This month our series is entitled: Who Are They?
We are looking at the lives of 4 women who were all mothers. The stories of these women and of all the Bible characters are given to us as examples so we can learn valuable lessons from their lives about God and humanity. All of these lessons can then be applied to our own lives.

2002 Denzel Washington film called John Q

Have you ever been so desperate for something, that you pursued to the point of exhaustion? If your child's life was at stake, how far would you go?

In the book of Mark we meet the 3rd woman in our series.
She's not identified by name, but by the location in which she lives and her heritage.
Mark 7:24-30

v. 24a To grasp the true meaning of the story, we must understand the context.
Jesus had been in Galilee training His disciples and in intense conflict with the Jewish leaders.
The text says He "left" or "withdrew" which was something He did often to spend more time with His boys (disciples), to rest wholistically, and to get away from negative people. This is the first ministry time that Jesus went outside of the land of Israel.

The area where Jesus goes is the Roman providence of Syria (Phoenicia) in the vicinity of Trye whose people are described as being known to have the greatest ill-will towards the Jews. Today the land is known as Lebanon.

v. 24b He entered the house of someone that was likely connected to one of His disciples. His reputation preceded Him; His presence could not be kept secret.
We read about a woman who is unnamed, Greek, and is referred to as a Canaanite woman.
For today, we've attached a feminine Greek name that captures her scriptural character and the lesson we are learning about today.
Zeeta means "seeker" or "pursuer." We see this in the text in several ways:
Seeks out Jesus
Seeks help for daughter
Seeks the grace of the Lord
Seeks to find the truth of God's promises

vv. 25-26 This women's daughter was afflicted by an impure spirit or a demon. This was a spiritual issue that may have manifested itself physically, but often evidenced by emotional and social acting out, rebellious, self-willed, and destructive tendencies.
What really stands out is the concern we see. We see specific actions that help us to feel and hear her love, anxiety, and pain.
But we also see that Zeeta trusted the Lord, sought the Lord, believed in the Lord, and made Him her focus.

When you think of the spiritual condition of your family members, friends, those who live around you, with whom you work or go to school with...are you moved by the fact that they are spiritually under the control of the devil?

vv. 27-28 There is a conversation between Jesus and Zeeta that is often misunderstood. This almost seems offensive, but in reality Jesus is pointing out that His primary mission is to the Jewish people, not Gentiles. Jesus uses imagery of a parent feeding their kids not the little pets that linger around the table.
Zeeta doesn’t argue, show anger, or contradict the Lord. It’s as if she is saying, "I understand this, but even pets sometimes get the leftovers after the family is fed."
Something happens here that is not recorded in Mark 7 but it is in Matthew 15:28 and shines a great light on our understanding.

ZEETA is the only person in Scripture that Jesus said this to – eye to eye! It was her pursuit, her seeking, her persistent faith that Jesus saw and chose to reward.
Some Bible versions use words to indicate that Jesus responded emotionally; that He was incredibly moved by what He had seen and heard.
God loves those who are lost. That is why He sent His Son as a sacrifice for sin so that humanity could be reconciled.
In this story Jesus teaches that religion and self-righteousness doesn't save anyone, only a relationship with Him can.
In this story Jesus is showing His followers as well as us today that salvation is open to anyone who has faith.
In this story Jesus is also illustrating that if we claim to care about people, then we'll do whatever it takes to pursue God...to seek the Lord on their behalf.

This summer we're spending the months of June and July learning to build relationships with Christians. We're learning to develop the ability to open our lives, to ask good questions, and to talk about our faith.
In August and September we're looking to do the same with our friends, family members, and people on the fringe of your life who are spiritually separated from God.

You can use the Circles of Concern triangle to identify those people in your life who you would hope to influence for Jesus this year.