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Thursday, August 24, 2017

August 20, 2017   


Gospel: Matthew 15:21-28   
1st Reading: Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
2nd Reading: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
      I am having an emotional reaction to this reading today, because I keep thinking of my niece, Macey.  She is the one who died in May.  She was profoundly disabled.  One of the symptoms of Aicardi Syndrome is seizures.  And seizures in Jesus' time were thought to be caused by a demon.  "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon."  My pain today is for Macey and her family, her sisters and parents.  They were quiet in the way they cared for her.  They cared for their daughter and sister around the clock.  They bathed her and fed her and tended to her needs.  But in another way, their lives shouted loudly about the value of a human life of someone who was different.  Macey never spoke, but her life spoke volumes to people around her.  Her family took Macey to soccer games and on vacations.  Every other year her family attended an Aicardi Conference of families affected by her syndrome and since it was difficult to travel with Macey on an airplane, they took a road trip across the country.  She met all kinds of people on those trips.  Macey went to school and shorty before she got ill this last time, even went with her class to tour the high school they would be entering in the fall, right now in fact.  Because Macey was in the world, people had to confront their own discomfort.  Do I look or don't I?  How long can I look?  What can I say to acknowledge her, but not sound rude?  Is it ok to be curious and ask questions about Macey?  What do I say to my kids who have questions?  Over the years Macey's family developed a thick skin.  They came to expect stares.  They learned quick comebacks to words for their daughter that indicated that her life was less than other people's.  They talked openly about the "R" word, "retarded" and how much that label hurt them and Macey and what it indicated about the person who said it.  And they taught everyone who knew them about Macey, about the helplessness we all face at different levels, and about unconditional love.
      One key thing that Macey taught us is about the value of life, even for someone we don't see as contributing in the same way as many other people.  Macey's life had value and we're better for having known her.  Our world is more loving and open because of her.
      So here is this woman, a Canaanite.  Her people were supposed to be eradicated from the land when the Israelites entered it after wandering in the wilderness.  Yet, here she is, a native of the land, removed from the land of her people, a supposed obstacle to the chosen people, a life without value.  But she's a survivor.  And we have a chance to meet her, listen to her, learn from her, and experience joy in the healing of her daughter.  She isn't supposed to be worthy of anything, but she gets an audience with Jesus.  She isn't entitled to anything, but she gets what she asks for.  She isn't supposed to matter, but her faith is stronger than Peter's who was just scolded for having so little of it.  In fact, this Canaanite woman, takes her place alongside Abraham and Moses and argues with God.  Remember Abraham arguing with God to spare the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.  "If I can find 50 faithful people, will you spare the city, God?  How about 10?  How about 5?"  And remember several times Moses argues with God and intervenes on behalf of the people.  "Don't give up on them, God!  Spare your people.  Don't be angry with them!  Remember you are a merciful God!"  And now here is this woman also arguing with God.  But I don't think that God forgets who God is.  These stories about Moses and Abraham are for the benefit of the audience reading or hearing them.  They remind us who God is.  I believe the same is true of this story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman.  Jesus knows God's love is big enough even for her, but argues with her so that she has the chance to proclaim, to reveal her faith, to teach us how big God's love is.
      Before this reading we have reminders that there is more than enough in God's Kingdom.  When we share, there are enough loaves and fishes and zucchini for everyone.  Peter and the disciples witness this great feeding and they still don't get that there is enough and are surprised when there is enough.  And here comes this woman.  Jesus ignores her.  That part hurts.  But she's used to that.  She won't let that stop her. She knows there is enough for her a Canaanite.  She knows there is enough for her daughter, suffering from seizures, a disability.  She lives this life each day.  She doesn't have time for the rude things that people say or the discomfort they feel.  She knows the answer to the questions, "Who sinned, this girl or her parents that she has seizures?" She knows that isn't the question to ask.  She knows the question is this, "What sin keeps us from valuing the life of this woman or her child?  What sin keeps us from sharing our crumbs? What sin leads us to waste our food, our time, our money on things that don't matter, while this woman and her child suffer?"  The disciples thought of this woman as a waste of time, not even worth the waste of what was on the table, with a life less valuable than a dog’s.  This woman didn't waste her energy on their prejudice.  She was determined to receive what she knew was available and what would satisfy her need.
      And because of that we learn something from her:  We learned the value of persistence.  Don't give up on what is really important.  We learn to develop a thick skin.  People are going to say things that hurt.  They will be cruel. Don't waste your time caring what they think.  Don't let that stop you.  We learn to identify our need and not be afraid to ask for help with it.  We learn to clarify who we are and what is our story.  She knows what is important to her.  She is clear about it.  We can be, too, but it takes practice.
      Finally and most importantly we can learn to claim the promise of God. We don't keep the sabbath.  We don't keep the commandments.  We often pursue values that are different from God's. We are Gentile, like this woman.  Yet we need God's love and healing.  We want to draw near to him and learn to live a life of health and well-being.  We are undeserving.  Yet even that can't keep God from loving and healing us and showing us our lives have value.  God is merciful.  God is loving.  There is enough love for all of us and nothing can keep that love from going out to all.  God's love is for you.  Claim it!  Demand it!  And demand it for every neglected, undervalued person and part of creation that you can. 
      I think of Macey and wonder about her blessing.  Did her mother come to Jesus and not receive that blessing?  But then I think of all the blessings and healings she did receive, surgeries we weren’t sure she’d survive, close calls.  God did let that blessing flow to her.  But we are not fully in God’s Kingdom, yet.  It is coming near, but not fully realized.  So that blessing is not fully realized.  Even Lazarus who was raised from the dead, had to eventually die again.  Someday we will be fully in God’s presence and there will be no more weeping or pain or hunger or greed, no more prejudice, no more “R” word or “N” word, but one beautiful family of God living in God’s shalom.
      God's love is flowing forth.  In the Gospel of Matthew, as Jesus traveled in his ministry, it seems that it flowed first to the people of Israel.  Matthew, the Gospel writer, wanted to make sure that the Jewish people knew they still mattered to God and were a priority.  But there are a few hints that this is going further.  One is this story.  Another is the faith of the Roman Centurion whose servant is immediately healed as well.  But after Jesus was raised, he gave the great commission, to go to the whole world with the good news of God's love.  God's love is meant to continue flowing, like a river.  It can't be hoarded.  It should not be blocked from flowing out to all people and animals.  There is enough of it for everyone.  So lets get out of the way and let that love flow through us, merciful and open, loving and generous to all.

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