1 Sunday, August 14, 2011 Pentecost 9th After A Pastor Dena Williams Denver, Colorado The Holy Gospel

according to the community of St. Matthew in the 15th Chapter Glory to you, O Lord Notes: So far in Matthews story, Jesus preached on the mountain top. He old stories, healed the sick, and comforted the anxious. He and Peter walked on the water, John the Baptist was beheaded, and Jesus fed the crowds in the miracle of loaves and fishes. After these parables and healings and miracles, Jesus went to the town of Gennesaret where he preached and healed and . . . where the Pharisees and the scribes, the leaders of the temple at Jerusalem came to him to challenge him with questions regarding the tradition, a tradition Jesus did not seem to be keeping, according to these critics. The writer of the Gospel of Matthew continues his account of Jesus ministry with the following story, a strange and troubling story: Jesus left the town of Gennesaret, where he had been questioned by the Pharisees and scribes, and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." But Jesus did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us."

2 Jesus answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." But the woman came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." Jesus answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly. The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, O Christ Did you ever lose your mind for a second? Our Bible readings this summer take us on quite a journey. We are called to compassion, to welcome the stranger, called to be good soil, to sow good seed, to refrain from judging others. We are reminded of grace Gods never ending love and forgiveness for us and for all people. Weve looked at law, at how we ought to behave, how we ought to reflect Gods love in our lives. Weve looked at grace, at Gods call to us to relax into the arms of Christ, to trust and believe and receive Gods love. Now our readings call us to a new place, a place of law and grace, a place of call and comfort, a place of giving and receiving. Now our readings call us to consider how we live together in Christian community, how we come together as the Body of Christ, how we love one another in our congregation,

3 a place of law and grace, call and comfort, giving and receiving. Beginning today and over the next several weeks we will carefully consider how we live together in Christian community. Lets begin! A Story Sam, is five-years-old. Hes ready for Kindergarten. He understands how to follow rules, how to listen. He works and plays well with others. Sam is one of those children that preschool teachers love to have in their classroom. Our daughter Wendy was his teacher that summer before kindergarten. One day she gathered the children around a table. She supervised as they worked on a craft project involving . . . scissors. All was going well. There was sharing and encouragement and creativity. Several minutes into the project, Wendy looked up just in time to see Sam calmly take his scissors and deliberately make a cut . . . right in the front of his polo shirt. Sam, what are you doing? He looked up at her, speechless and wide eyed. He looked down at the hole in his shirt, and looked up at her again. He and she were clearly stunned at his behavior. Wendy asked, Well, Sam, did you lose your mind for a second? Yeah, I guess I did. Hmm . . .

4 Little Sam, good and bright and cooperative and . . . fully human. Another Story Jesus has traveled with his friends to the region of Tyre and Sidon. There are foreigners living in the area, immigrants from the land of Canaan, pagans, strangers, foreigners. One of those people, shouts at him as he passes her in the street: Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon. Jesus does not answer her at all! Wait a minute! Is this the same Jesus who had such compassion for the people, the same Jesus who healed and fed and comforted the crowds? What is going on here? Well, maybe he didnt hear her. That must be it! He just didnt hear her in the noisy street. Yes, that must be it. He may not have heard her, but the disciples did! They come to Jesus and say, Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us. Shes annoying and loud, Jesus, send her away. Wait another minute! Are these the same disciples who followed Jesus, who witnessed his love and compassion, the followers who seek to know God through him? What is going on here?

5 Jesus answers the disciples, Well, yes, of course, send her away. I, after all, was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, I was not sent to these foreigners. What to make of this? Matthew, who is this person and what have you done with Jesus?! The story goes on: The woman comes and kneels before Jesus, drops to her knees and worships him in the dust of the road and begs: Lord, help me! Now, we think, now Jesus will not ignore her. Now he will extend his compassion to her. How can our gentle Jesus not be touched by this womans plea on behalf of her daughter? Now he will look in her eyes, be moved by her pain, extend a loving hand to her. Surely now. Jesus speaks: It is not good to take the bread from the children and throw it to the dogs. Are you alarmed? Are you confused? Are you disturbed by this story? You are not alone. Biblical scholars through the ages struggle with this one, this story found in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark. Over the years, elaborate arguments were developed and presented, valiant attempts to explain Jesus harsh words. Some write that he is only testing the Canaanite woman,

6 testing her faith, that he meant to heal her daughter all along. Others defend Jesus words by arguing that Jesus is merely making a point with the disciples regarding his call to serve all people. Still others, students of Greek frequently point out that the word used for dog here in Matthew really means puppy. Well, does it matter? Whether Jesus calls the woman a dog or a puppy seems irrelevant to me. Whichever word he uses, he still called her a . . . female dog! Now sometimes, often, when we read from the Gospels, because the writers of the Gospels lived in such a different time and place, we have a hard time understanding a particular word or phrase. But make no mistake here. Jesus calls the woman a female dog, and, yes, that is a slur that carries very nearly the same connotations in ancient Israel that it carries today in our culture! What is going on here? Why has Matthews Jesus not only ignored, but deliberately insulted a person in need of his help? Why, indeed? I wonder . . . But then there is something else I wonder about as well. Wonder why Christians, members of the Body of Christ say mean and hurtful things about each other and to each other? Wonder why we criticize one another, question each others motives, fail to forgive one another.

7 Wonder why? Wonder why when someone volunteers, others find fault with the work she does? Wonder why when someone makes a suggestion, others treat him with contempt and suspicion? Wonder why when someone makes a mistake, others do not extend forgiveness to her? Wonder why? Is it because we are testing one anothers faith, or because we want to make a point, or is it that we really intend to be mean? Or is it, could it be, that we are fully human? Does it happen that we lose our mind for a second, that we snip our shirt with our scissors, hurl an insult or criticism, does it happen that we injure others, and therefore injure ourselves, without thinking, not understanding our actions, not understanding the pain and injury we cause to others, the pain and injury we cause to our community which is the very Body of Christ? I think so. I do not think that we consciously intend to cause pain to others. I really dont think so. I hope not. I think we act thoughtlessly because we are fully human. I think that, for just a second, we lose our minds. We forget that we are all in this together. We forget our love for one another. We overlook Gods love for us and for all people.

8 We lose our minds for just a second, and, oh, the pain we cause. There is more to Matthews story of Jesus: With deep humility and uncommon cleverness, the Canaanite woman, still on her knees, says to Jesus: "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Finally Jesus relents: "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter is instantly healed. I dont know why Matthew tells this story of Jesus in this way. Maybe to show us the fully human side of our fully human, fully divine Jesus. Maybe to show us that we are fully human. Maybe to point out to us our need and the communitys need to refrain from criticism, suspicion, and meanness. Maybe Matthew tells this story of Jesus to show us how vital it is to our life together that we embrace compassion, love, and forgiveness for one another. Perhaps when we demonstrate faith in our relationships, our wish comes true, our community is instantly healed. Well, little Sam was so distressed by the hole in his shirt, and the fact that he put it there, that Wendy calmed him by putting a piece of masking tape over the cut. She and Sam told his mom what happened when she came to pick him up. Mom understood that Sam lost his mind for a second. She understood and she did what moms do, she fixed it and made it right. The next week Sam came to school with a smile on his face and a neat mend stitched into the front of his shirt.

We are fully human. There will be times when, with little Sam, with gentle Jesus, there will be times when we lose our mind for a second. The good news for Sam and for us is that God comes to us as a mother, God comes with love and forgiveness. God comes to us to mend our souls, to heal our minds, to forgive and mend and heal each of us, to forgive and mend and heal our community of faith. Amen