EVEN THE DOGS, EVEN THE CRUMBS
a sermon by George R. Pasley
James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-17; Mark 7:24-30
Jesus called her a dog.
Maybe you have a problem with that. I admit I do, though it's not a really big problem. The problem can be explained away in a number of different ways, and they are all logical and even helpful to us in understanding what the story wants us to know. I may mention the explanations alter, but for now let's consider the story.
Let's begin as I began before: Jesus called her a dog. Not directly, true, but his intention was clear. He called her a dog.
Actually, the Greek text uses the diminutive form of dog, so it was "little dog," which I find ironic because she was exactly like a little
You know, those little dogs are always pestering you even if they don't bite.
There are two versions of this story in the Gospels, and the other version has the woman following after Jesus, begging for a miracle, being pretty much of a pest. This story is different but she is still a pest because somehow she gained entrance to a house where Jesus has secluded himself, and he thinks he's kept the secret. Only he hasn't, because she finds out where he is and barges in.
She was a pest and she got what she wanted. There's a lesson in that: when you pray, if your request is important, and if you trust the mercy of God, you'll pray the way this woman did. Be a pest, if you must. God does sometimes reward persistence- in fact, Jesus told a parable to make just that point.
But here, he made another point- he made a point of identifying her as an outsider. She was a "little dog" and
She was an outsider, and for centuries there has been no way that any listener, any scholar, any preacher could get around that point.
It makes sense to reserve certain things for certain people. After all, we need all of the spaces in our parking lot, don’t we?
She was an outsider, but he gave her some food from the table.
Why? Because of her faith. In fact, he made as much emphasis of her faith as he did her being an outsider, because he wanted to make a point: God honors faith, and faith comes from hearing the good news and trusting the one who is the content of the good news (namely, Jesus).
The woman heard, which is not surprising because EVERYBODY had heard by this time. But what is surprising is that she believed and understood. Many believed but did not understand, and more and more were giving up on their belief.
But she believed Jesus was good news, even if he gave her a rude answer, and she was persistent in her belief AND she was rewarded for her faith. THAT'S the point he wanted to make, and he might never have made it if he hadn't pointed out that she was an outsider. Certainly it would never have been recorded otherwise.
Of course the truth is, we are all outsiders.
We forget, most of the time. Or, I presume we forget because I forget.
I forget I am a sinner in need of mercy, and instead come to this sanctuary and this table for an assortment of other reasons.
For one, you pay me to and you expect me to!
But I come to see Agnes.
I come to taste Dolores' cookies.
I come to grab Nyron or Kordell and lift them up.
I come to hear Bruce laugh.
I come because we do good things here and I want to be part of that.
I come because it's relatively easy for me to hold my head up.
I come because I know I'm loved by God and I want to love God back.
None of those are bad reasons. But the bottom line is I'm a sinner- an outsider at God's table- and I come because I need what God has to offer.
Indeed, we have a table here today and there is bread on it. The bread is food, for God's children.
Maybe you have a hard time holding your head up today, for whatever reason- maybe not even a good reason. But trust in the mercy of God, and you'll be fed.
You'll be fed, and it'll be more than bread. It'll be the life of Christ poured out for you, broken for you and working in you, body and soul. We all came as outsiders to this place, but we will all leave as children of God.
Now, there's a good chance I'll go home feeling good about whatever happens here today, but before the day is over I'll blow it.
I'll get vexed with someone, or I'll think something I shouldn't think, or something else will happen that labels me once again as an outsider, someone who doesn't practice the love of God.
But look again at this story. Jesus was all about practicing the love of God. He'd been busy forgiving people and teaching people and healing people and straightening people out and feeding them by the thousands and to tell the truth, it was work.
We think God just waves a hand and things happen but it's more than that. Jesus had to die to set this table today. As for rising from the dead, well that took three days worth of grief on God's part, and a whole lot of trust on Jesus' part. Don't tell me that grief and trust aren't work, because they are.
So Jesus was working at grace and mercy and love, and the woman was working overtime on faith. It looks here like maybe Jesus slipped a gear or something, because the woman had to kind of help him along.
Now, that may be only an appearance but go with me- because if Jesus had to work at it sometimes, well, what about us?
Maybe being merciful or gracious or loving or forgiving is super hard for us- well, what do we expect? Dig in, and work a little harder.
Yesterday I was trying to position some railroad ties in the landscape at my house. One rolled over and pressed my foot into a ditch beside my deck. It was stuck in there pretty good, and moving that tie was seemed impossible in the position I was in, so I thought about waiting until someone came to visit but I'm sure glad I didn't because no one did!
Instead, I gritted my teeth and thanked God for the big breakfast I'd eaten and I got the job done.
But that doesn't always work. Jesus had the woman to remind him that even the little dogs under the table share in the bounty on top of the table, and that was enough to get him over the hump.
Okay, DON'T GO OUT OF HERE SAYING I SAID WE HAVE TO HELP JESUS. I'm just making a point- we need to help each other, the way Steve helped me take that railroad tie to my house in the first place. Some sins are pretty hard to forgive. Some misdeeds are pretty hard to correct, sometimes we've fallen so low it's a long ways back up, and whatever the case we need to be helping each other over the hump.
Maybe we know someone who needs some spiritual help and maybe we know why they need it, but maybe we don't. Either way, we encourage each other by keeping each other in prayer and we encourage each other by noticing and pointing out where God is busy in our day to day AND we encourage each other by working as persistently as we can on our own faith struggles, whatever they are.
But the real help, the help that makes a difference and keeps on making a difference no matter the turmoil, no matter the temptation, no matter the struggle, no matter the nagging doubt, is Jesus.
Jesus the insider who became an outsider as one of us.
Jesus, the one who died setting this dinner table.
Jesus is the one we really need to depend on, because he was the one the Greek woman depended on. She wouldn't settle for anyone else, and neither should we.
The woman in our story was persistent.
The woman in our story believed in the goodness AND the power of Jesus.
The woman in our story was clever and in her cleverness there is an insight we often overlook.
Yesterday I went to a yard sale and saw a beautiful modern roll top desk, marked for $100. It didn’t tempt me because I was after something else, but it did tempt many shoppers. Unfortunately for most, it was paid for by one of the early shoppers.
When I went back in the afternoon to retrieve my purchase the man of the house told me that a later shopper had tried and tried to buy the desk, even though it was clearly marked sold. But there was only one, and it was gone.
But the resources of God are not like that. They are unlimited. There is enough mercy for us all. There is enough grace for us all. There is enough love for us all- no rationing is required. Even the dogs receive a share.
Even so, the mercy, grace and love of God are more than sufficient to cover our need.
In fact, even a crumb will do.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
