24 And from thence he arose, and 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. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. (Mark 7:24-30 KJV)
The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
Here, we see how humbly Christ was willing to conceal Himself. No man was more praised than He was in Galilee, and yet, to teach us not to seek public applause, He left there and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, where He was little known. There, He entered not into a synagogue or public place, but into a private house, and He wanted no one to know it, fulfilling the prophecy: He shall not strive or cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets (cf. Matthew 12:19).
He was willing to preach and heal here as elsewhere, but He would be sought after. There is a time to appear and a time to withdraw. Or perhaps He did not want to be known because He was among Gentiles, to whom He would not reveal Himself as freely as to the people of Israel, whose glory He was.
We also see how graciously He revealed Himself, nonetheless. Though He didn’t perform many miracles there, it seems He came specifically to grant this one. He could not be hidden (Mark 7:24), for while a candle can be hidden under a basket, the sun cannot. Christ was too well-known to remain unnoticed. The anointing He had received, like fragrant oil, would naturally reveal itself and fill the house with its scent. Those who had only heard of Him, upon seeing Him, would quickly say, “This must be Jesus.”
Then a poor woman in distress came to plead with Jesus. She was a Gentile, a Greek, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel and the covenants of promise. She was a Syrophoenician by birth and not even slightly converted to Judaism. She had a young daughter possessed by a demon. How many serious afflictions young children can suffer! Her approach was:
- Very humble and persistent. She heard of Him, came, and fell at His feet (Mark 7:25). Those who seek mercy from Christ must humble themselves before Him and submit to His will. Christ never turned away anyone who came humbly to Him. A trembling soul that cannot yet embrace Him boldly may still fall at His feet and be accepted.
- Very specific. She begged Him to drive the demon out of her daughter (Mark 7:26). The greatest thing we can ask Christ for our children is that He would break Satan’s power in their souls—that He would drive out the unclean spirit so they may become temples of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus gave her a discouraging reply (Mark 7:27): “Let the children be fed first.” That is, let the Jews receive the miracles they need first, for they are God’s chosen people. What was meant for them shouldn’t be given to those who aren’t part of God’s family and who, by comparison, are like dogs—profane and hostile toward God’s people.
Where Christ sees strong faith, He sometimes chooses to test it. His words, “Let the children be fed first,” suggest that mercy was coming for the Gentiles and wasn’t far off. The Jews were already beginning to reject the gospel—some had even asked Him to leave their region. Their rejection would soon become a feast for the Gentiles. The apostles followed this principle: Let the children be fed first. They offered the gospel to the Jews first, but when the Jews rejected it, they turned to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 13:46).
The woman replied to Christ, turning his words to her advantage (Mark 7:28). She said, “Yes, Lord, I agree that the children’s bread should not be given to the dogs. But even the dogs are allowed the crumbs that fall from the children’s table. I only ask for a crumb.”
She didn’t belittle the mercy she sought but showed how abundant the grace given to the Jews was. A single healing, compared to all Christ’s miracles among the Jews, was just a crumb. She didn’t come in a crowd, as the Jews did, but alone. Perhaps she had heard how Christ had recently fed five thousand, and after the leftovers were gathered, surely some crumbs remained—even enough for the dogs.
Then Christ granted her request. Seeing her humility and faith, He said, “For this reply, go your way; the demon has left your daughter” (Mark 7:29). This encourages us to keep praying and not lose heart. If we persist, we will eventually be heard. Christ’s word alone was enough to make it happen. When she returned home, trusting His word, she found her daughter healed, the demon gone (Mark 7:30). Christ can defeat Satan even from a distance. His power works not only when He is seen (Mark 3:11), but also when He is not, for the Spirit of the Lord is not limited. She found her daughter resting quietly on the bed, waiting for her mother to return and share in the joy of her healing.