Mark 7: 27 Commentary

The Jews considered street dogs as unclean animals.The Jews called Gentiles as “dogs” to mean that they were unclean.
In Matthew 15:24,Jesus mentioned that His mission was mainly to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
True,the first converts to Christian faith were the Jews.But soon the Gospel has been preached to the Gentiles.
When the Apostle Peter stayed at Simon’s house (Simon was a tanner)in Joppa,Peter saw a vision three times during his time of prayer on one day.In that vision God showed him all kinds of four footed animals of the earth,wild beasts,creeping things and birds of the air.A voice asked him to kill & eat.Peter was reluctant & said that he had never eaten anything common or unclean.The voice told him that what God had cleansed he must not call common.Read Acts 10:9-16.Peter was led by the spirit of God to go to the house of Cornelius who was a centurion & a Gentile.When Peter preached the Gospel to Cornelius & his relatives & close friends who gathered in his house,they believed the Gospel & were baptized.Acts 10:34-47.
In Acts 15,Peter told the Apostles & the elders that the Gentiles heard the word of the Gospel through him & believed.Acts 15:7.He said that God had made no distinction between the Jews & the Gentiles,purifying the hearts of the Gentiles by faith.Acts 15:10.
James told that Simon (Peter) had declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.Acts 15:14.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:for it is the power of God unto salvation to EVERYONE that BELIEVETH;to the Jew first,and also to the Greek.”Rom.1:16.

By Alex (wrote 499 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 2/27/2009 03:16 am

In a family,the food is first served to the members of the household, especially the children who need to be urgently attended to. If there is left over, it is cast to the dogs. In eastern countires, these are street dogs and not pets. The first and foremost priority is given to the children and the street dogs come last. The Jews considered the gentiles to be the dogs! Jesus also said that He was first sent to the lost of the household of Israel(Mt. 15;24; 10:6). He was to first feed them and when they are full, he can serve to the gentiles! But here the syrophonecain woman-a gentile enters the kingdom of god through violence!(Mt. 11:12)In her great faith she responds and tells, “Yes, Lord!” See she doesn’t oppose the Lord, but pleads further, “But the dogs under the table eat of the crumbs!” (Mk.7:28). [I remeber here the plight of Lazarus who was not even better off than the dogs, as he was unable to get the crumbs from the dogs. The rich man could not see the Lazarus at his doorpost to give him even some crumbs! (Lk.16:21)].She got this key from the very words of the Lord Jesus spoken to her! Lord, I am a gentlie dog, but give me some crumbs. And here is Jesus who can feed all to the full (Remember that he fed more than five thousand at one time and seven thousand at another!). It is unlikely that this gentile woman of great faith would go hungry. She receives feast from the Lord! Her daughter is healed there and then!

By Jayant Christian (wrote 287 Bible Commentaries - permalink to this Commentary)
Posted on: 2/26/2009 18:59 pm