Sermon Proper 15
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Matthew 15:21-28
The consumer attitude of church goers has created the recent phenomena of church shopping. As soon as someone frees themselves of a congregation, and they are still in the habit of going to church and supporting a church, they begin the seemingly acceptable practice of shopping for a church
Some of the criteria used to select a church may be its size, perhaps it is the programs it offers, do they have programs that match certain affinities such as a youth program or a seniors program. How are the facilities? Are they maintained and well cared for? Do the leadership and the finances seem stable? Also involved in the selection of church is how the church shoppers may feel about the Pastor. Are they comfortable with his style? Is he liberal or conservative in practice? But most of all they are looking for the overall experience and feel of the worship service. Some have made comments like, I really feel God’s presence here or perhaps the opposite I do not feel God’s presence here. In any case to earn these experienced church goer’s patronage the decision ends up being based on a subjective experience. It is all about preference.
Can we really blame them or even ourselves for acting this way? Everything else in life seems to be decided based upon our experience. If we have a bad experience at a restaurant they lose our business. If we have a bad experience purchasing a car or a major appliance we will probably purchase these things somewhere else. If you have a good experience you will refer your friends. We have so many choices. It is still, even with the economies instability, a buyer’s market.
The power to choose give us the power to control. And this is something our flesh likes, is to be in control. This is the power to stay or to walk away.
How would you rate the Canaanite woman’s experience with Jesus and the Twelve? Seriously. If it is ok to judge the church based upon experience why not its founder, its builder, its foundation. Jesus.
When the women first approached Jesus, he ignored her. Jesus did not say a word. Imagine if someone did this to you, if you are asking for help. I believe you would consider them to be rude. Not a good experience. That would be enough for most to feel insulted and leave.
The women persisted a second time and this time observing Jesus silence, the twelve advise Jesus to send her away for she is crying after them. These are Jesus followers who are now with presumption stand before Him. They are the ones chosen to spread the good news and yet they along with Jesus appear to show a lack of compassion for this women’s plight.
Then Jesus gives his rationale, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The Canaanite woman is the wrong ethnicity. She does not fall into the scope of Jesus mission or so it seems. If today’s were reporting this incident they would resolve that Jesus is a racist and the Christian religion exclusionary.
On the woman’s third attempt, she kneels before Jesus pleading for mercy. Jesus responds in a way that could be considered sexist and even racist. He says,” “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” Some theologians have tried to soften the blow of what they perceive as an insult in proposing that Jesus was not talking about the stray dogs but the little beloved family dog or puppy that stays under the table begging for scraps. I believe that Jesus consistent with the other two attempts was furthering this woman’s discouraging experience to make a point to His disciples and to us sitting here today. This is definitely a teaching moment.
And the main point of the lesson is this, that faith does not depend on our subjective experiences but the objective teaching that Jesus is the Christ the Savior of the World. The woman demonstrates that faith triumphs over experience.
How did this women avoid the trap of consumerism and entitlement in the church that is so rampant today?
First she knew and believed through the teaching of faith, that she had a need that only one person could satisfy. This woman’s daughter was possessed by a demon. There was nothing she could do or no other place she could go to have this demon removed but the Son of David, the Christ Jesus who came to defeat Satan and His demonic minions.
Where else can you go to be excised of Satan’s power but to Christ through the waters of baptism. Luther even wrote and considered baptism an exorcism since the spirit of the devil is being replaced with the Spirit of Christ.
There was no other place she could go or we can go to defeat death, sin and the devil. This is something to remember as we look for a church. Is this what they teach about Christ and His baptism? It is not a buyer’s market. It is not a choice you make to feel in control. There is no other place but Jesus to receive it and He gives it to you for free!
Second, she knew and believed that the Messiah was for her and her daughter who at this point had no control of herself or make a choice. She was Canaanite woman. She was aware of God’s promises to the Israelites but there were also promises made to all peoples all ethnicities. She may have recalled Genesis 22:18, the Lords promise to Abraham that reads, “In your Seed, all the nations or ethnicities, of the earth shall be blessed.” This is promise that includes not excludes. We also hear this promise repeated into today’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah, The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,“ I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.” Despite her experience that says she is excluded the faith she has been taught and given says that she is included and so she continues her active pursuit of God’s promise.
Third, she knew she was a sinner who did not merit or deserve God’s mercy. To Jesus response that the bread for the children should not be given to the dogs, She agrees with Jesus and makes the good confession, “You’re right, Lord! I am a half-breed dog. I am a sinner. I am not entitled to God’s help. But you have come into the world to be merciful and set all sinners free from Satan’s tyranny. You are the Christ, the Son of God, the merciful Redeemer, the Deliverer from sin death and the devil’s power. I will not let go of You, for if I let go of You I have no hope, no life and no salvation.”[1]
Her whole posture of following after Jesus, her crying out “Lord Have Mercy”, her kneeling before the Lord in prayer reflects the faith that she has received. She confesses her sinfulness but also the salvation that is in Christ. To this confession Jesus in front of the twelve commends her faith saying, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Jesus did answer the woman’s prayer. Jesus did fulfill His Father’s promise. Satan’s kingdom suffered yet another loss. Our Father’s will was done on earth as it is in Heaven. Jesus is the answer to the woman’s prayer to free her daughter from the power of Satan and He is the answer to our prayers. Later on the cross where Jesus suffered the penalty for your sin He at the same time took away the power of Satan to accuse His people. There is nothing left of the cup of God’s wrath to drink. He drank it down, every last dreg. When He said, “It is finished” and rose from the dead the binder Satan was now put into shackles and bonds.
Despite what we experience or feel it is God’s Word that makes the promise that we have salvation and eternal life in Christ and that He promises to preserve and sustain us in this body and life. We may at times wonder we may get evidence or news to the contrary but it does not change God’s rock solid promise.
This why when we look for a church, if we move to a different geography or the congregation we are in falls to false practice and teaching, we look for a church that bears the marks of the church, where the Gospel is purely preached and the Sacraments are rightly administered and that the hymns, liturgies prayers and practices are consistent with this understanding. Through these humble means Christ delivers to us His forgiveness and the benefits of His forgiveness, eternal life and salvation. Disciples are sheep not shoppers. Disciples are beggars not buyers and what we receive is richest treasure, the Bread of Life, Christ Jesus. Amen
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