Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 123; Ezekiel 7:10-15, 23b-27; Matthew 15:21-28; 1 Corinthians 16:10-24; Psalm 130
Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew contains one of my very favorite stories of Jesus. It is also one of the most controversial stories because it presents Jesus in a different light than most other stories. In most healing stories, Jesus responds immediately to the presenting need with love and compassion. Not so in today’s story. In today’s story, when the Canaanite woman approaches Jesus to request healing for her daughter, Jesus’ initially refused the woman’s request. Here’s where things get interesting in the scholarship regarding the passage. Conservative scholars argue that Jesus refused the woman’s request for healing because he was simply testing the woman’s faith. Other scholars, however, argue that through that refusal we get a glimpse into Jesus’ humanity; his refusal is a moment when we see Jesus manifest some of the cultural bias/prejudice with which he was raised. Given these two different understandings of the passage, most folks say the most crucial element of the story is what it has to say to us about Jesus. I disagree. I think the passage has to do with our perception of what it means to be “perfect” or “without sin”. You see when most folks think of Jesus’ nature, they assume that being “perfect” or “without sin” means that Jesus never changed; he was always in a state of flawlessness. That is one way of looking at things. Another is that being “perfect” or “without sin” would mean that one is always open to growth and change. Consequently, when one is confronted with one’s limitations, one would lay aside ego and will and work to overcome that limitation. I tend to looking at things from the latter perspective. In Jesus’ refusal to heal the Canaanite woman, I don’t see a hard-hearted person who lacked compassion; I see a person who was reflecting the values his family, friends, and authority figures had taught him. In other words, I see Jesus’ humanity. What’s most important is that in spite of these biases Jesus set an example for his disciples to follow: always be open to growth and change. Don’t let your biases hold you back. Today, I invite you to explore your attitudes. Are there those individuals you would find difficult to reach out to? Individuals who you think are beyond the bounds of healing? If so, follow Jesus’ example of faithfulness and open your mind and heart. If you do that, you too might bring healing to the most unexpected of places. Til next time…
Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew contains one of my very favorite stories of Jesus. It is also one of the most controversial stories because it presents Jesus in a different light than most other stories. In most healing stories, Jesus responds immediately to the presenting need with love and compassion. Not so in today’s story. In today’s story, when the Canaanite woman approaches Jesus to request healing for her daughter, Jesus’ initially refused the woman’s request. Here’s where things get interesting in the scholarship regarding the passage. Conservative scholars argue that Jesus refused the woman’s request for healing because he was simply testing the woman’s faith. Other scholars, however, argue that through that refusal we get a glimpse into Jesus’ humanity; his refusal is a moment when we see Jesus manifest some of the cultural bias/prejudice with which he was raised. Given these two different understandings of the passage, most folks say the most crucial element of the story is what it has to say to us about Jesus. I disagree. I think the passage has to do with our perception of what it means to be “perfect” or “without sin”. You see when most folks think of Jesus’ nature, they assume that being “perfect” or “without sin” means that Jesus never changed; he was always in a state of flawlessness. That is one way of looking at things. Another is that being “perfect” or “without sin” would mean that one is always open to growth and change. Consequently, when one is confronted with one’s limitations, one would lay aside ego and will and work to overcome that limitation. I tend to looking at things from the latter perspective. In Jesus’ refusal to heal the Canaanite woman, I don’t see a hard-hearted person who lacked compassion; I see a person who was reflecting the values his family, friends, and authority figures had taught him. In other words, I see Jesus’ humanity. What’s most important is that in spite of these biases Jesus set an example for his disciples to follow: always be open to growth and change. Don’t let your biases hold you back. Today, I invite you to explore your attitudes. Are there those individuals you would find difficult to reach out to? Individuals who you think are beyond the bounds of healing? If so, follow Jesus’ example of faithfulness and open your mind and heart. If you do that, you too might bring healing to the most unexpected of places. Til next time…
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