Mark 7:24 - Meaning and Application

See here, first, how humbly Christ chose to stay out of the spotlight. No one was more praised in Galilee than he was, and yet he left that region and went into the border area of Tyre and Sidon, where he was little known. There he went into a private house, not into a synagogue or a public place, and he wanted no one to know he was there. This fits the prophecy that says about him, “He will not quarrel or cry out, and no one will hear his voice in the streets.” He was ready to preach and heal there too, but he wanted people to seek him. There is a time to appear, and a time to withdraw.

Second, see how graciously he still allowed himself to be found. He did not come to those parts to work a full harvest of miracles, yet he did seem to come on purpose to give one healing, the one described here. He could not remain hidden for long, because a candle may be covered, but the sun cannot be. Christ was too well known for long secrecy, and the joy and power that came with him would soon be noticed by others. Anyone who had only heard about him would quickly say, “This must be Jesus.”

Now notice the poor woman in distress who came to him. She was a Gentile, a Greek woman, outside Israel’s common life and not part of the covenant promise. By birth she was Syrophoenician, and she had not adopted the Jewish religion. Her young daughter was possessed by a demon, and that shows how many heavy troubles even young children can face. She came very humbly and urgently. She heard of Jesus, came to him, and fell at his feet. If we want mercy from Christ, we must place ourselves at his feet, humble ourselves before him, and yield ourselves to his rule. Christ has never turned away anyone who fell at his feet, even when that person did not yet have the boldness to throw themselves into his arms. She also spoke plainly about what she needed. Christ allowed needy people to be open with him, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter (Mark 7:26). The greatest gift we can ask for our children is that Christ would break Satan’s power, which is the power of sin, in their souls. We should ask that he would cast out the unclean spirit so they may become temples for the Holy Spirit, with God living in them.

Christ then gave her a discouraging answer (Mark 7:27). He said, “Let the children be fed first,” meaning that the Jews were to have the first offer of the gospel and its miracles, since they were in a special way God’s chosen people. He did not want what was meant for them to be given to those outside God’s family, people who did not know him as they did, and who were compared to dogs, that is, seen as unclean and outside the covenant. Still, this response also showed mercy in reserve for the Gentiles. The Jews were already beginning to reject the gospel, and some even wanted Jesus to leave their land. Their leftovers, so to speak, would become a feast for the Gentiles. The apostles followed this same order, giving the Jews the first offer, and if they rejected it, turning to the Gentiles.

The woman turned Christ’s words, which seemed against her, into an argument for herself (Mark 7:28). She agreed that the children’s bread should not be thrown to the dogs, but she pointed out that dogs were still allowed crumbs. She was asking for no loaf and not even a full piece, only a crumb. She was not belittling the mercy itself, but showing how great the mercy was that she had heard Jesus gave to the Jews, so that even one healing seemed like only a crumb beside it. The Gentiles did not come in crowds like the Jews did, and she came alone. She may also have remembered his recent feeding of the five thousand, when even after the leftovers were gathered up, there must have been crumbs left over.

Christ then granted her request. Since she was so humble and persistent, he said, “Go your way. The demon has left your daughter” (Mark 7:29). This should encourage us to keep praying and not give up, to continue steadily in prayer and not doubt that we will finally prevail. What God has spoken at the end will prove true and not fail. Christ’s word did the work at once, as it often did. When she returned home, trusting his word, she found her daughter healed, and the demon was gone (Mark 7:30). Christ can defeat Satan at a distance. People did not need to be in his presence to come under his power. The daughter was not thrashing about in torment, but lying quietly on the bed, resting peacefully, waiting for her mother to come back and share in the joy of her healing.