"For A Certain Woman"

Mark 7:24-30

The brightest jewels are usually found in the darkest places. And our Lord Jesus Christ usually finds jewels for his crown not among moral, enlightened, refined, religious people, but among the depraved, despised,degraded,and degenerate(I Cor.1:26-29).He digs his diamonds from the pit of fallen humanity and hews his gems from the quarry of transgressors (Isa. 51:1).

For three years the Lord of glory had walked among his kinsmen, the children of Israel. He taught in their synagogues, performed miracles in their streets, preached upon their mountains, and revealed himself in their temple. But the Jews had no faith. "He came unto his own and his own received him not" (John 1:11). They were content to observe their meaningless ceremonies, practice their useless rituals, perform their legal services, and defend their religious traditions. Disgusted with their unbelief, the Lord departed from Jerusalem and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. There he would hide himself from the self-righteous, religious crowd and put himself in the path of an elect, Canaanite woman, who was in desperate need of mercy. Her darling daughter was "greivously vexed with a devil."

Who is not familiar with her story? Every reader of God's Word knows about the Syrophenician woman. What parent has not felt her pain? Her darling daughter was in the hands of the devil. Satan had taken possession of her child's body and was determined to destroy her soul. But this mother was not willing for her daughter to be damned. As soon as the Lord Jesus came into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, she "heard of him", sought him out,and spread her case before him. Read the story carefully and learn these four things: (1.) Whenever God is pleased to give mercy and faith to a sinner, he will cause that sinner to "hear of Christ" (v. 25). (2.) Wherever there is a seeking sinner, there is a seeking Savior (vv. 24-25). Christ went to where she was before she could come to where he was. (3.) Sinners in need of mercy will take whatever ground God gives upon which they may plead for mercy (vv. 27-28). (4.) All who need mercy and seek mercy by faith in Christ shall obtain mercy (vv. 29-30).

Don Fortner