Gentile Territory (Mark 7:24-37)

In Mark 7:24-37 Jesus heads into Gentile territory for the third time, probably seeking rest. Instead he interacts with two desperate people in need.

• A Syrophonecian woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter, and his response seems offensive to modern ears. Jesus’ mission was to the Jews; Gentile territory was out of bounds. Mark 7:24-27
• The woman’s reply pleasantly surprises Jesus, humbly asking for nothing more than dog scraps. Jesus heals from a distance – the only such miracle in the gospel of Mark. Mark 7:28-30
• Jesus heads back to the Decapolis and heals a man with hearing loss and a speech impediment. This man represents those on the fringe; we don’t know whether he’s a Jew or a Gentile. Mark 7:31-37, Isaiah 35:5-6
• This section of scripture teaches us that sometimes the people furthest from God end up having the greatest faith.