From Dogs to Daughters: A Story of Grace in Mark 7 | #51

What if the most jarring word from Jesus—“dogs”—is actually the doorway to healing and an unshakable Kingdom? In this week’s Not Yet Now episode, Zach, Jill, and Brandon start with lighthearted banter about matching outfits, mountain weather, and upcoming weddings—but quickly turn to Mark 7 and one of the most uncomfortable passages in the Gospels: Jesus’ interaction with the Syrophoenician woman. As the team unpacks the text, they trace how Mark intentionally moves from food laws to the tearing down of ethnic and cultural walls. Jesus’ shocking words to this woman—calling her a “dog”—weren’t meant to demean but to reveal, exposing the reality of separation so that grace could bridge the divide. Her humble, desperate reply becomes a living picture of faith: “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table.” From there, the conversation widens into modern implications—how we engage a culture that often feels like “enemy territory,” how to see others through the lens of the Imago Dei, and how Jesus exposes us not to shame us, but to redeem us. The crew explores the freedom that comes when we stop defending ourselves and start receiving grace. They remind listeners that the Church is never under threat, that the Kingdom of God cannot be shaken, and that humility—not hostility—is the posture of those who have tasted the bread of life. It’s a deeply honest conversation about pride, exposure, redemption, and the transforming reality that Jesus reveals to heal, not to humiliate.