Sermon August 16

Sermon August 16, 2020
Matthew 15 (10-20) 21-28

Year A, Proper 15, Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost
The Rev Anita Miner, All Saints Episcopal Church
In the name of our ever-loving God, I offer these words in praise.

Amen.
This Matthew Gospel reading begins with an upset. No surprise really,

as Jesus often turns things upside down. The dietary laws in biblical
times contained a list of food items Israelites were permitted to eat and
those not to eat, those considered clean and those said to be unclean.
This list can be seen in Leviticus Chapter 11. The Jewish leaders who
followed the purity laws insisted that foods they ate or practices they
observed were crucial. For instance, what went into the mouth was
significant to them. Strict observance of the law was important so as not
to defile the body.
Jesus, however, in his usual style of overturning so many principles and

practices, said what goes into the mouth is not so important. It’s what
comes out of the mouth such as “evil intentions, murder, adultery,
fornication, theft, false witness, [and] slander that are harmful. Those
actions are what defile because they have to do with the heart’s bad
intention. Those are actions that defile the body. We are reminded that
these prohibitions relate to the Ten Commandments. Jesus urges the
crowd to “listen and understand” this teaching. Of course, we can argue
that not all actions or words that flow from the mouth are destructive.
Principles of love, praise and adoration are good things, but we know
that in this case Jesus is opposing the strict rules of the Pharisees.
The Pharisees were keepers of tradition and the law. We know that.
They had their methods to keep people outside on the margins; some
would call the Pharisees supreme gatekeepers. In terms of today’s
society we can think about how some groups or organizations or even
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some churches keep people as outsiders or refer to them as “the other.”
They seek to exclude members from God’s grace and mercy. To see
clear examples in today’s world, one might look at American history of
racism or inequality. These can be seen as “what comes out of the mouth”
because they are concepts that deal with an impure heart. Jesus implies
this debate over foods “voids” God’s goodness toward others just for the
sake of the law.
In this same passage in Matthew we come upon a Canaanite woman.

The theme of defilement continues but in a very different setting when
the Canaanite woman starts shouting at Jesus to help her; she wants the
demon that took hold of her daughter to be released. Jesus, as an
observant Jew, would not be inclined to speak to this Gentile woman or
risk defilement. Jesus ignores her completely. His mission is with the
Jews only. After all, he said clearly that he was sent to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel and that did not include that woman nor Gentiles.
Would even just speaking to such a woman cause defilement?
Jesus at this time is in the area of Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region. It is
worth remembering that the Canaanites and the Israelites were at odds
with one another. The Israelites happened to be in Canaanite territory
and thought to be interlopers. Not only did the Israelites disrespect the
Canaanites but they spoke derogatory statements about them. It was
common to refer to the Canaanites as dogs, which, in fact, Jesus did to
the woman. There were stereotypes and signs of bigotry in cultural
encounters during that time.
Canaanites, often referred to as Phoenicians, were considered to be

merchants or traders, and they occupied lands that today would be the
Levant or those areas that cover present-day parts of Syria, Jordan,
Lebanon and Israel. They lived close to the Mediterranean Sea which
was important for their livelihood. Tyre and Sidon were among the
important commercial cities. We know that they did worship baals or
idols but not much else is known about their religion, according to some
2
scholars. Idolatry by the Canaanites was the one of the main reasons the
Israelites were commanded to dispossess them of their territory. It was
land that God had promised Abraham and his followers that they would
possess-it was the promised land. The Israelites sought to get rid of the
evil and cultic practices of the Canaanite people.
Despite her background, the Canaanite woman kneels and calls Jesus
“Lord.” She clearly has heard stories of Jesus healing people. She is
respectful and seems to know Jesus’ powers. Furthermore, she refers to
him as the “Son of David,” again a plea in spite of the ethnic and
religious differences between them. She screams “Lord, help me.” It’s a
desperate plea from a mother to someone she believes can truly help her.
Jesus completely ignores her at first, then responds he’s not about to
help her—a Canaanite woman, a “dog.” We recall that the term Dog was
a negative word for Canaanites, and it conjured up images of despised
and unclean people or even an enemy. Jesus seems to us to be mean-
spirited here. Ironically, the speech that came out of Jesus’ mouth could
be interpreted, by some, as defilement or a bad intention on his part.
Then there is an interchange between the woman and Jesus about the
necessity to feed the Israelite children first. She replies yes, even the
crumbs are thrown to the dogs/Canaanites. Dogs, it is said, did roam
freely around the Palestinian streets, and they did eat scraps thrown to
them. Often it was unclean or spoiled food thrown to the animals.
Jesus’ behavior toward the woman shocks us! Why would he speak to
her in such a manner? And the disciples seemed to condone it because
they just wanted her to go away. The disciples too seemed to lack
compassion toward the woman. Did Jesus as a Jew feel superior to her
and her kind? Was it a matter of the human condition which caused
Jesus to feel a cut above the woman? After all, she was not Jewish, she
was a woman, a Canaanite woman with a demand. The disciples were
appalled, and they didn’t know how to deal with the woman either.
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The woman shouts: "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my
daughter is tormented by a demon." Lord, help me!
The woman is pleading for a miracle but she is also praying for mercy.
We are familiar with this phrase. “Lord, have mercy” which is the
English translation of the Greek Kyrie Eleison. This is a chant we sing
in church. We use this phrase during certain times of the liturgical year
and it is also the people’s response in some formats for the Prayers of
the People. We say, “Lord, have mercy” when we respond to bidding
prayers.
The prayer the Canaanite woman is uttering is a prayer of intercession

for her daughter and one of petition for herself since she is so intimately
tied as a mother to the demon-possessed daughter. The real drama
happens now as this woman kneels before Jesus to plead her case. She
desperately wants Jesus to heal her daughter and, as a mother, she is
willing to act boldly, even if it is an affront according to the social norms
of the time. She knows in her heart Jesus has the power to help her.
We the readers hear how Jesus suddenly converts the affront to

affirmation of the woman and her need. We see the behavior of Jesus
changing. The woman is finally heard and vindicated. She too breaks
through boundaries. She has a broad and inclusive view of God’s mercy
and compassion; Jesus follows through for her, as he would for us.
At last, Jesus confronts himself and sees her humanity. He implies she
is worthy of mercy, recognizes her true faith and heals the daughter of
the demon. “Woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you as you
wish. At that moment the daughter was healed.” This is radical
hospitality, a show of mercy and inclusivity. Regardless of all the
negative actions or no action at the beginning, Jesus shows he is
breaking through the established social norms of the time and the bigotry
among the two ethnic groups. He rejects what others might think of him.
This is a definite upset of the practices of the day. 4
We don’t know the name of this woman. Imagine what courage it took
her to kneel before Jesus and ask for help! I came across a colored
woodblock print by the Japanese artist Sadao Watanabe which I think is
so expressive and demonstrates the plight of the Canaanite woman. The
background is light gold and the two figures are wearing clothes that are
a dark-faded red with olive green and black outlines. Jesus has his right
hand over the head of the Canaanite woman as though to bless her. She
is kneeling and looks expectantly at Jesus who appears a bit stern or
intent. Her hands are upward, not quite in prayer position. She is
definitely pleading for mercy. It is such a good visual, and I invite you
to look for this woodblock print on the Internet.
Now, imagine yourself kneeling and asking for God’s help. You may be
ready to receive Holy Communion or a blessing. A suitable and familiar
place would be at the altar at All Saints or at the prayer station in the
west alcove of the church. We recall the experience of going to the
prayer corner and sharing our deepest desires with the priest in
attendance, asking for healing, and getting a blessing. Imagine speaking
your prayer, then listening to words of comfort offered to you. In your
imagination, what did that feel like? Can you relate to the Canaanite
woman who asked for healing prayers for her daughter?
Why did the woman kneel, we ask ourselves? Why do we kneel for
prayer? Does it make us feel closer to God? Or might we feel more
penitent by kneeling? If you look at images of the saints of the church,
many of them would be kneeling. Jesus, as recorded by Luke at the
Mount of Olives fell to his knees to pray to his Father in heaven before
the Passion. It was an act of humility and a gesture of deep petition.
When you kneel to pray, consider what you ask God for. Are you asking
for mercy or forgiveness? Kneeling seems to me to be very appropriate.
This is a difficult passage in Matthew in which Jesus urges the disciples

and crowds and we the readers to “listen to and understand.” However,
we can learn from it. Our minds, even though often set in stone, can be
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changed; our ears can be unstopped; and our hearts can be transformed
through what comes out of our mouths. Jesus offers us faith to guide our
actions when responding to others. Just as he was merciful to the
Canaanite woman, we can be act with compassion toward others.
I invite you to hear the good news in a prayer that is written about
inclusion and compassion.
God of mercy and healing,

you who hear the cries of those in need
receive these petitions of your people
that all who are troubled
may know peace, comfort and courage. Amen.
You may have read that Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has been
visioning a program called “Becoming the Beloved Community.” The
phrase was actually promoted by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,
and coined earlier by the American philosopher Josiah Royce who lived
in the late 1800s. Dr. King caught hold of the phrase. While it speaks of
ways to combat racism, it also highlights the necessity of inclusion. I
believe the Canaanite woman and her daughter are part of this beloved
community, just as you and I aspire to be to be included.
Listen and understand what God is saying to us.
Amen.

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Sermon August 16, 2020

Matthew 15 (10-20) 21-28

In the name of our ever-loving God, I offer these words in praise.

This Matthew Gospel reading begins with an upset. No surprise really,

Jesus, however, in his usual style of overturning so many principles and

In this same passage in Matthew we come upon a Canaanite woman.

Canaanites, often referred to as Phoenicians, were considered to be

The prayer the Canaanite woman is uttering is a prayer of intercession

We the readers hear how Jesus suddenly converts the affront to

This is a difficult passage in Matthew in which Jesus urges the disciples

God of mercy and healing,

Listen and understand what God is saying to us.

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