Sermon Ninth Sunday after Pentecost, Aug. 14th

Sermon Lectionary 20 Proper 15 Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Matthew 15:21-28

There are two Calvin and Hobbes strips that I thought of when this text came up. The both deal with Hobbes insulting Calvin and Calvin not getting it until later.

I am sort of sad that I find these insults funny, but I do think it's more the fact that Calvin does not get the insult that's funny. But, in our text we find Jesus off-handily insulting a Canaanite woman. And when I read it the first time I thought to myself, I don't know if I really like Jesus here. It's not how I expect Jesus to answer. The story begins with this woman approaching him, like he is often approached. At first he ignores her. But then the disciples who are really good at trying to push people away from Jesus address the matter. They ask Jesus to send her away, “she's shouting at us.”

And I think back to Jesus telling them to let the little children come, I think of Jesus asking them to feed the five thousand, and all the other stories where he pulls in those the disciples seek to push out.

So, when Jesus instead says, I was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel and when she cries “Lord, Help me,” the same “Lord, Help me” that Peter cried while sinking last week, and Jesus starts talking about children's food being given to dogs, I am a little confused. Because I expect Jesus to heal her daughter, but instead he insults her. He calls her a dog! We can try to lesson the insult, oh, but it's the diminutive, meaning puppy or house dog. But, it's still a name.

I don't like that. I think everyone is deserving of at least being seen as human. It is a common thing to label an enemy group with a nickname or insult in order to make them seem as less than human. It's happened since the beginning of time. Every war or conflict has resulted in groups labeled.

So, I didn't really know what to do here. Why is Jesus behaving in this way?

Part of the reason that I get confused is that I'm not Jewish, not a drop, and I'm guessing that a vast majority of us, and all Christians are not in the smallest part Jewish. It makes me concerned that perhaps Jesus is saying that he is not sent to me. Am I not worthy? And I a dog like this woman?

But the more I've thought about it, the more I'm thinking I may be too hard on Jesus here. No, I still don't like the insult and do not think this is a excuse to insult those different than us. But, we read the bible in light that we know the whole story. We know Jesus travels to Jerusalem, we know the trial before Pilate, we know the walk to Golgotha. We know that Jesus dies, and we know that when he is raised and talks to the disciples, telling them to go to all nations.

We also know that Matthew was written to a specific audience, a primarily Jewish audience, who are trying to figure out how they should relate to the increasing number of gentile Christians in their midst. And to most of them, what Jesus is saying is perfect. Yes, Jesus was only sent to us! We are the lost sheep of Israel. All you others, go away. Get out of here you dogs! Jesus is ours alone.

And that's the problem. When I'm upset with Jesus here it's because Jesus is not being the Jesus that I think he should be. I want Jesus to drop everything and help this woman. If I were that woman I would be thinking, I want Jesus all to myself. Jesus, you should be concerned about me first! Don't concern yourself about others, me me me.

The woman's statement here is different though. She is not asking for Jesus to be her's alone. She is not wanting to be front and center, she just wants the crumbs, because she knows that the crumbs are enough.

The passage in the beginning of the text tells of Jesus interacting with the Pharisee's telling them that what defiles a person is what comes out of the mouth, not what comes into the mouth. In our story this woman is a person who is seen as defiled because of who she is, but seen as clean based on what comes out of her mouth.

Jesus answers her with “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” Brian Stoffregen muses on her response.

The lady agrees with Jesus. One way to disarm criticism is to agree with the critic. "You're a dog," implies Jesus. She agrees! "I am a dog, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table." Or, perhaps in other words, "I know I don't deserve a thing from you. I am no better than a dog, but even dogs receive better treatment than you're giving me. Can't you spare a few crumbs of grace?" We know from the miraculous feeding story from a few weeks ago that there is enough "bread" to feed thousands. She received her crumbs. Her daughter is healed.

She understands Jesus' mission is to the lost sheep of Israel, but also that God's grace is so great that even the crumb's are enough.

And I think that Jesus realizes this, or has known all along and has just been waiting for someone to address it, Because it leads directly to the feeding of the 4000. A feeding as great as the feeding of the 5000. Full of healings as well, those who come to Jesus are “the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them.” But, the difference between this and the 5000 is that Jesus does not let the disciples even begin to ask him to send them away. Before they can speak Jesus tells them that he has compassion for the gathered crowds and wants to feed them. In the Gospel Jesus no longer sends anyone away.

In this text we are that woman afraid and concerned about the welfare of her child and the world around us, afraid when people insult us and tell us we are not worthy, tell us that we are not the ones Christ is sent to. And in this text Christ gives us a crumb, all that is needed. But, Christ does not stop, for now we are that crowd, and Christ feeds us and even though only a crumb would suffice, Christ now gives us the hunger filling bread of life and the thirst quenching wine of compassion. Where Christ's mission was only to a few, with grace sufficient for all, now Christ's mission is to all nations, still with grace overflowing.

I like that Jesus. Amen.