Mark 7:24-30

1. Position yourself to hear God

2. Pore over the passage and paraphrase the main points

3. Pull out the spiritual principles

4. Pose the question

5. Plan obedience and pin down a date

Mark 7:24-30 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

²⁴ Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.^[a] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. ²⁵ In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. ²⁶ The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁸ “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
²⁹ Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
³⁰ She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Paraphrase

·         Jesus went to the vicinity of Tyre and wanted to keep His visit secret but it wasn't a secret

·         He went to a woman’s home where her daughter was possessed by an evil spirit

·         The woman wanted Jesus to heal her daughter but He wanted to test the level of her faith

·         Even although she was a Gentile she believed that Jesus could heal her daughter

·         Because of her faith Jesus healed her daughter and she was no longer afflicted by the demon

Principles

·         It seems when Jesus is present it can’t be kept secret.  Jesus should be evident in our lives so that people see Him in us

·         Jesus is more powerful than any evil spirit and was not afraid to enter the woman’s house where her demon possessed daughter lived

·         Jesus wanted to know the level of faith this woman had.  Sometimes Jesus asks us the same question

·         This woman’s faith stood strong and Jesus knew that her faith in Him was genuine and because of it He healed her daughter’s affliction

Questions

·         Do we keep our faith in Christ a secret or is it evident in the way we conduct our lives?

·         Do we believe that Jesus is all powerful in the situations we face each day?

·         How strong is our faith in times of adversity? 

·         Do we believe that God can do a work of healing in our lives?