9th Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28 (NRSV)
Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28 (NRSV)
The Canaanite woman's daughter is healed
( Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile." )
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.
Reflection
( Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile." )
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.
Reflection
Two different scenes here, both dealing with words/actions that come out of the mouth. The ceremonial laws of what is clean and what isn't clean seem to have no absolute moral validity. The mouth is not the opening of spiritual waste. The mouth is used for food that feeds the body. What comes out of the mouth in spiritual content comes from the thoughts of the heart. What defiles is not the food that the body has used for nourishment and the waste goes in the sewer. What defiles are the words that come out of my mouth that come from the evil intentions of my heart. That's the nasty stuff that I need to repent and replace with what God would have in my heart.
In the second scene we are in Gentile country. A woman approaches Jesus. Jesus must have been able to see her faith grow right before his eyes. Jews referred to Gentiles as dogs. Dogs like to sit under the table and eat the scraps that fall. Dogs weren't viewed as lovely pets then. Dogs were garbage eaters and a nuisance.
The loving mother comes in need for her daughter that is being tormented. She pleads to Jesus for help. The woman's reply to Jesus about the fairness of feeding the food to the dogs, shows her faith and strength and her love in taking this risk for her daughter. Jesus saw her faith grow before his eyes. The woman's daughter was healed from a distance by Jesus.
Isn't that somewhat similar to how we go in prayer for a loved one. We plead to God for help and comfort. We gladly sweep up the crumbs from the table and realize we have been given a banquet of blessings, small and large even in the midst of the pain and suffering. Sometimes we need to look at how our faith builds and how we learn to love God for all that we have.
Jesus love overflows to our sick relative and those in the hospital all around us. Jesus love overflows to those we meet throughout the day. The crumbs we have been fed become the very body of Christ in our day and overflows to all we meet. Thanks be to God! Our faith grows.
Prayer
Lord, all I need are the crumbs. You are my life and salvation. Those crumbs of bread and those drops of wine are enough to go all around this world. Those crumbs and those drops are mighty. To me and to my family and to all people. --- Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment