Key Thought

Jesus' reputation as a miracle worker is now driving his ministry. He is well known as a healer in Galilee, the region of Tyre and Sidon, and also Decapolis (the area of Ten Towns). Jesus can no longer operate in secrecy. It seems as if everyone has heard of him. However, as Mark will show in subsequent verses, the issue of Jesus' concern has to do with the perception of the people. How can he call them to deeper discipleship if they see him only as a personal miracle worker? Jesus will re-assert his concern that people really know him as he wants to be known. This will mean conflict and misunderstanding in the following episodes in which we find Jesus. Yet despite this concern, he consistently shows personal, tender, and compassionate concern for the individuals in need while trying to keep his ministry from becoming a traveling healing show.

Today's Prayer

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Father, with so many demands on my time, please help me to not cave into the demands of others to be the person they want me to be. I want to please you. At the same time, dear Father, please help me deal personally and compassionately with people as your Son did. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Jesus left that place and went to the area around Tyre. Jesus went into a house there. Jesus did not want the people in that area to know he was there. But Jesus could not stay hidden. A woman heard that Jesus was there. Her little daughter had an evil spirit {from the devil} inside her. So the woman came to Jesus and bowed down near his feet. The woman was not a Jew. She was Greek, born in Phoenicia, an area in Syria. The woman begged Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. Jesus told the woman: "It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want." The woman answered, "That is true, Lord. But the dogs under the table can eat the pieces of food that the children don't eat." Then Jesus told the woman, "That is a very good answer. You may go. The demon has left your daughter." The woman went home and found her daughter lying on the bed. The demon was gone. Then Jesus left the area around Tyre and went through Sidon. Jesus went to Lake Galilee. Jesus went through the area of the Ten Towns. While he was there, some people brought a man to him. This man was deaf and could not talk. The people begged Jesus to put his hand on the man {to heal him}. Jesus led the man away from the people to be alone with him. Jesus put his fingers in the man's ears. Then Jesus spit and touched the man's tongue. Jesus looked up to the sky and made a breathing sound. Jesus said to the man, "Ephphatha!" (This means, "Open!") When Jesus did this, the man was able to hear. The man was able to use his tongue and spoke clearly. Jesus commanded the people not to tell any person about what happened. Jesus always commanded people not to tell other people about him. But this only caused the people to tell about him more and more. The people were really amazed. The people said, "Jesus does everything in a good way. Jesus makes deaf people able to hear. And people that can't talk--Jesus makes them able to talk."

— Mark 7:24-37 (ERV)

Easy-to-Read Version copyright © 2001 by World Bible Translation Center. All rights reserved.