Crumbs for Dogs

Problems with doctrine with if you would to Mark chapter 7 and will be looking verses 24 through 30, and from there he arose, and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon in near the house did not want anyone to know. Yet he could not be here immediately. A woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile Asaro Phoenician by birth and she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter and he said to her that the children be fed first for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs, but she answered him yes Lord, and even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs and he said to her for this statement, you might go your way. The demon is left her daughter. She went home and found the child lying in bed in the demon gone that with me as we got our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father.

I flipped up to you this morning. Jim belt is in the hospital with cellulitis. Pray for Wanda Abercrombie and Karen Starcher and Karen Simpson who deeply need your touch. Lord, we continue to pray for Nicole was that you would set her free from the dizziness and vertigo. Also pray for our lost loved ones. We cry out to you for their salvation.

Lord we have a passage of Scripture before us today that humbles me makes me realize that I should quit acting like a proud and tidal Christian thus should realize that every blessing that God gives me his grace was blessed with the grandmother and a dad who pointed me to Jesus was born in America, not Saudi Arabia, were Muslims rule Lord forgive me for not being more like Asaro Phoenician mother who humbly said to Jesus, Lord, even the dogs under the table or lad eat the crumbs she was acknowledging her smallness and she was acknowledging your greatness, and she refused to quit persevering in prayer. Help us all to have the humility and faith, and in the heart that this mother head or use the sermon today for our good and for God's glory.

What is the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen. You may be seated as a people of Israel started gravitating to Jesus, the religious leaders knew that they were losing power and influence people used to come to the a.m. asking for prayer people used to come to the a.m. with their problems. They would ask counsel from these religious leaders and all of a sudden now that that was not happening any longer and the people said we go to the religious leaders and we asked in the prior night. Pray and nothing happens.

We go to the religious leaders and we asked him for counsel for our problems and they give us opinions then are there opinions but is not coming from the word of God, and they always asked for money when we go to them for help. So we go to Jesus and asked for prayer, Jesus prays there's a median answer will we go to Jesus.

When we are sick and: Jesus heals our diseases and our sickness.

We go to Jesus. When we have problems and need counsel the opens up the word of God to us and he gives us what we need and tells us how to apply the word of God to our life.

We offer you money and he never would take up Amy. This is happening all over Israel, and so the religious leaders know that they are losing political power and religious influence in their losing money. I don't like it and so now what are they doing nice and the contingent of religious leaders down to Capernaum. Jesus is staying in the house of Peter and and they come down there for a purpose and that purpose is try to destroy Jesus's reputation and do damage to his ministry. How are they going about that.

Were they trying to do well. They base they have the going to do it like what they decide to do is this ice and will just accuse him of sin and didn't work toe to wail because Jesus had never sin. He had no skeletons in his closet that there's nothing they can really accuse him of his not guilty of any sexual scandal is no laundering of money. There's no foul language. They can accuse them of sin, but is not committed any sin. That's not gonna work.

So they said will do it another way, we will choose him of leaving the people to be unfaithful to the tradition of the elders will will tell people that he is not ceremonially washing his hands and he sometimes eating nonkosher food Jesus sees this as an opportunity to rebuke them, and he does rebuke that he calls them hypocrites. He says guys you need understand that this man may tradition that you put so much stock in has nothing to do with your relationship with God. Its surface and is superficial and it's not doing you a bit of good whatsoever, but for some serious conflict in Jesus one this conflict, hands down.

Conflict makes you tired done it. So Jesus was tired. His disciples were tired. They went to Peter's house to finally get some rest and what happens these religious leaders, spurred on by Satan do everything they can to break up that rias's and finally the disciples, breathe a sigh, sexual we going to do now. How would you handle this where we going to go to Texas to the passage that we have the day when you share with you five points from this passage. Number one, the foreign retreat.

Look at me at verse 24, and from there he arose, and he went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon anywhere in the house and did not want anyone to know. Yet he could not be hidden.

Jesus decided that the best place I could go was to get out of Israel.

So they went north and when they crossed over the border. They had about a 25 mile trip up to the area of Tyre and Sidon. Now that's the area that we call today. Modern-day Lebanon did Jesus have a purpose in this. Absolutely. He was going to take out acts to the prejudice of the disciples in many Jewish people in Jesus day believe that that their race was the superior rights.

They look at their sales and they said well we have a calling that and we have an election from God, and that makes us better than everyone else.

Look at his privilege instead of responsibility so they just didn't have much use for the Gentiles back in 1977 I had the privilege of going over and visiting and in Israel and we stopped off at the at the Sea of Galilee. There's little restaurant right there beside the Sea of Galilee and when in the restaurant. I sat down I looked across to Vermilion. There was a table Jewish man and they looked at me and they laughed and then one of them legitimate and he said that he looked at the rest of the guys he looked back at me and then he said going again and spit on the ground on the no one orally was talking about. So we got back in the van. I went to the God I said, what is the word boy he made. He said all that's the Hebrew word for Gentile. I mean I got hot.

I was not happy with that. So what's he doing he's he's mocking my my my my raised babies a saying that I'm not good because I'm a Gentile. They say because I'm not Jewish. Just die don't measure up to them and I can remember feeling terribly upset and offended by what they said 2000 years ago. Jesus knew that the disciples had a prejudice problem.

He knew that one gonna be long before they were to be taking the gospel out to a lost world.

He knew that the disciples need to learn how to love the world like he loved the world, look at this 24 again and from there he arose, and he went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon and the Internet house and did not anyone to know. Yet he could not be hidden.

Mark chapter 3 verse 8 Which Took Pl. several months before the story that were looking at here. We are told that huge crowds began to follow Jesus and Mark as a little statement in that in this huge crowd there was a group of people from Tyre and Sidon. Is there were men and women that he come all the way down from the north.

On the other side of Israel, and they come down there following Jesus. I know what all is going on so they hear now that Jesus is going up to Tyre and Sidon, and were they do think that kept quiet. Absolutely not man they went up there and they told her their family and they told her friends listen guys buckle up your pew belts. Jesus is coming, the town, we got a got. You gotta see this and they anxiously came together as Jesus was coming up to the house where they wouldn't stay and they were waiting for him when he got there.

The Scripture says here that that Jesus could not be hidden and that was true literally when Jesus was in Tyre and Sidon want you to know that is also true spiritually for us every single day. Jesus cannot be hidden ever get tempted with the sin you commit that sin and all of a sudden there's a deep hurt your heart you feel guilt what you wanted to what you're like me, I just want to run away from Jesus. I don't want to at just have to feel his his displeasure with me because of my sin and I want to Y this is exactly what Adam did when Adam sinned in the garden and the aid of the forbidden fruit. What he did. Then he ran away. Genesis chapter 3 verses 8 to 10 says this and they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden with the Lord God called to the man and said him where are you and he said I heard the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself. Adam could not hide from God. I remember when my daughter Beth was just a little girl and she would realize that she had done something wrong.

She put her hand over face sheets. I don't look at me. Don't look at me, that's the way she tried to handle that which we can't run away from the conviction of the Lord and we need to go back to to Psalm chapter 51 verse three. David had committed sin.

Adultery with Bathsheba. He had had her husband Uriah the Hittite keel and Nathan came to him and just leveled him with what what the Lord's will was and what happened with David that he got under conviction. David said this in Psalm 51 verse three for I know my transgression and my sin is ever before me when I have unrepented of unconfessed sin in my life. You can rest assured of this.

My sin is given the right there in front of me but guess what else my saviors can be right there in front of me to and what is he doing what is he doing. He's breaking my heart and he's drawing me back to himself. This is exactly what the writer of Hebrews was talking about in Hebrews chapter 12 verse six when he says, whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son, and he receives praise God. I am glad that Jesus cannot be hidden.

All right .2 the fervent request. Look at verse 25 to 26 but immediately a woman is little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile Asaro Phoenician by birth and she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter desperate lady comes to see Jesus. She's not Jewish she's a Gentile of the Scripture says that she was Asaro Phoenician. In other words, she came from a Canaanite culture. She in all probability had worshiped idols at one time she probably worship the false goddess. Start today but we are told this woman has a huge problem for she has a daughter who was possessed by a demon. This tells me that this woman is spiritually very perceptive, for she realizes that her daughters problem is not a physical problem is not a mental disorder that she is been attacked by a terrible horrible demon and so she knows that she does need a doctor. She then made a psychologist. She does need a psychiatrist is only one who can help her out, and that's Lord Jesus. These are only one who can help her out as she approached Jesus with reverence. The Scripture says that she fail at his feet and a prostrate position is the position of worship and over in Matthew's Gospel. We are told that she kept persevering that she kept asking Jesus to to cast the demon from her daughter.

She asked over and over again.

What did she do she pray big she pray big one share something with you from William McDonnell's book of the disciples manual on prayer and it it spoke to me. I think I really needed to hear what he had to say I was to be careful though because when I read this to you.

You may think what the world is Doug saying here is he saying that we ought to be like the faith word people the prosperity gospel book name and claimant blabbing graphic group that when we pray we do supposed to manipulate God to get out of him all that we can get all the wealth and all the health and everything supposed to always go our way is not what I'm saying at all.

Listen to what he said we honor God by the greatness of our prayers. A beggar ask Alexander the great, for a farm for himself a dowry for his daughter in education for his son. When reproached by his aid for branding. All these request. Alexander said I get tired of these people who come asking just for a coin that sassy beggar treated me like I'm a team. The asked being we should ask be John Newton is a writer, the great hymn amazing Grace wrote this point. He said that are coming to a team. Large petitions with a brain for his love and power are such that you could never ask too much too often. Our prayers are puny and suggested in this point you had been living when Christ was on earth and admit the Savior kind.

What would you ask him to do for you. Supposing you were stone blind. The child considered and then replied I suppose that without doubt I would ask the Lord for a dog with the chain to lead me daily about how often. Thus, in our faithless prayers we acknowledge was shame surprise, we have only asked for a dog in a chain. When reminded by ask for open eyes.

When we get to heaven we can wish we prayed more books.

This lady pray big.

She refused to give up. She knew that Jesus was her only hope and she and so although Jesus was not responding to her.

She kept coming back to Jesus and repeating the request over and over again and in Matthew's Gospel. We are told that she call Jesus Lord she called him the Son of Man and what did the religious leaders. What would they have thought about this woman a said she's not Jewish she's a Gentile. She's Asaro Phoenician she's a Canaanite. She in all probability is a worshiper of idols. And she has a daughter who is who is possessed by wicked demon. So what would they have done they would if they would've avoided her at all cost.

And she came to them, they would've laughed at her request and said no we taste something this lady knew something that smug religious leaders did not understand. She knew that Jesus was the son son of David, what is that my name she meant. She knew that Jesus was the Messiah that Jesus was sovereign, that Jesus had total power over Satan. She knew that Jesus was worthy of her worship and so what did she do she knows that Jesus can cast out the demon from her daughter brothers and sisters. That's the difference between religion and Christianity religion is surface and superficial. Christianity is a relationship with the living God, and they are not the same. All right .3.

The focus reply. Look at verse 27 and he said to her, let the children be fair at first but is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the do holds while is not the response that we would have that we would have thought Jesus would have given me, that sounds rough and sounds like Jesus is saying her listen here you Gentile we choose. We are the chosen people of God. We are the children of God and the Gentiles are just dogs and you my lady are just a Gentile in our society. We have great affinity for our dogs, knowing we have two dots and Cindy and I and one items almost 18 years old now names 80 and then we have Kate is almost 9 years old and we love them immensely. They eat when we eat.

They sleep in our bed at the foot of the bed and when we go on vacation. Julie and CJ come over and they they stay there at our house and the dog said if you were to call me at Dotson, I would probably think that was a compliment but in Jesus's day.

Most of the dogs were mongrels they were. They were half while scavengers and people would treat dogs back then pretty much like we would treat a possum or rat shooting them away. Maybe even shoot them or kill them or are you are. Get them out here.

The way they would treat them one of the derogatory terms that was used in that day and time was to call someone a dog and in Matthew chapter 7 verse six Jesus said do not give holy things to the dogs to people that had no use for the word of God.

So while with Jesus purposely trying to hurt this woman's feelings. Was he mocking her. Was he trying to discourage her no not whatsoever.

Was he going he was testing her faith. Hey, he could see this woman's heart. He was warning this woman to to step out in faith, in order that she might be a witness to the disciples and also to your fellow Gentiles and skeptics down to the century use this passage to accuse Jesus of sin and they have sand and say they have said that Jesus is being harsh here and he is me and mean-spirited and he doesn't care for this woman say this not what Jesus is doing. That's what many have said. I remember back in my first church that I pastored I was witnessing to a very intelligent man. He was a building contractor and he started coming to our church and he bought a Bible and so he I really thought me and he's growing. This is good. Call me up one day and I mean he was mad as a wet hornet and I said Dennis what's the matter, he set up and read in Matthew chapter 6 humming Matthew chapter set Mark chapter 7 and a seven rating they are and he said it bothers me. What Jesus did this woman had a great leader daughter was in trouble and she came to Jesus for help, and Jesus called her and her daughter a dull. He said I don't like that I like what Jesus did to me but I would have to get them off the ledge and then finally I could tell him what Jesus was doing what was Jesus doing Jesus was in no way been insensitive to this woman he was using the situation to test this woman's faith and to teach the disciples a lesson in the Gospel of Matthew we are told how the disciples responded to all this. Evidently, when Jesus didn't answer this woman's request and she kept pleading with him. The disciples thought Jesus was annoyed with her and that he was just ignoring her husband that she go away and leave them alone is in Matthew 1523 the disciples said send her away because she keeps shouting at us. They found this woman to be loathsome, bothersome, and they simply wanted to send her away and to get her quieted down, we share something with you, from the Greek text. I think it's helpful in the Greek text or two words for dogs that you find in the New Testament wonderful one that I shared with you mom to go. It has to do with dogs that are mongrels or have staff in scavengers and their always causing trouble that they knock over garbage cans they'd like little children there like a pack of of wild wolves is another word that choose for dogs this the word is used here and in that word it in the Greek is Queen Narayan and that word means attain little pet that stays in the house. I wonder if Dennis, my friend Aaron and Craig Moran my first church. I wonder if he had been able to read the Greek if he had seen this to begin with.

If you wouldn't of been a little less critical of Jesus, but Jesus said, let the children be satisfied first. What is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.

Jesus was using a simple analogy to explain that his ministry was first to Israel. His priority was to preach to Israel, the kingdom of God with the time would come, especially after his death is elm across his resurrection and his ascension with the gospel would move out to the lost world. This lady could've very easily been offended by the words of Jesus. She could have preached at her lip and said to Jesus, that's not fair. I choose to be a Canaanite. I choose to be born in in the land of Tyre, God gave me my place of birth God shows my racing God chose my ethnicity, Jesus.

That's not fair. He should not be treating me this way.

It's not right.

She could've done that was Jesus being cruel, no Jesus was testing her faith takes us to .4 that's the faithful response.

Look at verse 28, but she answered him yes Lord, yet even the dogs under the table. If the children's crumbs while just while that energy blesses my socks off. She could've gotten offended and run away in tears. She she could've said Jesus, I thought you were loving and caring and I thought you were not a prejudiced person in an Lord. Look what you've done, I've come to you, desperately needing help my my daughter needs help. You're the only one that can help in and you seem to be walking away from that and not caring and not helping my daughter when you have the power to do so. We Gentiles Lord and and we can't help be in Gentiles, that that was the response that I would expected from this woman. That was not the response she gave was no pounding is no accusing there's no anger instead there was a glorious persevering faith.

She recognized her unworthiness and she acknowledged that this was not something that we deserve. She can go thinking Jesus.

You do this for me. I deserve no none. She said I don't deserve this. Lord I know that you have the power to give it, and what is she say she said late yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table feet on the crimes of the children. What she was saying was this the crimes Lord for me are sufficient.

Can you say that you say the crimes are sufficient or if all of God is you. That's enough. Matthew 1528.

This woman's faith is called great faith. This reminds me of another Gentile in the in the Gospel of Matthew Matthew chapter 8 is a Roman centurion it comes to Jesus and said, Lord, I got up servant back at home is not paralysis.

He is suffering terribly.

I will Lord, would you heal my servant Jesus said yes I'll go with you right now he's no none of Lord I'm not asking that I'm not worthy for you to come under my roof. I would not ask you to do that. I'm just asking you to say the word none knows my servant will be healed.

Jesus was blessed by that and he said I have not seen faith likeliest.

No, not even in Israel. Jesus is dealing with a very similar situation here.

Both the centurion and this mother were Gentiles.

They were not raised in a home with their parents taught them the tour.

The law of God, they do not ever get to go to the temple and see Lamb sacrificed. They never were able to go to the synagogue to hear the word of God, expounded they came from a pagan country they were in a an idolatrous culture and yet they were given spiritual, Crohn's, and they took those Crohn's and they believed in their prayer was answered.

This lady had faith and humility.

We tell you what else she had. She had hope the English word for hope is not like the Greek word for hope.

The English word for hope is like a wishful desire or an easy expectation. If I say I hope I slightly hope it doesn't rain which means it might rain probably will hope it done or I hope I pass this test. I might pass this test, probably won't answer to anything expectation.

That's not the word in the Greek word in the Greek is Elvis and it means AL a confident knowledge and expectation with no down bugs man can live about 40 days without food, man can go about eight days without water, you can go about three minutes without air the cake.

A one second without hope .5 is the favorable reaction. Verse 29 3030 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. Jesus was not maligning this woman he was stretching her faith. That's what he was doing and and what kind of faith. Was it.

It was a humble faith. It was a simple faith. It was a fervent faith. It was a persistent faith.

She didn't care she was mocked from aligned sheeting care. She was laughed at or neglected. That didn't matter. What mattered was that her daughter would be healed. She grabbed hold of Jesus she would not let go. I've often wondered if Jesus was not thinking about this woman right here when he told the story that he did that we have recorded in Luke chapter 18 about the judge and the persistent widow.

Let me read you that again from Luke 18: a parable to the effect of failed always to pray and not lose heart.

He said in a certain city. There was a judge he neither feared God, a respected man. There was a widow in that city. You kept coming to him and saying give me justice against my adversary for a while. He refused.

But afterward he said to himself, though I neither feared God or respect man yet because this winter.

Keep bothering me. I will give her justice so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming and the Lord said here with unrighteous judge says, and will not, God give justice to the elect who cry out to him day and night. We delay long over them tell you he will give justice to the him speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth but sweet when Jesus responded negatively. She dug in her heels and she persistently kept asking Jesus. What was she doing she was praying big. She was praying big. Jesus was deeply pleased with this and what did he say to the lady suggest you can go on home. Your daughter has been freed from that demon your daughters whale. She didn't doubt that one minute she went home rejoicing and praising Jesus. Finally she got back to her home and when she got back to her home she ran in the house and to see your daughter and her daughter was lying in the bed, sleeping soundly.

The demon completely gone and she was a perfect peace finally able to get some rest finally able to get some sleep. I can imagine this lady.

This mom and she falls down her face before the Lord, praising Jesus for what he did for answering that prayer and for delivering her daughter a horrible demon was a story due to me to what he does to me it shames me for how often do I have a need in my life and I pray wants to pray twice a final get answer immediately. I just give up. How horrible that is how often to somebody have a bad attitude toward me and I get offended by that and I have a wrong attitude myself.

How how often do I just not trust the one who created the heaven and the earth and who went to the cross to purchase my salvation. This woman had faith that Grace Church needs to emulate, say, Doug. What kind of faith wasn't. It was humble it was. It was reverent and it was also persistent bugs. May we all strive for that kind of faith is pray. Heavenly father I get offended too easy. I get my feelings hurt over nothing. My prayer today is that you will help me be so wild by you is my God that I would be grateful for the Crohn's from the table, Lord, you said in your word that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Help us to live as if we really believe that was true, for it is true for us in Jesus holy precious name we pray. Amen