Day 10 of Journey through Mark: IN GENTILE TERRITORY

COMMENTARY In today’s reading, Jesus spends the majority of His time in Gentile territory. This is not the first time in Mark that Jesus has visited non-Jewish regions. He has already visited the Decapolis, a non-Jewish region on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 5:1-20). That trip was brief, but Jesus now begins to focus His ministry in areas beyond the Jewish Galilee. One story we read tells of how Jesus returned to the Decapolis and miraculously fed 4,000 people. Other than the specific location in Gentile territory, the details of this episode are similar to the more famous feeding of the 5,000. In both stories, Jesus has “compassion” for a large crowd in a remote place (Mark 6:34-35; 8:1-4). When He sees that they need something to eat, He asks the disciples to share their few loaves and fish (Mark 6:35-38; Mark 8:2-7). The disciples’ responses in each story are also similar. In the story of the 5,000, they respond, “That would take more than half a year’s wages!” (Mark 6:37). In the story of the 4,000, they ask, “Where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” (Mark 8:4). What stands out is the fact that the disciples still asked this question in the second story. Given that they had already seen Jesus feed 5,000 individuals, why would they doubt He could feed 4,000 now? The answer seems to be rooted in their expectations of what Israel’s Messiah would do. Jews at this time expected that the Messiah would provide bread for Jews in the wilderness just as God had done for the Israelites many centuries earlier (Exodus 16). Jesus did this. The word translated as “remote place” in Mark also means “wilderness.” But few would have expected that the Messiah would miraculously provide for non-Jews like this too. Jesus’ repetition of this miracle for the Gentile crowds confronted the beliefs of His disciples. Though they may have thought the kingdom blessings were reserved only for people like them, Jesus was welcoming outsiders to His table too. Like Jesus’ disciples, we may need our eyes opened to see who Jesus is welcoming into His kingdom. Jesus’ compassion isn’t reserved just for people who look, think, and talk just like us. His compassion extends to any who have need, and our compassion should too. SCRIPTURE MARK 7:24–8:21 JESUS HONORS A SYROPHOENICIAN WOMAN’S FAITH 24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. JESUS HEALS A DEAF AND MUTE MAN 31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” CHAPTER 8 JESUS FEEDS THE FOUR THOUSAND 1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” 4 His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” 5 “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. 6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. 8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, 10 he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. 11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. THE YEAST OF THE PHARISEES AND HEROD 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” 16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” 17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” REFLECTION 1. Today’s reading begins and ends with two brief parables about bread (Mark 7:27; 8:15). The Syrophoenician woman’s response to the first parable contrasts with the disciples’ response to the second and shows that she understood what they didn’t. Why do you think the disciples continually struggled to fully understand what Jesus was saying and doing? How do you think you would have responded to Jesus if you were present at this time? 2. At the end of yesterday’s reading, Jesus declared “all foods clean” (Mark 7:19). In doing so, He broke down a traditional social boundary between Jews and Gentiles just prior to His Gentile mission. What social boundaries do you see at work in the church and world today? Why do we have these? What do you suppose Jesus would say about the boundaries we set up?