Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost – Pastor Ellen Mills
I am offering you two ways to receive this. In print, you will need to read the scriptures for yourself, and then the prayer and reflection that follow in this post. If you click on the audio link below (below), you can hear all of it, including the scripture.
Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray,
God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you. Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
Isaiah 56:1,6-8
Psalm 67
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28
Expanding the circle. Jesus was the long awaited Messiah of the Israelites. But what did this mean? Even though there were plenty of passages in Isaiah and in Psalms that implied that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the God of all people and all nations, that doesn’t mean that the Israelites saw beyond their own people. Jesus was the Son of David, and he was a properly brought up Jewish man. And at first, despite that odd recognition from the Magi after his birth, he stayed within the Jewish boundaries. And he had just been having a discussion with the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. They were the religious leaders. Surely, they knew what was what! But this passage begins with some words that would have alarmed people who expected a Messiah only for the Jews. Jesus went to the district of Tyre and Sidon. These weren’t just towns – they were Gentile towns! Gentile meant “the nations” as in not the Jewish people. And Jesus was approached by a woman. And not just any woman – a Canaanite woman – representing the ancient enemies of the Israelites. And she seems to be pushy. She approaches him and shouts out her need of him. Her words themselves are very proper. She identifies Jesus as Lord and Son of David, and uses the ancient cry “Have mercy on me.” She needs healing for her daughter. And somehow, she knows to come to Jesus.
But it doesn’t go very well. Jesus does not answer her. Now if you are seeing this with the expectations of a well brought up Jewish man, of course he doesn’t respond to her. Why should he? But does this sound like the Jesus of the gospels? What is going on? And then, the disciples come and urge Jesus. Urge him to do what? Respond to her? No, they are also under the expectations of how a Jewish man should respond to a Canaanite woman. “Send her away!” She is making a scene! And Jesus answers. I’m not sure if he is answering the disciples or the woman, but both can hear. And Jesus states his mission as the Jewish Messiah. He has come to the lost sheep of Israel. And that could have been the end of the story. He has no obligation to help her. But this woman is persistent. She is still very respectful, both in words and actions. But she will not give up. “Lord, help me.” And then Jesus makes a statement with a shocking word. “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Wow. The “children’s food” implies that only the Jews are entitled to what he offers. But he uses the rude word “dogs” for the Gentiles. This is an insult, but possibly a common way the Jews did refer to the Canaanites. Now if you were a disciple at that moment, what would you be thinking? How far had they come in understanding Jesus or how wide the door of God’s mercy was? Were they about to go on their way, confident that Jesus had put that pushy woman in her place? But she persists. And again, she is respectful. She does not deny that Jesus has come to the sheep of Israel. But she trusts, humbly and audaciously, that there is enough for her daughter as well. Is the grace of God scarce and for a chosen few, or is it abundant and for all?
I wonder what happened then. Was there a loud gasp from the disciples that this Canaanite woman had dared respond, using Jesus’ imagery, but enlarging it so that the mercy of God covered more than them? Jesus does not rebuke her. He does not walk away. Instead he draws attention to her great faith. And remember, these disciples had just recently heard the lack of Peter’s faith remarked upon as Peter sank in the lake. The disciples have been with Jesus day and night, and they still think that the love and mercy of God fits within their boundaries and understanding and they are the only ones entitled to receive that love and mercy. Even though Isaiah, a scripture they would have known well, states, “Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel. I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.” And to this bold Canaanite woman, Jesus grants the immediate healing of her daughter.
Insiders and outsiders. The gospels are full of these stories. The religious leaders made clear who was in and who was out, who was clean and who was not. But Jesus did not seem to stay within these boundaries. We do not know why he first responded to the woman as he did. Was Jesus himself having his vision expanded by the true nature of God’s mercy? Or was he stating what he and the disciples had been taught to show the contrast with what God intended? How abundant is God’s grace? Do we live as though it is endless and for all? Do we push the boundaries ourselves to make sure that all receive it, not just the ones who think they are entitled? Or do we expect some people to keep their place and be silent while the approved ones get it all? Over and over, in scripture and through the history of the church, some believe that they are appointed to be the gatekeepers of God. But the love and grace of God will not be held in or limited to just a few. Grace will abound. Are we gatekeepers or boundary pushers? Do we see others as God sees them, and do we allow God to keep expanding our vision and our hearts? Amen.
Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.
Lord, you gather the church to be part of your mission as ambassadors of Jesus Christ. As Jesus acknowledged the great faith of a woman from outside his people, help your church discover and find blessing in the faith of people we might reject. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
You have blessed us with the bounty of the earth. Grant your grace to all your creatures, that the earth will flourish. Relieve waters choked by garbage, renew soils stripped of nutrients, and refresh the air all creatures need to live. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
You call the nations to be glad and sing for joy. Let your way be known among all the nations of the world, now divided by competing interests, contending alliances, and consumed by enormous worry. Bless us and make your face shine upon all. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
You show unexpected mercy, kindness and generosity. We pray for those who do not have enough, for outcasts in our villages, cities and towns, and for those who need your healing. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In you we live and move and have our being. Grant our congregation grace to find our life refreshed in you. Accompany us in the rhythms of late summer. Give us rest and renewal, and strengthen us for mission in your name. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Walk with this congregation as we listen to and meet our pastoral candidate, and vote on his call. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Your eternal promises are more than we could even imagine. As you gather all the saints, join us with them on the great day of your salvation. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine upon you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor and give you peace.
Amen.