Sermon for the second Sunday in Lent
"She's not one of us!"
"Stay away!"
"She's got no part in our nation!"
This is what the Canaanite Woman hears.
Already even in the first century,
politics in the Middle East
is complicated
and emotive.
The people of Canaan
are worse than Samaritans.
Their practices are disgusting
and no faithful Israelite
has any dealings
with such low life.
And this woman is one of them.
Keep her away.
[PAUSE]
Yet,
still she calls out
to the One she believes
can free her daughter
of devils.
She knows how vile she is
in the eyes of the Jews.
The Master's disciples,
naturally urge that she be
sent away.
She is used to that.
She hears his voice,
"I am not sent,
but unto the lost sheep
of the house of Israel."
This is the response
everyone expects.
The disciples know
that Our Lord
is supremely faithful
to the Jewish law.
The Messiah
is prophesied
to fight for the salvation
of the people of Israel.
And He does!
He comes to Israel first
knowing that,
when they reject Him,
He is justified in
reaching out to the gentiles.
There is no surprise.
And despite the fact
that she knows is
this Canaanite Woman
this most unclean of the unclean
still sees in the Christ
something worth fighting for.
something to pursue.
She doesn't know
she is a bit premature.
But then,
does she have a choice?
He is special;
He is a wonderworker;
He speaks the truth;
He is loyal to His nation.
And so she fights
through the protests,
derision
and hatred,
and worships the God
she is not allowed to approach.
"Help me!"
The Christ stops
and bothers to speak to her,
"It is not meet
to take the children's bread,
and to cast it to the dogs."
The Jewish people smile smugly
for the Christ has put her
in her place.
He's not for the likes of her.
He's proud of His nation.
Not going to be sullied by
associating with her.
[PAUSE]
Dogs?
It's the word He uses
but it is not the word
she expects to hear.
She is expecting
a different Greek word for dog
that has always been used
to describe her Canaanite people
as being unclean and impure.
But the word He uses,
He calls her a puppy, a pet dog
one of those animals
for which there is affection
Immediately,
she sees them snuffling
round the family
at the table
being fed treats.
If this is what she is to Him
even these little dogs
get a scrap of kindness.
"Truth, Lord,
yet the dogs eat of the crumbs
which fall from the master's table."
And something shifts.
Not in the Christ,
for He knows what He does.
"O woman,"
He says.
Already this is significant
for "O Woman"
is how He addresses His mother
at the wedding in Cana.
"O Woman"
a term of respect
of acknowledgement
of seeing her
without the Nationalistic label
"O Woman,
great is thy faith!"
Her faith has crossed
the divide caused by
tribalism
Nationalism
political jingoism.
It's a woman
talking to a man
- a man Who just happens
to be God.
Her faith in Him
is greater
than the derision
of those who hate her.
"Be it unto thee
even as thou wilt."
And a way away,
a devil screeches
as the barrier of hatred is lifted
removing his protection
from being evicted.
The woman
who has struck at
the barrier
that separates her and God
has let the light of Christ
pour forth onto her daughter
freeing her from darkness.
Jesus knows her
and through this
knowing her faith
He shows up the pettiness
of those who cling to their
national identity
above the good of a human being.
As we know this
because this is recorded for us
in the Gospels,
not as an.example
of Jesus being rude or unkind
but of showing that His love
will not be constrained
by anything man made.
Yes, He comes to save
the Jewish people first
because of His promises
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
He is faithful to them
but they reject Him.
And so,
as the prophets foretell,
He comes for the people
of Tyre, Sidon, Cairo, Athens
Antioch, Alexandria,
Rome, London and Faversham
with the same promise
of salvation.
[PAUSE]
The faith of this Canaanite woman
saves her daughter
but it also reaches out to us
and challenges us
to see our fellow man
in all whom we meet.
