Lent 2

 

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

Once again in today's Gospel lesson we see Christ Jesus our Lord plunge into battle. Last week it was a battle against Satan – a battle against that evil dude over there, a battle that we could watch. But the battle today that Jesus fights, it's not an over there battle, it's an in here battle, an in the heart of every sinful fallen man sort of battle. It's a battle against arrogance and division, and suffering. Yes, the human heart is so often a wretched place – and Christ Jesus comes to heal and correct it. Listen.

Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region – pause here, because the set up here is important. In Matthew 15 Jesus has been dealing with division and bickering. The Pharisees saw Jesus, His miracles, His healings, and they decided that in response to raise a stink because they didn't think they disciples were washing their hands often enough. We have our traditions, our customs – they keep us as the good people, and Your disciples don't do them! Because, of course, the proper response to Jesus' healings is to nitpick. And Jesus rebukes the Pharisees, but the disciples are confused – isn't tradition the way that you prove you are good? Our heritage as pious Jews? And in response Jesus finally says - But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.  These are what defile a person. The heart, this is the problem, the source.

And so Jesus takes the disciples away from the Pharisees and leads them up north to Gentile country. And there a Canaanite woman approaches. Remember that the Canaanites were the various peoples that had dwelt in the holy land before the Children of Israel conquered it. These are the ancient enemies of Israel, and have been for 1500 years. Come, disciples, listen to what she says. Behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O LORD, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. Jesus is silent here – Jesus is quiet – He is listening to the what the disciples will say, how they will respond to this most amazing of events. And I say it is amazing because this is a Canaanite Woman – she's an emblem of evil. The Canaanite women were the ones who seduced all the good little boys and led them away into vile paganism that ended up getting the temple destroyed and Judah carried off to exile in Babylon. You don't hang around the Canaanite women.

And yet – hear what she says. The Pharisees do nothing but complain about Jesus and seek reasons to ignore Him – yet this woman calls Jesus Lord. She calls Him the Son of David – she asserts that David should rule her homeland and that Jesus is the rightful Heir and Ruler! Would that the children of Israel would be as faithful as this woman! And her need is serious – her daughter is oppressed by a demon. Do you get the contrast – the surprise, the confusion? Someone whom old prejudices would have assumed to be a villain makes a wonderfully faithful confession! Alright, disciples – what do you make of this?

And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” Often people will try to defend the Disciples here, saying that they are asking Jesus to just heal her already and send her off, but I think that's too gentle with them. They hear this woman's pleas, her cries – and they just complain that she is annoying them. Jesus, can't you say something to scare this braying donkey away? Chase her off for us? For out of the heart come all sorts of evil... including not even caring about a demon-oppressed little girl. The disciples are so steeped, so caught up in their own identity as Jewish men that they cannot hear or see this woman and her cries with anything close to compassion or mercy – even though she calls out to Jesus so clearly and purely.

Identity is becoming a bigger and bigger topic in our day and age, and not in a good way. We are to state our identity, perhaps change it today, and that identity supposed to determine all that we say, think, or do – who we can like, who we can care about. Find your tribe, find your group – and anyone else, tough. It's as though decades of fighting against discrimination and prejudice are being undone for the most selfish and base grabs for power and control. But, that's been the way of the world apart from Christ – break into groups, fight it out, hate, kill, destroy – then splinter your own group into new, smaller groups and keep on fighting – because that's the only way you can prove that you are good enough. After all, the disciples aren't good enough Jews – they didn't wash their hands the right way, at least that's what the Pharisees say. Is this what life is to be? Our existence on earth? Not loving and serving the neighbor but finding a reason to ignore them and despise them? Is this what we really want?

So Jesus throws the gauntlet to His disciples. I'll turn your disdain up a notch – Me, send her away? Hah! I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Well, if we are playing identity politics, and breaking down into groups and such, I can't be bothered to do anything then, guess you disciples are out of luck. This is rubbing the disciples nose in it. But what of the woman? She's just heard this dismissive jibe from Jesus. What is she to do? She doubles downs as well – But she came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, help me.” She gets in Jesus' way – she kneels, she worships before Him. Lord, help me – I'm here, right now, I need help. What faithfulness! What persistence! This woman refuses to pay attention to any of this pride/ego/identity tomfoolery that the disciples are caught in – straight to Jesus. Lord, help me.

And He answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” This is the Jesus you want, disciples? See, He'll speak the disdain you had for this woman out loud – He'll call her what you were thinking of her – she's a mangy little “female dog.” And if we live and run by the stupid fights of society today, we should all applaud, way to go Jesus, way to put her in her place! And yet, this woman, this faithful woman – she knows who Jesus is. She said, “Yes, Lord” Pause. Yes, what You say is true – I am a mangy little dog who deserves nothing from You. I certainly don't need to have anything taken from the children and given to me. But that's not what is needed here, is it? Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' tables. I know I'm lowly – that's why I'm here before You, Jesus. I'm lowly, and I need Your care – my daughter needs Your care – and it's not a big thing, not an expense for You. It's not even table scraps or left overs, it's just crumbs to You. That is how rich, how high, how worthy You are.

Do you hear this disciples, do you understand? Then Jesus answered her – her. Now, dear women, I'll deal with you. No more putting on a show for the disciples, no more object lessons for them – let's deal with you, dear woman. “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. You believe with your heart and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, for what is in the heart comes forth through the mouth, and you are saved, dear lady.

The demon wasn't the problem here – Jesus swats that little gnat away with ease. If Jesus can defy Satan and all His power like we heard last week, this piddly demon is as nothing. No, the problem, the wickedness and evil that Jesus addresses and deals with today is here – in the heart. So often we find, we search out reasons not to love our neighbor, not to serve them, not to pray for them. Instead, we will critique them and categorize them and villify them – all so that we have reason to dismiss and ignore them. Jesus' disciples don't wash their hands right – we can write Him off as a teacher. This woman's the wrong race – ignore her. And I'm sure with just a little bit of pondering we can see all sorts of parallels in our own lives today. Perhaps even right now your own sinful flesh is really striving hard to focus on how those people over their make their silly categorizations. Perhaps, but now is the time for thought on your own disdain. Confess that. Repent of that. Your value, your worth is not is how great you are or how lousy they are. Your value is somewhere else.
This Canaanite woman, she was highly valued by Jesus. Of herself, she was a nobody, a no one. Didn't deserve anything. Yet, she had faith in Christ Jesus. And that's everything. It isn't blood or race or heritage that makes one a child of God – faith brings that about. Faith that hears and clings to the gracious Word of God, over and against all the stupidity spewed forth in anger and wickedness. So remember the Word that God has spoken to you. The Word attached to Water that says while you may be a miserable sinner of yourself, you are now a child of God The Triune God has washed and redeemed you, made you a co-heir with Christ Jesus who shares in all that is His. Remember the Word of God which declares that your sin is forgiven, that you are rescued from sin and death. Remember the Word of God where Jesus says that He Himself gives you His Body and Blood for the remission of your sin. Over and against all the categorization and filing and backbiting of the world there stands the Cross of Christ Jesus – Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world – the sin of whatever silly distinctions we think up next. And all who hear what Jesus has done and believe receive the benefits of His life and salvation – as simple as that.

And so these two things will be at play in your life – your old sinful flesh will drive and push you to find reasons to sneer and look down upon your neighbor, while faith will draw you to Christ and His mercy, His mercy for you and His mercy for even those people you are told to hate, whom you might have reason to hate. And so Jesus will pour His Word upon you, to crush your sinful heart, but also to give you His life by the Gospel, by the good news of His salvation that He has won for you and for all. The Son of David indeed has mercy even upon you. In the Name of Christ the Crucified +