Crumbs, fringes or the fullness of the kingdom

Mark 7:24-37   from the One Year Bible daily reading(link available on links page)

The Syrophoenician Woman

²⁴ Jesus got up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice. ²⁵ But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet. ²⁶ Now the woman was a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ 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.” ²⁸ But she answered and *said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.” ²⁹ And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” ³⁰ And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.

³¹ Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. ³² They *brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they *implored Him to lay His hand on him. ³³ Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; ³⁴ and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He *said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” ³⁵ And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. ³⁶ And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. ³⁷ They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

We see again in today's text that Jesus entered this place wanting no one to know. It is not that Jesus did not want to minister to the people. What He wanted was to declare the good news that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, He wanted to teach and preach. Remember the scripture He read at the beginning of His minsitry. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, ¹⁹ To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”(Luke 4"18-19, from Isaiah 61:1)    Jesus desire was that people would come seeking the kingdom, not the miracles. That's why again  in today's text in verse 36 after healing the man who was deaf and mute,  He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.

Even amidst all the works of miracles Jesus always told the truth about the life of a believer. He didn't promise the solution to or end of all trouble. Rather, He said :     I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”(John 16:33)   He wanted and wants people to know and have the peace that comes from a life of seeking first the kingdom of God. Far too often today the true message of the good news of the kingdom is watered down to what we can have by coming to Christ. People are encouraged to believe in Christ as a solution for all their problems. Jesus is the solution for all the problems in the world, but only to the extent that we are willing to die to self and to the desires of this world.   Romans 6:3-5

3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,… 

Those who come only to receive what they can yet remain unchanged, will soon become disappointed and fall away. They are like the seed that falls among the thorns. "The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.(Luke 8:14)   If there is no change of heart, if people are motivated only by the good things and not the good news, then there will be no fruit in their lives.

In today's text we see one of the few times recorded in scripture where Jesus initially turned down a request for healing or deliverence. This woman, a Gentile, of the Syrophoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷ 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.”        This sounds to us like a very cold and unloving response. How could Jesus say such a thing? While Jesus came to die for the sins of all people, His brief earthly ministry was focussed on the Jewish people, the ones to whom and through whom the promise had been given. We see this woman though is neither offended nor hindered in seeking deliverence for her child. She doesn't play the "race card" and accuse Jesus of being unfair. She answers in faith saying,  “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”    Notice how she addresses Jesus, "Yes, Lord", she acknowledges that Jesus is Lord, whether she gets what she came for or not, He is Lord. Circumstances, difficulties do not change the fact that Jesus is Lord.  Jesus though,  hearing this woman's response in faith, knows that this revelation did not come to her from men, she was drawn by the Father and the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth revealed truth to her.   He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” ³⁰ And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left. 

Whether it's the crumbs under the table or merely touching the fringe of Jesus garment, as we read a few days ago; Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured.(Mark 6:56), that's the power that the kingdom of heaven has in touching the earth. When heaven meets earth the things of earth will change.

We see and we hear of these fringe and crumb encounters with  the kingdom of heaven. People are being healed and delivered by the power of the cross and the resurrection. God wants us to seek more. He wants us to seek the fullness of the kingdom of heaven here on earth. He desires that His kingdom would come and His will would be done. God's will is the redemption of all mankind, ... not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.(2 Peter 3:9) and the restoration of all of creation.

Revelation 21:3-7        “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, ⁴ and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

⁵ And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” ⁶ Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. ⁷ He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

God is eternal, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.(Hebrews 13:8) As it will be in that future time when Christ returns to establish His heavenly kingdom on earth, so it is even now when the kingdom of heaven touches earth. 

Amen. Thank You Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit. Amen, so be it.