Sunday
Morning Bible Study
January 2, 2005
Introduction
We’ve seen how Jesus’ ministry became increasingly popular. At one point Jesus and the disciples were
having trouble even sitting down to have a meal together. When Jesus tried to take the fellows away for
a time to rest, the crowds just followed them and they ended up having more
ministry rather than rest.
When they got back from their “vacation”, Jesus and His disciples ran into
a little bit of trouble. The Pharisees
began to nitpick about the behavior of the disciples, since they weren’t
following the strict Pharisee tradition of ceremonial washings before they ate
their meals. The Pharisees believed that
a person would become “impure” or “defiled” if they didn’t follow all the
rituals and ceremonies.
Jesus used this opportunity to teach an important lesson. He taught that a person wasn’t defiled by
what went into him, like food eaten with unwashed hands. He taught the people were defiled by the
kinds of things that came out of their heart, things like immorality or greed.
We also talked last week about the connection of this whole episode with
Peter. We believe the event took place
in Peter’s house. Matthew tells us that
Peter was the one asking Jesus to clarify everything.
Later, in the book of Acts (Acts 10), God will use this teaching of eating
clean or unclean food to teach Peter that God cared for Gentiles and wanted the
Gentiles to know Him. God told Peter
that Peter shouldn’t call something “unclean” if God had called it “clean”.
This all sets the stage for what happens next … an encounter with a Gentile
woman.
Mark 7:24-37
:24-30 The Gentile Mother
:24 …went into the borders of Tyre
and Sidon, and entered into an
house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
Tyre and Sidon
– on the coast of modern Lebanon,
this is the land of the ancient Phoenicians, an empire that once flourished a
thousand years before Jesus, but had been pretty much leveled by Alexander the
Great in 332 BC.
would have – thelo – to
will, have in mind, intend; to desire, to wish
Jesus really didn’t want anyone knowing where He was staying.
It seems that Jesus went to Tyre
and Sidon to get away from the
crowds.
I understand it can be a bit of a drag to be super popular.
From Saturday’s Orange County Register (Saturday, January 1, 2005)
Leinart's celebrity grows
The USC quarterback started getting noticed when he won the Heisman.
By TODD HARMONSON
The Orange County Register
FORT
LAUDERDALE,
FLA. – Mall employees had no idea who
he was but figured he must be some sort of celebrity doing his Christmas
shopping.
Who else would draw a
growing crowd of children and adults seeking autographs?
Never mind that it was
just Matt Leinart, the same guy who not long ago could walk anywhere without
any interference but now needs an offensive line to protect him at Nordstrom.
“Even when I’m in Orange County when I’m at home, I’m just
walking around and have to put my hood on and my hat so people don’t always
come up,” the USC quarterback said Friday. “There are times I just want to
relax and be normal.”
The problem is, normal
stopped existing three weeks ago when Leinart won the Heisman Trophy and
entered the struggle between his desire to remain just Matt Leinart and the
pull for him to embrace the celebrity that is his for the taking.
Leinart was warned
immediately after he won the Heisman by Oklahoma quarterback Jason White, last
season’s winner, who told him everything was about to change. But until he had
to be taken to a back room at a mall so he could shop or was mobbed by “the
eBay kings” on public outings, he didn’t comprehend fully what was happening to
him.
:25 whose young daughter had an unclean spirit
unclean – akathartos – not
cleansed, unclean. This young girl was possessed
by a demon. I find it interesting though
that the previous passage was all about whether you could become “defiled” by
eating something that was “unclean”.
:26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him …
Greek – Hellenis – she’s a
Gentile women, not a Jewess
Syrophenician – Surophoinissa –
She’s a Phoenician from the area of Syria,
the area around Tyre and Sidon
(as opposed to the Phoenicians that lived in North Africa).
besought – imperfect tense, “she
was continually making this request …”
:27 …it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the
dogs.
meet – kalos – beautiful,
suitable, commendable, noble
It’s not a noble thing to be feeding your dogs when your children are
hungry.
dogs – kunarion – a little
dog. Jesus doesn’t use the word the Jews
would normally use to describe the Gentiles as “dogs”. He uses “little dog”. It’s kind of like the latest “in” thing among
celebrities, the little “lap dogs”.
Jesus isn’t belittling the Gentiles.
He’s simply telling the woman in language that she would understand that
His purpose was to minister to His disciples.
It wasn’t appropriate to interrupt the family meal to feed the
dogs. It wasn’t appropriate to interrupt
His ministry to His disciples for her.
But instead of discouraging her, Jesus’ answer stirred up her faith.
:28 …yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.
crumbs – psichion – a
little morsel, a crumb
children’s – paidion – a
young child, a little boy, a little girl
Lots of “little” stuff here. She
says, “The little dogs under the table
eat of the little children’s little morsels”.
Have you ever known a child to take some of their food from their plate and
feed the dog? That happens of course
because the children are simply obeying the basic rules for dogs. Did you know that dogs had some simple rules
to live by?
Illustration
BASIC RULES FOR DOGS
VISITORS: Quickly determine which guest is afraid of dogs. Charge across the room, barking loudly and
leap playfully on this person. If the human falls down on the floor and starts
crying, lick its face and growl gently to show your concern.
BARKING: Because you are a dog, you are expected to bark. So bark--- a lot.
Your owners will be very happy to hear you protecting their house. Especially late at night while they are
sleeping safely in their beds. There is
no more secure feeling for a human than to keep waking up in the middle of the
night and hearing your protective bark, bark, bark...
HOLES: Rather than digging a BIG hole in the middle of the yard and
upsetting your human, dig a lot of smaller holes all over the yard so they
won't notice. If you arrange a little pile of dirt on one side of each hole,
maybe they'll think its gophers. There are never enough holes in the ground.
Strive daily to do your part to help correct this problem.
HOUSEBREAKING: Housebreaking is very important to humans, so break as much
of the house as possible.
THE ART OF SNIFFING: Humans like to be sniffed. Everywhere. It is your duty, as the family
dog, to accommodate them.
DINING ETIQUETTE: Always sit under the table at dinner, especially when
there are guests, so you can clean up any food that falls on the floor. It's also a good time to practice your
sniffing.
:29 …For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
is gone out – exerchomai –
to go or come forth of. Perfect
tense. The demon had left and would stay
gone. Jesus had cast the demon out of
the little girl without being with the little girl or without even saying a word.
:30 … her daughter laid upon the bed.
laid – ballo – to throw or
let go of a thing without caring where it falls
The daughter had been “thrown” onto the bed.
Matthew gives us another clue of just what was at work here:
(Mat 15:28
KJV) Then Jesus answered and said unto
her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her
daughter was made whole from that very hour.
She wasn’t just a “pushy” woman. She
was a woman of faith.
Lesson
Turn away or push ahead?
How do you handle things that initially discourage you?
Do you call it quits or push on?
When Paul was heading to Jerusalem
he kept being warned about the dangers up ahead. He was warned that he faced prison and
torture. He responded:
(Acts 20:24 KJV)
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto
myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I
have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Paul’s decision was to push on.
Illustration
Two frogs fell into a can of cream
-- or so I've heard it told
The sides of the can were shiny and steep,
The cream was deep and cold,
"Oh, what's the use?" said No. 1,
"tis fate -- no help's around --
Good-bye, my friend!
Good-bye, sad world!"
And weeping still, he drowned.
But No. 2 of sterner stuff,
dog paddled in surprise,
The while he wiped his creamy face
and dried his creamy eyes.
"I'll swim awhile, at least," he said
-- or so it has been said --
"It wouldn't really help the world
if one more frog was dead."
An hour or two he kicked and swam --
not once he stopped to mutter,
But kicked and swam, and swam and
kicked, then hopped out, via butter.
Illustration
Hal Sherbeck coached the Fullerton
Community College football team for
many years. He was famous for having the
most winningest junior college football career of any coach. When he was interviewed by the Los Angeles
Times, the sportswriter wanted to know his secret. Without hesitation Coach Sherbeck said that
his credo could best be stated in words written by an anonymous author:
Press on.
Nothing in the world
Can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not;
Nothing is more common
Than unsuccessful men
With talent.
Genius will not;
Unrewarded genius
Is almost a proverb.
Education will not;
The world is full of
Educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination
Alone are important.
Keep going.
:31-36 Deaf and Dumb
:31 departing from the coasts of Tyre
and Sidon …
(NIV) Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of
the Decapolis.
The route Jesus is taking is to head north from Tyre
to Sidon, then around to the east
then south around the Sea of Galilee to the area of Decapolis
with is southeast of the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus is circling around the area
of Galilee. It
seems He’s avoiding the places where He’s had the big crowds.
:32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his
speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
impediment in … speech – mogilalos
(“with difficulty” + “speak”) – speaking with difficulty. The fellow could speak, but it was hard to
understand him.
they beseech – parakaleo –
to call to one’s side, call for, summon
This is a great picture of the word “parakaleo”,
which is also the root for the word “Comforter”.
(John 14:16-18 KJV) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; {17} Even the
Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not,
neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in
you. {18} I will not leave you comfortless (or, “orphans”):
I will come to you.
Jesus had been telling the disciples that He was going to go away. He had been their “comforter”. He had been the one they had called on for
help. But when He left, He would send
another Comforter.
(John 14:26
KJV) But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
One of the ways that the Holy Spirit comforts us is through the things that
He teaches us.
When I call on Him for help, one of the ways He will respond is to teach me
in my circumstance.
Even as Jesus will heal this deaf man so he can hear, the Holy Spirit opens
up our ears so we can hear the Lord in our difficult time.
(2 Cor 1:3-5 KJV) Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; {4} Who
comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which
are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
{5} For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth
by Christ.
God promises to help us in all our troubles.
When God has helped you, you can turn around and help others with what God
has helped you with.
But it starts with calling on Him for help.
Calling on Him to come alongside me.
(Rom 10:13
KJV) For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved.
:33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his
ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
Jesus takes the man aside so He can minister one-on-one to the fellow.
he spit – ptuo – to
spit.
The language is kind of vague here.
Some translations make it sound as if Jesus touched the man’s tongue with
His spittle, but it doesn’t clearly say this.
He may have simply spit on the ground, and then touched the man’s tongue.
It’s possible that Jesus put His fingers into His own ears, then spit on
the ground, then touched His own tongue.
Jesus’ use of fingers, spitting, and touching might have simply a sort of
series of hand signs to communicate to this fellow who couldn’t hear.
:34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha,
that is, Be opened.
Ephphatha – ephphatha –
Jesus speaks Aramaic here
he sighed – stenazo – a
sigh or groan of grief.
This word is found six times in the New Testament. Twice it is used to talk about things we
shouldn’t be “groaning” or “sighing” over (leaders “groaning” over trouble
makers – Heb. 13:17; “groaning” or “complaining” about each other – James
5:9). But three of
the times it talks about what we ought to be “groaning” or “sighing” over, and
it’s fascinating to see that they all have something in common:
(NLT) Ro 8:23 And
even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste
of future glory, also groan (stenazo)
to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for
that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the
new bodies he has promised us.
(NLT) 2Co 5:2
We grow weary (stenazo) in our present bodies,
and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new
clothing.
(NLT) 2Co 5:4
Our dying bodies make
us groan and sigh (stenazo),
but it’s not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip
into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by
everlasting life.
All three talk about the “groaning” of being in our present, broken down
bodies, looking forward to the time when we will have a new body.
I’m not sure it would be too big of a leap to suggest that Jesus’ groaning
here might be along the same lines – groaning over the weakness of these frail,
human bodies, looking forward to the new body.
:35 …the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
string – desmon – a band
or bond
he spake – laleo – Imperfect
tense, continuous action.
plain – orthos – rightly
:36 And he charged them that they should tell no man
charged – diastellomai – the
way Mark records this, it’s that Jesus is giving pretty clear, strict orders, for His own sake, that they shouldn’t
talk about this.
I wonder if Jesus isn’t trying to keep the popularity thing down. Remember
that Jesus and the disciples had been trying to go where nobody would know them
(7:24).
But the more Jesus asked them to keep quiet about this, the more they spoke
up.
:37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things
well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
beyond measure – huperperissos
(“over” + “beyond measure”)
astonished – ekplesso – to
strike out; we would say “they were totally
blown away …”
There is a prophecy being fulfilled here about the Messiah, and it may be
that the people have this in mind:
(Isa 35:4-6 KJV) Say to them
that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come
with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. {5} Then
the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be
unstopped. {6} Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the
dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Matthew tells us:
(Mat 4:25
KJV) And there followed him great
multitudes of people from Galilee,
and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
Yet this isn’t Jesus’ first time in Decapolis. I’m not sure that the huge crowds from Decapolis
started following Jesus after His first visit there. The response of the people was a little
different that time (Mark 5).
Jesus had met a wild man who claimed to be possessed by a legion of
demons. When Jesus cast the demons out
of the man, the demons entered into a herd of pigs and the entire herd ran off
a cliff and were drowned in the Sea of Galilee. When the people that lived nearby found out
what had happened, they asked Jesus to get in His boat and go home.
So how come the people have changed from asking Jesus to leave to actually
bringing people to Him and being amazed at Him?
(Mark 5:18-20 KJV) And when he was come into the ship, he that
had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. {19}
Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and
tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion
on thee. {20} And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus
had done for him: and all men did marvel.
Lesson
Tell your story
The wild man went back to the cities of Decapolis,
where Jesus is right now.
He’s been telling people his story.
The people have been amazed to hear what Jesus had done.
And now, rather than telling Jesus to go away, they’re being healed by
Jesus.
We often don’t think we have much of a story to tell. With most Christians, if you sat down and
asked them to tell their story, they’d probably say they didn’t have much of a
story.
But your story is a testimony of what God has done for you.
When Jesus healed the man who had been born blind, a big controversy
started. Some of the Jewish leaders
wanted to get all theological and argue with the man who had been healed.
(John 9:25
KJV) He answered and said, Whether he be
a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I
see.
Theology is good. But you don’t always have to have all
the correct theological answers. Just
tell your story.