"So Much Better Than That" – Matthew 15:21-28

Matthew 15:21-28

Jesus left that place 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 he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He 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.

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So, Jesus and the disciples are cruising along just fine. They’re spreading the Word, their working miracles, their feeding, healing and teaching. I’m sure they’re still talking about that time Peter walked on water, which we heard about last week, even if it was just for a moment. And then along comes this woman – a Canaanite woman; a Gentile woman in the land of Gentiles; and she wants to talk to Jesus. She wants his mercy and his blessing and his healing for her sick daughter and she has the nerve to ask him for it.

I say “nerve” because she was a Gentile, a Canaanite. She was not a Jew, like Jesus and his disciples. She was not one of the “lost sheep of the house of Israel,” as Jesus puts it. And because of that, she wasn’t on his agenda, she wasn’t part of his base. People like her weren’t on his list of priorities. Even though they were in her neck of the woods – the region of Tyre and Sidon – Jesus and the disciples didn’t want anything to do with her.

“Send her away,” the disciples say, “she keeps shouting after us.” “Let’s lose this lady before she makes a scene.” And Jesus tries to brush her off by explaining her away. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” “I’m only here for the Jews. Not for Gentiles. Not for Canaanites. Not for you.”

But she doesn’t give up. She keeps after him. Nevertheless, she persisted, like any good mother would, if she really wanted help for her sick child. Kneeling before Jesus, utterly humbling herself, she begs him simply, “Lord, help me.”

And it gets worse before it gets better. If there’s any doubt that Jesus didn’t want anything to do with this lady, consider what he says next. “It’s not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Yes. It’s as bad as it sounds. What he’s saying is that the good news and blessings he has to share aren’t for her. And not only that, but he compares her to a dog; a dog – unworthy of receiving anything he has to offer.

This is hard to hear for some of us, I know. Either he means it, which can’t be good. Or he’s messing with her to test the fortitude of her faithfulness, which isn’t great, either. So this side of Jesus is not the stuff of Sunday school coloring pages and I understand that – so bear with me for a minute. To not see this side of the story is to miss something big.

What we get a glimpse of here – for my money anyway – is one of the greatest examples of Jesus’ humanity. Even Jesus had put up barriers. Even Jesus had erected boundaries. Even Jesus, it seems, had been influenced by the world he was living in – a world that said there were insiders and outsiders; a world that said some people were more worthy than others; a world that said some belong and some don’t, some are to be forgiven and some never will be, some are loved and some simply aren’t.

It’s not a picture of Jesus we like to consider. It’s not the gracious response we’ve come to expect from our Lord. It’s not the open arms and the open heart and the open mind that we’re used to. And if this is true for Jesus – shouldn’t every single one of us imagine… wonder… consider deeply – that it might also be true of us in more ways than we are always able to recognize or willing to admit?

And hard as it may be to see in Jesus or to acknowledge about ourselves, we must, especially these days in this country, because I believe what happens next for Jesus, is the point in all of this.

What happens when Jesus encounters this nameless Canaanite woman is that he learns something about her, about himself, and about the scope of ministry. This annoying, persistent, foreign, desperate woman – searching for her daughter’s cure – pushed Jesus and his ministry to a new level. What she showed Jesus and what she is now showing us is that we can open our minds and open our hearts and open our arms. We learn from Jesus that his ministry – and ours – is to be without boundary. It is for the outsider and the otherwise unworthy. It is for those who some would say are unforgivable. And it is for those who some find it impossible to love.

For me, the Good News in this morning’s Gospel is found in the humanity we’re allowed to see in Jesus. The even better Good News in this morning’s Gospel is that Jesus, in spite of his humanity, makes a change. And the best news of all in this morning’s Gospel is that it’s an invitation to see that change in ourselves.

I read a story this week about a neo-Nazi, white supremacist, skinhead who has changed his mind and changed his heart and changed his ways. In some small way he credits the words of a woman kind of like the one Jesus encountered in the region of Tyre and Sidon. This guy was in a McDonald’s, somewhere in Canada, I think, but...

Anyway, he was ordering his cheeseburger or his chicken McNuggets or his McCafe cappuccino, or whatever Canadian skinheads eat at McDonald’s, when the elderly African-American woman taking his order noticed the swastika tattooed on his hand. And instead of dropping his Big Mac or spilling his drink or sneezing on his French fries – all appropriate responses, one might think – this little old lady of color looked him in the eye and said, “Oh honey, you’re so much better than that.”

“Oh honey, you’re so much better than that.”

The seed of those gracious words took root and some time, but eventually – along with some therapy and some changing life-circumstances, this neo-Nazi started to believe them. And he started to believe that people like the woman who said them were better than he had believed her to be, too. And now he’s founded a non-profit organization called, “Life after Hate,” and he has dedicated himself to helping people leave neo-Nazi and other extremist hate groups.

“Oh honey, you’re so much better than that.”

As far as I know there aren’t any neo-Nazi’s in the room, and I’m not suggesting Jesus played that role in this story. But, just because we don’t carry torches or have hooded sheets hanging in our closets or swastikas tattooed on our bodies, doesn’t mean we aren’t influenced – just like Jesus seems to have been – by the world and the culture and the systems that surround us. And it can be easy for us to dismiss or deny or just not see the sin of racism and bigotry in our midst and even in ourselves. Again, I say, if Jesus himself had a thing or two to learn about it, shouldn’t each of us at least imagine… at least wonder… at least consider that it might also be true of us in ways we can’t always identify?

But we are so much better than that.

Jesus, as a man of the world, was influenced by the world’s standards and systems and low expectations. Jesus, as a child of God, though, was transformed, changed his mind and offered salvation generously in spite of what the world would say. So the question becomes: How will we – as people of the world and as children of God – respond to the needs that are kneeling before us and begging for help these days in our country where race is concerned?

I think we’re being called to engage those who don’t look or live or believe like we do. And I think that means more than being nice to the people of color we work with and live near or sit by in class – though all of that is a great place to start. I think we’re being called to the districts of Tyre and Sidon, if you will, away from what we know; away from where we feel safe; away from what is comfortable and into the places where people like that Canaanite woman are hurting in ways we can’t possibly understand, because our paths simply haven’t crossed.

(Just so you know – and in the interest of putting my money where my mouth is; of practicing what I preach – I’m working right now to set up some ministry at the prison in Plainfield. And I’m in conversation with an inner-city school about getting involved in some tutoring and mentoring programs there. If you’re interested in joining me for any of that, please let me know.)

Because as followers of Jesus, we are called to more and better and different – and Jesus shows us that we can be changed when we do. Jesus shows us that we can be transformed. Jesus shows us that we can open our hearts and our minds and our lives by drawing close to those from whom the world would keep us separate. And Jesus shows us that we are so much better than that and that God’s grace can work change for us, change through us, and change within us for the sake of the world.

Amen

YOU Give Them Something to Eat – Matthew 14:13-21

Matthew 14:13-21

Now when Jesus heard [about the death of John the Baptist], he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.

When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

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Usually, we think about the feeding of the 5,000 as one of Jesus’ great miracles – maybe THE great miracle, if there were a popularity contest. (You’ve got water to wine, walking on water, a healing here and there, and this feeding of the 5,000, right?) So we wonder about how in the world Jesus could take just two fish and five loaves and stretch them to feed that many people. We marvel at all those leftovers – 12 baskets full – and the idea that if there were about 5,000 men – not including women and children – how many people Jesus really must have fed at the end of that day.

I’ve wondered before at the compassion Jesus had to muster for the crowds that afternoon, when all he really wanted was to be alone to grieve after learning that his cousin and friend, John the Baptist, had just died. It’s amazing to think about all of the people he must have healed or taught or sat down to listen to, in the midst of his grief. And I’ve always wondered what it was that he said to himself when he looked up to heaven and blessed and broke that bread, before doing what he did with it.

But the disciples were there too. And while it’s easy to wonder about all of the other stuff – to focus on the size of the crowds and the lack of food and the miracle of it all – this time around, I found myself thinking about more about the disciples.

It had been a long day and they were probably tired. “Come on Jesus. Time’s up. Let’s lose this crowd and get something to eat,” they said. “These people are probably hungry and ready to get some food for themselves anyway. Let’s get them out of here so we can do the same.”

And in the face of their questions… in response to their doubts… in spite of their laziness, whatever it may have been for them, Jesus says, “YOU give them something to eat.”

“What do you mean, ‘feed them’? Maybe you haven’t noticed, Jesus, but there’s like 5,000 of them on this hill and all we brought with us is a couple of stinky fish and a few loaves of bread.”

“YOU give them something to eat.”

See, the miracle’s a good one and it makes a great story, but if we only focus on what Jesus prayed or on trying to figure out how he did what he did, or on the crowds or the fish or the bread – we’re missing the point. Just like last week’s Gospel really wasn’t about yeast or mustard seeds; and just like the week before wasn’t really about weeds, good seeds, or gardening; today isn’t really about fish or bread or a picnic on the hillside. For me, the Gospel – the Good News – in the story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand is found in Jesus’ short and simple response to the disciples.

“YOU give them something to eat.”

Sure the disciples are still skeptical. Yes Jesus does whatever he does to make the food go as far as it did. But, what he says and what the disciples do is even more profound and powerful if you ask me: “YOU give them something to eat.” Don’t send them away. Don’t look for a way out. Don’t hope for someone else to do it. Don’t wait for tomorrow, even. “YOU give them something to eat.”

And don’t we sound and act like the disciples too much of the time? We don’t have enough bread – whether that means time, or money; energy, willingness, or ability; faith, love, compassion, or whatever. We’re skeptical. We’re pessimistic. We’re preoccupied, distracted, lazy, uninspired, selfish, insecure, unconvinced – just like those disciples were that day. A lot of the time, if you’re anything like me, you’re just downright full of excuses.

But just like the disciples in the Gospel, Jesus gives us something greater than even our best excuses. He gives us more than just another miracle, too. He gives us something better even then bread and fish to chew on. Jesus reveals to us just what a high opinion God has – not only of the lost and lonely; the sick and needy people on that hillside that day for whom he shows so much compassion – but Jesus reveals to us what a high opinion God has of those who believe in and who want to follow him so faithfully.

What I hear Jesus saying is, “Don’t wait for someone else to do it.” “Don’t pretend you don’t have the time or the skills or the resources to do God’s bidding in the world.” “Don’t pretend you’re not qualified or capable.” “Don’t put it off for another day or time or moment when it might be more convenient for you.” “Don’t even wait for me to do it in your place.”

“YOU give them something to eat.”

A few weeks ago, Derek and Sara Ostermeyer approached me about ways to provide our food pantry families with even more than the canned, processed food we’ve been able to offer until now. Because of her heart for the idea and a passion for gardening, Sara has a plan to start growing and sharing fresh vegetables through our Groceries of Grace Food Pantry in the future. We will, very literally, be giving people something more and better and good to eat, along with all the rest, thanks to Sara’s willingness to make it happen.

With the beginning of the new school year, Pastor Aaron heard there was some grumbling from parents in the community about the handful of half days we’ll have over the course of the school year in New Palestine. The grumbling is all about how hard it is to find daycare for working parents on those afternoons. So we’re opening Cross of Grace to host and entertain and care for as many as 50 elementary aged kids on those days in the year ahead. We’re grateful for those of you who’ve already agreed to help, and we hope it will meet a need for some hungry people in a new way.

A month or so go, Kim Wingo, e-mailed to let me know she was looking into starting a new support group for people dealing with suicide. And she’s made that happen. Because of a need in her own life and a perceived need in our community, a new group meets on Thursday nights at 5, in Greenfield. She’s feeding a hunger and meeting a need – she’s taken it upon herself to give people something meaningful to eat.

Isn’t there some way each of us might feed someone, too? Maybe it’s that co-worker you know could use a hand or some encouragement… Maybe it’s a neighbor who’s having a hard time… Maybe it’s something around here – helping with Sunday school, sharing a meal, starting a new small group of your own this fall. Let’s not wait for someone else to do it. Let’s not pretend we aren’t capable or qualified or called, even, to respond to the needs around us. And let’s not wait for Jesus to do it all by himself.

No, let’s be amazed by the story. Let’s wonder about the miracle of Jesus. But let’s think about our mission here, too – as a congregation and as individual followers of Christ. Let’s hear Jesus’ command to give the world something to eat. And let’s realize that we have all we need to make that happen – that because of God’s love for us, we are called and capable of doing the work of Christ in and for the sake of the world – and that when we do, there will be more than enough of that love and grace and hope to go around – with leftovers besides.

Amen