Matthew 15: 21-28

I love the stories in the Bible that have to do with faith. Jesus went to Canaanite territory. Probably because of the ongoing contact he had with crowds he went to Gentile territory to get some rest. Nobody would bother him there.

Jesus had a mission, and it was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This Canaanite woman was not on his radar. She was not his target audience. Perhaps she had a church of her own, we would say. He was not interested in stealing anybody else’s sheep. His mission was to go to Israel, not the Gentiles.

We might say black folks have their own churches. Other denominations have their own congregations. Do we have a mission? Jesus had one. It was to the Jew first. Jesus said, “I’m only sent to Israel.” What changes things? What changes Jesus?

She pleads her case. He says nothing. Last week he was nowhere to be found. Today he won’t say anything. She knows who he is and what he’s capable of doing. No one can do what he does. He is her daughter’s only hope. “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” He didn’t answer her at all.

She kneels before him and pleads for mercy. He responds, “It’s not fair to throw the children’s bread to the dogs.” She responds to him, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs. – Treat me as a dog and let me have the crumbs that fall from the table – If you call me a dog, I’m a dog, but I’m still drawn to what might fall from your table. It’s of no value to you, but it’ll feed me. I’m just asking for mercy.”

What changes Jesus? The faith of the Canaanite woman. I love these stories!

Who are you inclined to talk to first, ask questions of first, bless first, love first. One might assume we’re supposed to bless, share, evangelize, love everyone all the time. That’s the goal. Day in, day out, however, we gravitate to those we’re the most comfortable with. I refrain from making this story a lesson of Jesus challenging this woman to step out and believe more than her culture would permit. There’s something that happens to Jesus here. He’s challenged to change his mission. We’re challenged all the time to change our focus, our daily priorities because of the person that’s standing in front of us or talking to us on the phone. We’re in good company.

There are three places in Matthew Jesus ministers to Gentiles: this story in Matthew 15; the healing of the Centurion’s slave (8:5-13); the exorcisms of two demoniacs in Gadara (8:28-34). The Centurion understands Jesus’ authority – only say the word as one with authority and it will be done. The demons in Gadara understand his identity and authority. With him there, they won’t remain in possession of these souls. “If you cast us out send us into the herd of swine.”

The Canaanite woman was unrelenting, knew what Jews thought of her and her people – religiously and  culturally inferior. She couldn’t convince him otherwise. From her position, she pleaded for mercy. She was unrelenting religiously (“Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.”), audibly (“She keeps shouting after us.”), physically (She came and knelt before him, saying ‘Lord, help me.’), culturally/genderwise/racially (“Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”). Particularly true for the Roman soldier in Matthew 8 and the Canaanite woman here, their faith was operational. They understood who he was and what he could do. That drew them. None of it was based in religious affiliation or association. Neither of them brought any of that to their encounters with Jesus. Jesus understood what they did and said was faith; great, unequalled faith. He manifested grace and mercy, displayed His Kingdom. Their loved ones were changed. Alleluia!

The college professor and Christian author and preacher, Tony Campolo, tells a story in his book, The Kingdom of God Is a Party, of a birthday party. On one occasion, he was invited to speak at an event in Honolulu, HI. Because of the distance of the trip he suffered jet lag. He was wide awake at 3 in the morning. He left his hotel to walk and perhaps get fatigued enough to get some sleep. A few blocks from the hotel he found a diner open. He went in and ordered a cup of coffee and a donut. While sipping and nibbling, a group of loud and crude talking prostitutes came in. He overheard one of them say tomorrow was her birthday. Her friend responded in a nasty tone, “What do you want me to do about it? Give you a birthday party?” The first woman said that wasn’t why she mentioned it. She went on to say she’d never had a birthday party, and it would be silly to expect one now. After they left, Tony asked the guy behind the counter if those women came in every night at about that time, and if the one sitting next to him was with them when they did. He said they did and she did and asked why. Tony said he wanted to give that woman a birthday party the next night and asked if he could do it there. The diner worker said that sounded great. He screamed at someone in the back Tony wanted to throw a birthday party for Agnes tomorrow. Whoever it was in the back agreed to bake a cake. Tony said he’d come in early and decorate the place. The next morning around 3, Tony’s decorations were placed everywhere. The cake was decorated with, “Happy Birthday, Agnes!” Word got out about the party. The diner was full of all kinds of people. At 3:30 Agnes arrived and was stunned and shaken. One of her friends escorted her to a stool at the counter while Tony led the throng in a chorus of “Happy Birthday.” Harry, the diner worker, brought out the cake with lit candles all over it. She teared up and cried openly for all to see. Harry told her to blow out the candles and cut the cake. Agnes kept looking at the cake and said she just wanted to leave the cake as it was for a while. Harry told her she could take it home if she wanted. She asked if that was O.K. Everyone said it was fine. She carefully picked it up, rose from the stool and made it slowly out the door. Everyone stood in silence. Not knowing what else to do, Tony said, “What do you say we pray?” He wrote, “It just felt like the right thing to do.” He prayed for Agnes, for her salvation, that her life would be changed, and that God would be good to her. Harry looked at Tony and said he didn’t know he was a preacher and what church he belonged to. Tony answered, “I belong to a church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:30 in the morning.” Harry said, “There’s no church like that. If there was, I’d join it.”

While pastoring in Albertville, I got to know a man named Tom who drove his daughters to Sunday night activities for school age kids at the church. After crossing paths with him and conversing some I started seeing him in the congregation Sunday mornings. He had a checkered history with churches and with God. We started talking frequently about God and my sermons and what might be possible for him in the days ahead. We started having breakfast once a week at a nearby Huddle House. He started sharing with me his story of being a recovering alcoholic and a former homeless man. After a few more months of breakfasts, sermons, conversations and prayers, he said he found an abandoned, dilapidated nursing home. He wanted to make it a ministry of temporary housing for the homeless in Marshall County. He found a couple churches that would invest some finances and sweat equity for renovations and maintenance. After a few more months and the use of our church bus on Sundays, the formerly homeless of Marshall County were attending my church. Yes, it was a clash of cultures. Yes, the established members would see the tenants of Stepping Stones of Marshall County smoking cigarettes in a group by the church trash cans. A couple established members would come see me the next week and asked if those people could refrain from smoking on property. Yes, we had a couple believer’s baptisms from the group, and, yes, my and our youth pastor’s salaries were suddenly in jeopardy because a couple large tithers left the church because of the changes in environment and culture everyone perceived or witnessed.

Sometimes individual Christians and even congregations are responsive to revealed needs and conditions. Sometimes they’re not. Sometimes a rigid understanding of purpose and identity limits opportunities for changes and blessings. Sometimes a flexible position that permits the yielding of predetermined understandings of ministry produce unexpected displays of grace and mercy. So often one of the determinations of the unexpected occurring much to the surprise of the traditional and expected is faith. Faith often produces the unexpected. Those who believe all things are possible and the needs of the physical, spiritual and emotional can be addressed often see the impossible occur.

How possible could it be for a first century Canaanite woman to witness the healing of her daughter by an itinerant Jewish rabbi by his simple affirmation of her radical faith?  Jesus appeared to be rigid in his determination to stay focused on his mission to impact his community first. His perceived rigidity succumbed to a foreign woman who would not relent. “Call me a dog if you want. Your crumbs would be enough to heal my daughter.”

“Woman, great is your faith.” It’s what we all want to hear.

Where does this leave us? Tony’s faith in God and knowledge in what grace and mercy can do compelled him to do the unconventional and silly, to be a blessing and a light in a dark corner of the world. Tom’s faith in God and a grace-filled determination to provide housing and a righteous environment to the hurting and abandoned was worth taking risks. The faith of a Canaanite woman shaken by fear for her daughter’s life drove her to pursue a word of blessing, an action of healing from the Jewish messiah. Even a little from him would be plenty, would be sufficient. She believed it. He responded. The daughter was changed. I love these stories!

Faith sometimes makes us look silly. Faith sometimes makes us take risks and challenges what is normal and what might be perceived as unyielding for the sake of the least, the last, the lost. We can be assured of this. Jesus responds to faith. It’s what we all want to hear.

This sermon was preached Sunday, August 16, 2020 at Lincoln UMC in Lincoln, AL.