Mark 7:24-37
1. this week I’ve been reading a challenging, disturbing book – The Forgotten Ways: reactivating the missional church by Alan Hirsch from Australia. He writes things I’ve heard before but in a far more convincing manner.
2. church attendance: for instance, there is a growing body of research that clearly shows that church attendance in our country is in decline. Slowly but surely we are becoming a post-Christian culture.
3. Jesus vs. the church: there is also a growing body of research that shows that there is a mounting number of people who are drawn to Jesus but repulsed by his church. Dan Kimball has just written a book entitled They like Jesus but Not the Church.
4. outreach: there is also a growing body of research that shows that most churches, if they are growing, are growing by attracting people from other churches or people who are like them socially, economically, politically & ethnically. This means that there is a large segment of our population that is virtually beyond the reach of the church as it presently operates.
5. this book is a wake-up call, a slap in the face, a jolt of ragged reality. And it’s prepared me to listen to the Word of the Lord as found in our 2 Jesus stories for today from Mark’s gospel, 7:24-37.
the faith of the Syrophoenician woman 7:24-30
1. v.24 – Jesus went to the vicinity of Tyre. 7:31 – Jesus went through Sidon, down to the sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.
2. this information is important. Jesus leaves Jewish territory & goes into Gentile territory. He’s no longer with his own people. He is in a foreign, pagan land, so-to-speak. No Jewish laws or history or temple or synagogue or offerings.
3. he has passed through national, racial, geographical & religious boundaries to get to these 2 stories.
4. v. 24 – for some reason he wants to hide. He finds a house. He wants to keep his where-a-bouts secret.
5. and then a woman hears about Jesus. The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. Mark makes the point that she is Greek, not Jewish, and born in Syria, not Israel.
6. she had heard about him (Jesus). The news about Jesus had spread. We don’t know what she knew but she knew he had power over evil spirits. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
7. Jesus throws out a riddle to her – First let the children eat all they want for it is not right to take the children’s bread & toss it to their dogs.
8. unlike his disciples, unlike the Jewish people he has been dealing with, this woman gets his riddle, his veiled language. She quickly comes back to him Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s bread.
9. what does this all mean? The Jews of Jesus’ day referred to Gentiles as dogs. They wanted nothing to do with Gentiles. She is saying that she believes that even if Jesus is centering his ministry around the Jews, shouldn’t there be enough of his power left over for Gentiles like her & her daughter?
10. she wins the argument, so to speak & Jesus expels the demon from her daughter.
the healing of a deaf and mute man 7:31-37
1. Jesus leaves & moves down to Decapolis – Gentile territory. People bring a deaf & mute man to him & ask for his healing.
2. notice, Jesus takes the man aside, away from the crowd. He doesn’t want the attention of a big crowd around him.
3. Jesus heals him. He placed his fingers in the man’s ears. He spit & then touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven to his Father and commanded the man’s ears & mouth to open. Suddenly the man could both hear & speak.
4. Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. Why? I think he wanted to be known for more than just a miracle man. He true mission was to be our suffering Savior. The cross, crucifixion & resurrection were still to come. A healing, delivering Christ is only a partial Christ. He came primarily to seek & to save the lost.
5. he told the crowds to keep quiet. They did just the opposite. They kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. Jesus had power over storms, waves, wind, wine, bread, fish, demons & illness BUT he couldn’t keep the people from talking – he will not violate our free will.
some points to ponder
1st Jesus crossed boundaries in these 2 stories – national, ethnic, geographical, religious.
1. Questions for our church & us as individuals:
§ when do we ever cross boundaries like Jesus?
§ do we set limits on the reach of the good news of the kingdom of God?
§ do we really believe that the power of God’s love encompasses all people?
2. our church can become a religious ghetto if its all that we know. Our small groups can become a holy huddle if those are the only people we associate with. We have developed such an extensive Christian sub-culture in this country that its possible to live a life that is virtually isolated from our secular culture – the very people Jesus loves, died for & calls us to reach in his name.
3. think of our Christian schools, colleges, radio stations, book stores, music, aerobics, cruises, New Testamints, conferences, seminars, magazines & the bad art & nick-knacks that jam the shelves of Christian book stores. Do these help us to cross boundaries?
4. Jesus crossed boundaries – are we? Becoming a new people for a new building must mean that part of our newness is crossing new boundaries into our community, city, marketplace & culture.
2nd Jesus’ life was marked by an enormous magnetism that transcended nationalities, borders & social classes – all kinds of people were attracted to him.
1. Questions for our church & us as individuals:
§ is there anything magnetic about our lives?
§ anything magnetic about our church?
§ our message? our lifestyle? our reputation?
…that would DRAW people to us like they were drawn to Jesus?
2. the Syrophoenician woman heard things about Jesus that drew her to him. The deaf & mute mans friends heard something about Jesus that drew them to him:
§ he was compassionate – cared about the hurting
§ he had power over the powers of darkness
§ he had power to heal
§ he was approachable
5. would this describe us? What’s the word out on the streets of Canby, Barlow, Aurora, Hubbard, Woodburn, Molalla & Wilsonville about our church? Churches in general?
6. we are almost the exact opposite of Jesus. When he walked the streets of Israel the religious/church people (scribes & Pharisees) despised him WHILE the drunks, prostitutes, tax collectors, adulterers, sick, demon possessed, needy, the poor & seekers were attracted to him. That’s not the case today.
7. evangelical Christianity is known to many in our culture today as a bunch of people who are – narrow, bigoted, judgmental, hypocritical, & angry. Can this be said of us?
8. Jesus had an enormous magnetism – do we? Becoming a new people for a new building must mean that part of our newness is becoming a Christ-people with an attractive magnetic pull.
9. what is that pull? The power of Christ to transform, heal & deliver. The power of Christ to show compassion, love & give. The power of Christ to penetrate the hard places in soft, winsome ways.
10. Portland Worklife Project: Bridging the Gap between Church & Work seminar
