29Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. 31So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus now moved into another Gentile territory because of rejection of His ministry by Israel.
15:29
Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.
Jesus moved from the region of Tyre and Sidon to eastern Galilee. Jesus healed Gentiles in the Decapolis region southeast of the Sea of Galilee.
Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis [literally ten cities] to the Sea of Galilee. Mk 7:31
Decapolis was a loose confederation of ten cities of predominately Gentiles who had the right from the Romans to mint coins and operate their own courts. This area had a strong Gentile population.
15:30
Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame [part of the body unable to function], blind, mute [unable to speak], maimed [mutilated—such as loss of legs], and many others [different illnesses]; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.
Great crowds brought the sick for healing as an act of belief. Why did Jesus heal Gentiles when in the previous section He was reluctant to do so? Although Jesus’ primary mission was to Israel, Israel’s rejection of Him moved His ministry to Gentiles.
15:31
So [so that—result] the multitude marveled [were struck with awe] when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole [made well], the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Gentiles “glorified the God of Israel” for His healing work; that is, they praised Him for this. They praised the God whom Israel worshiped.
Note the contrast between Israel’s rejection of Jesus and the Gentile reception of Him. Israel knew the Scriptures but the Gentiles did not.
PRINCIPLE:
God is a God of compassion
APPLICATION:
God’s compassion is patent toward us. His compassions will not fail us.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. La 3:22
