Toward Sunday, August 17, 2014

Scripture:  Matthew 15:(10-20) 21-28
Sermon: 

Jesus is not the main character in this story of the Gospel.   In this story the heart of God and way of God are revealed by a Canaanite woman -- an outsider who the followers of Jesus at first try to shoo away.

Just before this story, Jesus is arguing with the Pharisees.  Both the Pharisees and Jesus are trying to reform and revitalize the people of God.  The Pharisees have been at it for years seemingly with little lasting success, and Jesus has a different idea.  They focus on purity laws and rules of cleanliness that have developed over the generations, assuming that if the people will just follow the traditions they will be acceptable to God.  Jesus, though, says the rules are empty and hollow, and what's needed is an interior change of heart for the people to begin to feel as God feels, and love as God loves.  It's an ancient, eternal argument in any community of faith between tradition and spontaneity, between holy law and holy spirit, between following sacred tradition and following God's leading in the moment.

After this argument a Canaanite woman finds Jesus and begs for healing for her daughter.  The disciples and Jesus both say in effect, "Don't you see we're busy here?  We're trying to revitalize the people of God, and you're not one of them."  They're still focused on their fight with the Pharisees for the loyalty of the people.

But when the woman persists in her request, Jesus realizes that the most important thing is not whether he or the Pharisees win the hearts and minds of the people.  What matters is that however it happens, the people of God fulfil their purpose in the world -- which is to share the love and healing power of God with all the world.

A few questions to start the week towards Sunday:

• do we get side-tracked into debates about how to revitalize ourselves, when the real question is how shall we share God's love and healing power with others?
• who are the "main characters" on the outside of our story and community (who often get shoo-ed away,) whose requests and need for help reveal the heart and way of God to us?
• what does Jesus mean when he says, "Woman, great is your faith!"  She is not an observant Jew who believes any creed; what is her faith?