HTLC Sermon Notes: 08.16.26 Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

“Listen and understand,” Jesus says in today’s gospel. Imagine what our world and lives might be like if listening and understanding were our daily practices. There is a lot of practical wisdom in what Jesus says, and we’ve all experienced the truth of his words.

Haven’t there been times when careful listening gave you greater insight into another person or a situation? Maybe even your own life? Understanding follows listening.

I’ve talked a bit about my dad before. Dad was a hard worker, a man of faith, a person who hid a heart of gold under a gruff exterior.

Dad was very opinionated. He had strong opinions about many things, but he frequently kept those opinions to himself. Unless, of course, it was a matter of being fair. If he felt someone was being treated unfairly, he was quick to give his take on the matter at hand. Here’s the thing, though -- if a person took the time to calmly explain their position, Dad was capable of listening, understanding, and sometimes even changing his mind.

I suspect that ever since John the Baptist was killed, Jesus has been trying to get away to grieve. And ever since the beheading, the Pharisees have been unrelenting about criticizing most of what Jesus and his disciples said and did. So I don’t blame Jesus one bit if he’s growing a tad frustrated and maybe even a little testy.

At the beginning of the 15th chapter of Matthew, the Pharisees are at it again! Do they ask Jesus how many people he’s healed? Do they comment on the crowds following him everywhere? They do not! Do you know what they are complaining about now? “Jesus, your disciples haven’t followed the traditional handwashing rituals before eating.” Seriously?

Who can blame him when Jesus lectures them on what happens to the food that is eaten, and then explains that what comes out of one’s mouth is far more important than what goes in. He wants his disciples (and all of us) to understand that true purity is a matter of the heart and not traditions or rituals.

Matthew goes on to tell us that then Jesus goes to another town and encounters a Canaanite woman. And in this story, we see a different side of Jesus.

There’s a disconnect between what Jesus says in the first half of today’s gospel and how he behaves in the second half. Jesus tells us, “Listen and understand,” but then he refuses to listen to the Canaanite woman and understand her life, her pain, her needs.

A couple of weeks ago I reminded everyone that Jesus was fully human as well as divine. That seems to be the case here.

The longer I live and the more I experience, the less helpful and meaningful a perfect Jesus is in my life. The disconnect I experience in today’s gospel has me asking, “What if Jesus isn’t perfect? What if he’s more like us than we know or maybe want him to be? What if he has disconnects in his life just like we do?”

Pastor Michael K. Marsh gives us a description for this sense of disconnect.

He says, “There is an important theological term for the disconnects in our lives. It’s a word I’m certain you know, though you may never have thought about it as a theological description of your life or Jesus’ life. You ready? Here’s the word: Uh-oh.”

I’ll bet all of us have had uh-oh moments in our lives. Maybe we forgot an important meeting or were late showing up for a child or a spouse. Perhaps we simply couldn’t see the other person’s point of view -- uh-oh!

I think that’s what happened to Jesus in the second part of today’s gospel.

Here we find a mother, a mother who is so desperate to save her daughter that she will do anything (even approaching the Rabbi Jesus) and begging him to heal her little girl.

That woman knew she would not be welcomed. She wasn’t Jewish after all. She had been raised to understand that she would be shunned by Jesus and his followers. But she was the mother of a sick child…she had to try.

Jesus chided her. He called her a dog, which was how Jews often referred to Canaanites. He explained that his gifts were for the children of Israel. But this mom, half crazed with worry, came back with a zinger. “Even dogs get the crumbs from the tables” and then she fell to her knees and cried “Help me.”

Jesus acknowledged her faith, was merciful, and healed the little girl.

Scholars have long debated what was actually going on here. Many believe that this was to teach Jesus that God’s mercy was for everyone and of course it is, but I think Jesus knew that. The Rabbi had already eaten with tax collectors and told a parable about a Samaritan. So, I think maybe, just maybe, Jesus was simply having a bad day.

And (dare I say it?) … I don’t think why he gave some push back is the point.

The woman shouted help me, and her daughter was healed.

Last week, Peter, starting to sink, cried “Help me” and he was saved.

It reminds me of one of my favorite books about prayer. It’s called Help! Thanks! Wow! by Anne LaMott. Anne’s premise is that those three words are the most effective prayers, and all one ever needs -- help, thanks, wow.

What I will remember about today’s gospel are two things.

1. God’s love, healing, and acceptance are for everyone. You don’t need to know a secret handshake or wash your hands properly before dinner. All are welcome at God’s table. Our God is a God of inclusion, not exclusion.

2. God is merciful, and that mercy is for everyone as well.

Merriam Webster defines mercy as acting with kindness to someone that we have the power to punish or harm. God’s mercy is so much greater than simply being kind. God’s mercy is loving, forgiving, accepting.

Every one of us has experienced mercy at some point in our lives. Perhaps we’ve experienced mercy when we’ve had one of those uh-oh moments. It’s up to us (with the help of the Holy Spirit) to treat others with the same mercy that has been shown to us.

Every year at our Back-to-School Rally, we never ask folks to prove they have a need for free school supplies. Every year there are probably a few people who take advantage of our generosity. But … I am so proud that we act with mercy. God has been merciful to us and we extend that mercy to others.

So, remember those easy one-word prayers: help, thanks, wow. Remember to listen and try to understand. Remember that God accepts everyone. Remember to be merciful to others as much as possible,

And … just in case … don’t forget to wash your hands before dinner!

Amen!