Listen up, little ones
Listen for the words children and dogs.
Reading
Mark 7:24-30—Eating Crumbs
Keys for kids
- The woman who asked for Jesus’ help was a Gentile.
- Jesus tested her by saying He came to the Jews first.
- Jesus and the Gospel are for all people.
Questions
- Why did the woman ask for Jesus’ help?
- How did Jesus respond to her?
- What did the woman understand when she answered Jesus?
Notes
In giving context to the passage, Schnabel says, After his pronouncement that all foods are clean (7:19), Jesus' second move outside Jewish territory into 'unclean' Gentile territory (cf. 5:1-20) assumes a deeper significance. The tour into Phoenicia in Syria (7:24-25) and the travel to the Decapolis (7:31) marks a new phase in Jesus' ministry in the course of which Gentiles are the beneficiaries of a second feeding miracle (8:1-10)... The story of the Syro-Phoenician woman needs to be read in this context.
When Jesus responded to the woman's question, He said that it is not right to throw the children's food to the dogs. Jesus was referring to the Jews as children--God's children. Gentiles, however, were referred to as dogs, associating them with the wicked.
Jesus' point in His response is to test the woman's faith. Jesus’ mission was to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles (Rom. 1:16). The woman responds that even the dogs eat the crumbs the children drop. In other words, the dogs don't need to wait until the children have finished their meal in order to eat. The Gentiles don't simply get the leftovers, but they get to partake at the same time.
What we see at the end of this story is that Jesus grants the woman's request, showing that Gospel is for all nations, and the blessings of Christ are for all who repent and believe.
Swedish Method questions
Praise
Psalm 67b, 119s
Prayer
- Thank God that His blessing of salvation is for all people.
- Pray for a specific application from yesterday's sermons.
- Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.