Mark 7:24-30

Mark 7:24-30

[24] And  from thence  he arose,  and went  into  of Tyre  and  Sidon,  and  entered  into  an house,  and would have  no man  know  it: but  he could  not  be hid.  [25] a certain woman,  whose  young daughter  had  an unclean  spirit,  heard  of  him,  and came  and fell  at  his  feet:  [26] The woman  a Greek,  a Syrophenician  by nation;  and  she besought  him  that  he would cast forth  the devil  out of  her  daughter.  [27] said  unto her,  Let  the children  first  be filled:  for  not  meet  to take  the children's  bread,  and  to cast  it unto the dogs.  [28] And  she answered  and  said  unto him,  Yes,  Lord:  yet  the dogs  under  the table  eat  of  the children's  crumbs.  [29] And  he said  unto her,  For  saying  go thy way;  the devil  is gone  out of  daughter.  [30] And  when she was come  to  her  house,  she found  the devil  gone out,  and  laid  upon  the bed. 

What does Mark 7:24-30 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Jesus increased His ministry to Gentiles as He experienced increasing rejection from the Jews. This third withdrawal from Galilee took Jesus outside Palestine for the first time. Mark also recorded Jesus doing more things outside Galilee and fewer things within Galilee than the other evangelists. By pointing this out Mark helped his readers realize that ministry to Gentiles was God"s will in view of Israel"s final rejection of Jesus. One writer believed the point of this story was simply that Jesus could heal. [1] But this seems shortsighted. Mark included three events that occurred outside Palestine and one following Jesus" return.
There is a logical connection between this section and the one that precedes it ( Mark 7:1-23). Jesus had explained why He did not observe the traditional separation from defiling associations. Now He illustrated that by going into Gentile territory. This contact would have rendered Him ceremonial unclean according to the Jews" traditions.