What does Mark 7:24 mean?
Jesus has spent much of the previous two chapters trying to find a quiet place for the disciples and Himself. He tried the east coast of the Sea of Galilee but was driven out by the people who were afraid of His power (Mark 5:1–20). He then brought them to the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, but was met by five thousand men, plus women and children, practically before the boat landed (Mark 6:30–44).Now He travels to the region of Tyre and Sidon, about twenty miles northwest of Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon are the major cities of a district known as the economic bully of Galilee, and the people are not loved by the Jews. Josephus called the Tyrians "our bitterest enemies." It's reasonable to expect that Jesus and His followers can avoid the Jewish crowds in a hostile Gentile district.
In the Old Testament, "Tyre and Sidon" represents the pagan world. Sidon the city is west of Damascus, and Tyre is south and a bit west of Sidon and north of Caesarea. Technically, the region is Canaanite, but the Greeks called it Phoenicia after the purple dye for which they were famous. Tyre wasn't always antagonistic toward Israel; the king sent cedar and craftsmen to help King David build his palace (2 Samuel 5:11) and did the same to help Solomon with the temple (1 Kings 5:8–11). Although the region survived Nebuchadnezzar, it was conquered by Alexander the Great.
This and the time spent in Decapolis are the only times Jesus leaves the Tetrarchy. This is the only time Jesus leaves the historical borders of Israel. In order to train His disciples, Jesus has to leave the country. The thought begs the question, do we give our spiritual leaders the space to rest? Or do we demand so much they must seek rest outside the reach of the church?
