Mark 7: 24-30 & Acts 21: 3-6
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The New
Testament Witness of the Apostle
Peter |
The Pulpit at Pilgrim's Rest Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA) |
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As in almost all of the pagan nations surrounding Jerusalem, there was a hint that the gospel would come from Jerusalem to the elect of every nation. The nations condemned to destruction by Isaiah's prophecy were those promised a remnant to be blessed within God's providence. Israel and Judea never gave this purpose much thought or effort. Indeed, when Jonah was called to preach to Ninevah, he resisted with all his might. Yet, the Lord's will was finally accomplished and in His own time, Isaiah's suffering servant would come, die and rise again. The New Covenant Church was sent out to the whole world and little congregations sprung up in every climate and place.
This morning we want to consider the work of the Spirit in the former commercial city of Tyre. There is not much to go on, but as always, out of small beginnings, larger congregations must finally grow within the will of God. In the book of Mark we find an early account of the conversion of a resident of Tyre.
In the first part of this chapter Jesus had just set aside the ceremonial teachings about clean and unclean food. In the present portion we begin to understand that the prophecies of the prophets will soon be fulfilled in that all sorts of people from every tribe and nation may come to God through Christ. As one commentator has it, God's covenantal church must learn that there are no clean and unclean ethnic groups. While some members of other tribes and nations did come into Israel, it remained for the New Covenant Community to seek out the lost throughout the known world.
Now at first hand, many commentators make this scene more intense than it really is. While the ordinary teachers of Israel did indeed look upon the gentile world with some contempt, Dr Keener cautions us that "Jewish people did not regularly call non-Jews "dogs," as some commentators have argued. Rather, Jesus is making his point by way of illustration ... Worthless food would be cast to the dogs. In Jewish Palestine, dogs were regarded as scavengers, but in well-to-do households influenced by Greek custom ... dogs were sometimes pets. Jesus is making an illustration: the children must be fed before the pets, and the Jewish people therefore had fist claim" to the Gospel.
From another perspective, several commentators disagree about the sense of our Greek here. One commentator insists that Jesus does not use the supposed insulting language of the Jewish leaders. Instead, he uses the diminutive form of the word. This word may describe the little pet dogs of the house instead of the wild strays of the streets.
More important than this word play, one commentator reminds us that the woman was a Greek. William Barclay observes that in this sense, the good humor of the Greeks could not be offended if the religious insight of the Pharisees and Saducees was offered with a smile. Yes, I know that William Barclay is not considered to be an orthodox commentator. But as long as we notice his observations on common life and ignore his thinking in theology, we may learn something essential about sharing the Gospel.
Isn't it interesting how the very controversy of comments on this passage plays into our theme of being circumspect in our witness? One doesn't have to read too far into the Reformers to realize the intense blood-letting that came about during the Reformation. Whatever our sympathies, we do not win friends and influence people by having a harsh attitude towards the various cults and pseudo religions that are growing rapidly in our day and age.
One of the things that we always have to be careful of in going about the world is that our work and witness must be given in such a way that sincerely interested people are not turned away. At one Church planting conference I believe the essential word was winsome. That does not mean that the content of theology is blurred nor essential truths ignored. What it does mean is that just like the example here, people who are coming into the faith may find their acceptance of truth made easier if we are less likely to condemn them because of their upbringing. I can well remember the Baptists of every camp condemning those of us in my former denomination who were serious enough to want a better organization.
Our missionary in Mexico would also remind us of the troubles that fundamentalist groups have often had in being more anti-establishment than being for the Gospel of Grace. Well do I know where some of the supposed church groups are leading their people, yet just as Jesus was gentle with the ordinary person, saving His righteous wrath for the leaders, so should we always be gracious in our witness to the ordinary man and woman in the street.
Just this week, our webmaster created some links to some sites that argue against specific heresies. He was certainly truthful in his description of those heresies, however - I emailed him a different paragraph urging our visitors to make every thought captive to the Word of God by comparing Scripture alone to their dearly held dogmas.
We may learn from the Gospel account of Matthew that at first Jesus was not aware of the lady from Tyre. But she was persistent in badgering the disciples to talk with Jesus. Dr Keener observes that "in the Old Testament, faith was often expressed in bold zeal, holy chutzpah, by women of faith and other heroes." Humble respect for God is combined with a bold urgent entreaty and God answers these prayers. So even while Jesus was in seclusion, He opened His heart to this foreign woman with a possessed child.
Her request is simple enough, will He drive out the demon who possesses her little daughter. Jesus reminds her that His calling is first to the house of Israel, first to the Old Testament Church. "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
The woman from Tyre is humble enough to accept the low position gladly. After all, she has come with a purpose to have her daughter healed. All good parents sorrow more at their children's suffering than with their own. She is willing to bear any indignity in the hope of finding Christ's cure for her little daughter. I am reminded of a trustee in another church whose first prayer was for the Lord to heal his six month old daughter. That first prayer eventually led to faith.
Boldly the woman from Tyre replies that even gentile dogs ought to eat the scraps from the table spread before Israel. Jesus is careful not to heal like pagan magicians, he wants her to demonstrate faith in the supremacy of the true God. In the Matthew report of this event, Jesus tells her that because her faith is great, her request will be honored.
Years later, the Apostle Paul passes through the same village. When he came to Tyre on his way to Jerusalem he finds a group of disciples there. This time he stayed a week while his ship prepared for the next stage in its journey. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. This was one of three such warnings. But Paul persisted, and at his departure, the whole church, men, women and children saw him off from the beach where they gathered in prayer. Luke records that Paul and his company continued on in spite of the congregational concern.
And so we see that from small beginnings the church at Tyre grew and continued its work and witness. The Lord even used the leaders there to warn Paul of danger ahead in Jerusalem. We do not know if the lady whose child was delivered by Jesus was part of that little congregation. What we do know, is that just like that lady, each and every member of the congregation that greeted Paul, came in by the same process of conversion.
One by one the new birth is granted and Christ's Church is built up. It doesn't matter where people live, it doesn't matter if their families had the right blood lines.
Many groups still make the same mistake as the Jews of Jesus time, in the CRC the old timers had a saying "If you weren't Dutch, you weren't much." Even the Scot's had a little ethnic proverb "The Lord made the Scots a wee bit better". So do all tribes and nations have these peculiarities. One Indian tribe in the great plains earnestly thought that they alone were human and that the other natives were mere animals. That pride of race must be dampened, and every single person must learn to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord.
Everyone from any tribe and nation must finally learn the lesson learned by the woman from Tyre so that like her we may really take to heart the fact that salvation is given by grace alone. Humbly we must all admit that by our own ability we do not belong to the table of the Lord, but count it all grace that He turns to us and lifts us up to sit at His table and partake of His righteousness given to us generously. May we be content with that grace once given to the woman from Tyre. Amen.
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Barclay, William. |
The Daily Study
Bible: |
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Blaiklock, E.M. |
Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries: |
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Cole, Alan. |
Tyndale New Testament
Commentaries: |
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Keener, Craig S. |
The IVP Bible Background Commentary:
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Pringle, William. |
Calvin's New Testament
Commentaries: |
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Uprichard, Harry. |
A Son is Revealde: |
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"Bringing the Light of the Reformation to Scripture" (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1995) |
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B2b38 |
09 July 00 |