16th Sunday after Pentecost

Today we see a very determined mother.
An unnamed mother:
And an unnamed daughter:
Silent—nameless—faceless--
Like many of the suffering in this world.

And this woman:
This mother: would do anything:
Whatever it takes to help her sick child:

She even went so far as to break the taboos against women speaking to men in
public
And not only that:
But also of a GENTILE speaking to a rabbi and making a request.
This mother will get in someone’s face:
Even JESUS’ face: To help her child.

At this point in Mark’s story:
Jesus has been running around like crazy:
Feeding and healing people who are Jewish.

And when he gets to this town:

He’s got to be pretty tired.

Mark tells us he was trying to get away:
Trying to stay hidden.
He needed a break.

“Yet he could not escape notice.”
This woman seeks him out:
Begging him to help her daughter.
And his response to her is harsh:
As Jesus tries to brush her off, he says:
“Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw
it to the dogs.”

In Jesus’ time, Dogs were not beloved pets:
They were undomesticated, dirty scavengers.
Jesus is calling the Jews the children:
And he calls this woman:
This non-Jew:
A Dog.
A dirty, filthy insult.

It’s hard to imagine.
It doesn’t sound like Jesus.
It’s troubling.

And throughout the years:
People have come up with thousands of explanations:
Trying to put a positive spin on it.

Was Jesus just tired and cranky?
Was he testing this woman’s faith?
Is this where we see that Jesus really is HUMAN?
We could speculate ALL day about what’s up with Jesus in this story.
And regardless:
This story is uncomfortable.

There’s no way to really know what’s up with Jesus’ first words to this woman:
When he calls her a dog.

But Jesus calling the woman a dog is not the end of the story.
The woman doesn’t back off:
And Jesus doesn’t walk away from her.

This mother: Doesn’t miss a beat:
She does not care what Jesus says to her.
The insult doesn’t stop her.
She is NOT going to give up.
She will NOT take “No” for an answer.

And she sees the same discomfort at Jesus’ words that we see:
And so she gives it back to him.

“But sir,” She answers,
“even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

There’s enough bread for her daughter to at least have some crumbs.
It’s an interesting response:
And kind of a paradox, because It’s humble, yet biting…
She wont give up:
But she’ll settle for some crumbs.
And she knows that the crumbs are enough.

This mother is saying:
Give me a break. I may not be a Jew:
But I’ve heard a lot of stuff about you.
I know that there’s enough to go around.
And I only need a slight bit of crumbs… It’s really not much.

Jesus takes it.
And he’s impressed.
He marvels at her faith and courage.
In Matthew’s version of this story, Jesus even says:

“Woman, great is your faith.”

In Marks version: Jesus is impressed by her wise and witty response:
He replies: “For saying that,”
“You may go—the demon has left your daughter.”

There IS some Good News:
And that mother knows it.

Jesus might have spoken harshly to this woman:
But he also listened to her.
He listened and responded.
He took seriously what she had to say.

And all this is to say that:
God listens to us.
God takes what we have to say seriously.

Even if we “fight back”
Even if we’re angry.
Even if we don’t understand what God is doing:
Even if we can’t hear what God is saying.

It reminds me of when people get angry at God.

It happens all the time.
For any number of reasons:
Sickness, grief, loss, fear…
And sometimes, people feel guilty about being angry at God.
Sometimes, people think that they need to put on a sweet, adorable, precious
face before God.

But God can take it.
Just like Jesus took this woman fighting back--
And God WILL listen to all that is in our hearts--
Just as Jesus listened to this woman.

We can tell God what we think.
We can give God all of our fear, our anger.
We can be where we are.
It’s OK to be where we are—even before God.
God can take it all.

This story reminds us that there’s no need to be timid around God.
This woman basically told Jesus that it was time to broaden the scope of his
ministry:
To give it to everyone: Jew and Gentile alike.
Men and Women alike.
Happy and angry alike.
She tells him that Everyone has need.

And what does Jesus do?

He listens, and then does as she asked.
The daughter is healed.
And Jesus’ ministry begins to move beyond the Jews.

The next thing you now:
In the very next chapter of Mark:
Jesus literally feeds bread to four thousand people in Gentile territory:
They get much, much more than a few crumbs from underneath the table.
And there’s still enough.

Perhaps this mothers fighting back:
Asking for mere crumbs:
Allowed Jesus to open up the his healing, comfort, and mercy to the whole world.

This Gospel is going to all the ends of the earth now:
It’s going everywhere:
Even to the dogs.

But the dogs are no longer dogs.
The outsiders are no longer outsiders.
The Grace of God is not just for the sweet, adorable, and perfect:

But for everyone.
No partiality: No favoritism:
As James explains in today’s epistle.

What if we come to God:
With all that we are:
With our good and our bad.
What if we come to Jesus:
In all of our brokenness:
Instead of pretending to be perfect?

What if we answer God honestly:
Right where we are—wherever that is--
In Joy, in Anger, in all of our honesty.

What if we too, like this mother:
Refuse to take “no” for an answer?

God will listen.
God will meet us.
God CAN take it.

Amen.

Upcoming Events/Mark Your Calendars!
September 29: Special guest, Erin "Ernie" Wolf, Diocesan Youth Networking Coordinator and Camp Director will join us (including Portia). She will share about youth opportunities and camp music during service this day. 
October 20: Parish Outing to Cuff's Pumpkin Patch.
More details to come. https://www.cuffarms.com/pumpkins
November 3: Stewardship Sunday and Pie Social. Bring your favorite pie to share
November 27: Community Thanksgiving Eucharist Details to come
December 15: Parish Christmas Party December 8: Fr. Scott Leannah (Canon to the Ordinary) will join us