Matthew 15:21-28
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Galatians 3:26-29
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.
Galatians 3:26-29
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The world is such a big problem for Christians – well it is for everybody but sometimes we Christians – by which I mean myself – I always have to decide is this something which we need to or should address in the church? Does the church, by which I mean scripture have something to say, something to add to the discussion?
Usually, most of the time, I would say the issues we face as a society and as individuals have adequate representation outside of the church- there are lots of advocacy groups for all kinds of things: climate change, greening our environment, old growth trees, animal rights, human rights and as individuals we can seek out information and add our numbers to the groups already in process.
But then there are times when I think- yes the church does have something to say – maybe it can’t solve the whole problem or maybe not any of it but scripture can give us a way to look at things from a different perspective.
On a personal note I want to acknowledge that I didn’t feel any need to address the issue of racism – or LGBTQTT rights- or even the TRC or Indigenous concerns.
1) because I understand these to be systemic problems
2) because it is addressed elsewhere in our lives
3) because I thought/think life is tough for everyone – me you- everyone has their issues, their traumas, everyone has problems in their lives.
So what has changed – because here I am talking away!
Well! June is PRIDE month, June is Indigenous History- June is a confluence of things crying out to be talked about; however much I dislike labels telling me what to address or be interested in.
We think there is evidence of 215 children’s bodies found on the grounds of a residential school in Kamloops- 215 families who waited and longed for their children to come home – and they never knew what happened to them. That’s 215 children who died without their families to comfort and surround them with love.
Another 4 people of the Islamic faith have been killed in Canada on a Sunday evening because they were Muslims, because of what they looked like.. One little boy lost his whole family and is suffering from his own injuries in the hospital.
And I was talking to Cecilia about racism one day – and that conversation stayed with me for quite awhile. Yes talking about it with another human being has that dynamic capacity to make us hear ourselves as well as the other person.
We are quick to say things but in the aftermath we then have to grapple with what we said. Where do the ideas I have about skin colour come from? What do I think about other faiths – what about the People of the Book – who all worship the same God calling God different names _ Yahweh, God, Allah. Am I a racist? – a little bit, a lot, a hiding from myself racist, a blatant racist – how would I even know when I live in a place where most people look and sound like me to some extent.
But most of all – I want to try and get a handle on what scripture says. It’s not that easy – there’s a lot of scripture.
And times are so changed but my thinking is that even though the times have changed – people haven’t changed all that much.
When Jesus was asked in Matthew 22:36-40:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment
in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind..”
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
So the question raised by this passage is “Who was the neighbour for Jesus?” Yes I know we like to say everyone but in the scripture passage from Matthew it doesn’t sound to me like Jesus thought the Canaanite woman was a part of his mission – he was sent to the Jews- so he saw that as his starting point – all the Jews – the Pharisees who were so enmeshed in law they couldn’t see humanity, tainted Jews like tax collectors and lost Jews like the Samaritans. Mark’s gospel chapter 7 verse 26 says “Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syro-Phoenician origin.”
And the story is a little different from the Matthew but worth hearing again because remember this is Jesus talking:
“She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Jesus likens this Gentile or pagan woman to a dog. This woman is not a Jew. This woman is not Jesus’ neighbour.
And it is not because she was a woman as we have other instances of Jesus being quite open in talking to women including the Samaritan woman at the well – no the stopping point was the woman’s faith – her Gentile faith – she was not part of God’s chosen people and so Jesus saw no compelling reason to expend time on her.
But he is persuaded by her words to grant her daughter healing just as he is persuaded by the Roman centurion in Matthew to heal his servant in Matthew 8.
So Jesus understands that he is sent to this select group identified as Jews, but he widens the circle a little – just enough to let you know that he is in a milieu where Gentiles are present – he may not be fully aware of them but they are aware of him.
We know that there were Gentiles interested in Judaism and that they were allowed in the outer courts of the temple. They were there but not accorded equal rights with the Jews nor would there have been any intermingling – they were on the fringes in the synagogues and temple.
But then along comes Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus and he brings this “who is in the circle” debate to a head as his ministry brings him into contact with more and more Gentile followers.
The first confrontation takes place between Paul and Peter described in Galatians 2:11-21 when Peter after eating with Gentiles is faced with having to choose: Do I eat with Gentiles now that good Jews from Jerusalem are here to see me? or Do I sit and eat with the Jews who are clean and pure?
(Paul sits with the Gentiles after Paul reminds him God’s grace is for Jews and Gentiles))
The second confrontation is when Paul goes to Jerusalem to talk with James in Acts 15.
The question before them is whether Gentiles have to become Jews to be followers of the Way, followers of Jesus. James is clearly the authority in Jerusalem and he along with many of the followers including Pharisees want Gentiles to be circumcised and follow the Law – in essence they have to become Jewish. Peter, Paul and Barnabas speak about how the Holy Spirit and God are working among the Gentiles leading them to be followers of Jesus. James and the others are convinced that Paul, Barnabas and Peter should continue their work among the Gentiles without circumcision being required but that they should abstain from the most offensive pagan behaviours: idol worship, non kosher meat, and sexual immorality.
We can clearly see there is a division between the Jewish followers of the Way and the Gentile followers.
There is an in group and an out group- there is an us and a them.
There are people who want the group to maintain a Jewish identity, that is men would have to be circumcised and they would have to follow the Law of Moses. and a group who say that God’s Good news is for everyone Gentile and Jew without the need to become a Jew first.
The last scripture verses we will look at today is Paul making that circle even wider, drawing in all those who were on the fringes looking over people’s heads trying to see what is going on, looking through the screens for a glimpse of the inner circle, those who felt they didn’t quite belong because they were Gentile, or a woman, or a slave.
Paul’s opens that circle wide so that all believers are included: Jew and Gentile, Men and women, slave and free but Paul’s circle only included those who believed and were baptised into Christ.
Today we open that circle of God’s grace even wider
Who is included
You me
The whole LGBTQTT and hetrosexual communities
Colour of skin – it doesn’t matter
Rich-poor – you get no special treatment - you are all special
Faith affiliation – God’s grace is bigger than I can imagine
Anything that you think divides us
God’s love is going to penetrate and
Make the circle wider
Until we all realize and recognize that
We are all God’s people
Worthy of God’s love
Today we are all included in God’s grace.
Today we are all neighbours!
Usually, most of the time, I would say the issues we face as a society and as individuals have adequate representation outside of the church- there are lots of advocacy groups for all kinds of things: climate change, greening our environment, old growth trees, animal rights, human rights and as individuals we can seek out information and add our numbers to the groups already in process.
But then there are times when I think- yes the church does have something to say – maybe it can’t solve the whole problem or maybe not any of it but scripture can give us a way to look at things from a different perspective.
On a personal note I want to acknowledge that I didn’t feel any need to address the issue of racism – or LGBTQTT rights- or even the TRC or Indigenous concerns.
1) because I understand these to be systemic problems
2) because it is addressed elsewhere in our lives
3) because I thought/think life is tough for everyone – me you- everyone has their issues, their traumas, everyone has problems in their lives.
So what has changed – because here I am talking away!
Well! June is PRIDE month, June is Indigenous History- June is a confluence of things crying out to be talked about; however much I dislike labels telling me what to address or be interested in.
We think there is evidence of 215 children’s bodies found on the grounds of a residential school in Kamloops- 215 families who waited and longed for their children to come home – and they never knew what happened to them. That’s 215 children who died without their families to comfort and surround them with love.
Another 4 people of the Islamic faith have been killed in Canada on a Sunday evening because they were Muslims, because of what they looked like.. One little boy lost his whole family and is suffering from his own injuries in the hospital.
And I was talking to Cecilia about racism one day – and that conversation stayed with me for quite awhile. Yes talking about it with another human being has that dynamic capacity to make us hear ourselves as well as the other person.
We are quick to say things but in the aftermath we then have to grapple with what we said. Where do the ideas I have about skin colour come from? What do I think about other faiths – what about the People of the Book – who all worship the same God calling God different names _ Yahweh, God, Allah. Am I a racist? – a little bit, a lot, a hiding from myself racist, a blatant racist – how would I even know when I live in a place where most people look and sound like me to some extent.
But most of all – I want to try and get a handle on what scripture says. It’s not that easy – there’s a lot of scripture.
And times are so changed but my thinking is that even though the times have changed – people haven’t changed all that much.
When Jesus was asked in Matthew 22:36-40:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment
in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind..”
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
So the question raised by this passage is “Who was the neighbour for Jesus?” Yes I know we like to say everyone but in the scripture passage from Matthew it doesn’t sound to me like Jesus thought the Canaanite woman was a part of his mission – he was sent to the Jews- so he saw that as his starting point – all the Jews – the Pharisees who were so enmeshed in law they couldn’t see humanity, tainted Jews like tax collectors and lost Jews like the Samaritans. Mark’s gospel chapter 7 verse 26 says “Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syro-Phoenician origin.”
And the story is a little different from the Matthew but worth hearing again because remember this is Jesus talking:
“She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” 28But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” 30So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Jesus likens this Gentile or pagan woman to a dog. This woman is not a Jew. This woman is not Jesus’ neighbour.
And it is not because she was a woman as we have other instances of Jesus being quite open in talking to women including the Samaritan woman at the well – no the stopping point was the woman’s faith – her Gentile faith – she was not part of God’s chosen people and so Jesus saw no compelling reason to expend time on her.
But he is persuaded by her words to grant her daughter healing just as he is persuaded by the Roman centurion in Matthew to heal his servant in Matthew 8.
So Jesus understands that he is sent to this select group identified as Jews, but he widens the circle a little – just enough to let you know that he is in a milieu where Gentiles are present – he may not be fully aware of them but they are aware of him.
We know that there were Gentiles interested in Judaism and that they were allowed in the outer courts of the temple. They were there but not accorded equal rights with the Jews nor would there have been any intermingling – they were on the fringes in the synagogues and temple.
But then along comes Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus and he brings this “who is in the circle” debate to a head as his ministry brings him into contact with more and more Gentile followers.
The first confrontation takes place between Paul and Peter described in Galatians 2:11-21 when Peter after eating with Gentiles is faced with having to choose: Do I eat with Gentiles now that good Jews from Jerusalem are here to see me? or Do I sit and eat with the Jews who are clean and pure?
(Paul sits with the Gentiles after Paul reminds him God’s grace is for Jews and Gentiles))
The second confrontation is when Paul goes to Jerusalem to talk with James in Acts 15.
The question before them is whether Gentiles have to become Jews to be followers of the Way, followers of Jesus. James is clearly the authority in Jerusalem and he along with many of the followers including Pharisees want Gentiles to be circumcised and follow the Law – in essence they have to become Jewish. Peter, Paul and Barnabas speak about how the Holy Spirit and God are working among the Gentiles leading them to be followers of Jesus. James and the others are convinced that Paul, Barnabas and Peter should continue their work among the Gentiles without circumcision being required but that they should abstain from the most offensive pagan behaviours: idol worship, non kosher meat, and sexual immorality.
We can clearly see there is a division between the Jewish followers of the Way and the Gentile followers.
There is an in group and an out group- there is an us and a them.
There are people who want the group to maintain a Jewish identity, that is men would have to be circumcised and they would have to follow the Law of Moses. and a group who say that God’s Good news is for everyone Gentile and Jew without the need to become a Jew first.
The last scripture verses we will look at today is Paul making that circle even wider, drawing in all those who were on the fringes looking over people’s heads trying to see what is going on, looking through the screens for a glimpse of the inner circle, those who felt they didn’t quite belong because they were Gentile, or a woman, or a slave.
Paul’s opens that circle wide so that all believers are included: Jew and Gentile, Men and women, slave and free but Paul’s circle only included those who believed and were baptised into Christ.
Today we open that circle of God’s grace even wider
Who is included
You me
The whole LGBTQTT and hetrosexual communities
Colour of skin – it doesn’t matter
Rich-poor – you get no special treatment - you are all special
Faith affiliation – God’s grace is bigger than I can imagine
Anything that you think divides us
God’s love is going to penetrate and
Make the circle wider
Until we all realize and recognize that
We are all God’s people
Worthy of God’s love
Today we are all included in God’s grace.
Today we are all neighbours!
