The Power of Words

11th Sunday After Pentecost

Today's readings: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8; Matthew 15:10-28

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Today’s scripture readings both highlight God’s desire to welcome in those whom society has deemed

outcasts and foreigners. Israel may have been the city on a hill for all to see the light of God, but they were far from perfect. They were supposed to be God’s example to the world of kingdom living; of who God is and how a relationship with God us.. Yet they were still human.. subject to sin - and in this story the sin of racism.. of stereotypes and prejudice.. of valuing the law over the heart.

When Jesus (God incarnate) was alive and walking the earth, he came to the world as a Jew, a son of Israel, to reshape the community and bring them closer to the kingdom reality God intended. The Israelites were called to reflect God’s unconditional hospitality, but as we humans often do, they declared all ‘others’ foreigners and outcasts.. So God in Christ, gathers and welcomes in those deemed unclean or unworthy and REdeclares God’s house of prayer to be for ALL people (Isaiah 56:7-8).

Israel had many laws about sacrifices, about what is clean and unclean to eat (‘kosher laws’) and they also had ritual washings that needed to be performed before entering into the temple – the house of prayer. It was very exclusive, not only to the wider community, but also to the Israelites, as only the religious leaders like the Pharisees and Sadducees were able do holy rituals. They also were very strict on the kosher laws and making sure you only ate what was deemed ‘clean’ and therefore you were even restricted on who you could dine with, because these laws were largely only followed by the Jews. These strict laws were not expanding God’s kingdom, they were hindering it.. keeping people out and creating prejudice and hatred towards those deemed ‘outsiders.’ Instead of gathering all God’s people in, they were building up walls to keep everyone else OUT. (Just to be completely clear: this is NOT a reflection/criticism of modern day Judaism – this is a reflection on why Jesus may have said this to the Jewish community when he was alive)

And so this morning we hear Jesus speaking out against this, saying - ‘Look, what you eat is not what

makes you unclean. What you eat is temporary and will leave your system soon enough. Rather, it’s the words you speak that can render you unclean. The things you say come from your heart and if your heart is unclean, filled with hate and prejudice, that is what defiles you and those who hear what you say. What you eat can be processed in a day or two, but it may take a lifetime to heal a heart.’

Then, in true Jesus fashion, he lives out an example. Jesus tells everyone that what we say can make us unclean and can hurt others.. That what we say is largely influenced by our hearts, which can be unclean with stereotypes, prejudice and hatred.. And then Jesus turns around and ignores a Canaanite woman begging for her daughter’s life! When Jesus finally does address her, it is only to say he has come only for the lost sheep of Israel! He even calls her a dog – a favorite insult Israel had for Canaanites.

Now Jesus just did the very thing he was trying to convince the Jews NOT to do. What came out of Jesus’ mouth was terribly unclean and certainly was meant to defile this woman. Yet she persisted, unscathed, not missing a beat. After Jesus calls her a dog, she replied, “yes, but even the dogs get the crumbs from the master’s table.” She knows she is not an Israelite, that she is considered a foreigner, an outcast, a ancient enemy.. and yet she begs for but a crumb of mercy.. but a taste of the kingdom come. Rev. Iwan Russell-Jones says, “While mercy may begin with Israel, she knows it cannot end there, because of the very nature of Israel’s God. It overflows to others in the house – even to ‘the dogs.’”

I hear these scripture readings this morning (and the year 2020) calling us to ask the question, when it’s all said and done, what really matters? What is essential and what can we get rid of? What does it mean to BE the Church? This year we have been stripped bare. The way we live and the things we rely on have been taken away.. we cannot gather like we used to or go to the store, gym, class, etc like we used to.. So we went online.. THEN we get this storm that says we can no longer get online! The power is OFF and some of us don’t even have running water. Due to COVID we are not able to get what we need from ‘out there’ and due to the storm we are not able to get what we need from in our own homes. What is left? What is sacred? What is holy? ..I pray we see now more that ever that the answer is community.. is relationship.

We have had to rethink our lifestyles this year, but through it all, I have felt one constant remain – community. Our relationships have had to be adjusted, but the ability to remain connected has been our stronghold. We have found new ways of being neighbors. We have asked, ‘What do you need and how can I help?’ And when this storm hit everyone showed up to do whatever they could for their neighbor. Just as Jesus made an example out of his encounter with the Canaanite woman, you all have been a shining example of mercy, grace, love, and healing as well.

In the past few months there have been grumblings about Black Lives Matter and the sin of racism and white supremacy that infect our country and our hearts. We have seen the ways in which society has made black and brown lives feel like the outcasts, like the foreigners of our time. Many words have come out of mouths that were unclean and meant to defile. This issue has divided a country, divided communities, even divided some families.. and yet when push comes to shove, when we are stripped bare, when a storm rolls through and all are in need – everyone steps out to help. Neighbor helps neighbor, never once deterred by their skin color or economic class.. never once stopping to ask if they deserve it.. just loving one another and wanting what is best for our neighbors and ultimately our community. THIS is the radical hospitality of Christ in action today. You are the church showing up in the world and speaking with your actions. Like the Canaanite woman, your faith has made you well and has healed others.

Jesus’ words speak as much to us today as they did to the Israelites when they were written. We may

not have kosher laws, we may not have washing rituals to perform before worship, but we do have some unwritten laws in our hearts that defile, that hurt others, that keep people out of God’s kingdom intended for all. May we hear Jesus’ plea to let them go.. to be careful what we say and how we treat people.. to open our hearts, minds, and arms to all, even those we deem outcasts and foreigners.

After this storm, you welcomed all to the master’s table. You saw a need and you rushed to fill it. You were in need and you welcomed help. You lived out God’s Beloved Community; a shining example of kingdom living and who God is. May we hold onto this and not let it go. May we never fall back into the habits of exclusion, prejudice, and hateful words. May we too realize that God’s mercy always overflows to everyone in the house, even the dogs.. for that is just who God is – mercy, grace, love and radical welcome. With cleansed and transformed hearts, let us go forth in peace in search of peace, justice, and healing for ALL.

Amen.