Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Mark 7:24-37
Transcript
- 0:00Please take out your copy of God's Word. Turn to the Gospel according to Mark chapter 7.
- 0:07! Often during an offering there's a choir special at a larger church.
- 0:13! And I'm a fan of the choir special.
- 0:15I think it's enjoyable to hear large groups of people singing God's praises.
- 0:21But I will take that over a choir special any day.
- 0:24So thank you, Wes and Liz. I appreciate that.
- 0:30Mark chapter 7, as we continue to work through our preaching of the Gospel of Mark.
- 0:39Every week when one Sunday sermon closes down, I turn my attention to the next week and begin to prayerfully consider where we should go next.
- 0:50And as we believe in verse-by-verse exposition as a general habit, of course my mind immediately goes to what's happening next in our text.
- 0:58And how far should we go?
- 1:01And I'm very apt every week to take some time to stop and ask the Lord if this is what He would have us do.
- 1:07I think it's also okay to take a break from our verse-by-verse exposition and do that.
- 1:12And I've got to tell you that this week I had the hardest time finding bearing on this morning's text.
- 1:18And figuring out what it is exactly that God wanted to communicate to us from it.
- 1:22And so I asked a couple of times, Lord, are you sure this is the text?
- 1:27Mother's Day, should I preach a sermon about women and being mothers?
- 1:32And was convinced that this was the text for us this day.
- 1:36So I hope that you'll enjoy it as we join together.
- 1:39At least there's a mother in it as we preach through it today.
- 1:42Let me remind you though, before we read, we're going to look together at verses 24-37 in chapter 7.
- 1:50But before we get there, remember that Jesus has just had this encounter with the scribes and the Pharisees.
- 1:57The Pharisees, kind of the legalistic Jews of this day, they were apostate in every way.
- 2:03They had really walked away from God and God's ways and His commandments, although they thought they were following Him to the letter.
- 2:13But we see here as He confronts them, He quotes from them this prophecy from Isaiah.
- 2:19And He says, in vain do they worship Me.
- 2:23Speaking of both the Pharisees and the scribes, as well as all of Israel, as He says to us here.
- 2:29They worshipped Him in vain as hypocrites with their hearts far removed from Him.
- 2:36Placing above the commandment of God the traditions of men.
- 2:41Giving evidence of their defilement or their uncleanliness, their unholiness.
- 2:46By participating in the activities that we saw listed in verses 21 and 22.
- 2:52And so we see that it is possible to worship the right God, but to worship Him wrongly.
- 2:59And this is a fearful thing.
- 3:01We ought to draw our minds and our hearts to worship Him properly.
- 3:05Because God desires of us heart worship.
- 3:10Deuteronomy 6.5
- 3:11God commands, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
- 3:20And hearts that are changed by God are hearts that worship God.
- 3:25And this is what God desires of us.
- 3:29And so as we look at this next text together, it would seem that Mark was inspired to record these events in this order
- 3:35to stress this very point, what Jesus was speaking about defilement.
- 3:40That it is a matter of the heart that matters mostly.
- 3:44So look in your text and your copy of God's Word as I read to you verses 24 through 37.
- 3:49And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
- 3:57And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.
- 4:02But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.
- 4:08Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth.
- 4:11And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
- 4:15And he said to her,
- 4:16Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to dogs.
- 4:21But she answered him,
- 4:23Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.
- 4:28And he said to her,
- 4:29For this statement you may go your way.
- 4:32The demon has left your daughter.
- 4:33And she went home and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.
- 4:39Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis.
- 4:45And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.
- 4:51And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears,
- 4:55and after spitting, touched his tongue and looked up to heaven.
- 4:59He sighed and said to him,
- 5:01Ephphathah, that is, be opened.
- 5:04And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
- 5:09And Jesus charged them to tell no one.
- 5:12But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.
- 5:15And they were astonished beyond measure, saying,
- 5:18He has done all things well.
- 5:20He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.
- 5:25This is God's word to us, written for his glory and our good.
- 5:30We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
- 5:36Let's pray together.
- 5:37Father God, we do thank you for your word to us.
- 5:45And Father, we recognize this morning that while this is an ancient book,
- 5:50written in ancient pen,
- 5:52that it was inspired by your spirit,
- 5:54that Mark was carried along by him as he recorded the life of Jesus for us.
- 6:00It has meaning and it has bearing on us this day.
- 6:05And we believe that you brought us here together with purpose and meaning.
- 6:12And so I pray, Father, we are all making ourselves available to what you would say to us by your word.
- 6:19This is accomplished by the power of your spirit,
- 6:21so we ask for a great deal of blessing in the preaching of your word
- 6:24and the hearing of it as well,
- 6:26to the great end of your glory.
- 6:29And we pray this in Christ's name.
- 6:30Amen.
- 6:34So we see here that Jesus has concluded his time in Galilee.
- 6:38His Galilean ministry has wound down.
- 6:41And he leaves the region altogether and departs to go to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
- 6:46Now, if you're not familiar with the geography of this day,
- 6:49these two cities were located on the coast of the Mediterranean.
- 6:52And this was far outside of any Jewish dwelling.
- 6:56Now, to be clear, the Jews were interspersed in a number of places.
- 7:01So there's not an area that Jesus travels that there were no Jews.
- 7:04But by and large, this is now a Gentile region, right?
- 7:08Which is a generic term for people who are not of Jewish descent,
- 7:12which I would assume includes all of us in this room.
- 7:14Maybe not, but most of us in this room would be counted in that number.
- 7:18And this is the place that he travels to.
- 7:21And it appears that he travels there to rest.
- 7:24If you look at the second half of verse 24,
- 7:27he goes and he hides himself away in a house,
- 7:30but he is found out just the same.
- 7:32So it seems that he's withdrawing.
- 7:34And as is always the case, the crowds seem to follow him.
- 7:38His reputation precedes him.
- 7:41And there's a request that's made of him.
- 7:46After this encounter with a Syrophoenician woman,
- 7:48he makes a journey to the Decapolis, which he's been in before.
- 7:52But this time to get there, rather than crossing the Sea of Galilee,
- 7:55he goes through Sidon, which is on the northern area of this region that he's in,
- 8:00and makes, it seems, we don't know this for sure,
- 8:03but it seems that he makes a rather circuitous route
- 8:06to get to the Decapolis, going all the way around Galilee.
- 8:10So he is done with Galilee.
- 8:11He has laid out his ministry.
- 8:13He has preached the gospel there.
- 8:14He has healed countless numbers.
- 8:17And he's now going to go all the way around it
- 8:19to get to this region called the Decapolis.
- 8:23Now remember the last time he was there,
- 8:25he crossed over the Sea of Galilee,
- 8:27and he was encountered by a man as soon as he lands
- 8:30that was possessed by a legion of demons.
- 8:33And he casts him out into a bunch of pigs
- 8:35who run off and are drowned into the sea.
- 8:38And after this, the man wants to follow him.
- 8:41He asks that he can get back in the boat with him and go with him.
- 8:43But Jesus doesn't permit him to do that.
- 8:45And in chapter 5, verse 19, he says to the man,
- 8:48go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you
- 8:52and how he has had mercy on you.
- 8:55And then Mark accounts that this man went away
- 8:58and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him.
- 9:01And everyone marveled.
- 9:03So it would seem that the man traveled far and wide in this region
- 9:07that was east of the Sea of Galilee
- 9:09and shared what Jesus had done for him.
- 9:12And he was apparently successful in telling his friends what the Lord had done
- 9:16because now we see this crowd gathered.
- 9:19You see the mention of that in verse 33 that's gathered to him.
- 9:24And then we note at the summation of all of this,
- 9:28in verse 36, that Jesus charged them,
- 9:31those who were his friends,
- 9:32those who witnessed the healing of this man who was deaf
- 9:35and had some form of blockage in his speech,
- 9:41to not tell anyone.
- 9:42But the more he charged them,
- 9:43the more zealously they proclaimed it.
- 9:46So he had entered into a region where he had no fame.
- 9:49He cast out a legion of demons out of a man
- 9:51and now he's suddenly famous.
- 9:53And he's in a region now where this fame is growing
- 9:55and it's growing.
- 9:56And as seemed to always be the case,
- 9:59as Jesus is led along by the Father,
- 10:01he's trying to keep his popularity down a bit,
- 10:04I believe to waylay his crucifixion,
- 10:07that he might complete his time on earth
- 10:09before it is that he's crucified.
- 10:12So here's kind of the background
- 10:13of where we see him moving as these events take place.
- 10:18And I'd like for us to notice two things,
- 10:20two primary things from our text this morning.
- 10:22Number one, Jesus' compassion to non-Jewish peoples.
- 10:28Number one, Jesus' compassion to non-Jewish peoples.
- 10:32Praise God were the recipients of that.
- 10:34And number two, the faith of the Syrophoenician woman
- 10:38and the man who was deaf and had a speech impediment.
- 10:41So these are kind of the larger things
- 10:42that we want to notice together today
- 10:44as we talk through these stories together.
- 10:48So when he goes to this region of Tyre and Sidon,
- 10:51he's encountered by a woman and she's called here a Gentile,
- 10:54verse 26, now the one was a Gentile,
- 10:57a Syrophoenician by birth.
- 10:59Another way to say that would have been a Syrian Phoenician,
- 11:03which speaks to her ethnicity being Syrian,
- 11:07as well as the region in which she lived.
- 11:10A larger area of the region of Tyre and Sidon
- 11:13would have been known as Phoenicia.
- 11:15And that is to say she was not of Jewish descent.
- 11:18She was of a different ethnicity, a Syrian ethnicity.
- 11:22These were people that were enemies of the Jewish people.
- 11:25These were people that had carried them off
- 11:27hundreds of years earlier into captivity
- 11:30and they had later been released.
- 11:32Much calamity had come upon the people of Israel
- 11:35as a result of a Syrian attacks.
- 11:39So she was of that descent.
- 11:40That was her ethnicity.
- 11:41And she didn't live in what was considered the Holy Land.
- 11:45She lived outside of that realm in the region of Phoenicia.
- 11:49And that's why this is being established for us.
- 11:52Because the Jews thought that the blessings of God
- 11:55just came to them because they were of a blood descent from Abraham.
- 12:00That the promises to Abraham, the Abrahamic covenant,
- 12:03was just theirs because of their bloodline.
- 12:06And this was some of the arrogance that the Pharisees, the scribes,
- 12:10and the people at large possessed in their worship of God.
- 12:14So remember that.
- 12:15We're coming just off the heels of this confrontation
- 12:18and we're going to see many more as we progress through the Gospel of Mark.
- 12:23But they were basing their merit before God
- 12:25on something that was exterior
- 12:27and that is their blood lineage,
- 12:29which I get doesn't feel exterior.
- 12:31But just the same.
- 12:32It was a thing that was tangible,
- 12:34not an issue of their heart.
- 12:37So Mark establishes that for us, right?
- 12:39Both by ethnicity and region,
- 12:41that she was not Jewish.
- 12:44In addition to that,
- 12:46she was a woman
- 12:47who would have been very much more lowly thought of
- 12:51in this very patriarchal society.
- 12:54And she had not a son that had a demon possession,
- 12:57but she had a daughter with an unclean spirit.
- 13:01So as far as the Jews were concerned,
- 13:03the odds would have been really stacked up against
- 13:05there being any blessing of any kind given to this woman.
- 13:09Jesus had no reason in their thinking
- 13:11to show her any compassion whatsoever.
- 13:16And we see that she comes to Jesus
- 13:18and she begs him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
- 13:23She knew,
- 13:24probably because she had heard of the work that he had done,
- 13:26she had probably heard of the many exorcisms he had already done,
- 13:31that he had the power to do this very thing.
- 13:35But it's interesting that she thought
- 13:38that that was something that he would do for her,
- 13:41a woman with a daughter
- 13:42who was not found to be part of Israel.
- 13:46And so I wonder why,
- 13:48and we don't know for sure,
- 13:49but maybe,
- 13:50maybe she knew the Old Testament Scriptures.
- 13:52Maybe they had been taught to her at some point.
- 13:55A scripture like Isaiah 5, 26,
- 13:58which says,
- 13:59He, being God,
- 14:00will raise a signal for nations far away
- 14:03and whistle for them from the ends of the earth
- 14:06and behold,
- 14:07quickly,
- 14:08speedily,
- 14:09they come.
- 14:10Maybe she was like the Sumerian woman
- 14:13that Jesus met at the well
- 14:15found in John chapter 4.
- 14:17The woman says to him,
- 14:19Jesus,
- 14:19Sir,
- 14:20I perceive that you are a prophet.
- 14:22Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,
- 14:24but you say that in Jerusalem
- 14:26is the place where people ought to worship.
- 14:28Jesus said to her,
- 14:30Woman,
- 14:30believe me,
- 14:31the hour is coming when neither on this mountain
- 14:33nor in Jerusalem
- 14:34will you worship the Father.
- 14:36You worship what you do not know.
- 14:38We worship what we know,
- 14:40for salvation
- 14:40is from the Jews.
- 14:43Remember,
- 14:43Sumerian people were
- 14:45an interbred people.
- 14:46They were a people that existed
- 14:48apart from the pure bloodline of Israel
- 14:51because these were people that
- 14:53were the result of intermarriages
- 14:54between Babylonians
- 14:57and the Israelites.
- 15:00Verse 23,
- 15:00But the hour is coming
- 15:01and is now here
- 15:02when the true worshippers
- 15:03will worship the Father
- 15:04in spirit and truth.
- 15:06For the Father is seeking such people
- 15:08to worship Him,
- 15:09worship Him from the heart.
- 15:11God is spirit
- 15:11and those who worship Him
- 15:12must worship in spirit and truth.
- 15:14The woman said to Him,
- 15:16so here's where we are,
- 15:17maybe this Syrophoenician woman
- 15:19was like the Samaritan in this way.
- 15:21The woman said to Him,
- 15:23I know that Messiah is coming,
- 15:26He who is called Christ.
- 15:28When He comes,
- 15:29He will tell us all things.
- 15:32Jesus said to her,
- 15:33I who speak to you am He.
- 15:36And so she knew,
- 15:37the Samaritan woman knew,
- 15:39that the blessings of God
- 15:40could come to her in Christ.
- 15:43Maybe the Syrophoenician woman
- 15:45thought so as well.
- 15:47Maybe she was familiar
- 15:49with Psalm 145,
- 15:508-13,
- 15:52which says,
- 15:53The Lord is gracious
- 15:54and merciful,
- 15:56slow to anger,
- 15:57and abounding
- 15:58in steadfast love.
- 16:00The Lord is good to all,
- 16:02and His mercy is over
- 16:03all that He has made.
- 16:05All your work
- 16:06shall give thanks to you,
- 16:07O Lord,
- 16:07and all your saints
- 16:09shall bless you.
- 16:09They shall speak of the glory
- 16:11of your kingdom
- 16:11and tell of your power
- 16:12to make known to the children
- 16:14of man your mighty deeds
- 16:15and the glorious splendor
- 16:16of your kingdom.
- 16:17Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
- 16:20and your dominion endures
- 16:21throughout all generations.
- 16:24Maybe she was aware
- 16:26of the mercy that God had shown
- 16:28the Ninevites
- 16:29by the message of Jonah.
- 16:31She saw that God has always
- 16:34been about the work
- 16:35of making Himself known
- 16:37among the nations.
- 16:38Israel used to be
- 16:41the vehicle
- 16:42by which that happened.
- 16:43This was the way
- 16:44that God displayed
- 16:45His majesty
- 16:46in a people.
- 16:49Now the church
- 16:50is that vehicle.
- 16:52Praise God.
- 16:53Which includes Gentiles.
- 16:56And this is why,
- 16:57as a church,
- 16:58we have a vision statement
- 16:59that includes
- 17:00peoples.
- 17:03We even use this language
- 17:04to draw our minds
- 17:06simply beyond the people
- 17:08that we encounter
- 17:09day to day,
- 17:10but peoples,
- 17:10meaning people groups,
- 17:12people of different ethnicities
- 17:13and backgrounds,
- 17:15nationalities.
- 17:16So Christ Family Church
- 17:17exists to glorify God
- 17:19by experiencing,
- 17:20proclaiming,
- 17:21and displaying
- 17:22the supremacy
- 17:22of Jesus Christ
- 17:23in all things
- 17:24to all peoples.
- 17:26Because God wants
- 17:28to be known
- 17:29amongst all peoples
- 17:31to the ends of the earth.
- 17:32He is a global God
- 17:34who deserves
- 17:35global glory.
- 17:38I would say to you
- 17:39this is likely
- 17:40what she knew
- 17:41to be true
- 17:41of Jesus
- 17:42because of the way
- 17:43she approaches Him.
- 17:44She probably knew
- 17:45that she wasn't excluded
- 17:47from the blessing
- 17:47of God in Christ
- 17:48because of her ethnicity
- 17:49or nationality.
- 17:50The only thing
- 17:51that can possibly
- 17:52exclude anyone
- 17:53from the blessings
- 17:54of God in Christ
- 17:55is their own unbelief.
- 17:58Let's get that straight
- 17:59in our minds.
- 18:00The only thing
- 18:01that can possibly
- 18:02exclude anyone
- 18:03from the blessings
- 18:03of God in Christ
- 18:04is their own unbelief.
- 18:06There's nothing
- 18:06that we have done.
- 18:07There's no part
- 18:08of who we are
- 18:09except for our unbelief
- 18:11that excludes us
- 18:12from the blessings
- 18:13of God in Christ.
- 18:16Now as a side lesson
- 18:17for mothers today,
- 18:19if your child
- 18:20has some spiritual malady
- 18:22and the problems
- 18:23that our children
- 18:24experience
- 18:24are only either
- 18:25physical
- 18:26or they are spiritual,
- 18:29they have some
- 18:29spiritual malady,
- 18:31Jesus is the one
- 18:33you should go to
- 18:33for the remedy.
- 18:34Our children need
- 18:35doctors and Christ.
- 18:39We don't need
- 18:40child psychologists.
- 18:42It's only valuable
- 18:43psychology
- 18:45if it points people
- 18:46to Jesus Christ.
- 18:49So let's go to Christ
- 18:50for the spiritual maladies
- 18:51of our kids.
- 18:52I'm sure this week,
- 18:53mothers,
- 18:54you have felt
- 18:55like your children
- 18:55might be demon-possessed.
- 18:56It's a high likelihood
- 18:58of that.
- 19:01Now Jesus responds
- 19:02to her,
- 19:02verse 27,
- 19:04and it seems so harsh,
- 19:06doesn't it?
- 19:07It seems so very harsh.
- 19:08Let the children
- 19:09be fed first,
- 19:10for it is not right
- 19:11to take the children's bread
- 19:12and throw it
- 19:13to the dogs.
- 19:15And this was,
- 19:16on the surface,
- 19:19pretty harsh.
- 19:20This would have been
- 19:20the appropriate
- 19:21ethnic response.
- 19:23This is the type of thing
- 19:24that a Jew would have said
- 19:26to a Gentile
- 19:27who was asking
- 19:28for some blessing
- 19:29from God.
- 19:29They would have seen
- 19:30themselves as special
- 19:32and set apart
- 19:33and called,
- 19:34in derision,
- 19:35called people dogs.
- 19:38Now Jesus was not
- 19:39without compassion
- 19:40at this point,
- 19:40but this was rather,
- 19:42he said this as a testing
- 19:43of her faith.
- 19:46So he gave to her
- 19:47a harsh statement,
- 19:48a statement that may have
- 19:50caused her to turn away
- 19:51altogether,
- 19:51to say this couldn't
- 19:52possibly be the man
- 19:53that could do this thing
- 19:55for my daughter,
- 19:55but instead,
- 19:57she gives to him
- 19:58this beautifully
- 19:59humble response.
- 20:03And beloved,
- 20:03humility is the beginning
- 20:04of our faith
- 20:05when we realize
- 20:06that we are,
- 20:07in fact,
- 20:08broken.
- 20:09That having once been
- 20:10image bearers of God,
- 20:11that has been destroyed.
- 20:13Not made a little worse,
- 20:15but destroyed
- 20:16by sin.
- 20:18That we have no capacity
- 20:19for that whatsoever
- 20:20apart from Christ.
- 20:21And so we come to him
- 20:23humbly.
- 20:24And look what she does.
- 20:26She answers him,
- 20:27verse 28,
- 20:29yes, Lord.
- 20:30Yes, she is in
- 20:31agreement with him.
- 20:32It would be wrong
- 20:33to do this thing.
- 20:34I am a dog,
- 20:36is what she's saying.
- 20:37I am the very thing
- 20:38you have accused me
- 20:40of being.
- 20:40Yet even the dogs
- 20:42under the table
- 20:43eat the children's crumbs,
- 20:44which is so clever
- 20:46of her.
- 20:47But it is her faith
- 20:50that elicits
- 20:51Jesus' response.
- 20:53It's not the cleverness
- 20:55of her argument.
- 20:56She didn't get him.
- 20:57He didn't go,
- 20:57oh, you got me.
- 20:59You got me.
- 20:59You tricked me into it.
- 21:00Now I must heal
- 21:01your daughter.
- 21:02But it was this response
- 21:03of faith.
- 21:04For this statement,
- 21:05you may go your way.
- 21:07The demon has left
- 21:09your daughter.
- 21:11You see,
- 21:12faith is what brings
- 21:13to us
- 21:14the blessings
- 21:15of God.
- 21:16I think she understood this.
- 21:18If she didn't get it,
- 21:19this is the thing
- 21:20that Mark is trying
- 21:21to communicate
- 21:21to us.
- 21:24Now remember Abraham.
- 21:25Remember the Abrahamic covenant
- 21:27that God said
- 21:28to Abraham,
- 21:29I will make you
- 21:30the father
- 21:30of many nations.
- 21:32And he was very old
- 21:33when this happened.
- 21:35If you would turn with me
- 21:36to Romans chapter 4.
- 21:37Let me show you
- 21:38a bit of this
- 21:38before we move on
- 21:40in our text.
- 21:45Romans 4 beginning
- 21:57in verse 18.
- 22:01Paul writing here
- 22:02is speaking of Abraham
- 22:03in hope he,
- 22:04Abraham,
- 22:05believed against hope
- 22:06that he should become
- 22:07the father of many nations
- 22:08as he had been told
- 22:09so shall your offspring be.
- 22:13He did not weaken
- 22:14in faith
- 22:14when he considered
- 22:15his own body
- 22:15which was as good
- 22:17as dead
- 22:17since he was about
- 22:18100 years old.
- 22:19Those of you who are
- 22:20approaching that,
- 22:21I'm sorry for the offense.
- 22:22Or when he considered
- 22:23the barrenness
- 22:24of Sarah's womb.
- 22:25Sarah had not born children
- 22:26in many, many, many years.
- 22:28No unbelief
- 22:30made him waver
- 22:30concerning the promise
- 22:31of God
- 22:32but he grew strong
- 22:33in his faith
- 22:33as he gave glory to God.
- 22:35Fully convinced
- 22:36that God was able
- 22:37to do what he had promised.
- 22:39That is why
- 22:40his faith
- 22:41was counted to him
- 22:42as righteousness.
- 22:44Now here's the key for us.
- 22:46But the words
- 22:46it was counted to him
- 22:47were not written
- 22:49for his sake alone
- 22:50but for ours also.
- 22:52It will be counted
- 22:53to us who believe
- 22:54in him
- 22:54who raised from the dead
- 22:56Jesus our Lord
- 22:57who was delivered up
- 22:58for our trespasses
- 22:59and raised
- 23:00for our justification.
- 23:01So if we believe
- 23:02in the God
- 23:02who raised Jesus
- 23:03from the dead
- 23:04we believe
- 23:04in that reality
- 23:06it will also be counted
- 23:07to us
- 23:08as righteousness.
- 23:09It is by our faith
- 23:11that we are saved.
- 23:13That is the great
- 23:14treatise of Romans.
- 23:16Right?
- 23:17Salvation by grace alone
- 23:18through faith alone
- 23:19in Christ alone.
- 23:22Right?
- 23:22So Jesus' response
- 23:23in verse 29
- 23:24is because her statement
- 23:26evidenced her faith
- 23:28and therefore
- 23:29he exercised
- 23:31he cast the demon
- 23:32out of the daughter
- 23:33and we get the affirmation
- 23:34of that in verse 30.
- 23:35She goes home
- 23:36and yes indeed
- 23:37Mark records for us
- 23:39it happened.
- 23:39Jesus spoke it
- 23:40and it did in fact
- 23:42happen.
- 23:43What a beautiful
- 23:44beautiful response
- 23:46of humility
- 23:47and faith.
- 23:50He then leaves the region
- 23:51making the circuitous route
- 23:52and going to the region
- 23:53of the Decapolis
- 23:55and we see the man
- 23:55who was deaf
- 23:56and had a speech impediment.
- 23:59Some of your texts
- 24:00might say that he was mute.
- 24:02I looked a little bit
- 24:03just for interest
- 24:04into that this week
- 24:05and the Greek
- 24:06really seems to be
- 24:06more properly rendered
- 24:08speech impediment.
- 24:09Couldn't speak clearly.
- 24:11A stutter.
- 24:12Something of that type.
- 24:14It doesn't really matter though.
- 24:16He couldn't hear
- 24:16and something was wrong
- 24:18with the way he spoke.
- 24:20This region of the Decapolis
- 24:22was a region containing
- 24:23ten prominent Gentile cities.
- 24:26It was made up
- 24:26of many more cities.
- 24:27It's a big region
- 24:28if you get curious
- 24:29and you want to flip
- 24:30to the back of your Bible.
- 24:31It's the region
- 24:32that's primarily
- 24:33the whole region
- 24:34to the east
- 24:35of the Sea of Galilee.
- 24:37And we see again
- 24:38some evidence
- 24:39of faith.
- 24:41We see in verse 32
- 24:42at least likely
- 24:44I think
- 24:45he's got a group
- 24:47that bring him
- 24:48to Jesus.
- 24:51Now I got in a conversation
- 24:52with this text
- 24:53with my father
- 24:55this morning
- 24:56and he made a really
- 24:56really great point to me
- 24:57and I just would like
- 24:58to bring it up
- 24:58for you.
- 25:00We see constantly
- 25:01throughout the Gospels
- 25:02we see it here
- 25:03in the Gospel of Mark
- 25:04this encounter
- 25:05with the scribes
- 25:07and the Pharisees
- 25:08and it seems to be
- 25:09a thing that increases.
- 25:10You see because
- 25:10Jesus was coming
- 25:11and he was destroying
- 25:12the religion
- 25:13that they had set up.
- 25:14And this was not
- 25:15simply a religion
- 25:16that was something
- 25:17they did just in
- 25:18devotion to God
- 25:19but it gained for them
- 25:20a great deal of power
- 25:21a great deal of wealth.
- 25:23There was a structure
- 25:24that was in place
- 25:25that was very beneficial
- 25:26to them
- 25:27on this side
- 25:28of heaven
- 25:29and that's not something
- 25:30that they wanted
- 25:30to find destroyed
- 25:31and so we see
- 25:32there's constantly
- 25:33a little group
- 25:34of these guys
- 25:34following around
- 25:35looking for occasion
- 25:37to step in
- 25:37and interject
- 25:38ask questions
- 25:39to try to get him
- 25:40to falter
- 25:41and to fail
- 25:41at some point
- 25:42so they could accuse him
- 25:43of not being
- 25:44who he said
- 25:45that he is.
- 25:47And my dad proposed
- 25:48that it's possible
- 25:49and I have to
- 25:51mull this over
- 25:52a bit more
- 25:53it's very possible
- 25:54that the people
- 25:55who brought this man
- 25:56being the they
- 25:57we find at the beginning
- 25:58of verse 32
- 25:59may have in fact
- 26:00been a group
- 26:01of Pharisees
- 26:02and the reason
- 26:03that that could be
- 26:03possible
- 26:04is because they asked
- 26:05they begged him
- 26:05to lay his hand
- 26:07on him
- 26:08and this would have
- 26:08been a Jewish
- 26:09thing to do
- 26:10I don't know
- 26:11it's possible
- 26:12that this is the case
- 26:13it also could be
- 26:14just a group of friends
- 26:15maybe they were
- 26:16even Jewish
- 26:17living in the
- 26:17Decapolis region
- 26:18and they brought
- 26:19to him
- 26:20their friend
- 26:21and begged him
- 26:22that word
- 26:23is a challenging one
- 26:24in that view
- 26:25but they begged him
- 26:27to do this
- 26:27so we see
- 26:29possibly
- 26:30that they had
- 26:31faith in this regard
- 26:32maybe not
- 26:33maybe they were
- 26:33coming
- 26:34looking for a sign
- 26:35looking to do
- 26:36something to
- 26:36bring an accusation
- 26:38we see
- 26:39in chapter 8
- 26:40Jesus is going to
- 26:40feed 4,000
- 26:41and the very next
- 26:42thing we see
- 26:42is Pharisees
- 26:43demanding a sign
- 26:45from him
- 26:45so questionably
- 26:48his friends had faith
- 26:49but we do see
- 26:50that he does
- 26:51the man that
- 26:52they bring to him
- 26:53this man who is deaf
- 26:54and has some type
- 26:55of speech impediment
- 26:56does in fact
- 26:57have faith
- 26:58the beginning
- 26:58of verse 33
- 26:59we record
- 27:00that he went
- 27:01with Jesus
- 27:02right
- 27:02Jesus takes him
- 27:04aside
- 27:04he takes him
- 27:04aside from the
- 27:05crowd
- 27:05privately
- 27:06the man goes
- 27:07with him
- 27:07the man was
- 27:08capable
- 27:08of not going
- 27:09with him
- 27:09and walking
- 27:10away
- 27:10but he does
- 27:10go in fact
- 27:11with him
- 27:12and he has
- 27:13faith that this
- 27:13man can do
- 27:14something
- 27:15for him
- 27:16now the
- 27:17interesting
- 27:18question in
- 27:18this text
- 27:19and this
- 27:19miracle by the
- 27:20way is only
- 27:21recorded in the
- 27:21gospel of
- 27:22mark
- 27:22the interesting
- 27:24question is
- 27:25why did
- 27:25Jesus pull
- 27:26the man
- 27:26aside
- 27:26from the
- 27:27crowd
- 27:27we know
- 27:29that Jesus
- 27:29performed miracles
- 27:30not as the
- 27:31primary purpose
- 27:33of his ministry
- 27:33but he performed
- 27:35miracles
- 27:35to give
- 27:36evidence to
- 27:38to give
- 27:38power
- 27:39to give
- 27:39credence
- 27:39to the
- 27:40message
- 27:40that he
- 27:41was
- 27:41preaching
- 27:41it was
- 27:42constantly
- 27:42a way
- 27:42to draw
- 27:43people
- 27:43to the
- 27:43very
- 27:44thing
- 27:44he was
- 27:44trying
- 27:44to say
- 27:44to them
- 27:45and that
- 27:45was the
- 27:45gospel
- 27:46of the
- 27:46kingdom
- 27:46of God
- 27:47so why
- 27:47does he
- 27:48pull
- 27:48this
- 27:48man
- 27:48aside
- 27:49and it
- 27:49actually
- 27:49says
- 27:50he pulls
- 27:50him
- 27:50aside
- 27:50privately
- 27:51which
- 27:52I would
- 27:52presume
- 27:53!
- 27:53means it
- 27:53was just
- 27:53this
- 27:53man
- 27:54and
- 27:54Jesus
- 27:55maybe
- 27:55some
- 27:56of the
- 27:56disciples
- 27:56were
- 27:56around
- 27:56him
- 27:56but
- 27:57he
- 27:57gets
- 27:57them
- 27:57away
- 27:57from
- 27:57the
- 27:58crowd
- 27:58so
- 27:58people
- 27:58aren't
- 27:59witnessing
- 27:59this
- 28:00thing
- 28:00that
- 28:00he's
- 28:01about
- 28:01to
- 28:01do
- 28:02why
- 28:02did
- 28:03he
- 28:03do
- 28:04this
- 28:04well
- 28:06the clue
- 28:06is
- 28:07in what
- 28:08he
- 28:08did
- 28:08the
- 28:09last part
- 28:09of 33
- 28:09verse
- 28:1034
- 28:11he puts
- 28:12his fingers
- 28:12in his
- 28:12ears
- 28:13after
- 28:14he
- 28:14spits
- 28:15he
- 28:15touches
- 28:15his
- 28:16tongue
- 28:16he
- 28:16looks
- 28:16up
- 28:17to
- 28:17heaven
- 28:17he
- 28:17sighs
- 28:18says
- 28:18to
- 28:18him
- 28:18which
- 28:20is
- 28:23so
- 28:23he
- 28:24goes
- 28:24through
- 28:24this
- 28:24interesting
- 28:24thing
- 28:24now
- 28:25this
- 28:25is
- 28:25the
- 28:25Jesus
- 28:25that
- 28:25people
- 28:26have
- 28:26been
- 28:26touching
- 28:27his
- 28:27garment
- 28:28and
- 28:28he's
- 28:29been
- 28:29healing
- 28:29them
- 28:29he
- 28:30has
- 28:30simply
- 28:30spoken
- 28:30he
- 28:30cast
- 28:31a
- 28:31demon
- 28:31just
- 28:31previously
- 28:32he
- 28:32cast
- 28:33a
- 28:33demon
- 28:33out
- 28:33of
- 28:33a
- 28:33little
- 28:33girl
- 28:33from
- 28:34a
- 28:34distance
- 28:34we
- 28:35don't
- 28:35know
- 28:35how
- 28:35far
- 28:35but
- 28:35he
- 28:35said
- 28:36the
- 28:36demon
- 28:37is
- 28:37gone
- 28:37he
- 28:38could
- 28:38have
- 28:39done
- 28:39this
- 28:39without
- 28:39going
- 28:39through
- 28:40this
- 28:40practice
- 28:41of
- 28:41it
- 28:43seems
- 28:43some
- 28:43!
- 28:44incantation
- 28:45that
- 28:46he's
- 28:46doing
- 28:46here
- 28:47but
- 28:48think
- 28:48about
- 28:48the
- 28:48man
- 28:49that
- 28:49he's
- 28:49doing
- 28:50this
- 28:50for
- 28:51this
- 28:52man
- 28:52can't
- 28:52hear
- 28:53anything
- 28:53that
- 28:54he
- 28:54would
- 28:54say
- 28:55there
- 28:55may
- 28:56have
- 28:56been
- 28:56some
- 28:56form
- 28:56of
- 28:56sign
- 28:56language
- 28:57in
- 28:57this
- 28:57day
- 28:57but
- 28:57I
- 28:57don't
- 28:57think
- 28:58Jesus
- 28:58knew
- 28:59it
- 28:59so
- 29:00he
- 29:00did
- 29:00the
- 29:00thing
- 29:00some
- 29:01version
- 29:02of
- 29:02sign
- 29:02language
- 29:03to
- 29:03show
- 29:04the
- 29:04man
- 29:04what
- 29:04it
- 29:05was
- 29:05he
- 29:05was
- 29:05healing
- 29:06him
- 29:06from
- 29:06how
- 29:07it
- 29:07was
- 29:07that
- 29:07he
- 29:08was
- 29:08going
- 29:14commonly
- 29:15connected
- 29:16to
- 29:17healing
- 29:17and
- 29:18medicinal
- 29:18things
- 29:19I
- 29:20did
- 29:20way
- 29:20too
- 29:20much
- 29:20study
- 29:21on
- 29:21that
- 29:21this
- 29:21week
- 29:21and
- 29:21none
- 29:22of
- 29:22the
- 29:22details
- 29:23are
- 29:23important
- 29:23for
- 29:23you
- 29:23at
- 29:23all
- 29:24but
- 29:24there
- 29:24would
- 29:24have
- 29:24been
- 29:25an
- 29:26understanding
- 29:26of
- 29:27spitting
- 29:27and
- 29:27saliva
- 29:28we'll
- 29:28see
- 29:28later
- 29:28in
- 29:29Mark
- 29:29Jesus
- 29:29spits
- 29:30in
- 29:30some
- 29:30mud
- 29:30and
- 29:31puts
- 29:31it
- 29:31on
- 29:31a
- 29:31blind
- 29:31man's
- 29:32eyes
- 29:32for
- 29:33the
- 29:33same
- 29:33reason
- 29:34right
- 29:35so
- 29:35he
- 29:35does
- 29:36this
- 29:36thing
- 29:36physically
- 29:37for
- 29:37him
- 29:38so
- 29:38that
- 29:38the
- 29:38man
- 29:38understands
- 29:39what
- 29:39he
- 29:39is
- 29:39doing
- 29:40he
- 29:40looks
- 29:41up
- 29:41to
- 29:41heaven
- 29:41so
- 29:42that
- 29:42the
- 29:42man
- 29:43knows
- 29:43that
- 29:43it's
- 29:43God
- 29:44who's
- 29:44going
- 29:44to
- 29:44heal
- 29:44him
- 29:45and
- 29:46then
- 29:46he
- 29:46commands
- 29:47that
- 29:48he
- 29:48be
- 29:48made
- 29:48well
- 29:49right
- 29:50so
- 29:51why
- 29:51did
- 29:51he
- 29:51pull
- 29:51the
- 29:51man
- 29:51aside
- 29:52from
- 29:52the
- 29:52crowd
- 29:52and
- 29:53I
- 29:53believe
- 29:53the
- 29:53reason
- 29:53is
- 29:54because
- 29:55he
- 29:55didn't
- 29:55want
- 29:55anybody
- 29:55in
- 29:55the
- 29:56crowd
- 29:56to
- 29:56think
- 29:56that
- 29:58it
- 29:58was
- 29:58this
- 29:58!
- 29:58magic
- 29:58incantation
- 29:59this
- 30:00thing
- 30:00he
- 30:00did
- 30:00that
- 30:01caused
- 30:01the
- 30:01man
- 30:01to
- 30:02be
- 30:02healed
- 30:02that
- 30:03God
- 30:03himself
- 30:04is
- 30:04the
- 30:04one
- 30:04who
- 30:04healed
- 30:05and
- 30:05he
- 30:05didn't
- 30:05want
- 30:05anybody
- 30:06to
- 30:06think
- 30:06otherwise
- 30:07he
- 30:07wanted
- 30:08glory
- 30:08placed
- 30:09in
- 30:09the
- 30:09proper
- 30:10location
- 30:11I
- 30:15think
- 30:15that's
- 30:15why
- 30:15so
- 30:18he
- 30:18so
- 30:19he
- 30:19touches
- 30:20the
- 30:20man
- 30:20he
- 30:21commands
- 30:22and
- 30:22interestingly
- 30:23as he
- 30:23gives
- 30:23his
- 30:23command
- 30:24in
- 30:24Aramaic
- 30:24which
- 30:24would
- 30:25be
- 30:25open
- 30:28he's
- 30:29actually
- 30:29giving
- 30:29the
- 30:30command
- 30:30to
- 30:30the
- 30:30ears
- 30:31which
- 30:31I
- 30:31just
- 30:31find
- 30:31so
- 30:31fascinating
- 30:32and
- 30:32to
- 30:32the
- 30:32tongue
- 30:33who
- 30:34commands
- 30:34even
- 30:35your
- 30:35ears
- 30:36and
- 30:36my
- 30:36tongue
- 30:36be
- 30:38opened
- 30:38and
- 30:38they
- 30:39obey
- 30:39what
- 30:40he
- 30:40said
- 30:40to
- 30:41do
- 30:41and
- 30:42then
- 30:42note
- 30:42that
- 30:43he
- 30:43sighs
- 30:44he
- 30:44looks
- 30:44up
- 30:44to
- 30:44heaven
- 30:45he
- 30:45sighs
- 30:46and
- 30:46I
- 30:46think
- 30:47this
- 30:47speaks
- 30:47to
- 30:48the
- 30:48compassion
- 30:48of
- 30:49Christ
- 30:49as
- 30:50he
- 30:50has
- 30:50pulled
- 30:51this
- 30:51man
- 30:51off
- 30:51to
- 30:51the
- 30:51side
- 30:52and
- 30:52he
- 30:52is
- 30:52about
- 30:52to
- 30:52!
- 30:52heal
- 30:52them
- 30:53as
- 30:54he
- 31:00and
- 31:01felt
- 31:05a
- 31:06sorrow
- 31:06for
- 31:07the
- 31:07effects
- 31:07of
- 31:07sin
- 31:08on
- 31:08the
- 31:08world
- 31:08and
- 31:08I
- 31:09believe
- 31:09that's
- 31:09why
- 31:10he
- 31:10sighs
- 31:10that
- 31:10as
- 31:10he
- 31:10looks
- 31:11up
- 31:11to
- 31:11heaven
- 31:11he
- 31:12gives
- 31:12another
- 31:14one
- 31:14another
- 31:15one
- 31:16another
- 31:16created
- 31:17being
- 31:18another
- 31:18child
- 31:19that
- 31:19is
- 31:19being
- 31:20punished
- 31:21because
- 31:21of
- 31:21the
- 31:21effects
- 31:22of
- 31:22sin
- 31:23in
- 31:23this
- 31:23world
- 31:24and
- 31:24so
- 31:24we
- 31:24see
- 31:24this
- 31:24great
- 31:25outflow
- 31:26of
- 31:26compassion
- 31:26for
- 31:27this
- 31:27man
- 31:27verse
- 31:2835
- 31:28his
- 31:28tongue
- 31:30was
- 31:30released
- 31:31and
- 31:31he
- 31:31spoke
- 31:32plainly
- 31:33whatever
- 31:33was
- 31:33the
- 31:33issue
- 31:34with
- 31:34his
- 31:35tongue
- 31:35he
- 31:35can
- 31:35now
- 31:35speak
- 31:36very
- 31:37plainly
- 31:38and
- 31:39all
- 31:39of
- 31:39this
- 31:39and
- 31:39I
- 31:39believe
- 31:39the
- 31:40reason
- 31:40that
- 31:40Mark
- 31:40was
- 31:40led
- 31:41by
- 31:41the
- 31:41spirit
- 31:41to
- 31:41record
- 31:42this
- 31:42is
- 31:42a
- 31:42fulfillment
- 31:43of
- 31:43a
- 31:43prophecy
- 31:43he
- 31:45did
- 31:45a
- 31:45thing
- 31:46that
- 31:46only
- 31:47God
- 31:47could
- 31:47do
- 31:48Isaiah
- 31:49chapter
- 31:4935
- 31:50verse
- 31:515
- 31:51and
- 31:516
- 31:51then
- 31:52the
- 31:54ears
- 31:55of
- 31:55the
- 31:55deaf
- 31:56unstopped
- 31:57then
- 31:58shall
- 31:58the
- 31:58lame
- 31:58man
- 31:59leap
- 31:59like
- 31:59a
- 31:59deer
- 32:00and
- 32:00the
- 32:00tongue
- 32:00of
- 32:00the
- 32:01mute
- 32:01sing
- 32:01for
- 32:02joy
- 32:02for
- 32:03waters
- 32:03break
- 32:03forth
- 32:04in
- 32:04the
- 32:04wilderness
- 32:04and
- 32:04streams
- 32:05in
- 32:06the
- 32:06desert
- 32:06so
- 32:07he
- 32:07had
- 32:07done
- 32:07a
- 32:07thing
- 32:07that
- 32:08only
- 32:08he
- 32:08could
- 32:09do
- 32:09and
- 32:09it
- 32:09was
- 32:09fitting
- 32:10that
- 32:11one
- 32:11of
- 32:11the
- 32:11gospel
- 32:12accounts
- 32:12that
- 32:12one
- 32:12of
- 32:13the
- 32:13writers
- 32:13was
- 32:13inspired
- 32:14to
- 32:14record
- 32:15this
- 32:15thing
- 32:15that
- 32:16we
- 32:16might
- 32:16see
- 32:16it
- 32:16take
- 32:17place
- 32:17and
- 32:18the
- 32:18response
- 32:19of
- 32:19the
- 32:19people
- 32:20when
- 32:20he
- 32:20goes
- 32:20back
- 32:21there
- 32:21was
- 32:21a
- 32:21man
- 32:22that
- 32:22they
- 32:22knew
- 32:22he
- 32:22goes
- 32:23back
- 32:23now
- 32:23he
- 32:24can
- 32:24hear
- 32:24now
- 32:25he
- 32:25can
- 32:25speak
- 32:25verse
- 32:2637
- 32:26they
- 32:26were
- 32:27astonished
- 32:28beyond
- 32:29measure
- 32:29they
- 32:30were
- 32:30incredibly
- 32:31astonished
- 32:32more
- 32:33astonishment
- 32:33took place
- 32:34than we
- 32:35could
- 32:35possibly
- 32:35measure
- 32:36and
- 32:36this
- 32:36is
- 32:36their
- 32:37phrase
- 32:37this
- 32:38is
- 32:38the
- 32:38thing
- 32:38they
- 32:38say
- 32:39He
- 32:39has
- 32:39done
- 32:40all
- 32:41things
- 32:41well
- 32:42he
- 32:43has
- 32:43done
- 32:44all
- 32:44things
- 32:45well
- 32:46!
- 32:46He
- 32:47even
- 32:47makes
- 32:48He
- 32:49had
- 32:49done
- 32:49so
- 32:49many
- 32:49things
- 32:50right
- 32:50He
- 32:50had
- 32:51cast
- 32:51a
- 32:51legion
- 32:52of
- 32:52demons
- 32:53out
- 32:53of
- 32:53a
- 32:53man
- 32:54they
- 32:54knew
- 32:54about
- 32:54this
- 32:55this
- 32:55news
- 32:55had
- 32:55traveled
- 32:56around
- 32:56the
- 32:56area
- 32:56He
- 32:57even
- 32:58makes
- 32:58the
- 32:59deaf
- 32:59hear
- 32:59and
- 33:00the
- 33:00mute
- 33:01speak
- 33:02I
- 33:03think
- 33:03we
- 33:03can
- 33:03hear
- 33:03in
- 33:04this
- 33:04statement
- 33:04the
- 33:04echoes
- 33:05of
- 33:05Genesis
- 33:05131
- 33:06and
- 33:07God
- 33:07saw
- 33:07everything
- 33:08that
- 33:08he
- 33:08had
- 33:09made
- 33:09and
- 33:09behold
- 33:10it
- 33:11was
- 33:11very
- 33:12good
- 33:12Jesus
- 33:14is
- 33:15God
- 33:17incarnate
- 33:18and he
- 33:18proves
- 33:19that
- 33:19to us
- 33:20once
- 33:21again
- 33:21as he
- 33:22expresses
- 33:22compassion
- 33:24for
- 33:25non-Jewish
- 33:26people
- 33:27and works
- 33:28in them
- 33:29a responsive
- 33:30faith
- 33:31beloved
- 33:32we
- 33:33are
- 33:33now
- 33:33given
- 33:33to
- 33:34the
- 33:34very
- 33:34same
- 33:35task
- 33:36and
- 33:37I
- 33:37hope
- 33:38as
- 33:38we've
- 33:38been
- 33:38looking
- 33:38through
- 33:39mark
- 33:39as
- 33:39we
- 33:39will
- 33:39continue
- 33:40to
- 33:40do
- 33:40so
- 33:40as
- 33:40we
- 33:41peer
- 33:41at
- 33:41the
- 33:41life
- 33:42of
- 33:42Christ
- 33:43we
- 33:43will
- 33:43desire
- 33:44to
- 33:44be
- 33:44more
- 33:45like
- 33:46him
- 33:46compassionately
- 33:48pouring
- 33:49out
- 33:49our
- 33:50lives
- 33:50for
- 33:50the
- 33:51sake
- 33:51of
- 33:51the
- 33:51glory
- 33:51of
- 33:52God
- 33:52and
- 33:52the
- 33:52advancing
- 33:52of
- 33:53his
- 33:53kingdom
- 33:53let's
- 33:54pray
- 33:54together
- 33:55God