The Abundant Grace of Jesus - Mark 7:24-8:10

Sermon Series: Spare Me the Details - Just Give Me Jesus

I wonder what your context for the word ‘abundant’ is.  When you hear the word ‘abundant’ what do you think of?  Perhaps you relate it to something at your work place.  I have a friend who works for Pepsi at a location where they bottle Pepsi products.  For him, his context for the word ‘abundant’ may be the amount of soda that is bottled each week.  I have other friends who work at a hospital.  Their context for the word ‘abundant’ might be the amount of latex gloves that you housed in that building.  Perhaps you relate the word ‘abundant’ to something at your home.  At our home I think we have an abundance of baby and children’s clothing.  Or perhaps you relate the word ‘abundant’ to some place you have visited.  Maybe it’s the beach where you think of the amount of sand on the shore or the amount of water in the ocean.  While these are good examples of abundance sometimes our context for the word ‘abundant’ is still limited in relation to God and Jesus and their understanding of abundance.  At times the Bible calls us to see abundance from Jesus’ perspective – specifically in how it relates to His grace.  And when we have those opportunities we can’t let our limited understanding of abundance cloud how exceptional the abundance of Jesus is.  So let’s ask the question, “How is the abundant grace of Jesus put on display in the gospel of Mark?”  Then we’ll turn our attention to our text and see that in Mark 7:24 – 8:10 we will see three ways in which the abundant grace of Jesus is put on display.

In verse 24 of chapter 7 Jesus takes off on a tour through Gentile territory.  We’ll see Jesus in Tyre (vs. 24), Sidon (vs. 24, 31), and in the region of the Decapolis (vs. 31).  This isn’t typical of Jesus.  And what’s even less typical is the amount of time Jesus remained in this territory.  To travel from Tyre, through Sidon, and then back to the region of the Decapolis would have been at least a 120 mile trip.  So it is quite likely that Jesus spent a decent amount of time on this trip around the Gentiles.  While Mark gives us the context of where Jesus is, He does not give us the reason for which Jesus went into Gentile territory.  So ultimately ‘where’ Jesus is, is important for Mark’s readers to understand – ‘why’ He is there is not.

Mark tells us that Jesus did not want anyone to know that He was there in verse 24, but His presence could not be hidden.  We see in verse 25 that a woman comes to Him and falls down at His feet – a response you’ll remember seeing earlier in Mark’s gospel from Jarius.  And like Jarius, who had a daughter who was literally breathing her last few breathes and was in desperate need of healing, this woman comes to Jesus with a daughter who has an unclean spirit and who is also in desperate need of healing.  But unlike Jarius, a prominent male Jew, verse 26 tells us that this was a female Gentile whose name we aren’t even given.  Verse 26 tells us that having fallen at His feet, “she begged Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.”  Now make sure that you key into the dialogue that follows, for the dialogue holds the key to us understanding verses 24-30.

Jesus responds to the woman’s request in verse 27 with a short parable, saying, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  Let me first draw your attention to the fact that while this is a very short response it does take the form of a parable.  This is going to be important for us to understand as we move forward through the following verses.  We also need to make sure we understand what Jesus is saying in His response.  Jesus’ reference to ‘children’ in His response is a reference to the Jews, the nation of Israel, who in the OT are referred to as God’s chosen people and His children.  So when Jesus says to “let the children be fed first” He is saying that His ministry and grace are to be directed to the Jews – the children of God.  Jesus then says, “it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  Jesus makes a provocative statement to this woman saying that He isn’t able to take His ministry or grace away from the Jews so that He can make it available to the Gentiles (the dogs).  The fact that Jesus uses the term ‘dogs’ here obviously isn’t a compliment, but it’s also not quite as derogatory as it first comes across.  For the sake of time we’re not going to walk through the reasoning (if you would like further explanation feel free to ask), but rather focus on the rhetorical question at hand, “Was Jesus sent to ‘the children’ or to ‘the dogs?’”  And the answer of course is, ‘the children.’

While Jesus’ response to the woman’s pleading seems somewhat harsh, what follows ought to really excite us – the readers.  The woman answers in verse 28, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  Notice how this woman responds to Jesus’ answer.  Her response to Jesus’ parable remains in the context of His parable.  This is hugely important because for the first time in Mark’s gospel someone has understood Jesus’ parable!  Every other time Jesus has told a parable in the gospel of Mark up to this point the people (including the disciples) have not understood and have had to ask Jesus for an explanation.  Here, a Gentile has both heard and understood the parable of Jesus, and her understanding of Jesus, His ministry, and His grace are phenomenal.  She agrees with Jesus that ministry and grace extended to her can’t come from the ministry and grace that is to be extended to the Jews.  But she also knows that the ministry and grace of Jesus is so abundant that there is excess, over and above what the Jews could ever receive, that could be extended to her and her daughter.  This woman understands that the grace of Jesus is so abundant that there will be excess available to even the Gentiles like herself.  That’s what she means when she says “yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”  Verse 29 indicates that Jesus is impressed by both her understanding and her faith and that He answers her plea by casting the demon out of her daughter.

This is such incredible news for each of us who are not of Jewish decent.  The abundant grace of Jesus is seen in its availability to Gentiles.  Jesus, while He came to minister to and provide grace for the Jews, has such an abundance of grace that the excess of His grace is available to the Gentiles.  And not just a handful of select Gentiles – the excess is so great that it is available to every person outside of the Jewish nation.  And the excess is so sufficient that it can completely satisfy every person outside of the Jewish nation.  Try wrapping your mind around the abundance of that grace.  I think about the grace that was extended to me and that continues to be extended to me each day.  The amount of grace needed to cover my sin is incredible.  According to Mark, Jesus has extended that grace to me out of His excess.  Then multiply the grace extended to me by the billions of non-Jewish people that have ever lived on this earth.  That’s an enormous need requiring an abundance of grace!  And then realize that Jesus has not only made that grace available to those of us who are non-Jews, but He made that grace available out of His excess.  He didn’t take grace that was to be extended to the Jews and re-allocate it to us.  His grace is so abundant and great that He is able to minister to us and to meet every need we have out of the extra He has!  That’s awesome! 

After Jesus’ time in Tyre verse 31 says that He traveled through Sidon to the region of the Decapolis (continuing His time in Gentile territory).  In verse 32 we find that the people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and who had a speech impediment and that they begged Jesus to lay His hands on him and to heal him.  Jesus doesn’t offer any objection this time.  Instead, He pulls the man away from the crowd, puts His fingers in the man’s ears, spits, and touches His tongue.  It’s unclear why Jesus goes through this routine, and Mark doesn’t give us any explanation.  But what’s really important is what takes place in verse 34.  Jesus looks up to heaven and then gives the command, “Be opened.”  Jesus speaks a word and in obedience to that command, the man’s ears are opened, his tongue was released (literally – “the chain of his tongue was broken”), and he spoke without any impediment.  This is great news!  Look back at Mark 7:14.  Jesus pleads with the Jews around Him, “Hear me, all of you, and understand.”  Jesus pleads with those who are Jewish to hear what He had to say and to understand it.  But we see in verse 17 they haven’t done either – they have not heard or understood.  In this passage Jesus is involved with a Gentile, just like most of us.  And we see in verses 34 and 35 the abundant grace of Jesus when He opens the ears of a Gentile to hear.  What the Jews had difficulty doing, Jesus does for this Gentile individual.

Having healed the man, verse 36 says that Jesus charged them not to tell anyone.  And again we can only speculate what Jesus’ reasoning might have been.  Many scholars believe that Jesus did not want the people mistaking what His primary ministry was – that of teaching.  If the people spoke of Jesus’ healings alone, people would wrongly perceive what He had come to earth to do.  Jesus’ primary ministry concern was not to bring healing to every sickness, injury, or disease.  His primary ministry concern was teaching about the kingdom of God and the need to repent and believe in the gospel (1:15).  Jesus knew that “knowledge of [Him] by His wonders alone is inadequate knowledge” (James Edwards).  Unfortunately, the more He charged the people, the more enthusiastically they proclaimed what had happened to the man through Jesus.  Then verse 37 tells us of the astonishment of these Gentiles (“they were astonished beyond measure”) and what it was that they were proclaiming to those that they came into contact with (“He has done all things well.  He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak”).  The testimony that Jesus has done all things well may have been intended to call to mind God the Father’s declaration after each of the days of creation when He said at the end of each day that it was good.  James Edwards says, “The Son’s work in redemption is like the Father’s work in creation: it is done well and leaves nothing to be desired.”

We have to understand that the only way for anyone, Jew or Gentile, to hear and understand the Word of God is through the grace of Jesus.  Only His touch on our lives “can enable true hearing, seeing, understanding, and witness” (James Edwards).  And when we have received that grace, we remember that it is extended to us from the incredible abundance of grace that He possesses.  The reason we have heard and understood who Jesus is, is because of His abundant grace.

Having worked through the second half of chapter 7 we have seen that Jesus has an abundance of grace – so much that He even extends the excess grace not designated for the Jews to the Gentiles.  We’ve noted that there is sufficient grace to extend to every Gentile and that the grace is sufficient to allow us to hear and understand the good news of the Gospel.  But as we work into chapter eight we learn even more about the abundance and sufficiency of Jesus’ grace.  Chapter 8 begins with a miracle that is very similar to one that we have already seen in Mark’s gospel.  As a result, some people believe that Mark is telling the same account again – just from a different perspective.  However, there are enough differences in the accounts to prove that while similar in some aspects these were certainly two separate and distinct miracles.

Chapter 8 begins with a narrative in which Jesus feeds another incredibly large crowd – this time the crowd numbering 4,000 people.  The first difference that comes to the surface is the location.  The feeding of the 5,000 took place in Jewish territory.  The feeding of the 4,000 assumes a location somewhere still in the region of the Decapolis, which is Gentile territory.  The second distinct difference takes place around who first becomes concerned about the needs of the people.  In the feeding of the 5,000 it was Jesus’ disciples who become concerned and who approach Jesus with the need.  In the feeding of the 4,000 it is Jesus who first becomes concerned.  The third distinction is in the length of time that the crowd was with Jesus and His disciples.  In the feeding of the 5,000 the crowd had spent the better part of a day with Jesus.  In the feeding of the 4,000 the crowd has been with Jesus for three days.  We will also see differences in the number of loaves present, the size of the crowd, and the number of baskets of leftovers collected afterwards.  But the difficulty for many comes in verse 4.  The disciples respond to Jesus’ statement of concern by asking Him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”  Many readers of the gospel of Mark are shocked by this question.  They are familiar with chapter 6 and the narrative of the feeding of the 5,000 in which these very same disciples were present and witnessed the extraordinary miracle that Jesus did in feeding 5,000+ people with just five loaves and two fishes.  Many readers find themselves asking “How can these guys ask this question?  Don’t they know that Jesus can do the same thing He did with the feeding of the 5,000?”  The disciples’ question does seem a bit odd in light of what they have already experienced, and as a result some choose to believe that this must be the same account, and that it’s just being retold from a different perspective.  But before we take that stance let’s first consider a few important thoughts from the disciples perspective.  First, while the disciples did struggle with certain things, one of the things it seems they did understand was Jesus’ ministry priorities.  Jesus focused on prioritizing and focusing on teaching about the kingdom of God and calling individuals to repentance and belief in the Gospel (1:15).  Even though Mark does record a lot of miracles in His gospel account, the disciples would not have confused Jesus’ main priority.  As a result the disciples would not have seen Jesus as some kind of miracle vending machine.  They probably would not have expected a miracle to be performed at every turn along the way.  Secondly, and along those same lines, it was Jesus’ opponents who we will see were most often characterized by a continuous desire to see Jesus perform miracles, not His disciples.  And lastly, it is not uncommon for the most mature believers in Christ, which the disciples weren’t, to doubt the power of God, even if they have experienced it themselves in the past.  When we consider these things, it doesn’t seem quite so surprising that the disciples would ask the question that they do.

Just like in the feeding of the 5,000 we see Jesus turning His attention to what is available.  And this time it’s seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.  Like the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus uses His disciples to distribute the food to the people.  And like the feeding of the 5,000 verse 8 says that the people ate and were satisfied.  These are all important aspects of the narrative.  But there are a handful of unique differences as well that really cause this narrative to be unique and special.  Look back at verse 2.  Jesus says “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with Me . . .”  Mark uses a unique word in the Greek here.  It means “to remain with, or to continue with” but it also carries a sense of intensity with it, “connoting a special adherence and commitment to Jesus.  The crowd has not been coincidentally present but intentionally with Him.  This is an unusually positive description of a crowd in Mark” (James Edwards).  This Gentile crowd is cast in a positive light.  That’s huge in Mark’s gospel!  Up to this point in Mark’s gospel crowds have always been a hindrance to Jesus, made up of individuals who only marvel at His miracles, but have no real desire to follow Him.  It seems that there is something taking place within this crowd on a spiritual level that has not been present within any of the Jewish crowds.  This crowd of 4,000 people wants to be with Jesus.  That’s amazing!  Now look at verse 4.  We have already talked some about the disciples’ question for Jesus.  But we have not noted the interesting literal translation of the Greek in this verse.  A more literal translation of the verse would read, “Who is able to satisfy these people with bread in this wilderness?”  The question of the disciples is ‘who’ can satisfy these Gentile people.  While the context is specifically dealing with the provision of physical satisfaction, the question is relevant on a much larger level.  “Who” can satisfy these people – fill the void in their hearts and lives?  And Mark answers the question in verse 8.  We find in verse 8, when Mark uses the same word for ‘satisfied’ that it is only Jesus who is able to satisfy these individuals.  Jesus is able to satisfy their physical need for food, but Jesus is also able to satisfy them as individuals and to fill the void in their hearts and lives.  The last unique difference that is worthy of noting is the language in verse 9.  After Mark notes the number of people present Mark says “and He sent them away.” The phrase Mark uses that most of our Bibles have translated “and He sent them away” can also be translated “and He set them free.”  That’s awesome!  Those Gentiles who came to intentionally be with Jesus and in Him found their satisfaction also leave having been set free.  And today, those of us who are Gentiles can have extraordinary hope in Jesus because His abundant grace is seen in its ability to completely satisfy and liberate those Gentiles who come to Him.

So allow me to summarize.  The grace of Jesus is so abundant that there is enough for every person (even non-Jews) to receive it.  The grace that we receive from Him can open our ears to hear and understand the good news about Him.  Then, having opened our ears and our minds to the good news of Jesus, that grace draws us to Him, in whom our souls can find complete satisfaction and freedom from sin.  Think on that!  Let it marinate!  When we begin to think on and contemplate the abundance of Jesus’ grace it will overwhelm us and we will begin to realize that whatever our context for “abundant” was before – it just can’t compare to how abundant the grace of Jesus is.  

Small Group Questions for Discussion

1. Read Mark 7:24-30.  In these verses we see the abundant grace of Jesus on display in it's availability to Gentiles.  Mark illustrated this through the story of the Syrophoenician woman who comes to Jesus and pleads with Him to heal her demon possessed daughter.  In the exchange we see that not only does the woman understand Jesus' parable, but she also understands that the abundance of the Messiah's grace will be so great that there will be so much excess that it spills over to those who are Gentiles.  It seems from her response to Jesus that she certainly doesn't take His grace for granted.  Do we, as Gentiles like this woman, take the grace of Jesus for granted?  If so how?  If we do take the grace of Jesus for granted how would our lives look different if we didn't?  What can we do tomorow and the rest of this week to show our gratitude for Jesus' grace in our lives?

2. Read Mark 7:31-37.  In these verses we see the abundant grace of Jesus on display in the opening of Gentiles' ears to hear.  Mark illustrated this through the story of a deaf man with a speech impediment who receives healing from Jesus.  We contrasted this narrative with what we saw taking place in Mark 7:14,17 and made the point that it is only by the grace of Jesus that we have our ears opened to hear and understand the things Jesus teaches.  Is having our ears opened to hear and understand Jesus' teachings a once and done type of thing (i.e. Jesus opens our ears to hear and understand and we never have to worry about them closing or us misunderstanding again) or can our ears become closed again?  What type of things can hinder us from hearing from God?  How can we be a bad steward of this specific act of grace in our lives?  

3. Read Mark 8:1-10.  In these verses we see the abundant grace of Jesus on display in its ability to completely satisfy and liberate those Gentiles who come to Jesus.  Mark illustrated this through the narrative of the feeding of the 4,000.  A crowd of 4,000 Gentiles is drawn to and remains with Jesus for three days.  And after spending that time with Him they find that He, Jesus, is the One who alone is able to satisfy them.  Then as the narrative ends we find that Jesus "sends them away" or "sets them free."  Is Jesus alone the only One who satisfies us and our churches today?  If I asked others who knew you, "Is [your name] satisfied with only Jesus, or is he/she striving after something else to help satisfy him/her?" what would their response be?  If I asked others who knew of our church, "Is Escalate Church satisfied with only Jesus, or are they striving after something else to help satisfy them?" what would their response be?  What does striving after other things for self-satisfaction say about our 'freedom?'

4. What step of faith does this passage of Scripture require us to take as individuals and as a small group?  How do we work this out on mission?