Many people feel uncomfortable around others who come from different backgrounds than they, especially foreigners. One reason for this attitude is lack of knowledge. We fear what we don’t know or understand and the other person’s habits and ways of thinking are unknown to us. Even worse, however, is the feeling of contempt we have for others because we think we do understand them and have concluded that we are better than they are.
The Jewish people of Jesus’ day felt this contempt for non-Jews. After all, God had given the Jews the Law of Moses. Since God had chosen them as His special people, it meant that everyone else was unchosen. To the Jews’ way of thinking, anyone who was not a Jew was “unclean”. To eat with or even associate with someone who was not a Jew would expose the person who did it to severe criticism. They had forgotten that one of God’s purposes for choosing them was that through them all mankind would eventually be reconciled to God.
Jesus did not share other Jews’ contempt for foreigners. Mark writes about one of Jesus’ encounters with non-Jews in chapter 7, verses 24 through 30 of the Gospel which bears his name, “From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice. For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.” She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.”
Mark does not tell us why Jesus left Israel and traveled to the vicinity of Tyre, which is located in the country we know today as Lebanon. However, he wrote earlier that Jesus and His disciples were so busy that they did not even have time to eat. It is likely that Jesus left Israel in order to get some rest and this is why He did not want anyone to know where He was.
If Jesus’ intention was to get away from people in order to rest, He was not entirely successful. A woman found out about His presence and begged Jesus to heal her daughter. Mark says that she was a Greek – a term the Jews used to indicate someone who was not of Jewish ancestry. Matthew records that she was actually a Canaanite. It is interesting that in spite of being a foreigner, she knew more about Jesus than many Jews did. According to Matthew’s account she called Jesus the Son of David, that is, the rightful heir to King David’s throne. She also accepted Jesus as Lord.
Jesus replied to the woman’s request with a proverb, “It’s not right to take food away from your children to feed their pets.” It is true that Jesus came into the world to reconcile all people to God, whether they are Jew or Gentile. However, it was necessary for His saving work to begin with the Jews. As He said another time, “…salvation is from the Jews.” (John 4:22 NIV) This is why Jesus said it wasn’t appropriate for Him to grant the woman’s request.
Many people would have been offended by Jesus’ reply. “He may be a prophet, but He called me a dog!” However, this lady had a sense of humor as well great faith. Instead of becoming insulted, she pointed out that even dogs have some rights. As a result of her wise answer, Jesus healed her daughter. What about us? When we ask for help do we try to force Christ to give it on our own terms? Do we become offended, or are we grateful for Christ’s willingness to help?
The vicinity of Tyre was not the only foreign area Jesus visited. Mark continues his account in verses 31 through 37, “Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the middle of the region of Decapolis. They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly. He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it. They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!””
The place where this miracle took place is the Decapolis. This is a Greek word meaning “ten cities.” These ten cities were founded and built by the Greeks in the country we know as Jordan. We do not know whether the man Jesus healed was a foreigner or not. One thing we do know is that Jesus healed him because people begged Him to do so. It is significant that they did not ask Jesus for something to benefit themselves but to help someone else. Perhaps one reason we do not see more of God’s work in our lives is because we do not ask and we do not ask with the right motives. James writes, “…You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3 NIV)
We see the love and compassion of Jesus in how He performed this miracle. First, He took the man aside by himself. Because of his infirmity the man, no doubt, had already experienced mockery and suffered from people who wanted to take advantage of him. Jesus purpose was to help the man, not make him a further spectacle.
Secondly, Jesus did not act without the man’s permission. Since the man was deaf and could hardly talk, he would have had trouble communicating and understanding what Jesus was about to do. So, Jesus acted it out before healing him. Jesus touched the man’s ears and tongue and went through the motions of prayer. The man indicated his consent and his faith by allowing Jesus to touch him and not drawing back. A single word from Jesus was enough to heal him.
This miracle amazed the crowd and they kept talking about it even though Jesus asked them not to.