Hearing the Metaphors of God as a Child and a Friend

The Children's Crumbs

(Mark 7:24-30, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 24, 2019)

[24] And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 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] Now the woman was a Gentile, 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 fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” [28] But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” [29] And he said to her, “For this statement you may 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.

God's plan: Angels, Demons, Human image-bearers, Jews, and Gentiles

In reading the book of Acts and the opening chapters of Romans, Paul's ministry strategy is very clear: Whenever possible, go first to the Jews, then to the Greeks. Where did Paul and others get the idea that they were supposed to go to the Jews first, and only then bring the gospel to the Gentiles? (Genesis 12:3, Exodus 4:22, Isaiah, Hosea) How did Jesus prepare his disciples for the eventual mission to non-Jews? (Centurion, Here) Why would we care about any of this, since it is so distant from our time and place?

The story before us this morning is simultaneously fascinating and jarring. It fits within a much larger book of the Almighty, and is one of several experiences of Jesus that give us the hint of the nearness of a turning point that will become very evident in the rest of the New Testament. It is also part of a larger drama involving God and celestial beings who are either on his side or not, but who are always under his sovereign authority.

To begin with, to get the most out of this passage we have to believe that there is a God above all who is not fooled by our efforts to seem holier than we are. As John 2:25 testifies, Jesus “needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” God is real, and so are angels. The Bible tells us that “unclean spirits” are actually rebellious angels, also known as demons. As 2 Peter 2:4 teaches, “God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment.” Yet even Satan, the prince of demons by God's permission is allowed to go “to and fro on the earth,” (Job 1:7, 2:2) and to harass some of the Lord's most commendable servants. In all of these mysterious operations of evil, the Lord is working out his own good and holy purposes. (Romans 5)

Oh to know and tell God's story! Long ago, God promised to save his chosen people through one image-bearer who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:14-15). The Lord had also revealed that his children would include not only the Jews, but also people from all the family groups on the face of the earth. In short, when the days drew near to shift from the time of preparation to the era of worldwide mission, there would indeed be Jews who were outwardly holy, but inwardly empty. There would also be, shockingly to some, Gentiles who seemed too dirty to eat with, who would yet enjoy the children's crumbs from the floor like dogs, and would receive signs of heavenly favor.

A Syrophoenician woman and her little daughter, just one chapter

Which brings us to a fantastic little real life parable. Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, had just left a group of Jews who were very upset about ceremonial hand washing. They were super observant Pharisees and yet Jesus plainly declared, quoting Isaiah, that they were hypocrites. Outwardly they seemed to do everything just so, but inwardly they were far from God, and were not really his chosen people. He traveled north to a Gentile area, Tyre and Sidon, and he entered a house there with no intention of drawing a crowd. He “did not want anyone to know where he was.” This secrecy was not to be. At this stage in his ministry, Jesus was even known in non-Jewish territories surrounding Israel. (3:7-8) Those desperately in need of help would do anything to find him.

Such was the case with the Gentile mother who is here referred to as “Syrophoenician by birth.” Her little daughter “had an unclean spirit,” one of those fallen angels, troubling her. The mother had heard of Jesus, and she came to him and “fell down at his feet.” She was in great need, and “she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. Not only did he seem unwilling to help, he spoke in a way that seems surprisingly insulting to our ears. With a knowledge of the larger story, we can understand that he was only affirming an established Old Testament truth, that the Messiah was coming first to the “children” of Israel. Only later would the apostles be told to make disciples of all nations. As of that precise moment, the theological facts were precisely what Jesus said: “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” Jesus was using a metaphor as he often did when he spoke in parables. The children were the Jews. The dogs were the rest of the world. Not flattering.

Amazingly, the needy woman accepted the metaphor and extended the story in a way that was startlingly revealing: “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” Jesus was very pleased with the sensitive way she had listened to his words. This woman had faith! Outwardly she was a Gentile. Inwardly she was a true Jew—a real daughter of Abraham. “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” She went home and saw the good news with her own eyes.

Learning metaphors from the Son of God and entering into his good book

Through this fascinating account of deliverance from demonic possession, we are drawn into a most engaging episode where Jesus begins to bring other people groups into his larger story of salvation. (Genesis 9:26-27, 10, 11, Acts 2, 15) We need to know the Lord's book from beginning to end according to the way he has written it. We want to hear his truth exactly as he has decided to share it with us. That's what friends do. They enjoy one another's favorite metaphors. When we commit to knowing the Bible, we show respect to God as the best of all story tellers. Read it as a child. Read it as a friend.

The Syrophoenician woman had a better message than the Pharisees who questioned Jesus about hand washing. 1. She knew that Jesus was Lord, and that he had the authority to overturn evil. 2. She understood and accepted God's story, that the miraculous signs of heavenly blessing were coming first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. 3. She was willing to receive salvation with shocking humility, knowing that even a crumb of the children's bread, if truly given to her by Jesus, would be enough to overturn the malicious purposes of the prince of darkness. She was a child and a friend.

Can we be like this woman? We can hear the simple message of Jesus and even bring the metaphors of Scripture to our time and place. We can love Jesus' story. And live it.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 97 – Let the many coastlands be glad!

New Testament Reading—James 1:22-25 – Hearing the story, loving the story, living the story

Romans 1 and 2, and Whatever Happened to Acid Rain?

Clean Hands, Pure Heart

(Mark 7:1-23, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 17, 2019)

[1] Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, [2] they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. [3] (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, [4] and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) [5] And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

[6] And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

[7] in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

[8] You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” [9] And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! [10] For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ [11] But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—[12] then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, [13] thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

[14] And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: [15] There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” [17] And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. [18] And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, [19] since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) [20] And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. [21] For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, [22] coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. [23] All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Unwashed hands

Jesus had an eye for faith; the scribes and Pharisees for defiled hands. When they saw that some of his disciples did not follow the spiritual cleansing customs of their tradition, they were alarmed enough to express their concern.

The serious Jews who were looking to follow the Law of God had a voluminous tradition that was used to help them to be in accord with ceremonial righteousness. The oral and written traditions of the rabbis eventually became codified in the second century document called the Mishnah. This resource included six major categories of Jewish law: 1. Agriculture, 2. Appointed Times (especially Sabbath), 3. Marriage and divorce, 4. Civil and criminal law, 5. Sacrifices and sacred things (including dietary laws), and 6. Ritual purity (including ceremonial washing).

Our passage today touches on matters that were important to the final two of these six categories. That meant that there was a great deal of teaching on what was considered a most important topic: how to make your hands ritually clean after being out in the Gentile infected world. Mark tells us scribes and Pharisees had much to say about the proper way to keep not only clean hands, but also cups, pots, and even dining couches.

Hearts far from God

Clean hands? Check. But they gave less attention to the joylessness of their souls.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 to them which was part of a larger prophecy against Jerusalem. Isaiah said that some would be “hypocrites.” They would give honor with their lips, but they would not love the Lord in their hearts. Others would be humble, according to 29:19, “The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the LORD, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.” True obedience and joy are good friends.

They chose their traditions, like “Corban,” and refused to follow the fifth commandment that God gave to Moses on Sinai: “Honor thy father and thy mother,” including old and poor parents. Even the Gentiles could have figured that out. The Pharisees were so steeped in their own indignation about their superiority that they could not see how silly and obviously immoral their system was.

What comes into your mouth and what comes out of your heart

The big picture for us is clear. It is not Gentile dust that ruins our standing before God, but our true sin which emanates from a joyless soul. We will never become holy by a solution that gives us a rigorous bath or addresses only our digestive system. We need a pure heart (Psalm 24). Because of our true inner defilement, we need a better washing than the Mishnah described. We need the blood of Christ to cleanse our filthy consciences, and a river of living water from the Holy Spirit to give us new lives.

Jesus was a very intimidating figure until he was nailed to a cross. That was when people generally considered it safe to criticize him. If we see annoying people earlier in his ministry coming to him indignant about something or other, like hand purification, we know that they are very obsessed with that issue, and they just can't help themselves from speaking about it. The scribes and Pharisees were upset about lack of ceremonial righteousness in the Jesus camp. A system of man-made righteousness can make people very passionate, but it needs to be easy enough to do and something where you have an edge over “those people” who don't do it. Religious hand washing was perfect for this. It was easy to do, and allowed people to visibly prove to one another how much better we all were when compared to those that didn't even bother to get all the Gentile dust off of their hands before they ate. That's how this works: I do this very doable thing. You don't. I am better than you. Shame on you. People in every time and place do this. (See dueling etiquette in the 19^th century and the right belief about acid rain in the 1980s.)

1. Hand washing makes me look good at your expense and requires very little sacrifice.

2. Dying on a cross makes me look bad for your benefit and costs me everything.

The scribes and Pharisees chose option number 1; Jesus chose option 2. Nonetheless, all who embrace their own ceremonial works cannot have peace. All who put their trust in the cross love of Christ find joy in believing God and doing what he truly commands.

Religious works often focus on outward regulations, but a relationship with the Almighty requires attention to the condition of the heart. We do want clean hands, but what good is ceremonial holiness if there is no way to have a joyful soul? Go with faith.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 96 – Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness

New Testament Reading—James 1:19-21 – Receive with meekness the implanted word

Wait, I have something to tell you...

Even the Fringe of His Garment

(Mark 6:53-56, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 10, 2019)

[53] When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. [54] And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him [55] and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. [56] And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.

People Like Us In Great Need

The disciples were sent by the Lord in the direction of the city of Bethsaida in Galilee and they ended up in another Galilean location, Gennesaret, blown off course by a dangerous storm. The specific town is of little consequence, since Jesus was very well known now all over this region. Everywhere he went, he met people like us, who were in great need. They knew they had many ailments and that only he could help them.

Mark wrote that “the people immediately recognized him.” Of course they did. Stories like the ones that fill the opening chapters of this account cannot be hidden for long. Jesus had performed obvious miracles that no one denied. The residents who saw his face among them sprung into action. They responded in an obvious and rational way: They “ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was.”

A blasé reaction would have been weird. An emissary of the Almighty with a proven record of bringing wholeness to broken people was in their midst. Having little or no response to the presence of the Lord among us should give us pause.

The Object of Our Desperate Hope

Passages like the one we see today give us a summary of what was taking place everywhere during the days of Jesus' public ministry. They show us the big picture of what it was like when God became man and dwelt in our midst with a kind intention of bringing resurrection mercy to the needy. “Wherever he came,” and it did not make a difference how populated the area was, whether in little “villages, cities,” or even in the nearly deserted “countryside,” the simple news that Jesus of Nazareth had been found was enough to cause people to pick up their friends who needed help, so that these troubled souls could be brought someplace close to the one man they all needed.

If people thought that Jesus might be passing by, “they laid the sick in the marketplace.” Why? They were hoping that he would walk with his disciples past those bottleneck spots so that they might have even the smallest casual contact with the man himself. They were hoping that they might “touch even the fringe of his garment.”

Imagine this: We live in a world that is so humdrum about the Son of God, we can't conceive of this kind of interest in Jesus. What has happened? Were people in Galilee superstitious and gullible, or are we just insensible concerning the power of God?

Made Well Forever

We can only appreciate the deeply reasonable behavior of the Galileans as it relates to the Messiah if we take seriously the final nine words of our passage speaking of the absolute minimum of contact with the edge of Jesus' simple robe, dirty with the dust of the ancient roads he traveled: “And as many as touched it were made well.”

Jesus came to people in great need. Once they became aware of His power to heal, they were continually trying to get close to Him. And you know what? He healed them. No one denied it, even his enemies.

How will we today see what Jesus is willing and able to do? If we know the Lord for who He really is, we will surely desire to “touch even the fringe of His garment.” But what does that mean for us?

Little passages like the one we are exploring today give us the big picture of the ministry of the one who went about everywhere preaching and teaching the kingdom of God. The mercy of Jehovah was obvious in the touch of Jesus. It still is through his servants in many places all over the world.

I was at Market Basket the other day and I used a new credit card. It kept on getting denied. After a while I stopped and called Candy. They wheeled my groceries away as I asked her to come down with her credit card while I continued on the walk of shame. Even as I was talking to her, she received a message that she texted to me just seconds later: “Try it again, says Bank of America.” The company had noted the repeated denials, texted Candy to confirm that we were the people using the card, and then sent her the encouraging message that came to me through my wife. “Try it again, says Bank of America.”

What message from Jesus today for you? “Denied!” Still worse: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees!” No. That word was intended for people who were trying to establish their own righteousness with God apart from His perfect grace based on Jesus alone. Did you get that message by mistake somehow? “Try it again,” says the source of eternal hope.

Have you been looking for help only with surface problems? Are you finding that the answer you keep on getting is some form of “denied?” Look again at Jesus and the teaching of the Scriptures. Sometimes when we look at something too quickly we read it wrong. Are you sure that it does not say “delayed” rather than “denied?”

Think of Joni Eareckson at 17 years old. Paralyzed. Just wanting her outward healing. The best fix came when she was able to read that message again with a friend's help. Not denied, only delayed. Now she is 69, recovering from cancer, and she is an inspiration to millions of people including the people of this church and many others who are saying to the disabled, “We're better together!”

Most amazingly, Jesus even saves Pharisees, like Paul, making them agents of healing. The essence of a Pharisee is right standing through self. The Pharisee gospel is clear enough: “Do ceremonies like I do and God will respect you.” You know what Jesus says to that? “Woe to you!” The Christian message is different. “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!” God's word for you? “Totally healed, though sometimes partly and momentarily delayed.” It's hard to read that right through tears, that's why I came to tell you about it.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 95 – Today if you hear his voice

New Testament Reading—James 1:16-18 – The giver of every good gift

Therefore, the godly should pray...

The Stranger

(Mark 6:45-52, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, February 3, 2019)

[45] Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. [46] And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. [47] And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. [48] And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, [49] but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, [50] for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” [51] And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, [52] for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

A Man of Prayer

Jesus had just fed thousands with five loaves and two fish using the hands of the men he had chosen to be his disciples. He did this without drawing attention to himself and when it was all done he did not wait for applause. He put his disciples on the boat and sent the crowd away so that he could go up “on the mountain to pray.”

This willingness to get rid of any lesser distractions is instructive for us. We live in a world that insists on attention. We easily become obsessed by our own thoughts and addicted to our obsessions. Are we willing to say the word “father” in a deserted place where no one else is listening until we are convinced that there is actually someone who calls each of us by name as his beloved son? Jesus was willing. He was a man of prayer.

This kind of dedication comes only when we see that prayer is a matter of life and death for us and for those we love. Are we desperate for the Almighty? Jesus was. Are we desperate for Jesus. Communing with the I-AM is simply more important than anything else in our lives.

An Unusual Guardian

This kind of assertion sounds extreme, as if we are saying that we can never eat or drink again because Jesus is more important than life. This is a twisting of truth by our diseased and troubled egos. Jesus knows our every need, and our father in heaven gives good gifts to his beloved, including food, drink, and even sleep. (Psalm 127:2).

In the case of his disciples who were in a boat on a tumultuous sea straining at the oars to make their way to a safe haven, Jesus saw them and he came to them some time between 3 am and sunrise. Why then does Mark tell us that “he meant to pass by them”? Surely he was not trying to keep them from knowing that he was near. He could have just stayed further away, even on the mountain.

We have to believe that Jesus meant to be seen by them in their moment of trial. Like Moses in Exodus 33:22, the disciples would be able to observe God passing by them. Even better, the I-AM in the flesh would walk on the water. He would inspire their trust as a most unusual guardian.

Rescued by a Stranger

Instead of seeing Jesus in faith his friends “saw him and were terrified” because they all thought that he “was a ghost”–a disembodied spirit. He spoke to them with assurance: “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid!” (The “It is I” is literally “I-AM.”) Then he acted with all authority. He got into the boat with them and then “the wind ceased.”

What was their reaction? The answer is somewhat complex. “They were utterly astounded.” They did not expect Jesus to have such command of the physical world. Why? “They did not understand about the loaves.” They had not come to an appropriate conclusion about the feeding miracle that had taken place the previous day. Who had fed the crowd? They could not really say. They were mute and strangely agnostic concerning the divinity of Jesus. Why? “Their hearts were hardened.” Shocking. See Romans 11:7 and 2 Corinthians 3:14 concerning Israel.

There is a commonly observed condition that cardiologists encounter among certain contemporary men and women as they age called arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. It can be very serious and even deadly. If we heard that someone we loved dearly had something like this we would surely pray. But there is something much worse than such a malady. It is the spiritual condition that Mark calls the hardening of the heart.

Last week we looked at the Greek word translated “compassion” and we marveled that in that ancient world the physical locus of mercy was spoken of as the innards, guts, or even bowels. Now we hear of an organ that we are more accustomed to associating with feelings—the heart. The expression “hardened heart” meant the same thing for them as it does for us, a stubborn unwillingness to be receptive, particularly to God. We are shocked to hear that the disciples themselves had this serious spiritual sickness.

Who would heal them? We know that the real heart and soul change for the apostles would come from the Father and the Son after the ascension of Jesus. The Holy Spirit would be granted in a new way to men who would be foundation stones in the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Unbelief and negativity always need to give way to faith, hope, and love. Therefore, we should pray. But to do this we will have to turn away from useless obsessions. Otherwise, who has time for the God of the universe. Too busy.

Psalm 32:6

Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

Unless it ends up being a matter of life and death.

We need the divine stranger to draw near to us as a friend. Has he not done this by the cross? Is not His love expressed even in our trials? Has he not encouraged us to pray?

We need Jesus, and Jesus has never fit neatly into the patterns that might be expected by His disciples. He is different from us in the very depths of His being. God's chosen people need more than a typical man of the world. We required a perfect man of God, strange though He might seem to us, who saves us from great distress, especially hardness of the heart.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 94 – Blessed is the man whom You discipline

New Testament Reading—James 1:13-15 – God does not tempt