of the Messiah.  The fact that he was willing to talk to this woman shows us yet again of his unconcern for social conventions.  Jesus’ love and compassion wasn’t for those who were just like him. 

What about yours?  Do you stiff-arm or politely avoid people different than you?  When was the last time you shared a meal with someone older or younger or of a different skin color or who wasn’t a Christian or who wasn’t in your field of work?  Are we like Jesus or like our culture when it comes to determining who we’ll engage with?

The Children’s Bread is for the Dogs Too

This woman comes to Jesus crying out for help.  She also was willing to throw aside social convention in order to help her child.  In verse 27, Jesus says that he’s been sent to Israel and that it’s not right to “take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 

The “children” are the people of Israel and the “dogs” are the Gentiles.  This may not sound very compassionate on Jesus’ part.  To call someone a “dog” in that day was very offensive.  Dogs weren’t worshipped and treated like little gods like they are now.  Most dogs were wild scavengers who fed off dead animals and garbage.  They were the filthiest animals in town.

Is Jesus being mean here, calling this woman a bad name?  I don’t think he is.  The word for “dogs” here literally means “little dog.”  There were some small dogs kept in houses as pets and this is the word used to describe them.  The Gentiles were referred to as “dogs” in the Old Testament, so Jesus, in as nice a way as possible, is simply drawing a distinction between Jew and Gentile using a well-known expression to do so. 

Jesus’ point is that his mission as the Jewish Messiah is to Israel first, “Let the children be fed first.”  He’ll command his disciples to take the gospel to the Gentiles later, but at this point Jesus’ focus is on the Jews and their spiritual need.  The family eats first, then the little dogs are fed afterward.

Remarkably, the woman agrees with Jesus, “Yes, Lord” (v. 28).  She understands and accepts the priority and privilege of Israel in God’s plan.  It seems that she understands the purpose of Israel’s Messiah better than Israel does.  But she also understands that Jesus’ Messiahship is sufficient to meet her needs as well.  She displays an amazing faith in Jesus when she says, “Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  She’s alluding to the blessings that the Jewish Messiah was promised to bring to all nations.  She understands that there’s a surplus to Jesus’ ministry that overflows to Gentiles like her.  Gentiles don’t just scraps.  They can “eat all they want” (NIV) because of Jesus.  The “dogs” don’t rob the “children” of their food.  They simply eat what’s rightly theirs from the overflow of food on the children’s table. 

This simple response shows us the great abundance of spiritual food to be found in Jesus.  He’s not stingy.  He doesn’t hold back.  He has more than enough for Jew and Gentile.  It doesn’t matter who you are, you can find more than enough of what you’re looking for in Jesus.  This Gentile woman demonstrates this faith and Jesus responds to her request because of it (vv. 29-30).

Contrast between the Religious Leaders and the Gentile Woman

How does this account connect to the first twenty three verses of the chapter?  What’s the connection between this Gentile woman and the religious leaders?  Mark places these accounts side-by-side in order to draw a contrast between a bunch of Jewish men concerned about the law and a Gentile woman without the law, between the unbelief of the religious leaders and the belief of the Gentile woman. 

The “traditions of the elders” (v. 3) said that there could be no salvation apart from the law.  Mark tells us that a Gentile pagan woman found in Jesus what the religious leaders thought could only be found in the law.  Because of her faith, she found that Jesus’ authoritative word did what the law could never do, heal her daughter and make her clean.

For Mark’s audience, and for us, this means that anyone, Jew or Gentile, can experience the blessings of God’s Messiah through faith in Jesus.  This woman wasn’t offered a separate revelation or righteousness apart from Israel.  She understood and accepted God’s priority for Israel.  But she also understood that God’s blessing to Israel was meant to spill over onto people like her.  She understood her condition, her need, and the sufficiency of Israel’s Messiah to meet her need.  Her faith, which brought her to her knees begging Jesus for help, secured for her what she sought.  And so it will be for any who approach Jesus like her.

Jesus Goes Back to the Decapolis

In verses 24-30, we see that Jesus accepts any Gentile dog who understands the depth of their need and trusts in his grace.  The next section, verses 31-37, shows us that Jesus also accepts deaf Gentiles who hear his voice.

Jesus returns to the Decapolis (v. 31), where he’d previously encountered and healed the man with a legion of demons (5:1-20).  It appears that that man’s evangelistic ministry was successful because the people immediately recognize Jesus as someone who can help them (v. 32). 

The Decapolis was the region on the east side of the Sea of Galilee.  It was notorious Gentile territory.  The fact that Jesus goes from Tyre and Sidon to the Decapolis, a 120 mile journey, makes it clear that he is going out of his way to include Gentiles in his ministry. 

Jesus Fulfills Isaiah 35

The word used to describe the man’s “speech impediment” in verse 32 is significant because it’s only used one other time in the Bible (Isa. 35:5-6).  This section of Isaiah is about the arrival of the Day of the Lord.  It talks about the wastelands of Lebanon seeing the glory of God and receiving the joy of the Lord (v. 2).  Remember that Jesus has just come from Lebanon, or Tyre, and now he’s about to heal a deaf and mute man. 

Mark is telling us that the power and glory and joy of the Lord is coming to the Gentile world through Jesus.  He’s the One who inaugurates the “Day of the Lord.”  He’s the Redeemer from Israel who will bring God’s salvation and joy to all the peoples (v. 10).

Jesus Sees this Man

The way that Jesus heals this man is interesting.  Verse 33 says that he removes him from the crowd.  I love this.  It tells us that Jesus sees him as a unique individual, not just a face in the crowd.  David Powlison’s funeral was this week and person after person talked about how David saw each person as a person, not as a category or a problem or an inconvenience.  One friend described how he saw David engage a woman with mental illness in such a way that made it clear that he saw her as a person made in God’s image and loved by God, not a case study or client or annoyance. 

In his tribute to Powlison, John Piper wrote, “In my experience (David) was never glib, or gloomy.  He did not wear the heaviness of his troubles on his sleeve.  They made him earnest, but not onerous.  He was not a party pooper, nor the resident clown.  He was serious — the opposite of superficial — radiantly serious.  No one greeted me like David Powlison — eyes fixed on mine, smiling gently, seeing, asking.”

Do we see people, truly see them?  Do we love people enough to pull them aside and listen to them?  Do we carry out our ministries like Jesus, and David Powlison, with joy and seriousness that sees people as God sees people?

Jesus Touches this Man

Verse 33 says that Jesus touches his ears and tongue.  This seems weird at first.  Why didn’t he just heal him by speaking like he did everyone else?  Think about it, what better way to communicate love to someone who can’t hear than to touch him?  Jesus’ physical contact was an expression of his compassion for him.  He saw him and understood his need and sought to meet his need in the most compassionate way possible. 

We also must seek to minister to people in ways appropriate to their condition.  Not everyone is ready for a sermon.  Not everyone is ready to even hear the gospel the first time we spend time with them.  Not everyone needs to read a book or listen to a podcast.  Many people simply need to be seen and listened to.  Like Jesus, may we seek to “touch” people in the most fitting ways.

Jesus Heals this Man

Verse 34 says that Jesus speaks one word in Aramaic, “Ephphatha,” which means “Be opened.”  I wonder if Mark records the exact Aramaic word Jesus used here because it was burned into the memory of this man because it was the first word he ever heard? 

When a person first hears the voice of Jesus speaking to them, meeting them at the point of their deepest need, those words are not quickly forgotten.  At this simple command, the man’s “ears were opened” and “his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly” (v. 35).  Like the Syrophoenician woman, another Gentile is included in the company of Jesus.

Hearing and Understanding

Back in 7:14, Jesus called people to hear him and understand.  We’ve seen a Gentile woman understand who Jesus is and a deaf man hear his word because of his touch.  What is Mark showing us?  Mark is telling us that the hearing and understanding commanded by Jesus is only made possible by Jesus. 

Trusting in Jesus is the most difficult thing in the world.  Some who’re in close proximity to him, like his disciples, hear him but don’t understand.  Some, like this Gentile woman and this deaf man, are in dark and distant lands but understand him and hear him.  What does this mean?  It means that only the touch of Jesus can enable Jew or Gentile, religious or irreligious, man or woman, black or white or Asian or Hispanic, us to truly hear and understand Jesus.

Have you heard Jesus’ voice?  Has he opened your ears? 

Mark is telling us that the loving unity that Jesus died to create in his church is only possible by his grace.  The church and its life together is thus a miracle of God meant to reveal the glory and love of Christ.  The surplus of Jesus’ grace is available to all dogs who admit their need and who have ears to hear.