Proper 15 A

Matthew 15: 21-28

Holy Arguments
During part of my week away from CHT, wa! with my !i!ter"!
fami#y in $ew %er!ey, near the !hore& 'he ha! a young !on an( (aughter, an(
a#though it wa! mo!t#y !ti## un!poken in the hou!e, the fee#ing of )*a+k-to-!+hoo#,
wa! unmi!taka*#y in the air, reinfor+e( *y the !ign! we !aw in !hop win(ow!
e-erywhere we went& (i( not mention it whi#e wa! there, *ut it *rought me *a+k
to the mo!t prayer-.##e( time! of +hi#(hoo(, a kin( of hope #a+e( with argument,
in+#u(ing petition! #ike, )P#ea!e (on"t #et me get the mean one thi! year,, or, #ooking
o-er the +#a!! #i!t!, )/hy (o get the one who a#way! gi-e! a## the homework0,
/hen my own +hi#(ren arri-e(, wa! intro(u+e( to an entire#y (i1erent kin( of
prayer& /e #i-e( near the !+hoo# that my +hi#(ren atten(e( an(, on the .r!t (ay of
+#a!!e!, the !i(ewa#k! wou#( *e a#i-e with parent! wa#king with !ma## +hi#(ren, an(
ha-e to *e#ie-e that at #ea!t !ome were ha-ing thought! #ike mine, )P#ea!e take
+are of thi! per!on who mean! more to me than +an !ay, who am again turning
#oo!e on !tranger!, the!e #itt#e +reature! of 2o( who are *oth tougher an( more
fragi#e than their tea+her! wi## know&, May*e you ha-e ha( the !ame e3perien+e,
with mother or gran((a( in the nur!ing home or the ho!pita#, )He#p thi! per!on,
who!e nee(! *are#y un(er!tan(, *ut whom you #o-e an( ha-e promi!e( to keep a!
your own,&
t i! a -oi+e #ike thi! that hear in the petition of the Canaanite
woman when !he approa+he! %e!u! a*out her own (aughter, *egging at the feet of
one who ha! *e+ome renowne( throughout the region for what he i! a*#e to (o& 4ut
!he i! an out!i(er with her no!e pre!!e( again!t the g#a!!, a woman an( one who
!hare! nothing of the nationa#ity of the one !he i! petitioning& An( !he i! re*u1e(,
that it i! not fair that what i! gi-en to the +hi#(ren !hou#( not *e thrown to the (og!&
4ut her faith i! !tronger than that, an( !o i! her argument, that )e-en the (og!
un(er the ta*#e eat the +hi#(ren5! +rum*!&, 'he i! !omeone who know! how the
wor#( work!, *ut in the wor#( that %e!u! ha! *een (i!mant#ing, one *a!e( on
re#igiou! pri-i#ege, !o+ia# an( ethni+ (i!tin+tion! mean no more than the wi##ingne!!
to +a## them for what they are, ar*itrary an( i##egitimate& 'he i! a!king thi! one who
+a##! him!e#f the !on of man to remem*er, to remem*er the promi!e! of 2o( on
*eha#f of 2o(5! +hi#(ren& n the mi(!t of un+ertainty an( angui!h, !he i! remin(ing
2o( of the a!!uran+e he pro-i(e! of hi! u#timate purpo!e for u!6 in the pro+e!!, the
(aughter an( the re!t of u! are hea#e(, the +hi#( from her (emon an( the re!t of u!
from the i(ea that we +annot argue with 2o( on *eha#f of tho!e we #o-e& The
mira+#e *e+ome! not on#y the hea#ing of the +hi#( *ut how our own argument! are
!an+ti.e(&
/e are a++u!tome( to the i(ea of prayer a! argument
a!, at *e!t, a kin( of impiety, at wor!t a *a#( attempt to manipu#ate the
un!ear+ha*#e purpo!e of 2o(& 4ut a! !omeone who ha! a(mire( the ear#y +hur+h,
+an !ay that it wa! not a#way! thi! way& The (e!ert father! an( mother!, the .r!t
Chri!tian mona!ti+!, thought of their re#ation!hip with 2o( a! a kin( of frien(!hip,
human *eing! +reate( to *e 2o("! +ompanion!, an( their fa-orite inter+e!!ory
prayer, un(er time! of !tre!! or temptation, wa! i(enti+a# to that of the Canaanite
woman, )7or(, he#p me&, n their prayer #ife, (ay after (ay, wa! the a!!umption that
we ha-e to te## 2o( what we want for other! 8u!t a! we wou#( a!k for our!e#-e!,
without worrying a*out appropriatene!! or pro*a*i#ity of the re!u#t6 after a##, when
we pray for the we##-*eing of other!, we are on#y a!king what 2o( #ong! for far more
than we& Thu! there i! the !tory of one of the A**a"!, the father!, who praye( for
hi! !i+k (i!+ip#e, )2o(, whether you wi## or whether you wi## not, wi## not #et you
a#one unti# you ha-e hea#e( him&, The !tory goe! on to !ay that the (i!+ip#e wa!
in(ee( hea#e(, *ut whether it a+tua##y happene( i! #e!! important than the
fami#iarity, e-en the *o#(ne!!, with whi+h the monk a((re!!e! 2o(& The!e were, on
the who#e, !imp#e peop#e an( their theo#ogy *egan in a kin( of re-erent fami#iarity
with the (i-ine that we wou#( .n( !trange, with our preo++upation with petition
(one (e+ent#y an( in goo( or(er& They un(er!too( that not e-ery per!on +an *e
hea#e(, that we +annot know the out+ome of our prayer!, *ut that frien(! were a*#e
to *e (ire+t with one another, e-en to the point of argument&
n the wor#( of the go!pe#, the faith that %e!u! +ommen(!
in the Canaanite woman, the faith that we +arry in our *e!t moment!, i! not a*out
what we ha-e #eft o-er after a## our (ou*t! ha-e *een a!!uage(& t i! a+ti-e
engagement in the !trugg#e of *ringing the me!!ine!! of our #i-e! *efore 2o( often
in the mo!t pu*#i+ way, (oing !o in the know#e(ge of the #o-e of 2o( for ea+h
human *eing& n thi! wor#( of faith there are no out!i(er!, on#y tho!e who are wi##ing
to argue with ea+h other, approa+hing 2o( not with the !ku#king apprehen!ion of
*eing manipu#ati-e *ut in the know#e(ge that (ire+tne!! an( #i!tening are !a+re(
gift! that frien(! o1er one another&
'o when we !er-e a mea# to !omeone who i! un#ike#y to
get another one that (ay, when we .## a *a+kpa+k for a +hi#( who a#!o ha! her no!e
pre!!e( again!t the g#a!! of the wor#( mo!t of u! #i-e in, we are a#!o engaging in an
argument& The argument it!e#f i! a*out 8u!ti+e an( (ignity, *ut it i! roote( in our
know#e(ge of the #o-e of 2o( for ea+h human *eing& A! !aiah remin(! u!, a## who
#o-e the name of the 7or(, e-en the out!i(er, the one who wou#( +onten( a*out
(i-ine 8u!ti+e, wi## *e ma(e 8oyfu# in 2o("! hou!e of prayer& An( it i! a hou!e of
prayer for a## peop#e!, a! mu+h for the !u1ering an( the out+a!t a! for their
a(-o+ate!, tho!e unafrai( to approa+h the ho#y in a !pirit of o*!tina+y an( !a+re(
(ire+tne!!&
9or many of u!, the #ine *etween prayer an( argument i! a
thin one in(ee(6 at #ea!t it i! for me& t i! *e+au!e we ha-e !o mu+h in-e!te( in
tho!e we #o-e, an( *#in( a++eptan+e without argument :ui+k#y *e+ome! anger or
(e!pon(en+y& 4ut what the ear#ie!t monk! knew, what the Canaanite woman ha(
the +ourage to remin( %e!u!, wa! that that #o-e *e#ong! to the who#e of humanity,
a! mu+h to the gir# we wi## ne-er meet who wi## ha-e the too#! to #earn thi! fa## a! to
the *e#o-e( +hi#( or gran(+hi#( of our! we wat+h !tepping into !+hoo# yet again thi!
year& /hat the monk! remin( u!, what the woman from Canaan wi## not #et %e!u!
forget, i! that thi! #o-e e3i!t! for a## the peop#e of 2o(& An( thi! #o-e i! the mo!t
important thing for whi+h any of u! +an argue&