I was honored by being asked to give the sermon message at my church on August 16-17, 2008.
The readings for the day and the text follow:

Genesis

Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, "Send everyone away from me." So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For the famine has been in the land these two years; and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth, and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay. You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have. I will provide for you there--since there are five more years of famine to come--so that you and your household, and all that you have, will not come to poverty. And now your eyes and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my own mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father how greatly I am honored in Egypt, and all that you have seen. Hurry and bring my father down here." Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, while Benjamin wept upon his neck. And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him.

Romans

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

Matthew

Let’s start with the Old Testament lesson. About twenty years have passed in the life of Joseph since the reading from last week. We know that he was sold into slavery by his brothers. He served his master faithfully, only to be betrayed by his master’s wife and thrown into prison based on her false accusations. While in prison, he met Pharaoh’s head servant and chief baker. Both were troubled by dreams that they did not understand. Joseph was able to interpret the dreams and assured the servant that he would be taken from the prison and restored to his position, while the baker would meet an executioner’s rope. Both prophecies proved to be correct.

When Pharaoh started having troubling dreams, the servant remembered Joseph’s gift of interpretation and summoned him out of prison. Joseph told Pharaoh that a seven year famine would follow the next seven years of prosperity and that he needed to take steps to provide for his people. Pharaoh gave Joseph power that was second only to him and put him in charge of collecting grain for the upcoming famine.

The famine covered all the earth, extending beyond Egypt into Canaan where Joseph’s father Jacob (now Israel) and his brothers lived. When they heard that there was food in abundance in Egypt, they went with sacks of money hoping to buy some for themselves.

Joseph did not reveal himself to his brothers at first, but sent them back with the food they asked for and instructions that they should return with their brother Benjamin. What the “boys” didn’t realize until much later is that Joseph had not only given them the food they asked for, but had returned the money to them as well.

It was only after they returned with Benjamin that Joseph revealed himself to them and invited them to come and live with him and, with Pharaoh’s blessing, they were established onto some of the finest land in Egypt.

Okay, so let’s leave this story here for now. We will come back to it later.

Looking at the Gospel lesson, or should I say lessons, I am struck that the two events are so seemingly different, yet so intrinsically tied together. Jesus goes from vilifying the Pharisees and saying that it is what proceeds from the heart that defiles a person to the encounter with this Canaanite woman. What I find particularly surprising is the apparent harshness of Jesus’ words to this woman. She says, “Have mercy on me.” At first he does not speak, but ultimately responds, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” She says, “Lord help me.” Again he says, “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dog.” The Gospel of Mark also describes this encounter, and again in his account, Jesus refers to the woman as a dog.

Let me step back for just a moment to apologize to dog-lovers like myself. Dogs are the most loyal and loving creatures on the planet. In fact, if we all treated each other the way dogs treat their caregivers, the world would be a better place. If you’re ever looking for an example of agape love, consider the way a dog will greet you regardless of how long you’ve been gone; whether for a day, a week, or just a few minutes. You can be clean or dirty, cheerful or sullen. You can be focused on him or preoccupied with something or someone else. It doesn’t matter. A dog will be there to gladly receive you, offering you its most precious belonging. Okay, so maybe it’s just a rolled up sock, or a squeaky toy, but it’s everything he has to give and it’s given freely. But I digress…

The use of the word “dog” is taken from the cultural and ethnic divisions that existed in the region. The people of Canaan and the Hebrews held each other in mutual distain. They considered each other dogs, sub-human, not worthy of any respect or consideration.

In Mark’s account of this encounter, we learn that she was a Greek, living in a region of Syria known as Phoenicia. Some texts refer to her as Syrophonecian. This woman though, was I’m sure, quite happy and proud of her heritage. She was Greek, after all, like her mother, and grandmother before her. The Greeks at one point were the center of the civilized world. Although that status had waned somewhat a few hundred years before the birth of Christ, they still had a proud heritage. We still marvel at their advances in science and medicine. Hypocrites, the father of modern medicine, was a Greek. We do not know the specific ailment her daughter suffered from but, no doubt, this woman sought help for her daughter from her own people. Sadly though, no Greek physician could help her.

The prospect of reaching out to a Hebrew, with all of their odd customs, must have been humiliating to her. The Jews were beneath her. Yet, according to the Gospel of Mark, she had heard of this Jesus. What specifically she had heard, we will never know.

We can surmise that she knew he was a healer. But did she know of his divinity? Had she heard of the prophesies of Isaiah and Jeremiah? Had she heard of the supernatural events surrounding his birth? Did she know that he was the long promised Savior, the Messiah? My guess is yes, at least to some of it. If she saw Jesus as only a healer, instead of calling out for mercy, she would have come with coins in her hand. You are expected to pay a physician aren’t you? She knew of his royal lineage because she addressed him as “Lord, Son of David.” Perhaps she knew also that he was in fact the one sent to rescue the House of Israel. Because of this, she recognized that she really was unworthy. But, still she came and asked for mercy.

She asked for Jesus help. The woman was desperate; calling earnestly to Jesus, asking for a mere scrap, a morsel of grace. For her, a scrap was enough. For her and her daughter, it would be a life changing experience. We know the power that a mere scrap, a tiny morsel, a tidbit of God’s grace can have on our lives and the lives of others.

We are nurtured and sustained by few drops of wine and a pinch of bread or a paper thin wafer. The slightest morsel of Christ’s body and blood is enough to sustain us. We witness the life changing experience brought about by the sprinkling of a few drops of water on a baby’s forehead. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, a child is transformed and made part of the body of Christ in this seemingly insignificant act. We have doubtless heard anecdotes about times when a single kind word or gesture have had profound effects on people’s lives.

…but back to our Gospel lesson…

I have read a number of articles by people trying to explain what is happening here. Some suggest that she earned the healing of her daughter by her persistence. Some suggest that Jesus was tired and cranky from the journey and was simply showing his human side. Others suggest that it was only through the cleverness of her debate that she was able to convince Jesus to act on her behalf. Martin Luther describes Christ’s actions as one of a hunter, chasing faith in his followers in order that it may become strong and firm. Ultimately, he concedes that Jesus is “caught” by what he describes as a “masterly stroke” in the debate between them.

Now, I have never been accused of being a biblical scholar. I cannot spell Deuteronomy (although thanks to Bill Gates, it is spelled correctly here in my text), Leviticus makes my head hurt, I am too afraid to read Revelations. Having said that, I offer my apologies to great scholars and theologians who have studied and written much about this, particularly Martin Luther; but I see this encounter differently.

The story begins after Jesus walks out to the boat on the Sea of Galilee. They put to shore at Gennesaret, a town on the northwestern shore. Here, as we have heard, Jesus lambastes the Pharisees for their self righteousness and hypocrisy. We hear the all to familiar lesson about how purity comes from within.

They then travel 20, 30, perhaps 40 miles northwest to the region of Tyre and Sidon, both Mediterranean seaports. This would have been a journey of one or two days, depending on whether they went over or around the mountain that stood in their way. During the trip, did they talk more about the words Jesus had said in Gennesaret? Maybe, maybe not.

When they reach their destination, they encounter this Canaanite woman begging for help. The disciples respond with sneers, calling on Jesus to send her away. She was bothering them, and besides, she was only a woman, and a Greek.

Matthew reports that Jesus did not answer her at first. But was it that he did not answer her? Or that he simply did not answer? Could it be that he was standing there in stunned silence at what he was hearing from his disciples. Could it be that he was standing there thinking, “Who are you people? I don’t think I even know you? Weren’t you paying attention to what I was saying back on the shore of Galilee?”

So, turning to the woman, he speaks the words “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dog.” Not as a rebuff, but as a way of bringing the attitude of his followers to the forefront. I believe that he refers to her as a dog, not to dismiss her, but to mirror, to shine a light on the self-righteous and hateful words he had just heard. It’s as if he were saying, “You have heard them. What do you say?” The woman responds with those words that open the salvation that had been promised to Israel, to all people, regardless of race, culture, sex, ethnicity, age, sexuality…..

I don’t believe that anything that Jesus said or did during his brief ministry was unintentional or haphazard. God had spent centuries preparing humanity for these three short years. This moment, like so many others, was perfectly staged and executed for us to learn and understand. What is striking is that after this encounter, Jesus left the area, returning to the shores of Galilee. It’s as if he came to this place solely for this encounter.

This same message of the universal promise is echoed in the parable of the Great Feast. The invitations went out, the feast was prepared, but none of those who were invited came. The host then called for and welcomed anyone who would come. Yes, Jesus is the long promised Messiah, the one who would redeem Israel, God’s chosen people. But he is also the savior to all who come to him.

Now, I am a baptized member of the Church of God, the Body of Christ. I’ve attended Sunday School and Confirmation classes. I’ve heard these messages countless times in worship services. I know that I am called proclaim the Gospel, to be Christ’s Light in the world. I know what God expects from me.

With this knowledge, would I dare, like the disciples, to harbor a thought or utter a word that would cause my Lord to stand in stunned silence and say “Who are you? I don’t know you.” Sadly though, I do. Even sadder is that at times it is so easy and natural that I am moved to stand back, looking at myself and say “Who are you?”

This is particularly true in instances where in my own self righteousness, I decide that people are not worth the time of day, let alone a scrap of the love and grace that I receive so freely from God.

By the way, self righteousness is such a perfect little sin isn’t it? After all, who am I to proclaim that I am righteous when I am only made pure by the grace of God.

Now with loved ones, family and friends; love flows like gravy at Thanksgiving. Oh yeah, I pour it out on the mashed potatoes, on the turkey, on the stuffing. Who cares if I get some on the green beans. It’s gravy and it’s all good and there’s never too much. There are acquaintances and even strangers who are easily offered a kind word or gesture.

There are the poor and homeless who we seek out and are touched by the generosity of this congregation. It’s easy to give out scraps of God’s love and mercy. We give scraps of time, bits of extra food, clothing we no longer need. This stuff is easy and we are blessed to be able to serve in the name of Christ.

Among the things that are hard for me is dealing with my own “dogs of Canaan.” There is the person who may cut me off in the line at Wal-mart. I find myself muttering “jerk” under my breath. Or the person who may be driving in front of me and is not going as fast as I would like, or the person driving behind me who wants to go faster than I want to. Of course these are just all relatively benign events and I never actually encounter these people face to face, but as Luther taught, to withhold love is akin to hate, and hate is akin to murder, and there you have it, I find myself coming to the Lord asking for mercy, confident though, that I will be made whole with just a scrap of His grace. Confident because the gifts of God are given freely to all who seek Him.

Returning to our Old Testament lesson, It’s intriguing to see the parallels in the two stories. In the Genesis lesson, we see people from Canaan seeking help from a foreign lord; that is, a seemingly foreign lord who is actually of the same flesh. And although they are unworthy of any kindness, they are met ultimately with outstretched arms and merciful abundance. Here too, in the Gospel lesson, we again see a person from Canaan, seeking help from a foreign lord. And although unworthy (as all are, as illustrated in Paul’s letter “For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all”), her prayer is answered. In both cases, people were saved simply because they came.

So I urge each of you to come before the Lord, with your troubles, with your joy. Bring your sickness and your health. Come with your faithfulness. Come with your brokenness.

I pray that you live in peace with yourselves, with the people in your lives, peace in your relationship with God. Peace with the knowledge that Jesus is Lord of all and he opens his arms to all who simply come to him in faith.

In His holy name, Amen