The Move of the Slave-Savior's Gospel Service (6)

0:00We praise the Lord for thy great plan, that we might well in place may be." Welcome to Life Study of the Bible, a presentation of Living Stream Ministry. Witnessly, a servant of the Lord for over seven decades, culminated his ministry with a 21-year book-by-book exposition of the entire Bible, which he called Life Study. This life study is the basis for our program today and includes short portions of the spoken messages given by Witnessly. Now, let's join today's program. At a certain point in the gospel service of the slave savior, the gospel of Mark gives us a most interesting account, traveling far to the north of Jerusalem and even of Galilee. The Lord Jesus and His disciples came to the region of Tyre and Sidon,

1:01a land not of the Jews, but of the Gentiles. Mark chapter 7, and also in Matthew in chapter 15, we have the story of one such Gentile, a woman who approaches Jesus because of the sickness of her daughter. What follows is truly remarkable. It's an account of the encounter that takes place when this woman refuses to be turned away because she lacked a proper standing. And she finds a way using the Lord's own words to get what she was so desperately seeking. I love this story and Bill Lawson is with us to fellowship. I think this is a portion bill that most believers are really drawn to because we can't help but have an affinity for this poor woman, can we? Right, this is really a classic here in the short gospel of Mark of 16 chapters. Showing, of course, outwardly, you see a lot of compassion there. You see a lot of mercy there. You see this desperate woman who is desperately wants to have her daughter healed and then the way she interacts with the Lord is marvelous.

2:03And she really, and says, she gets what she wants. Kind of in a roundabout way. The Lord, of course, unveiling himself to her not as merely a healer, but the bread of life to her. There are a few of these accounts in the gospels where, of course, the Lord's ministry at that time was really targeted towards his people by birth, the Jewish race and those of the Jewish faith. And he came to them, of course, later, at the end of the gospel accounts, we realized that for the most part, they rejected him. And ultimately, a way was made. A door was opened up for all the Gentiles, this taking place in the book of Acts. But we have a few isolated accounts, particularly, I recalling the Romans and Churian who comes, who also is able to get a portion. And now this story of, which is known as the story of the Syrophonician woman. Let's talk about this title, Bill. Another Gentile who is persistent and displays much greater faith. And the Lord was, you know, seeing in those that he had really come to save at that time.

3:05Right. When you mentioned this, Chris, I'm reminded also of John chapter one, where John talks about the Lord came to his own and his own did not receive him. Right. So here's a case where the Jews are gradually rejecting him. And then eventually they reject him outright. But here is this, like you say, this typical Gentile. I mean, she's, in a sense, a threefold Gentile, right? Yeah. She's Syrian by tongue, by language. She's Phoenician by race. And she's a descendant of the Canaanites. So she has like a threefold, I'm really a Gentile background. Yet she has the boldness as a Gentile woman, no standing, no ground to come to the Lord. Because the Lord, we know, first went to his own, the Jews. Yet she had the boldness to come to him. It's quite an account here. I think our listeners will enjoy our program today very much. And there's several wonderful points, but a good focus to the program. Let's look at a few of these verses. It's not a long section beginning in Mark chapter seven, verse 24.

4:06It says, and he rose up from there and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. And entering into a house, he wanted no one to know about it. Yet he could not escape notice. But a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him, and immediately she came and fell at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, sire Phoenician by race. And she asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, first let the children be satisfied. For it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. All right, here's what nicely with our first portion, Bill. The Lord answered the request of a sire Phoenician woman. You have to realize this needy one was number one, a Greek, number two, a Syrian. And in Matthew chapter 15, she is called a candidate woman.

5:11So this lady was a typical gentleman in many fold. Yet she came to request the Lord to do something for her. Listen, because she is too much a gentle, the Lord said, I cannot through the bread of the children to a little dog. That means to you. You are qualified, so qualified, but only good to be a little dog. You are just a dog, you can never be killed. I must first satisfy the children. There seems we all have to realize in John, the Lord told them clearly. He was the bread of life. And he came down from heaven to be the bread of life to satisfy the world.

6:12But in the synaptic gospels, there is not such a word. It is up to this case, the word bread came out of his mouth. You see, the bread must first satisfy the children. Such a word indicating that he was not there merely doing miracles. But he was there feeding. He was there feeding the hungry children. And this indicates strongly that whatever he has done in the preceding chapters, was he can feed. And we all know feeding is a kind of dispensing. This word dispensing has a root word. And that root word really means to distribute food.

7:14Just like Joseph in an old husband's life, he distributed food. So he was a good, steward carrying out a stewardship. Now, here is a real Joseph. Jesus, he is here right now dispensing himself as a rich food. When this typical gentle came to him, he opened up himself to let her know what he was there. He was the bread. He was the bread feeding the hungry children. Bill, very interesting. Of course, the gospel of John has a strong emphasis on this matter of the Lord being the bread, which came down from heaven. And he came to feed and the ones followed him because he fed them, not because of the miracles.

8:14But here is a case where he uses this woman's seeking. She is seeking a miracle. Let's face it, she wants a cure for her daughter. So she is seeking a certain thing. But he uses this opportunity to connect with the way he's unveiled in John chapter 6 and other places as the bread, doesn't he? That's true, Chris. It seems like we believers are typical believers because we always want the outward things taken care of. If the Lord can make everything right outwardly, if we're sick, we get healed. If we're poor, he'll give us money. If we're short of something in our personality, the Lord will somehow improve our behavior. We're always looking at the outward things. We want the outward situation changed and so on. But the Lord, his intention is to be the real life and life supply within us, to feed us. Like I brotherly said, to dispense himself, to distribute himself into us. This is the Lord's real work here in the gospel of Mark.

9:14I have the experience of having a couple of little dogs at home and they're always looking for a handout. But when there are family members to take care of, of course, she wouldn't take their portion and first offer it to the dog. This would cause a deep offense, wouldn't it? In most households in the Shirley Wood and ours, of course, our dogs have learned that after the meal, there's usually some morsels left over. So the Lord has this interesting way that he engages this woman, of course, realizing she is seeking, but he makes the point, doesn't he? That her standing here at this juncture before the door has been open to the Gentiles in a full way, her standing is really not one that entitles her to a portion from the master, does it? That's right. Of course, if we were there, we would probably be offended to such a point that we would walk away or whatever, but she just remained there, realizing she didn't have the proper status as a child, a part of the children of Israel, yet the Lord really had mercy on her and

10:19used, like you say, to use this situation to show God's deepest desire and intention is to be life to us, not just to heal us outwardly and make things right. His intention is to be life, to distribute himself as the life and life supply and food supply to us, just like Joseph in the old Testament. Joseph had all the food at one time, so everybody had to go to Joseph for the food. You could have the millions in Egypt and that, but money meant nothing then because nobody had the food. So the Lord, he was a real Joseph in his far as supplying her and feeding her as a real lesson for us that what we need the most is the Lord as a bread of life to us to satisfy us. We're going to stay on this theme related to the Lord revealing himself in such a way. As you said, the real Joseph, the one who has a charge or stewardship over all of the stores, all of the storehouses where the riches of God are really held and kept. In John 6, verse 26,

11:20Jesus answered them and said, truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you have seen signs, but because you ate of the bread and were filled. And in verse 51, I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. Bill, we've been in the Christian life for some many years now, you and I, and we can, I think, a test to the Lord's word. We really follow because we've eaten of the bread and have been filled, don't we? That's right. Whoever feeds us, that's where we know the supply comes from. And I know, in my particular background, with so many teachings and doctrines and forms and ordinances in the Christian realm, I was really starving to death. And I could testify when I came across brother Lee's ministry back in 1969, I began to eat of a Christ that I had never experienced before. The Lord really began to be my bread of life to me. It was marvelous. Let's go on. Here's what

12:24our second portion. The problem is these. No need to say, in the early days, all those who got the benefit of the Lord's ministry didn't know his ministry was feeding people. They didn't know. No need to say, then I tell you, even today, among so many Christians, a lot of practices of healing, miracles, have you ever heard that the healings, the miracles, are the Lord's feeding? Even I myself never had this kind of thought. But the Lord Jesus opened up the real situation, suing people that whatever He did was not just a kind of practice, a miracle. That was a feeding. Whatever He did was a feeding. He was distributing himself as bread, as food supply.

13:26We don't need miracles. We don't need healing. What we actually need, feeding. We need the life supply. We need the bread. This is another step to carry out his gospel service. The Lord used the King Commandments to expose men's inverse situation of men's heart. That was a step. And after that, here's another step taken by the Lord to indicate that the inner significance of his gospel service is to distribute himself as food. You, the Greek, Syrian, Phoenician, Canadian, Omen, you think you need me to heal your daughter? Actually, you need me to be your bride. So here, the gospel mark is going step by step. Now,

14:35this is a crucial step. It's a step of what? Of red. My goodness. Without the Lord's word telling us such a point, we could never dream. It is so easy for us to understand that He was a great physician, right? It's also not too hard for us to understand. He was a bridegroom. It is also easy for us to know Him as the emancipator. Who could dream that the Lord is the bride? But you see, in His answer to these gendel women, He indicates He is the children's bride. Bill, it truly is marvelous. But we need help, just like this woman needed help. We think you pointed out in our last time together. We think that we need the Lord to do this, to do that, to solve this problem, take care of that one. But we all have the same need as this woman, don't we?

15:40That's really so. Especially, brotherly's word here about the miracles, the healings, these kind of things. Of course, every human being desires those kind of things. No doubt in the Lord's gospel servicer, He's raising the dead, He's heating the sick, He's casting out demons, He's doing all these things. And here, no doubt this woman, way up their entire inside, and she no doubt heard about this man that was healing all these people. So she probably realized, aha, here's my chance. My daughter is desperately sick. She's demon possessed. Now if I get to this man and then He'll do something for my daughter, and then I'll be all set. But the Lord used that to show that He really wants to be our food and food supply. So it's a real lesson for us. Again, the Lord is after the inward reality, not just the outward changes. And so the Lord really wants to be the bread of life. Even in John, there's a case there where eventually all the people ran after and since the Lord wanted to make him a king. But the Lord doesn't want to be a king to rule over people outwardly.

16:42He wanted to be the bread of life to them inwardly so he could live within them. So that also relates here to Mark chapter seven. Yeah, this takes a reorienting, a rethinking, and really a renewing of our mind to see what the Lord really is offering. What our real portion is, we need that inward feeding. And He is just so desirous of being able to distribute, to dispense these riches into His people day by day. That's right. Let's pick up the exchange now between the Lord and this woman. He has said in verse 27, we read a moment ago, for it's not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. So in a sense, she should have been just humiliated by this, but she responds in such a marvelous way. In 28, and she answered and said to him, yes, Lord, but even the little dogs under the table eat of the little children's crumbs. And he said to her, because of this word, go. The demon has gone out of your daughter,

17:43and she went away to her house and found a little child lying on the couch. And the demon gone out. Well, tremendous. Here's what to sleep with our last segment. Verse 27 says, and he said to her, let the children be satisfied first. For it's not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs. And this woman answered and said to him, yes, Lord, you are right. I don't deny. I don't debate. But even the little dogs under the table, you see, right after the Lord's word and based upon the Lord's word, she took a standing. What is standing? That is a ground under the table to the little dogs. These great word means what? Pet dog. Not the well dogs, house dogs. You know, well,

18:46no, especially to the United America, the pet dogs, house dogs are hobbies. Yes, we are dead but we are God's hobbies. We are not the master's children, but we are the master's hobbies, pet dogs. Based upon this required, these general took the standing. I am not a dog outside the door, right? I'm not a well dog. I'm pet dog. And the pet dog is in the table. Well, the master is feeding the children. My position is not on the table. My position is on the table. See, take the ground. So, see, count the Lord by the Lord's word. You say, I'm a pet dog. I know you are good enough. I have a position not to eat the bread, but I have a position to eat the crumbs

19:48dropped from the table, but the naughty children. And you have to realize, Lord Jesus, now you are not on the table. You are also on the table. It's marvelous. No wonder, when the Lord Jesus heard these, the Lord got surprised. Oh, go home. You got it. I became your person. Phil, you have to just marvel at the boldness of this woman. And what, you know, the Lord was able to see through all of this, this boldness in her wisdom was really evidence of tremendous faith, wasn't it? Right. The Lord, definitely, we know he came to the Jews, right? First, to be everything to them. Yeah. And also, mainly to be their life and life supply and food supply. But we know on the table, the Jews became the naughty children and they rejected the Lord as their life and life supply and food and everything. So the Lord, in a sense, discarded them, in a sense,

20:52they, in a sense, threw him off the table to be under the table. So now, if we are standing as Gentiles, we didn't even have the standing to be at the table. Our standing is under the table here. So she took that ground at the beginning. She approached the Lord and said, Lord, which is the title of the Lord's divinity. And then she said, son of David. But the Lord did not acknowledge that because the son of David is only a term that the Jews could use. So she was trying to be a little bit sneaky here to confess that he's not only Lord and divinity, but the son of man and humanity. But the Lord did not answer that, did not acknowledge that. But when it came to the matter of the crumbs under the table, then she picked that up and realized that's very good. I'm not qualified to call you the son of David. I'm not qualified to enjoy the riches on the table, but I'm a little pet dog under the table. And as such, now I'm qualified to enjoy the Lord as the crumbs under the table. Marvelous. And he's so moved in this demonstration of her

21:54faith in her seeking. He grants her the portion she's after. I believe also she got some crumbs to eat herself that day, didn't she? That's right. We need to be those who approach the Lord every day, Bill. And whether we approach him on the table, under the table, out the door for us today, we know he is available as the food, as the real life supply. He is really the Joseph. And that when we come to him on that basis, don't you just sense the Lord just always enjoys you get the feeling when his seekers come to him in this way, wanting to enjoy him in this kind of way? Yeah, that's right. There's really a transfer of birthright. We know the Lord eventually picked up Abraham to begin the race of Israel. And then he worked with the Jews for thousands of years. And then eventually he came to be everything to them. And then they rejected him, we know. So in a sense, the birthright got transferred to the Gentile. So here is a very wise woman who realized that even though the Lord was rejected on one hand by the children and was discarded to be

23:00under the table, she could also have a portion and was not left with nothing, but she could be very, very much richly fed by him. Bill, how about if we take this word? And when we wake up to spend time with the Lord, we would all say, Lord, today I just want to enjoy you even as the crumbs under the table. I take my portion in my standing because of what you have accomplished. Lord Jesus feed me. Right. Bill, enjoyable time. Marvel's fellowship. I really have gotten so much out of these life studies from the Gospel of Mark. How about you? You've been here for a few now already and it's really been a delightful journey so far, hasn't really. So we don't think that much is in the short, you know, Gospel of 16 chapters. But when you get into it and you get into these kind of portions, how this woman realized she has nothing, yet she took the standing of being, you know, a little pet dog under the table that she could enjoy the riches. You can really see Mark is a very, very rich Gospel. Yeah, if you'd like to get the printed messages, we can help you with that. If you'll contact

24:01us, call our toll free number or write to us. The toll free number 1-888-life study, 888-543-3788, or you can write to us our mailing address is Living Stream Ministry Post Office Box 21-21 Anaheim, California 92814 or send an email to us and it to radioatlsm.org. And we'll help you with the printed life study messages. These messages are also available for you to read online. We can help you with a way to explore a lot of the resources we have at our website as well. So contact us again. I'll give you the toll free number. It's 1-888-life study. And we hope you'll stay with us for as many of these life study programs as you can. What an enjoyable portion. These crumbs under the table are a full meal bill. Right. And for Bill Lawson, I'm Chris Wilde. Thank you very much.

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