The following outline and discussion questions have been prepared to accompany the sermon on March 24/25, “The Faith That Cleanses” (Mark 7:24–30). The questions can be used for discussion in small groups or for personal reflection.

Outline

1. The Situation (vv. 24–26)
2. Her Request (v. 26)
3. His Response (v. 27)
4. Her Response (v. 28)
5. His Response (v. 29)
6. The Conclusion (v. 30)

Main Point: Faith in Jesus makes people clean.

Discussion Questions

• Did Jesus intend to insult the woman with his parable? Why or Why not?
• Why did the woman’s answer give evidence of remarkable faith? What does she do for the first time in Mark’s Gospel—something that no one else had done?
• How does this story fit the main emphasis of Jesus’ triumphal entry in Mark 11?

Application Questions

• When you pray, do you know how to ask for things that you don’t deserve because of Christ’s goodness and not your own?
• How can you take steps to embrace Christians regardless of cultural and socioeconomic differences? To form the basis of our acceptance of others, is faith in Jesus enough or does something need to be added to faith in Jesus?

Prayer Focus
Pray for a grace to ask the Lord for what we don’t deserve—and to ask it on the basis of his goodness, not our own.