Jesus's Unexpected Grace

Have you ever been afraid to approach someone?

A professor for help, a coach with a special request, a judge.

Have you ever been afraid?

I think of Dorothy and her friends, the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion

as they step into that long green hallway in the Emerald City,

approaching to the throne room of the Wizard of Oz, the great and powerful Oz,

how they trembled before him, overwhelmed by the pomp and circumstance.

Have you ever felt that way as you've approached others?

Have you ever felt that way about approaching God as well?

Do you tremble to come to him?

Maybe like Dorothy, you feel like God is overwhelming and unwelcoming,

that the God of the universe will have no time for you

and that you have no place and no standing to come before him.

Now, it's also very possible in our world today that you don't feel that way at all.

You may think, Jesus is our friend.

We can walk in whenever we want, invite him to sit down on the couch, have a cup of tea with us.

And maybe, as C.S. Lewis puts it, we are even putting God in the dock.

We don't approach him in fear and trembling.

We ask him to come and prove himself to us.

We put him on trial in our own hearts and minds.

And we approach him with not only boldness, but an arrogance that he has to meet our standards and our needs.

However we think about approaching God this morning, the Bible always comes to challenge us,

to challenge our assumptions.

And this morning, we're going to look at a passage in the book of Mark,

where we see Jesus responding in an unexpected way,

ways that will help us see him more clearly,

and help us to know how we rightly should approach God.

So, we're in a series in the book of Mark.

We're in Mark chapter 7.

Mark 7 · chapter mention

We're looking this morning at Mark 7, verses 24 through 30.

Mark 7:24–30

I forgot to look that up in the Pew Bibles.

Does anyone have a page number for me?

791?

Great.

Thanks, Melissa.

So, 791, if you're using the Pew Bibles,

we're going to read this passage and pray together.

As you're turning there, remember,

Jesus has been preaching about the kingdom of God is at hand,

and expressing that through his own ministry,

to the people that he's around and with.

And so, with that, let's go ahead and read our passage.

This is Mark 7, starting in verse 24.

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 was possessed

by 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's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.

But she answered him,

yes, Lord,

even the dogs under the table eat,

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.

Let's pray together.

Lord Jesus, we come to you this morning and we ask for your help.

We ask for your Holy Spirit to be with us.

Lord, to enlighten our minds,

to soften our hearts.

Lord, so that we might understand

and receive your word to us this morning.

Lord, help me as I speak,

that I would speak as I ought,

and that we together would sit under your word today.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So as we continue through the Gospel of Mark,

we're looking at these portraits of Jesus

so that we might understand him

and what the coming of the kingdom of God looks like more clearly.

And today we have this,

in my mind,

unexpected account.

We see Jesus

in unexpected circumstances,

we see Jesus responding in unexpected ways,

and we hear Jesus affirm an unexpected faith.

So there's your outline if you're a note taker.

Unexpected circumstances,

Jesus responding in unexpected ways,

and affirming an unexpected faith.

So let's just walk through this passage together.

Jesus is in unexpected circumstances.

This is the one place in the Gospel of Mark

where Jesus actually departs from

the primarily Jewish world of Israel.

He goes to Tyre and Sidon,

which if in your map,

your mental map,

here's Israel.

Tyre and Sidon is modern-day Lebanon.

So it's north and along the coast.

Historically,

this was a place of antagonism

toward the Jewish people.

This was the home,

after all,

of Jezebel,

the wife of King Ahaz,

who led the king

of the northern tribes of Israel

into idolatry

and worship of Baal.

Historically,

it's also true

that this was a place

who,

that allied with

the opponents

of the Maccabeans

when the Maccabean Jewish people

tried to revolt

against the rule

of the Seleucids,

for those of you

who know ancient

Near Eastern history.

So this was a place

where the enemies

of the people of Israel,

the nation of Israel,

lived.

One commentator says,

they represented

the most extreme expression

of paganism,

both actually

and symbolically,

that a Jewish person

could expect

to encounter.

Why did Jesus go there?

Well,

it seems like

he went away

to get away

from the crowds

and to be

in an unknown place.

He was hoping,

remember,

going back to chapter 6,

verse 30,

Jesus and his disciples

have been trying

to get away

to a quiet place.

They've gone

into the wilderness

twice and failed

both times.

The crowd found them

both times.

So now they decide,

and I've done this,

I'm going to go

to a coffee shop

in the middle

of a really busy city

where I don't think

I know anyone

because that's

the best place

to be anonymous

and to hide.

I think that's

what Jesus is doing.

It says he wanted

to be hidden.

He didn't want anyone

to know where he was

so that he could rest.

And yet,

as we see over and over again,

Jesus plans to rest

in that way,

seem to be foiled

by the sovereignty of God.

And a woman walks in,

and Mark makes very clear

who this person is.

It is a woman,

a Gentile,

a Syrophoenician.

Again,

a commentator.

Of all the people

who approach Jesus,

this is the person most,

this is the individual

who has the most

against her

from a Jewish perspective.

The cultural expectation

was that Jesus

wouldn't even see her,

let alone respond to her.

She comes in.

She'd heard of what Jesus

had been doing

in other places.

She falls on her knees

before him,

and she begs him,

please help my little daughter.

She has a demon.

She needs help.

She didn't know

how he would respond.

Did she hope

that she would find grace?

Did she fear

that she would be rejected?

Did she presume

that because he'd done it,

because Jesus had done

these things in other places,

he would do it here?

The text doesn't say,

but it seems like

she came humbly,

and she begged him for help.

And this is the unexpected

circumstances

that Jesus finds himself in.

How would Jesus respond?

Look with me in verse 27.

This is the striking part

of the story, isn't it?

This is not what you expect.

And it's not what you expect

because we've read other stories.

People have come out of nowhere

and encountered Jesus

and engaged Jesus

in remarkable ways.

Remember the woman

that interrupted Jesus

going with Jairus

to Jairus' house.

The woman who was an outcast

and unclean,

though she was Jewish.

And he stops

and he cares for her

with compassion.

Remember Jesus

encountering the man

possessed by a demon

in the Gerasene wilderness.

How he comes to him

with compassion

and comfort.

But here,

it doesn't feel this way,

does it?

Jesus' response,

let the children be fed first,

for it's not right

to take the children's bread

and throw it to the dogs.

It feels off-putting at best.

What we fear

that he's saying

is things like,

this woman is no better

than a dog.

And being dismissive

and rude

and shaming.

Or at least looking at her

and saying,

as a Gentile,

as an enemy

of the people of God,

I refuse you.

That he's going to reject her.

That's what it feels

like he's saying.

But are we right

in that first

uncomfortable read?

Is that really

what Jesus means?

Let's look a little bit

more carefully

at what he's saying.

Because what Jesus

is doing here,

I don't think

is doing that.

Jesus is using

a figure of speech,

a parable,

so to speak,

about the nature

of families.

He's saying

there is a priority.

When we sit down

as a family,

there is food

on the table

and it's for the children.

Right?

And the food

that's on the table

should not be removed

from the children

and put on the floor

for other people

in the family,

the dogs of the family,

who live under it.

The word dog here

is a pretty unique word

in the New Testament.

It is not the normal word

for dogs

and you see in other places

where you see dog

used as an epithet

towards people

in the Bible.

Where you see it

being used

as a derogatory term

like you're a street dog

that eats the garbage

and feeds on corpses

and this is the vision

that some rabbis

had of dogs

more generally

in the world.

But this word

is a different word

than that.

It's the word

for foofy.

You know?

The dog

that sits on your lap.

Every day

for a beloved family pet

who is a part

of the family.

And listen carefully

what Jesus says.

He says,

it's not that the food

never gets to the dog

but there is a priority here.

There is a kingdom pattern here.

Both the children

and the dogs

are a part of the family.

Both of them

are loved

but they are different.

there is a distinction made.

And Jesus here

seems to be using

this parable

to talk about

a broad theme

of the Bible

where there is

a kingdom pattern

of the Jews first

and then the Gentiles.

Why do I say this?

Well,

go all the way back

to Genesis 12.

The very beginning.

God comes to Abraham.

He says,

I'm calling you

to be the father

of a great nation

and I will bless you

and I will make you

into a great nation.

Your children

will be

the Jewish people,

the people of God

and I will bless them

and I will make them

a blessing.

Right?

In you

all the families

of the earth

will be blessed.

And so God

chooses one man

to show

his particular grace to,

one people

to show

his particular grace to,

but also

more importantly

through.

So it's not just

terminal

in his love

for his family,

this people of God,

but through them

to all the families

of the earth.

And so this is the story

of the whole Old Testament.

God raising up a people

to display his glory

and to be a blessing

to the whole world.

And we know

when we read the Old Testament

that they failed

miserably about it.

So we get to Isaiah 49

where the people of God

have completely blown it

and are facing

God's judgment

and God comes along

and he says,

I'm not done.

I'm going to raise up

from among you

a servant,

one whom I'm going

to send.

Says 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.

He is going to do that,

but more than that,

I will make you

a light for the nations

that my salvation

may reach

to the ends

of the earth.

And so God comes in

and he says,

throughout the Old Testament

there is this plan

through this people

to the whole world.

And even in the Gospels,

even as Jesus

begins his ministry,

he does this as well.

In Matthew 10

Matthew 10:5

verses 5 and 6

when Jesus sends out

his disciples,

he says,

go nowhere

among the Gentiles

and enter no town

of the Samaritans,

but go rather

to the lost sheep

of the house

of Israel.

Jesus started

his mission

as a Jewish man

to his people,

the Jewish people.

It was never

the end goal,

but it was

the starting place

for how he was

going to do this.

That God would work

through the Jewish people

to bless the whole world.

Now,

why does he do this?

Well,

friends,

there are times

when we are

standing on the brink

of the mysteries of God.

But if I could propose

a few thoughts,

I have two of them.

One

is that he's going,

he wants to do this

to show the particularity

of his love.

When he chooses Abraham,

when he chooses

a Jewish people,

right,

Deuteronomy reminds us

that it's not because

they were particularly

holy or special

or large

or powerful

or anything,

but so that he might

display the particularity

of his love

so that those

who receive it

might know.

It's not this vague

general sense

that the universe

has a well-being

towards you,

but it's a particular

love of a personal God

towards his people.

And secondly,

it's for humility.

When in that

Deuteronomy passage,

God is reminding

the people of Israel

through Moses,

I chose you

not because

you had anything

in you

that was particularly

lovely

or that you could

ever earn this.

You didn't deserve

my love.

You didn't earn

my love.

You didn't gain it

because you were,

met some standard

of mine.

It was purely

of grace.

And so,

you must know

the walk

of humility

to receive it.

To receive it

not because

you've done anything

to earn it

or to achieve it,

but simply

because I have chosen

to give it to you.

And so,

this is the pattern.

And Jesus'

little parable

about the way

families work

is to confront

this woman

with this reality

because Jesus

is outside

of the initial circle

for the first time.

But notice

that Jesus

is very careful

in the way,

look back with me

in verse 27 again.

I want you to look

with me.

Let the children

be fed first

for it is not right

to take the children's bread

and throw it

to the dogs.

Right?

The children

are to be fed first,

not the children

are to be fed

only.

Right?

Not that the dogs

are meant to be

put out of the room

and would never

gain from this,

but that there

is a priority

that Jesus

is saying here

about how

his kingdom works.

That she has

no claim on him.

She has no grounds

to seek his mercy.

He is not being

demeaning

or rude.

He is trying

to reveal

something in her.

So,

this is Jesus

unexpected response

that challenges us.

What is he doing?

Ultimately,

I think

he's trying

to reveal

something in her.

And this is

our third point.

From this

unexpected word

from Jesus,

he reveals

an unexpected faith

in this woman.

Because the woman's

response shows us

that she understands

what Jesus is saying

far better

than we do.

She is not offended.

Instead,

she engages

with his words.

She recognizes it

and is willing

to affirm the order

and the distinction

that Jesus is making.

She says,

I know I don't have

a right to sit

at the table.

I'm a Gentile,

not an Israelite.

I know I don't

deserve this.

And yet,

thirdly,

you see that she

has faith.

Isn't the kingdom

of God a feast

that will feed us too?

Isn't there a blessing,

a crumb

of your kingdom

that I can get

as well?

R.C. Sproul

said it this way

and I thought

this was just

so well said.

So forgive me

for preaching his words

for a minute here.

She didn't stand up

and protest

and say,

how dare you insult me

and speak to me

as if I were a dog

even if it's a household pet.

I'm no dog,

I'm a woman.

That was not her response.

Her response was,

yes, Lord,

I understand.

I have no prior claim

to your mercy.

I am not numbered

among your children.

I can't jump up

on the table

and feast upon the food

that you've set

before your children.

I don't want that.

I'm satisfied,

Lord,

with the crumbs.

All I'm asking

is that you would

just let one crumb

that falls from your table

come into my mouth

and I'm satisfied.

Heal my daughter,

please.

I know she's not

in your family.

I know she's not numbered

among your children.

We are the dogs

who wait for the crumbs,

but one crumb

is all I'm asking for.

What Jesus challenged

to her,

reveals in her

is both humility

and faith.

This is what we see in her.

One of the reasons

why I think this is so important

is the context.

Remember what Pastor Nick

preached on last week,

and if you weren't here,

let me summarize it.

In verses 1 through 23,

Jesus encounters

the Jewish leadership,

the Pharisees

and the rulers

of the temple,

and he challenges them.

He says,

you think that

because of your pedigree,

because of your righteousness,

because of your external

religious living,

you have a right

to sit at the table of God.

God,

he confronts them

because they saw themselves

as insiders

that had a stake

and a presumption

that they were going

to be blessed

by the kingdom.

And in contrast to this,

as he confronts that,

he says,

no, it's instead

the nature of the heart

that is most important.

It's the heart

that I look at,

not the externals.

And so what I see here

is that Mark

puts these stories together

so that we see

Jesus turning

from this rebuke

on the insiders

to this welcoming

of the outsider

because he sees

her heart of faith.

He has not turned her away.

He has clarified

so that everyone knows,

so that she knows

and her faith

is rewarded.

When you read this story,

it's almost the throwaway

for this statement.

You may go your way.

The demon has left

your daughter.

He heals her

just like he has

so many others

throughout the gospel

of Mark.

And if you're wondering

what in the world

casting out demons

and healing people like,

go back and listen

to our whole sermon series

because we've talked

about that a couple of times.

So I'm not going

to dwell on this today.

But what it does mean

is that the kingdom of God

that you came here

afraid that you might

be rejected,

uncertain as to how

you would be received,

Jesus says,

the kingdom of God

has come to your household today.

The kingdom of God

has come to your daughter

today by faith.

And friends,

is this not what we see?

Is this not what we see

in the rest of Scripture?

For we know that

after Jesus' death

and resurrection,

the kingdom of God

looks different

in new and particular ways.

Right?

So God comes

to the apostle Peter

in Acts 10

and reveals to him

that what he declares

clean is clean.

And he declares

all food's clean.

And he breaks down

the barriers

and the distinguishing marks

of the Jewish people.

And he says,

in this new,

post-resurrection

people of God,

the thing that matters

is faith in me only,

not the law,

not the keeping of the law

because Jesus has come

to fulfill the law

and to then bring the law

into our hearts.

And so he reveals this

so that Jews

as well as Gentiles

have access

to the kingdom of God

without distinction.

And so the apostle Paul

as he writes

to the mostly Gentile

Roman church

in Romans 1

says,

I am not ashamed

of the gospel

for it is the power

of God unto salvation

for everyone

who believes.

Now, first to the Jew,

then to the Gentile,

the order still continues.

There's still this sense

that even now today

the church is built

on the foundation.

As Romans 11 says,

those of us

who don't have

Jewish heritage,

we are grafted in.

We are orphans

that have been adopted

into the family of God

in new ways.

But ultimately,

the kingdom of God

is for all

who come in faith.

And this is the good news

of the gospel

that he shows

an unexpected grace

to us.

Because the fact is,

we are all Jew

and Gentile,

Syrophoenician women

coming.

Because in our sin,

we are all undeserving.

We have no claim

before God

to say,

you must accept us

because these things.

Instead,

in our sin

and our trespasses,

we are enemies of God,

the unrighteous

who need God's cleansing.

And the call of the gospel

is for us to come

in humble,

desperate faith.

and confident faith.

Because Jesus says,

he who comes to me,

I will in no way

turn away.

He wants us to see

that it's of all

of grace.

Some of you

in this room

probably have grown up

with a Jewish heritage.

Some of you

may have grown up

with the privilege

of a Christian heritage.

You may have

neither of these.

And you may have

come out of families

that neither honored

nor worshiped

nor knew the God

of the Bible.

But the good news

of the gospel

is that

the abundant gospel

of grace

is for you.

Jesus has come

and by his life

and his death

and his resurrection,

he has achieved

a salvation

for all who believe.

And we can come

and when we get

to the end

of the Bible,

do you know

what the beautiful

thing is?

We're invited

to a feast.

And there are no dogs

under the table

in this image.

There is a banquet feast

for all to sit in

and to feast

on the grace of God

and the undeserved

love of God

that he has showered

on all of his people.

Right?

You who have no milk,

you who have no bread,

you who have no money,

come and eat.

That's what we read

from Isaiah 55.

And in Revelation,

it says,

come and eat

in the abundance

of the kingdom of God

at the marriage feast

of the Lamb.

Come and taste

that the Lord is good.

We know that we deserve

none of it,

but have it all

by God's grace.

Friends,

this is the good news

that we learn

through this

unexpected encounter.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Lord, I pray this morning

that if we're those

who fear to come to you

because we think

you will reject us

because we're not good enough,

because we fear

that you would know

our uncleanness,

that you would know

that somehow we feel like

we're unacceptable to you,

Lord, I pray this morning

by your spirit

that you would pierce

our hearts

with the reality

of your kindness

and grace.

Lord, and that you would

fill us with a faith

that would

cause us to come,

surrender our lives

to you,

to follow you.

Lord, for those of us

this morning,

Lord, whose hearts

may be hardened,

who might presume

that of course

we are yours

even though, Lord,

in fact we walk

in neither faith

nor humility.

God, I pray you

would pierce our hearts

so that we might

see our presumption

and repent of it.

And Lord, I pray for us

as a community,

Lord, that we would

know the joy,

the joy that the gospel

of grace is for all people,

that we would know

the joy of that

being for us

and Lord,

that we would be

those who embody

that welcome

to others

for our good

and for your glory.

We pray this

in Jesus' name.

Amen.