Mark 7:24-37 “Approaching God”
Throughout Mark’s Gospel, the recurrent question is, “Who is Jesus?” Everyone agrees He is unique, but opinions vary widely when it comes to rightly identifying who Jesus is. Who Jesus is, determines how people approach Him. In Mark 7:24-37, we are introduced to two stories of people approaching Jesus. The first is a Syrophoenician woman with a demon-possessed daughter. The second is a deaf-mute man from the Decapolis. Both are Gentiles, and both of them, ironically, approach Jesus rightly.
Mark 7:1-23 “Getting to the Heart of Cleanliness”
Religion can’t save us. Religion can’t cleanse us because we have a relational problem. Our hearts are broken, stained, and defiled. What we need is more than quick fixes, laws, and behavior modification. What we need is new hearts.
Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 “Living as Wholly Human”
Jesus was the whole man we were always meant to be, but in His resurrection, Jesus was raised a new man and New Adam, inaugurating a new lineage through Faith so that we can become sons and daughters of God in our head, who is Christ.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 “Prospering in Uncertainty”
Because of our sin, life “under the sun” is full of uncertainties. Fear of the unknown can paralyze us. But Solomon calls his listeners to wise and faith-filled action based on what they do know while trusting in a sovereign and good God.