Verse by Verse Exploration of the Book of Mark

Chapter 7 Verses 24 - 37

Introduction

When we think of the text that Jesus and the disciples used, we forget that the “New Testament was not used at that time.  They gave themselves to the study of the “Older Testament” (Also or better known as the Torah. God’s teaching instructions).  Therefore, when we read and study the words of Jesus, you will notice that everything that he said was rooted in the Older Testament.  The existence of Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament.  That is why it was important for the Torah to be the foundation of his words, actions and deeds.

Torah Foundational Scriptures:   These scriptures set the Old Testament foundation for our studies of Mark chapter 7, starting with verse 24.

I Kings 17:9

 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” 

Isaiah 35:6

Then the lame shall leap like a deer,

    And the tongue of the dumb sing.

    For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,

    And streams in the desert.

Remember that the Lord your God, is a covenant God.  He will always hold up His end but it is important that we hold up ours.

Scripture:  Mark 7:24

From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre ^£and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 

Here you see that Jesus went to Sidon just as Elijah did previously in the Old Testament.  He just wanted to rest so He tried to hide himself.

Scripture:  Mark 7:25

For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 

One thing that we forget is that an unclean spirit (being demonized) can inhabit even children.  We do know that there is biblical evidence of a child as young as 12 years old as having an unclean spirit.  In this scripture, it is not completely clear what the age of the child is.  By the description, it is reasonable for us to assume that the young girl mentioned in the scripture was a young girl.  During those times, the difference between a woman and young girl was very clear.  Sometimes, the children in your home can be influenced by an evil spirit that is carried or introduced by someone in your home.  If you have an older son or daughter in the home that is engaged in unusual activity and can’t seem to walk the path of righteousness, that person is demonized.  You must recognize the demonization of those in your home because they can be used by the enemy to attack the family. 

You must care about your children enough to recognize when a child is demonized.  In Mark 7:25 we see that the woman recognized the demonization of her daughter and sought Jesus for help.  Sometimes, parents can be blinded by their relationship with children and may not be able to see what is truly happening.  To better understand the situation our children are in, we may need to ask someone else to pray and intercede for us.  If they are doing things that are out of the ordinary, which is evidence that there may be a situation of demonic influence.

When you need something, always go to Jesus.  It is important that we seek the counsel of the Most High before man.

Scripture: Mark 7:26

The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 

When you need something from the Lord you won’t stop until you get what you need from him.  Many times we seek the latest and greatest books and tape series.  What we really need to do is go to the Lord for our problems.  There is nothing wrong with using biblical aids but they shouldn’t be used as guidance in the place of communing with the Lord directly.  When you go to the Lord, petition Him (beg) and then make sure that you wait for the answer.  Most of the time we want God to do things for us, but also want to tell Him how we want it done.  Let God tell you what to do to address and resolve your issues. 

A good example of this would be an issue on the Job.   We can move ahead of God and leave and inhibit God’s move for you.  Stand still and wait for his instructions.

Side Note:  We need to make sure that we are in place and doing what we are supposed to do while we are waiting on God to solve our issues.  If we need him to work out an issue on our job, but we are late every day, we can close a door that God intended to open for us.  As representatives of Christ, it is important that we are always on time and functioning as our work should be done as unto the Lord and not unto man.

Scripture: Mark 7:27

But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

Here Jesus uses a metaphor to explain the importance of his mission to the Children of Israel ahead of His ministry to the Gentiles.  When Jesus went to a town, He would go directly to the Synagogue, often on the Sabbath day.  In the scripture, Jesus referred to not feeding dogs before children.  We must understand that Jesus was not calling the lady a dog.  It is important to understand that there are dogs that have different roles.  There are alley or wild dogs, service dogs and house dogs.  A wild dog would not be in a person’s house to receive food from the table.  In this example, Jesus is referring to a pet who would be considered a member of the family but still holds a cursory role in the order importance within a household.  He wasn’t telling her that He wouldn’t help her, it was more so that she needed to wait until He had completed a phase of his mission.

Scripture: Mark 7:28

And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

The woman recognized that even the scraps and crumbs from Christ can make a difference in the life of her daughter. 

Scripture: Mark 7:29 - 30

²⁹Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” ³⁰And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the

Her desire to partake of the crumbs from the table of Christ’s redemption was an act of faith that Jesus could not ignore.  When she went home, her daughter was healed.

We often think of demon possession like it is a scene from the movie the “Exorcist”.  The vision of the girl’s head spinning and vomiting usually comes to mind when there is a belief that an individual is possessed with an evil spirit.  Possessions don’t always manifest in the physical exterior of a person but more so in their actions and inactions.  Behavior that is out of the ordinary or is a blatant contradiction of the parents teachings and rearing.

Instead of recognizing a child’s actions as a bi-product of demonic influence, the world will classify the behavior as a condition.  They will put a name to it like ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder) or schizophrenia and medicate the person instead of casting out the demon that is influencing them.

Scripture: Mark 7:31 - 37

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. ³²Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech and they begged Him to put His hand on him. ³³And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “EphphathaEphphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”  

³⁵Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Jesus handles each situation differently.  There are approximately 3 biblical instances where Jesus pulled a person out of and away from the multitude to address their healing.  This situation is the only biblical account of a person who had an issue of being both deaf and dumb.   Jesus put his fingers in his ear and spat and touched his tongue in an effort to communicate with the man.  His sigh was a show and act of compassion toward the man. 

God wants us to be healthy and blessed.  God is able to set you, your children and friends free from their negative / demonic influences in their lives.  The Lord is able so we must go to Him for our needs and allow Jesus to guide and direct our paths.