Rending the Veil Part 5: The Syro-Phoenician Woman

 Mark 7:24-30

From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”

And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

Before this account, in the beginning  of chapter 7 in Mark, Jesus had been in Israel disputing with the religious leaders of the day about ritual purity. The passage we come to now, we see Jesus purposely going into the region of Tyre and Sidon. This would have been considered an unclean area because it was where gentiles lived. This is the only time in Scripture that Jesus withdraws from Israel, to go to a gentile land because His ministry was primarily to the Jews. Beforehand as well as disputing with the religious leaders, Jesus had also been rejected in His own town of Nazareth, feeding five thousand hungry men plus women and children, finding out that His cousin John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod and healing sick people, therefore by going into a gentile country He was seeking out rest and solitude from the pressing crowds. 

Tyre were the enemies of the Jews, at that time, and they were very idolatrous but that was where Jesus went to seek out this rest and solitude from the crowds of people who followed Him around. Even in this gentile land Jesus couldn't be hidden from someone needing help from Him. v24 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 

This non Jewish woman had heard about Jesus and the miracles He had performed. Her young daughter had an unclean spirit living in her and this mother wanted her daughter to be healed. She came to Jesus and fell at His feet, despite only knowing about his reputation she comes and pays homage to Him, she respects and honours the Lord. She also came pleading to Him because He was her last hope of healing for her young daughter. 

Previously the Jewish leaders, of Jesus' day, who spoke about ritual purity and cleanness didn't pay homage to the One who had come to redeem Israel, but here is a gentile woman, considered unclean by the Jews of her day, throwing herself at Jesus' feet, pleading with Him to heal her daughter. 

She was persistently begging Jesus to free her daughter from the unclean spirit - she definitely wouldn't take "No!" for an answer. Jesus didn't answer her straight away and when He did it seemed like a harsh response “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” What a surprising thing for the loving Lord Jesus Christ to say, but there is a reason for this. 

Breaking this down: 

• The children: Jesus' ministry was primarily to the children of Israel. So He was saying it wasn't His first mission to go to the gentiles (it is not good to take the children's bread), it was to the Jews. He was to care for them first. 
• The little dogs: in the ancient towns and cities there were feral dogs who roamed around and were a nuisance, they weren't pets, they were scavengers, feeding off dead bodies, and other unpleasant things. These aren't the dogs Christ is talking about. In the ancient days, there were household dogs - ones which had been domesticated to be pets and companions. They weren't feral and scavengers, they were fed the left overs after a meal, but any scraps which do fall on the floor during the meal, the dogs were allowed to eat those - these are the kind Jesus is talking about.  

The woman's response to Jesus' statement isn't one of disgust at being called a dog, but she says "Yes, Lord!" She knew that she had no prior claim to Jesus' mercy, teaching, ministry, but she was satisfied with what she had - the crumbs (metaphorically speaking). Even the smallest crumb is all she wanted. The woman knew who she was before Jesus and Jesus answered her request. The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus' day had no faith in Him, they wanted to argue, they saw Jesus as a threat to their positions, not as the Messiah who had come to redeem them. A mere gentile woman (being a gentile and a woman definitely weren't pluses in those days) had more faith and trust in the One who had come to Israel than His own people had. 

The woman was happy with crumbs, but Jesus gave her much more than that - He healed her daughter from the demon and He showed her who He was, despite her not being from the House of Israel! Can you imagine her response when she arrived home and there was her young daughter fully healed? We aren't told how she reacted but we can guess what it was. 

If we come to Jesus, He gives out of the abundance of the storehouses of His grace. He isn't a miser, He gives and He gives. In fact, He is so loving and merciful He gave His own life that many may dwell with Him in eternity and eat of the marriage supper of the Lamb. 

Although Jesus initially came to redeem Israel, His salvation is for all who will call on His name, asking Him to forgive their sins and wanting Him to be Lord and Master over their life! He changes lives from the inside, we get a new heart (soul), we are new creations in Him! 

So far we have seen: 
Jesus heal an unclean woman who had a flow of blood for 12 years
Jesus raise a young girl from the dead
Jesus raise a young man from the dead so that his widowed mother could have her son restored
Jesus heal a young gentile girl of an unclean spirit.

There is no one outside of the love of Christ. 

Rending the Veil Part 4: The Widow of Nain

 Luke 7:11-17

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Nain was a city 5-9 miles (8-14km) South East of Nazareth. 

The day before this account, Jesus and His disciples had been in Capernaum (Nain is 30 miles South West of Capernaum). Jesus had healed the Centurion's servant without going to the soldier's house.  A large crowd followed Jesus and His disciples and as they came near to the gate of the city of Nain, they were met by another large crowd of people coming in the opposite direction. Jesus and His followers were going into the city and the other crowd were going out of the city. The large crowd coming out was a funeral procession. A young man was being carried out on a kind of litter. He had probably not been dead for too long as in this region it wasn't good to have a unburied dead body in the open for long (source).

Jesus was at the front of the crowd following Him and the widow with her son were at the front of the crowd following them. The Giver of Life, meets the one who had lost his life. We don't know how he died, the Bible doesn't say. 

The deceased was the only son of this lady, who was a widow. After the lady's husband had died, he would have become head of the household and the breadwinner for the family, now he was gone the lady was left with no income. No other family is mentioned, only the funeral procession which followed her and her son. 

When the Lord saw her, in her grief, more than likely at her lowest point emotionally, He was moved with compassion - this wasn't a shallow passing emotion or a condescending pity but a deep seated emotion. The language used gives the impression of being moved as to one's bowels (the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity). Maybe these days we would think of it as a deep heart felt feeling. Jesus knew her situation - she had lost her husband and now her only son, which meant she had also lost her income and would more than likely become destitute. 

"Do not weep" [can also mean lament/mourn] It seems like such a strange thing for someone to say to a person who was grieving BUT this is Jesus Christ, the author and giver of life. He goes up to the bier and touches it (He doesn't touch the son) and says "Young man, I say to you arise!" These are similar words which Christ said to Jairus's daughter. As soon as the words were spoken the young man sat up and started speaking. We don't know what he said, but he was no longer dead and he could speak. The mother must have been shocked, happy, full of joy - her only son was alive again. Maybe the mother was in so much shock that's why Jesus had to present him to her. Sometimes it's difficult to believe what we see with our eyes!

Fear came upon the people, they glorified God and proclaimed "A great prophet has been risen up among us." They could see that God had visited them that day. News spread rapidly in the region. 

This is only a short account, compared to account of other miracles, but we can see here:

• Jesus's love and compassion for the woman and her son
• Jesus's healing power - not just to heal diseases but to raise people from the dead 
• Jesus transcending social norms and overturning them. Women/girls meant nothing in Jewish/ancient society, but to Jesus they are just as valuable and precious as men/boys. 
• That lady had nothing to give to Jesus, she offered Him nothing, but He came to her in her grief and mourning to give her back something great and valuable - her only child. We don't know if she was saved, but after seeing Jesus performing that miracle on her son, perhaps she did trust in Him by faith. The Bible tells us that we are dead in our sins and trespasses, but we are made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1). We have nothing to give to Jesus, He asks us for nothing but if we come to Him asking for salvation and new life, He will freely give it to us. We can be raised from spiritual deadness into spiritual life in Christ Jesus, He will then give you a new heart and a new perspective on life, plus eternal life with Him in glory (heaven). 

Rending the Veil Part 3: Jairus' Daughter

This account is also found in Luke 8:40-56 

Mark 5:21-24

Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.

Jairus - the synagogue leader would have been in charge of the local synagogue in Capernaum. He would have been highly respected amongst the community. He would have been charged with supervising services to the worship of God, maintaining the religious order and teaching the Law.  The religious leaders of the day were suspicious of Jesus so Jairus coming to him shows he had some knowledge of Jesus' miracles and the love for his daughter took priority over his religious prejudices.

We don't know what ailed the daughter, but it was bad enough for Jairus to believe she didn't have too long to live. By falling at Jesus' feet, it showed that he had respect and faith in Christ and he knew Jesus was the only One who could heal his daughter of what was ailing her. Did his faith go deeper than just believing in a miraculous healing?

Jesus didn't hesitate and went with him. The multitude came along too and pressed on all sides around Him. On their way to Jairus' house they were held up by another healing - the woman with the issue of blood - click HERE to read Part 2 of this series and verses Mark 5:25-34, which relates the account.

Jairus must have been uneasy having this woman stopping Jesus from going to his house. Being the leader of the synagogue he more than likely knew her - the woman who was unclean, had been a social outcast for twelve years... His daughter was on the point of death, but Jesus had halted to deal with this person who had managed to walk to where Jesus was, but his daughter was in bed, not able to rise up and walk anywhere. What was Jesus thinking? 

Mark 5:35-43

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 

As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Now comes the testing of Jairus's faith. Some people (maybe servants?) from Jairus's house came to him with the most tragic news - his beloved daughter had died, while her father was looking for healing for her, she was taken from him. Words Jairus' didn't want to hear "Your daughter is dead." Jairus must have been devastated, but he was with Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the creator of life! Jairus and his wife was going to witness the most amazing miracle of all... 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23, John 10:11), the One who brings comfort, dispels fear and heals the broken hearted (Psalm 147:3) says comforting and gentle words to Jairus "Do not be afraid; only believe." We aren't told why, but Jesus permitted no one to follow except three of His close disciples, Peter, James and his brother John. I expect the young girl would have been overwhelmed by so many people AND Jesus didn't want His full work to be revealed yet. 

In the days of Jesus if somebody died, the family would pay for professional mourners which validated the family's grief and loss. It was a public and communal show of mourning for the deceased. With the weeping and wailing it emphasised the seriousness of the occasion. When Jesus went into the house, He asked what the commotion was because the girl wasn't dead, but merely sleeping. The mourning turned to laughter and ridicule. These people had probably witnessed death on so many occasions, they would have probably thought Jesus was a bit mad. This mocking didn't deter Him because He knew the power vested in him could raise Jairus's daughter from the dead. He put them outside and took the father and mother and the three disciples into the girl's room where she was lying. 

The Author of life took her by the hand and said the famous words which the translators have kept in this translation of the Bible: "Talitha Cumi" [Aramaic] which means "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Instantly the child arose and walked. We don't know how long she hadn't been able to walk, but adding that detail implies she had been bedridden for quite some time. Her parents, who more than likely had lost all hope, had their hope restored - their precious little girl had been brought back to life, to the One who gives physical and spiritual life. Scripture tells us that they were overcome with great amazement. 

Jesus didn't want this to spread, because His work wasn't complete and if the religious leaders found out perhaps they would be all the more bent on having Jesus arrested. 

As well as not wanting everyone to know, the Lord who cares for young and old, the weak and strong, told her parents to feed her. After her long illness she would need some nourishment. 

Children may not have had value in Jesus's day:

Matthew 19:13-15 

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

but Jesus values everybody. Each person has a worth and a value to God. 

As we saw in the introduction women [and girls] may not have been of value to society, but to our Creator He gives them their value and worth back. What society takes away from God's creative purposes, Jesus Christ gives it back. 

Lessons:
Jesus doesn't just heal people, He raises them to new life
Everybody has value and worth to God, it doesn't matter what your social standing is, young, old, rich, poor
He is the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep