Feasting on Jesus’ Crumbs

Rev. Sean Daenzer, director of worship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and chaplain for the International Center, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to answer listener email concerning the synoptic Gospels and to study Mark 7:24-30. As Jesus enters again into Gentile territory, His trip takes Him to the particularly notorious area of Tyre and Sidon. This home of the wicked Queen Jezebel is certainly not the place a pious Jew would be expected to travel, but Jesus enters a home there. Though He attempts to remain incognito, a Syrophoencian woman recognizes Jesus and begs Him to cast a demon out of her daughter. Jesus’ response is matter-of-fact and borders on insulting as He speaks of the Gentiles as dogs. Jesus clearly lays out that the children of Israel are those to whom the promises have been given first. The woman seizes on this in faith, for she knows that the God of Israel has crumbs for the Gentiles. Jesus’ crumb proves more than sufficient as He heals the woman’s daughter with His powerful Word. “The Gospel in Action” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Mark. The Evangelist hits the ground running with the very first verse of his Gospel account, and he never lets up the pace. As one deed of Jesus comes right after another, always paired with His authoritative Word, St. Mark proclaims the good news that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, revealed conclusively by His death on the cross.