{"id":1940,"date":"2023-08-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-20T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/?p=1940"},"modified":"2023-10-23T21:19:20","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T04:19:20","slug":"twelfth-sunday-after-pentecost-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/2023\/08\/20\/twelfth-sunday-after-pentecost-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Matthew 15:21-28
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The Church God Wants:
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A Church for All People!
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21<\/sup>Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22<\/sup>A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, \u201cLord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.\u201d
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23<\/sup>Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, \u201cSend her away, for she keeps crying out after us.\u201d
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24<\/sup>He answered, \u201cI was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.\u201d
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25<\/sup>The woman came and knelt before him. \u201cLord, help me!\u201d she said.
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26<\/sup>He replied, \u201cIt is not right to take the children\u2019s bread and toss it to their dogs.\u201d
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27<\/sup>\u201cYes, Lord,\u201d she said, \u201cbut even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master\u2019s table.\u201d
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28<\/sup>Then Jesus answered, \u201cWoman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.\u201d And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (NIV1984)
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
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\u201cI want a church that\u2026.\u201d  How would you complete that sentence?  Would you say something like, \u201cI want a church that is upbeat and positive, one that doesn\u2019t talk about \u2018sin\u2019 all the time.\u201d  Would you say something like, \u201cI want a church that uses hymns that are fun to sing, hymns that make me feel good.\u201d  Would you say something like, \u201cI want a church where the pastor is both energetic and entertaining.\u201d  Would you say something like, \u201cI want a church that will show me how to make myself a better person, a better spouse, a better parent, a better friend.  Would you say something like \u201cI want a church where the people are like me\u2014 they look like me, they talk like me, they act like me.\u201d  \u201cI want a church that\u2026.\u201d  How would you complete that statement?
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Hopefully you recognize that the statement, \u201cI want a church that\u2026\u201d is not the proper perspective to have on the church.  Since God Himself <\/span>bought <\/span><\/b>the Church with His own holy, precious, innocent blood (Pointing to the cross) the <\/span>proper <\/span><\/b>perspective to have when it comes to the church is:  <\/span>What Does God Want in a Church?<\/i><\/b>  That is the theme of the new sermon series that we are beginning today.  Over the course of the next five weeks we will be looking at what <\/span>God <\/span><\/b>want in <\/span>His <\/span><\/b>Church.  As we begin this sermon series let\u2019s see that when it comes to <\/span>His <\/span><\/b>Church\u2014 <\/span>God Wants a Church for All People!<\/i><\/b>
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The fact that God wants His Church to be for <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>people was emphasized very clearly in our Old Testament reading from the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 56:1, 6-8)  After focusing our attention on the <\/span>\u201cforeigners who bind themselves to the L<\/i>ORD<\/i>,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>the God of Israel says, <\/span>\u201cTheir burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(Isaiah 56:6, 7).  Did God\u2019s Chosen People always take these words to heart?  Not always.  As you know from your own reading and studying of God\u2019s Word, in Jesus\u2019 day there was a tremendous amount of animosity between the Jews and the Gentiles.  That mutual \u201cdislike\u201d helps us to understand the depth of the opening verses of our text.  Matthew writes, <\/span>\u201cLeaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, \u2018Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!  My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.\u2019\u201d<\/i>
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Matthew\u2019s refence to <\/span>\u201cLeaving that place\u201d<\/i> <\/span>is a reference to the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where Capernaum was located.  Recent events\u2014 such as the beheading of John the Baptist, the attempt to make Jesus king <\/span>\u201cby force\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and the growing opposition of the Pharisees\u2014 prompted Jesus to go to the <\/span>\u201cregion of Tyre and Sidon,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>which is in modern-day Lebanon.  While Jesus once again wanted some quiet time so that He could teach His disciples, we see that once again news of His arrival spread quickly.
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One of the people who heard about Jesus\u2019 arrival was a <\/span>\u201cCanaanite woman.\u201d<\/i>  As you know, the Canaanites were the ancient enemies of the Israelites.  This woman, however, knew that she <\/span>had <\/span><\/b>to go to Jesus and <\/span>beg <\/span><\/b>for His help!  Why?  Because she was living in a nightmare!  Something terrible had happened to her daughter.  There was something inside of her, something that was tormenting her, something that was controlling her.  She was <\/span>\u201csuffering terribly from demon-possession.\u201d<\/i>  Like any mother whose child is <\/span>\u201csuffering terribly\u201d<\/i> <\/span>this woman would do <\/span>anything <\/span><\/b>to get help for her daughter.  And so when she heard that Jesus of Nazareth had come to the area she automatically went to Him for help!
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Why go to Jesus?  Because she knew Who He is!  She knew that Jesus of Nazareth <\/span>is <\/span><\/b>the long-awaited Promised Messiah!  How do we know that she had faith in Jesus as the Messiah?  Her faith in Jesus revealed itself in how she addressed Him, <\/span>\u201cLord, Son of David.\u201d<\/i>  Whatever she understood of the covenant that the Lord had established with Abraham and his descendants, whatever she understood of the promises and the prophecies that the Lord had revealed through His servants, the prophets\u2014 such as the prophet Isaiah\u2014 the faith of this Canaanite woman led her to believe that Jesus is the Messiah!  The faith of this Canaanite woman led her to believe that Jesus was the <\/span>only <\/span><\/b>One who had the power to help her daughter.  The faith of this Canaanite woman led her to go to Jesus and <\/span>beg, <\/span><\/b>\u201cLord, Son of David, have mercy on me!\u201d<\/i>
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How did Jesus respond?  He all but ignored her.  Matthew tells us, <\/span>\u201cJesus did not answer a word.  So his disciples came to him and urged him, \u2018Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.\u2019\u201d<\/i>  It certainly didn\u2019t look like Jesus was going to help her.  He just kept on walking\u2014 without speaking a  word.  She, however, was not willing to give up!  She followed behind Jesus and His disciples\u2014 continually crying out for help!  Jesus\u2019 disciples quickly became annoyed with her.  It may have been embarrassing for them to have this Canaanite following along behind them crying out for help.  Their solution was simple.  They <\/span>\u201curged\u201d<\/i> <\/span>Jesus to <\/span>\u201csend her away.\u201d<\/i>
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Finally, Jesus spoke.  He didn\u2019t respond to the woman\u2019s request.  He didn\u2019t respond to the disciples\u2019 request.  He very simply summarized the main focus of His ministry:  <\/span>\u201cI was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.\u201d<\/i>  At this the woman became even more bold.  She went around the disciples, knelt directly in front of Jesus and pleaded, <\/span>\u201cLord, help me!\u201d<\/i>  As parents and grandparents we can feel the pain contained in those words.  Both her need and her faith were too strong for her to simply give up and go home.  Her daughter was <\/span>\u201csuffering terribly\u201d<\/i> <\/span>and she <\/span>knew <\/span><\/b>that Jesus had the power to help!
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To our Gentiles ears the conversation between Jesus and this Canaanite woman sounds rather strange, perhaps even cold.  Matthew writes, <\/span>\u201cHe replied, \u2018It is not right to take the children\u2019s bread and toss it to their dogs.\u2019  \u2018Yes, Lord,\u2019 she said, \u2018but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master\u2019s table.\u2019\u201d<\/i>  On the surface these words at not all that difficult to understand.  Picture a master at home with all of his children sitting around the table eating.  Off to the side are their pet dogs.  No one would take the food that was meant for the children and toss it to their pets.  It just wouldn\u2019t be right!  At the same time, if some of that food fell on the ground, the dogs would gladly clean it up and no one would be upset.
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On a spiritual level this picture is profound!  Jesus\u2019 reference to the <\/span>\u201cchildren\u2019s bread\u201d<\/i> <\/span>encompasses all the wonderful blessings that the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob freely provides to His <\/span>\u201cchildren.\u201d<\/i>  This would include all the physical blessings the Lord God provided to the Children of Abraham.  This would include all the spiritual blessings that the Lord God provided to the Children of Abraham.  And it would include all the glorious promises that the Lord God made to the Children of Abraham.  Since Jesus has already made it very clear, <\/span>\u201cI was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>this helps us to understand why Jesus said to this Canaanite woman, <\/span>\u201cIt is not right to take the children\u2019s bread and toss it to their dogs.\u201d<\/i>  The time would come when Jesus would send His disciples out into all the world and share with all people the blessings that God has given to His Chosen People, but that time was not now.
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This Canaanite mother understands precisely what Jesus is saying.  In a humble yet masterful way she phrases her response in a very powerful way.  She does not argue that her needs are somehow an exception.  She does not assert that she has the slightest right to Israel\u2019s covenant blessings.  She does not complain that Jesus is being unduly harsh with her.  She simply asks for help, confident that though she is entitled to nothing, yet, at least, she might receive, by sheer grace, a leftover crumb of God\u2019s goodness.  <\/span>\u201cYes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master\u2019s table.\u201d<\/i>
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Jesus\u2019 response to this Canaanite woman includes a commendation that He spoke to only two people while He was here on this earth\u2014 and neither of them were an Israelite, <\/span>\u201cWoman, you have great faith!  Your request is granted.\u201d<\/i>  (See Luke 7:1-10)  Then Matthew adds those all-important words, <\/span>\u201cAnd her daughter was healed from that very hour.\u201d<\/i>
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This Canaanite woman serves as a real, relevant example of why we say that God wants His Church to be a Church for <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>people!  The disciples became so annoyed with this Canaanite woman because she <\/span>\u201ckeeps crying out after us,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>that they <\/span>\u201curged\u201d<\/i> <\/span>Jesus to simply <\/span>\u201csend her away.\u201d<\/i>  This can also be translated as, <\/span>\u201cDismiss her.\u201d<\/i>  But the Lord, the long-awaited Promised Messiah, allowed her to kneel in front of Him and make her request.  Then, the Lord, the long-awaited Promised Messiah praised this Canaanite woman for having a <\/span>\u201cgreat faith.\u201d<\/i>  Then the Lord, the long-awaited Promised Messiah used His power to miraculously heal this woman\u2019s daughter!
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Who annoys us, my friends?  Who might we want to <\/span>\u201csend away\u201d<\/i> <\/span>if they came into <\/span>our <\/span><\/b>church?  Who might we want to <\/span>\u201cdismiss\u201d<\/i> <\/span>if they show an interest in <\/span>our<\/b> <\/span>congregation?  Our initial reaction to questions like that might be, \u201cNo one!  We welcome anyone and everyone who comes into our church!\u201d  But\u2014 what if someone visits our church and they don\u2019t talk like us?  What if someone visits our church and they don\u2019t look like us?  What if someone visits our church and it\u2019s obvious from the way that they are dressed that they don\u2019t have much money\u2014 or perhaps are even homeless?  Would we openly and warmly welcome them, or would we quietly be annoyed with them and wish they would simply go away?
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As Christians we know that <\/span>\u201cGod so loved the <\/span>world <\/span><\/b>that he gave his one and only Son, that <\/span>whoever <\/span><\/b>believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(John 3:16).  As Christians we know that <\/span>\u201cGod does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(Acts 10:34).  As Christians we know that right now in heaven above there is <\/span>\u201ca great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb\u201d<\/i> <\/span>(Revelation 7:9).  As Christians we know that God wants His Church to be a Church for <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>people!
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At the same time, as sinners we\u2019re all prejudiced in one way or another, to one degree or another.  Our old sinful nature wants us to divide and distinguish between people based on the color of their skin, their ethnic background, the language they speak and how much money they have\u2014 or don\u2019t have.
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This account of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus <\/span>\u201ccrying out\u201d<\/i> <\/span>for His help because her faith led her to believe that He <\/span>is <\/span><\/b>\u201cthe Lord,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>the <\/span>\u201cSon of David,\u201d<\/i> <\/span>the Promised Messiah, reveals to us beyond any shadow of a doubt that the only thing that matters to Him (Pointing to the cross) and therefore the only thing that matters to us is the faith that lives in a person\u2019s heart\u2014 faith in Jesus as this world\u2019s <\/span>only <\/span><\/b>Savior from sin!
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We need to keep coming back to this truth over and over again\u2014 especially as we look around and see all the division and all the animosity that exists right here in our own country.  Since we all have that old sinful nature that is constantly fighting against the Truth of the cross (Pointing to the cross) we need to remember that the Chrisitan faith and prejudice cannot live and certainly cannot thrive in the same heart.
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\u201cI want a church that\u2026.\u201d  How would you complete that sentence?  While it would be easy to finish that sentence by focusing on the externals\u2014 the music we like, the programs we want, the people we can relate to\u2014 my prayer this morning is that since Jesus is the One who bought the Church at the cost of His own blood that we will want what Jesus wants in His Church.  What does Jesus want?  Today we see that it begins with a Church that is for <\/span>all <\/span><\/b>people!
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To God be the glory!
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Amen
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Matthew 15:21-28 The Church God Wants: A Church for All People!   21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, \u201cLord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.\u201d 23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1940\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.livingwordpetaluma.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}