Sunday 20th August 2023
Notes
Transcript
I’m not sure if you would agree with me, but I find sometimes things that are shocking seem even more difficult to hear when it comes from certain individuals.
It could just be a media storm in a teacup, but I heard yesterday that the Church of England had issued a statement encouraging worshippers to skip church and watch the Lionesses play today.
Perhaps like me, you have been following the Lucy Letby case -
as if the killing of new born babies wasn’t shocking enough, to hear that a nurse, charged with their care, could be the one who would do such a thing - just heightens our disbelief, shock and the incredible sadness.
Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the family members trying to come to terms with the news.
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Perhaps, like me, the words of Jesus in our reading today fall awkwardly in our ears - how did you feel as you heard the way in which Jesus spoke to the Canaanite woman?
Did it raise any questions in your mind?
Did it seem a bit jarring?
Did you struggle to reconcile the Jesus ‘meek and mild’ with the way in which he addresses the woman who comes to him for help?
I’ve heard a few different takes on this passage over the years -
when I was studying theology I considered a paper written by a feminist theologian - but I’m not going to go there…
but, I did feel convicted to explore a little deeper and share with you some thoughts and hopefully some encouragement, as we consider it together this morning.
The question this passage raises for me is - Why did Jesus speak to her the way he did and say what he said?
You will have heard me encourage us to always think about the context whenever considering a passage of scripture and today is no exception.
Remember: If you take the text out of context you will find yourself left with a ‘con’.
What’s happening here?
As Matthew compiles his biography about Jesus, he has already told us about the account of Jesus walking on the water.
You might recall Jesus reaching out to Peter with the words:
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
As we move into Matthew 15 we see Pharisees and teachers of the law intentionally travelling from Jerusalem to seek out Jesus.
1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
Of course, the questions they have are not about matters of faith, about God’s character, or Jesus’ mission, or any such thing. They want to know why Jesus’ disciples don’t follow the laws around purification and washing.
Notice in verse 2 they even acknowledge that these laws weren’t given as part of the law, but are from the body of rules and regulations that the religious leaders have added and which has become their tradition:
2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
Jesus then spends some time speaking about what God really values -
Are we surprised or maybe challenged to read that it is what ‘ in our hearts - what our motivations are and the purity of our hearts from which springs our words and actions.
11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean’, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean’.”
This brings us to the focus of our passage this morning:
21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
What can we learn from Matthew here? - why does he provide this detail?
What we can see clearly is that Jesus intentionally leaves Galilee and moves into Gentile territory.
From other things that we read later, especially around another miraculous feeding of a different multitude - there is a clear move into another area.
Mark’s account helps us to identify exactly where the woman is from.
26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
Matthew wants us to see that the woman is not a Jew.
Matthew’s words in the original are “And Look...” a technique he has used on chapter 1 to highlight the significance of what he is about to recall.
This encounter is not just some random event - a woman who comes from the great trading nations of Tyre and Sidon, travels intentionally to ‘seek out’ Jesus.
22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
She is agitated and the original text conveys a sense of continuing to shout - she is not going to be easily put off.
Notice also she acknowledges who Jesus is and seems to understand what his mission is:
Lord, Son of David
“Have mercy on me” or
“Take pity on me”
In the context of her faith - it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest this woman, though not a Jew, has come to accept that Jesus is the promised Messiah foretold through Israel’s prophets.
23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
Did you notice that initially Jesus says nothing.
The disciples are not so quiet. They urge him to send her away.
Interestingly, they don’t seem to care that she is not a Jew - they just want her to stop shouting - she’s becoming a nusaince.
Again, the original Greek is that they want Jesus to
“Give her what she wants and then send her away”.
Credit where credit is due - they have never seen Jesus turn anyone away - so why should this time be any different?
I think that it’s the disciples lack of understanding about Jesus’ mission that is quite a significant reason - perhaps certainly one of the reasons - Jesus responds the way he does:
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
The woman comes closer and kneels
25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
She pleads nothing but her need and again acknowledges Jesus ‘as Lord’.
On the surface, what Jesus says next does seem harsh to our 21st Century ears.
In our contemporary culture, in the context of black lives matter, gender diversity, liberal individualisation - is Jesus being racist here, sexist, or just down right politically incorrect?
Or...is he just really keen to emphasis the sovereign will and purposes of God as proclaimed since Abraham -
that Israel was God’s special possession and despite their failing and idolatry - He would redeem them.
Did the disciples need to get that straight first, if everything else was to follow?
Or was it OK to believe that perhaps God is fickle after all and His plans and purposes can be moved or changed with enough pleading and prayer?
What Jesus effectively says, in the context of prophecy and thousands of years of expectations built on the word of God, is this:
If you had a child that was dependant on you for food and you gave that food not to the child but to your pet dog, what kind of parent does that make you?
26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
Of course, dogs needs to be fed also - but would you feed your dog at the expense of your child?
Notice the woman agrees: She says Yes, Lord...
And in agreeing she highlights something that we know in hindsight - but which the disciples are yet to learn...
Dogs also belong in the family and have their place in the household too!
In other words, owners do make sure that dogs get fed also in an appropriate way.
Jesus replies:
28 Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Do you see the difference here that Matthew wants us to see: between the Canaanite woman, the disciples, the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
This encounter is used by Jesus to outline and define the fundamental mission to which Jesus has been called.
In God’s sovereignty the kingdom to which Israel was waiting for was beginning to appear.
Jesus was its herald
Jesus was its anointed king
But God’s covenant was always with Israel first, and would only later encompass all nations.
As Abraham had been told in his vision where he saw the stars that could not be counted and he was told he would be a father to many nations.
That time would come, but it wasn’t yet.
The Cananite woman got it.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law did not.
The disciples did not.
To the Caananite woman - Jesus was the Son of David, the Messiah - she came to Jesus on His terms.
I wonder, do we?
When we break down the conversation with Jesus - not only does he stress the faithfulness of God to his own Sovereign plans - he also allows this woman to show the
Sincerity of her desire
The intensity of her faith
and
The integrity of her faith
She knew that God’s timing was perfect - but that even in that timing, God’s grace will sometimes allow what is foretold for the future, to break into the present.
Jesus would yet need to complete his journey to Jerusalem,
be killed,
rise again and then
send his followers into the world empowered by the Holy Spirit
with a message of hope and deliverance
for all people who will put their faith in this same Messiah.
But it didnt stop her coming to Jesus and leaning into his grace and compassion.
What about us?
Will we rest in the Sovereignty of a God who is faithful?
Is our faith such that it can withstand potential stumbling?
Or will we be stumbled because things don’t go according to our plans,
our wants
our needs
our independdent human understanding about how we think things should be?
Friends - God sets the agenda, not us.
What a blessing that we have the gift of hindsight,
we know how the story unfolds and what the future looks like -
do we trust in that good and faithful Father?
Is our faith one that waivers like Peter?
or dependant on everyone doing what we think they should be doing?
Or is our faith going to be grounded on the truth
that the Creator of the world knows best,
has provided a way in Jesus the Messiah?
We won’t find the basis of such a faith in what the world suggests is important.
Only in what the Word of God says about the God who has revealed Himself and who calls us to Himself, heart, mind, body and soul.
Do you know that Jesus?
Do you know and ‘follow’ that Lord?