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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 7:24-37 AND MARK 8:1-21
LESSON #11
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF A WORKING FAITH AND THE NATURE OF BREAD
- IN PREVIOUS LESSONS WE LEARNED THAT FAITH MUST BE WILLING TO TAKE CHANCES.
- YOU MUST HAVE COURAGE TO BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE FOR YOUR FAITH.
- YOU MUST TAKE YOUR FOCUS OFF THE SURROUNDING CIRCUMSTANCES AND FOCUS TOTALLY ON CHRIST.
- IN TODAYS LESSON WE WILL DISCOVER MORE CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT FAITH.
- JESUS HAS MOVED NORTHWEST FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE TO THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST. THE LOCATION OF THE CITIES OF TYRE AND SIDON ARE IN GENTILE TERRITORY.
- THESE TWO CITIES WERE WELL-KNOWN TRADING CENTERS THAT HAD BELONGED TO THE PHOENICIANS BEFORE THE ROMANS CONQUERED THEM. THE PHOENICIANS WERE ANCIENT ENEMIES OF ISRAEL.
- THIS IS JESUS ATTEMPT TO GET AWAY FROM THE CROWDS. HOWEVER, PEOPLE IN THIS AREA HAVE HEARD OF JESUS, AND HE IS NOT ALONE FOR LONG.
- READ MAT 15:22-28
- THIS GENTILE WOMAN, WITH A PAGAN GREEK RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, APPROACHES JESUS BECAUSE SHE HAD HEARD ABOUT HIS MIRACLES. LIKE ALL THE OTHERS SHE CAME FOR A MIRACLE FOR HER DAUGHTER.
- WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT GENUINE FAITH FROM THIS WOMAN WITH A SICK DAUGHTER?
- A FAITH WITH PERSISTENCE:
- SHE FIRST ENDURED JESUS INATTENTION. HE DID NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO THE WOMANS PLEAS FOR HELP.
- ON THE SURFACE JESUS APPEARS HARD HEARTED. EVEN THE DISCIPLES WERE ANNOYED BY HER.
- HOWEVER, GODS TIMING IS PERFECT. FOR WHAT WAS HE WAITING?
- HE WAS WAITING TO SEE THE EXTENT OF HER DEMONSTRATION OF FAITH.
- HE WAS WAITING TO SEE IF THE DISCIPLES WOULD RESPOND IN COMPASSION AND NOT ANNOYANCE.
- FINALLY THE DISCIPLES PRESSURED JESUS INTO HELPING HER JUST TO BE RID OF HER PRESENCE.
- SHE WAS PERSISTENT IN HER PLEAS IN ORDER TO GAIN THE GREATER PRIZE.
- SHE WAS WILLING TO BE HUMILIATED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN WHAT SHE WANTED.
- A FAITH WITH KNOWLEDGE:
- SHE BEGAN BY CALLING HIM “SON OF DAVID”. THIS IS THE SCRIPTURAL TITLE FOR THE JEWISH MESSIAH WHO WOULD COME AND RULE AS A KING.
- KNOWING WHO HE WAS, SHE WORSHIPPED HIM.
- SHE MAINTAINED HER HOPE THAT HE WOULD NOT DISAPPOINT HER.
- A FAITH WITH HUMILITY:
- THE APPARENT HUMILIATION:
- JESUS TOLD HER HIS PRIMARY PURPOSE WAS TO COME FOR THE JEWS.
- HER FAITH WAS NOT DISCOURAGED.
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAID THAT IT WAS NOT RIGHT TO TAKE THE CHILDRENS BREAD AND THROW IT TO THE DOGS?
- JESUS, HIMSELF, IS THE BREAD OF LIFE, FIRST INTENDED FOR THE JEWS.
- SHE HAD USED THE TITLE, “SON OF DAVID”, SO SHE KNEW THIS.
- “THE DOGS”
- ON THE SURFACE IT SEEMS TO BE A TERRIBLE INSULT. THE JEWS COMMONLY CALLED THE GENTILES, “DOGS”.
- THE JEWISH MEANING WAS THAT GENTILES WERE LIKE UNCLEAN STREET DOGS THAT LIVED IN THE GARBAGE DUMPS. THESE DOGS WERE DISEASED AND VICIOUS.
- LATER THE JEWS USED THE TERM FOR CHRISTIANS, AS WELL.
- HOWEVER, JESUS USED A DIFFERENT WORD FOR “DOGS”, NOT THE ONE DESIGNATING STREET DOGS.
- JESUS USED THE WORD, “KUNARIA” WHICH MEANS A LITTLE HOUSEHOLD PET.
- THE WOMAN UNDERSTOOD THE VOCABULARY JESUS USED, AS WELL AS THE COMPASSION SHE SAW IN HIS FACE. SHE RECOGNIZED THAT IT WAS NOT AN INSULT BUT A CHALLENGE TO HER FAITH.
- EVEN THE HOUSEHOLD PETS GET THE CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE.
- JESUS REWARDED HER FAITH BY HEALING HER DAUGHTER OF THE DEMON.
- THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED INCIDENT WHERE A DEMON IS CAST OUT WITHOUT THE PATIENT BEING PRESENT.
- JESUS IS AGAIN IN THE AREA CALLED DECAPOLIS, JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.
- WE SAW JESUS HEAL THE GADARENE DEMONIAC PREVIOUSLY IN THIS AREA OF DECAPOLIS:
- DECAPOLIS MEANS = 10 CITIES:
- THESE WERE 10 IMPORTANT TRADING CITIES IN A PREDOMINATELY GENTILE AREA:
- SCYTHOPOLIS, GERASA, DION, HIPPOS, GADARA, CANATHA, PELLA, REPHANA, PHILADELPHIA, AND DEMASCUS.
- THE GREEK WORD FOR THIS MANS EXTREME PHYSICAL DISABILITY OCCURS ONLY ONE OTHER PLACE IN THE WHOLE GREEK BIBLE.
- READ ISA 35:5-6
- THIS IS A PROPHECY ABOUT THE KINDS OF MIRACLES THAT THE MESSIAH WOULD DO FOR THE PEOPLE.
- THEREFORE, THIS HEALING IN MARK 7 IS PLACED HERE AS PROOF THAT JESUS IS THE PROMISED MESSIAH, AND WE CAN RECOGNIZE HIM BY THE FACT THAT HE IS FULFILLING PROPHECY.
- WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS USED SUCH A STRANGE WAY OF HEALING?
- REMEMBER THAT THE MAN COULD NOT HEAR. THEREFORE, JESUS NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING PHYSICAL THAT WOULD ELEVATE HIS LEVEL OF FAITH.
- THE METHOD OF HEALING WAS NOT ALL THAT STRANGE IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME. OTHERS, WHO CLAIMED TO BE HEALERS, USED THE SAME METHOD.
- A LOOK INTO HEAVEN, A DEEP SIGH, AND THE WORDS, “BE OPENED”. (34)
- THESE WORDS INDICATE THAT A SPIRITUAL BATTLE BEHIND THE SCENES IS OCCURRING.
- “EPHPHATHA” IS AN ARAMAIC WORD WHICH MEANS TO BE OPEN AND SET FREE TOTALLY. THEREFORE, IT IS NOT JUST THE EARS THAT ARE OPEN AND THE TONGUE THAT IS SET FREE, IT IS THE WHOLE PERSON THAT IS SET FREE TO TOTALLY EXPERIENCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
- AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS MIRACLE IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND. IN FACT MANY FEEL IT IS THE SAME MIRACLE.
- HOWEVER, THERE ARE SUFFICIENT DIFFERENCES TO MAKE THIS A SECOND INCIDENT.
| FEEDING THE 5,000 (MAR 6:32-44) AND FEEDING THE 4,000 (MAR 8:1-21) THE SIMILARITIES: |
FEEDING THE 5,000 (MAR 6:32-44) AND FEEDING THE 4,000 (MAR 8:1-21) THE DIFFERENCES: |
| A CROSSING OF THE SEA AND A LANDING | THE DISCIPLES SUGGEST THE NEED FOR FOOD FOR THE 5,000. JESUS SUGGESTS THE NEED FOR FOOD FOR THE 4,000. |
| JESUS ATTITUDE OF COMPASSION FOR THE PEOPLE | THE TWO DIFFERENT WORDS USED FOR BASKETS SUGGEST TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. 5,000 ”kophinoi”, A SMALL NECKED BASKET USED BY TRAVELLING JEWS. (6:43) 4,000 ”sphurides”, A MAN-SIZED BASKET USED BY GENTILES. (8:19) |
| THE SURPRISE OF THE DISCIPLES | MARK, MATTHEW, AND JESUS BELIEVED THEY WERE TWO DIFFERENT EVENTS. |
| THE USE OF BREAD AND FISH | THE NUMBER OF MEN TO RECEIVE FOOD IS DIFFERENT. |
| THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT LEFT OVER | THE NUMBER OF DAYS THE PEOPLE ARE WITH JESUS IS DIFFERENT: 5,000 WITH JESUS ONE DAY. 4,000 WITH JESUS THREE DAYS. |
| 5,000…THE DISCIPLES ARE TOLD TO GO SEE WHAT FOOD WAS AVAILABLE. 4,000 THE DISCIPLES ARE READY WITH AN ANSWER. |
|
| 5,000
5 LOAVES AND 2 FISH WERE USED. 4,000 7 LOAVES AND A FEW FISH WERE USED. |
|
| 5,000
THE PEOPLE SAT ON GREEN GRASS. IT WAS IN THE SPRING NEAR PASSOVER. 4,000 THE PEOPLE SAT ON THE GROUND. IT WAS LATTER IN THE HOT SUMMER WHEN GRASS WAS DEAD. |
|
| 5,000
12 BASKETS LEFT OVER. 4,000 7 BASKETS LEFT OVER. |
- WHY WERE THERE TWO SO VERY SIMILAR MIRACLES INCLUDED IN SCRIPTURE?
- USUALLY WHEN TWO VERY SIMILAR EVENTS OCCUR IN SCRIPTURE, IT IS TO POINT OUT THAT ONE HAS A MEANING FOR THE JEWS, AND THE OTHER HAS A MEANING FOR THE GENTILES.
- FOR EXAMPLE:
- THE FIRST PASSOVER LAMB SLAIN IN THE BOOK OF EXODUS WAS AN ILLUSTRATION OF SALVATION FOR THE JEWS UNDER THE BLOOD.
- THE RED CORD IN THE WINDOW OF RAHABS HOUSE WAS AN ILLUSTRATION OF SALVATION FOR THE GENTILES UNDER THE SCARLET CORD.
- HOW DO WE KNOW THE FOOD FOR THE 4,000 WAS FOR GENTILES?
- MAT 15:31 SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE GLORIFIED THE GOD OF ISRAEL. IF THEY HAD BEEN JEWS, IT WOULD HAVE SAID THAT THEY GLORIFIED THE GOD OF THEIR FATHERS.
- WHY DID THE DISCIPLES NOT REMEMBER THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000?
- IT WAS NOT THAT THEY DID NOT REMEMBER. IT WAS THAT THEY DID NOT EXPECT JESUS TO TREAT GENTILES IN THE SAME WAY HE TREATED JEWS.
- WHAT TRUTHS ABOUT JESUS DO YOU LEARN FROM THE FEEDING OF THE FOUR THOUSAND?
- JESUS CHRIST EXTENDS THE BLESSINGS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO GENTILES AS WELL AS TO JEWS.
- NOTICE JESUS SAYS TO THE SYRO-PHOENICIAN WOMAN THAT THE BREAD IS FOR THE JEWS. SHE IS HAPPY WITH THE CRUMBS.
- THE FEEDING OF THE 4,000 DEMONSTRATES THAT THE FULLNESS OF THE BREAD OF LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS FOR GENTILES AS WELL AS FOR JEWS.
- READ MAR 8:10-21 TWO CONFRONTATIONS
- THE FIRST CONFRONTATION TAKES PLACE SOMEWHERE ON THE NORTHWEST COAST OF THE SEA OF GALILEE.
- THE PHARISEES CONFRONT JESUS ABOUT A MIRACULOUS SIGN:
- READ MAT 12:39 THE SIGN OF THE PROPHET JONAH
- JESUS HAD DONE MANY MIRACLES OF HEALING, CASTING OUT DEMONS, RAISING THE DEAD, AND FEEDING THOUSANDS. WASNT THAT GOOD ENOUGH? WHAT MORE DID THEY WANT?
- THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WANTED TO TEMPT HIM TO PERFORM SOME MIRACULOUS SIGN.
- JESUS WAS COMPASSIONATE BUT NOT HAPPY WITH THOSE WHO CAME TO HIM ONLY WANTING SOME TEMPORARY MIRACLE. EVERY MIRACLE HE PERFORMED MET SOME PERSONS VERY PERSONAL NEED. HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WITH THE PURPOSE OF ELEVATING HIS OWN IDENTITY FOR THE SAKE OF PROVING WHO HE WAS TO THOSE WHO WOULD NOT BELIEVE ANYWAY.
- JESUS RESPONSE: (12)
- NO SIGN WILL BE GIVEN TO THAT GENERATION EXCEPT THE SIGN OF JONAH.
- WHAT DID JESUS MEAN?
- JESUS WOULD DO NO MIRACLE INVOLVING HIS OWN NEED EXCEPT FOR THE SIGN OF JONAH.
- WHAT IS THE SIGN OF JONAH?
- JONAH WAS IN THE BELLY OF THE BIG FISH FOR 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS.
- THAT ACTION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS A PROPHECY OF THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF THE MESSIAH THAT JESUS WOULD THEN FULFILL.
- WHY DID JESUS USE THIS SIGN?
- THE NINEVITES REPENTED, BUT THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES WOULD NOT REPENT. IT IS A WARNING OF JUDGMENT TO COME UPON THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR REJECTION OF GODS SON.
- THE SECOND CONFRONTATION IS JESUS REBUKE OF THE DISCIPLES: (17-21)
- THE DISCIPLES FORGOT TO BRING FOOD WITH THEM.
- WHY DID JESUS REBUKE THE DISCIPLES? (17-21)
- THEY WERE NOT USING THEIR FAITH TO BELIEVE THEIR NEEDS WOULD BE MET. THEY HAD NOT GOTTEN THEIR FAITH OFF GROUND LEVEL.
- THEY FORGOT THE LESSONS THEY LEARNED FROM FEEDING THE 5,000 AND FEEDING THE 4,000.
- 12 BASKETS FULL REPRESENTS SUFFICIENCY FOR GODS PEOPLE.
- 7 BASKETSS FULL REPRESENTS GODS PERFECT SUFFICIENCY.
- THEY DID NOT RELATE PHYSICAL BREAD TO WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING SPIRITUALLY ABOUT THE TRUE BREAD OF LIFE.
- REMEMBER JESUS TOLD THE SYRO-PHOENICIAN WOMAN THAT THE BREAD WAS FOR THE JEWS.
- HE IS THE SPIRITUAL BREAD OF LIFE THAT SATISFIES.
- HE REBUKED THEM BECAUSE THEIR PRIORITIES WERE STILL ON THE PHYSICAL AND NOT THE SPIRITUAL LESSONS.
- JESUS BRINGS UP THEIR CONCERN OVER FOOD TO TEACH THEM TO FOCUS ON SPIRITUAL THINGS.
- JESUS TELLS THE DISCIPLES TO BEWARE OF THE “LEAVEN” OF THE PHARISEES AND THE LEAVEN OF HEROD: (15)
- WHAT IS THE “LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND THE LEAVEN OF HEROD”?
- JESUS USES THE SYMBOL OF LEAVEN TO REPRESENT SOMETHING EVIL IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT REPRESENTED LEAVEN AS SIN. (EXO 12:15, 19 LEV 2:11)
- EVEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IT IS CONSISTENTLY SOMETHING THAT REPRESENTS EVIL. (1COR 5:6-8 GAL 5:9)
- IN OTHER WORDS, THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES AND OF HEROD REFERS TO EVIL TEACHINGS, POPULAR AT THAT TIME.
- THE PHARISEES NEEDED INCONTROVERTIBLE PROOF ABOUT WHO JESUS WAS WITHOUT HAVING FAITH.
- HEROD REFUSED TO FOLLOW THE LIGHT HE HAD AND HAD JOHN THE BAPTIST KILLED.
- THE PHARISEES WERE DEMANDING TOO MUCH, AND THE DISCIPLES WERE DEMANDING TOO LITTLE.
- SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
- IN THIS LESSON WE SEE JESUS CROSSING BORDERS AND BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS TO REACH PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAITH DESPITE THEIR NATIONAL ORIGIN OR RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND.
- HE OPENS THE WAY FOR GENTILES TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
- IN THIS LESSON WE SEE THAT A HUMBLE FAITH CROSSES BORDERS AND BREAKS DOWN PHYSICAL BARRIERS. (THE MAN BORN DEAF AND DUMB)
- TRUE FAITH IS NOT BASED ON SIGNS AND WONDERS.
- THE MAJORITY OF INCIDENTS IN THIS LESSON ARE TIED TOGETHER BY THE WORD, “BREAD”.
- READ JOH 6: 26-35
- AFTER FEEDING THE 5,000, JESUS SAID, “I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE”.
HOMEWORK
MARK 8:22-38
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACH FORCORRECTION.
- APPLICATION OF MAR 7: 24-37 AND MAR 8:1-21
- WHAT IMPORTANT LESSONS DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOUR FAITH AND JESUS IN THIS LESSON?
- IS YOUR FAITH MORE ON THE LEVEL OF THE PHARISEES WHO DEMANDED TOO MUCH OR ON THE LEVEL OF THE DISCIPLES WHO DEMANDED TOO LITTLE?
- APPLICATION FOR MAR 8:22-38
- READ MAR 8:22-38
- WHY DID THE DISCIPLES HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ACCEPTING JESUS AS THE MESSIAH?
- WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF DISCIPLESHIP THAT JESUS REVEALED?
- MEMORY VERSE: MARK 8:35
