THE FAITH OF ONE WOMAN
Key verse: 28
NIV
Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith(A)
24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[a](B) He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit(C) came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Footnotes
- Mark 7:24 Many early manuscripts Tyre and Sidon
Cross references
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.[a] And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 (A)Now the woman was a (B)Gentile, (C)a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be (D)fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and (E)throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's (F)crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may (G)go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 7:24 Some manuscripts omit and Sidon
Cross references
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. First let the children eat (24-27)
Jesus was avoiding confrontation with the Pharisees and avoiding the crowds because he did not have much time to train his disciples. He retreated to Tyre, which is in Gentile territory. But he was famous and could not keep his presence secret. A Gentile woman came to him with a desperate problem--her little daughter was demon-possessed. She begged Jesus' help. Jesus tested her faith. He had come as the Shepherd of Israel, and she was a Gentile 'dog.' She had no claim on God's grace. His first responsibility was to seek the lost sheep of Israel.
2. Even the dogs eat the children's crumbs (28-30)
She humbly accepted Jesus' hard words and asked his mercy and help anyway. She said, 'Yes, I'm a Gentile 'dog', but even the dogs eat the children's crumbs.' Jesus was moved by her humble faith and blessed her and her daughter.
Prayer: Lord, I come to you anyway, seeking only your mercy.
One Word: Seek God with humble faith
