Scripture: Mark 7:24-30

C.I.: To Deal with “Rejects”?

So far this month … The religious, “…Pharisees and scribes gathered together around Him,” ( Mk. 7:1 ).

The multitude, “…He called the multitude to Him again…,” ( Mk. 7:14 ). – Today Jesus is going to be training us in how to deal with life's outcasts/rejects. Its is a tough lesson – but one the disciples of Jesus need to learn.

•  Caring for the Rejected, (Mark 7:24-30)

•  Allowing the Rejected to Interrupt Our Lives, (vs. 24-25)

•  ( v. 24 ), “And from there He arose and went away to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know; - yet He could not escape notice.”

•  Jesus needed some rest and some time alone with His disciples.

•  Now Tyre was the capital city of the region of Phoenicia. This was a Gentile area.

•  Jesus knew that the “Jews” would never follow Him into a region of the Gentiles.

•  Jesus also knew that there were people in this region who truly needed Him.

•  This foreshadowed the global mission that Jesus was going to give to His disciples.

•  This was a mission in which racial and religious barriers were going to be torn down.

•  ( Quote Mk. 16:15 ), “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

•  ( Matt. 28:19 ), “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name….”

•  While seeking solitude Jesus' life is suddenly interrupted, ( v. 25 ), “…after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, - immediately came and fell at His feet.”

•  In the ancient world, a family who had an evil spirit would be shunned/rejected by all others.

•  God doesn't allow demonic possession today yet rejection still remains a problem…

•  The family with an autistic child (or other developmental problem) is often shunned (“why don't they keep that child away…?”). The single mother who is trying to raise a family in a “couple-oriented” setting (church?), people challenged by various disabilities, families who are either the victims of a crime or someone with a criminal past, or divorced people, or the terminally ill, or old people, or non-believing people, etc.!

•  Are we willing to have our well-ordered lives interrupted by those often rejected by others?!

•  Interruptions are often providential (i.e., they are God's way of getting our attention)!

•  God wants His people – to deal with things we often want to ignore/avoid. ( Esther 4:14 ), “If you remain silent at this time, relief & deliverance will arise for the Jews from another source and you and your father's... Who knows whether you have attained royalty for….”

•  I believe we are wherever we are so that we can make a difference for God!!!

•  Jesus allowed this woman to interrupt His day because He came to make a difference.

•  ( Matt. 11:28 ), “Come unto Me all you who are weary & heavy laden and I will give….”

•  ( Matt. 19:14 ), “Let the children alone and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the…

•  Three Steps for Dealing with the World's “Rejects,” (vs. 26-28)

•  #1 = Listen to Them!

•  ( v. 26 ), “Now the woman was a Gentile of the Syro-phoenician race. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.”

•  The Syro-phoenicians were the hereditary enemies of the Jews.

•  Imagine how amazing it must have been for her that this Jew was willing to listen to her!

•  Its still true, people don't care how much we know until they know how much we care!

•  #2 = Teach Them about the One True Faith (she is a pagan so she needs a real relationship!)

•  ( v. 27 ), “And He was saying to her, ‘Let the children be satisfied first…”

•  This is not P.C., but if she is going to truly be helped she needs to be told the truth!!!)

•  ( Jn. 4:22 ), “You worship that which you do not know; we worship that which we know, for…

•  ( Rom. 1:16-17 ), “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto….”

•  ( Eph. 4:5 ), “…one Lord, one faith , one baptism.”

•  Brethren, we should not apologize for bringing people into a right relationship with God!!!

•  #3 = Help Them Accept Jesus as Lord

•  “… for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.'”

•  If she was going to come before God then she will need to do it the same way everyone else comes before Him --- with a humble faith!!!

•  ( Job 22:29 ), “ [it is] The humble person God will save.”

•  ( Matt. 23:12 ), “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles….”

•  Remember, in Mk. 7:22 Jesus warned that “pride” comes from the heart – and defiles us.

•  ( v. 28 ), “But she answered and said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, (Notice that the woman IS now putting her faith in Jesus for she calls Him, “Lord.”)

•  “…but even the dogs under the table – feed on the children's crumbs.”

•  She also willingly accepts His judgment of her. For if He is Lord then all of us are dogs!

•  ( Psa. 8:3-4 ), “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained; - what is man that You take thought of him? Or the son of man that you care for him?”

•  By faith she knows that even the children's pets would be treated well by the One who is truly their Master.

•  Meeting the Needs of the “Rejects,” (vs. 29-30)

•  “He said to her, ‘Because of this answer go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.' And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having departed.”

•  The final step of dealing with world's outcasts/rejects is to meet their needs.

•  Because of this woman's humility, persistence & faith, Jesus meets her need!

•  ( Matt. 7:7 ), “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and….”

•  As the church/body of Christ perhaps we are called to give, to find, and to open the door!!

•  Jesus came a long way to help meet this woman's need. But that is nothing compared with how far He came to help each one of us, ( Quote. Phil. 2:6-8; Heb. 4:14-16; Mk. 16:15-16 ).