Our pastor is walking us through the Gospel of Mark lately. Last week we were in chapter 7, looking at Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman of Tyre.
And from there He arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet He could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of Him and came and fell down at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered Him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And He said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. (Mark 7:24-30)
The woman’s story struck me afresh through this particular teaching. Consider the context: Jesus has retreated with His disciples for time away from the crowds. They’ve gone away, way up into Gentile country, and are trying to go unnoticed (7:24). This isn’t public ministry time. This isn’t Gentile time (cross reference Matthew 8:24, and Acts 9:15). While Jesus was absolutely here for her (Luke 19:10), in the specific context of the moment He wasn’t here for her.
In fact, the next segment is rather shocking, because He tells her that. Matthew’s account (15:21-28) reveals how He even ignored her pleas for some time. If you have ever been a human present as a source of help in an overwhelming and desperate situation, you know a bit of the intense focus this takes. Needs are innumerable, and specific, strategic tasks must be attended to even at felt cost of other needs. The purpose of being here is to be alone with His disciples, whom He will establish the future Church through. They know this is supposed to be their time, because then they start complaining to Him about the annoyance of her begging. She is interfering with His purpose for this moment. He cares about her (the word for “dog” used here is as for a house pet or lap dog – not a worthless street dog), but she is not the priority here. “The children” are: His disciples, and Israel, whom God promised the Messiah to from ancient past (Gen 11:3). For everything there is a season and a time. Right now, it’s not her time.
AND YET.
She is desperate. She has heard who He is, and has put her trust in Him (Mt 15:22). She acknowledges that she doesn’t deserve Him, and that yes, she’s scrounging where she doesn’t belong (v 28). But here she has access to “her master’s table”, and all she needs is a crumb. Against shame and even relative rejection, she calls on the character of God and His identity as Savior because Who He IS doesn’t change. And He said, “Whoever comes to Me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). And all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13). Her understanding of her need for Him endures all hindrances and overcomes all barriers to the Messiah. Her humility drives her, her awareness of His power redefines her life in a moment, her persistence wins His heart and grants her request (Mt 15:28).
I am so encouraged. This woman lived in a land of spiritual darkness where God’s ways were unwanted. She is broken: overwhelmed by her helplessness, her daughter’s oppression, the ineptitude of all other options, the suffocating nature of her situation. The enemy’s thrashing about in my everyday life gets very preoccupying sometimes, but there is still the realization that as loud and overwhelming as these battles can be, they are comparatively small battles that don’t deserve God’s attention. God loves and cares for individuals down to numbering the hairs on our heads, but He sees our lives from a dramatically different perspective, and He does not fail to stay on task. This woman and her little girl ultimately had nothing to do with saving mankind and breaking the power of sin and death, and the perceived victories and defeats in my personal life (or those of my children) ultimately have nothing to do with God accomplishing His purposes on earth. He IS glorified regardless of what we choose to do with His presence and promises (wisdom and folly will all be revealed in truth).
But He is so given to the humble, so drawn to the needy, so promised to the dependent, so moved by faith, so steadfast in love, so rich in mercy, so wise in healing, when we see God-with-us we can fling ourselves and our overwhelming-miniscule needs recklessly upon His grace.
Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens,
Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confessions.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses,
but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace,
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16