Matthew 15:21-39

The encounter between Jesus and the Gentile woman is a place where many people are offended by Jesus. He just isn’t behaving like a good Messiah. His words are rude and crass to the pitiful Gentile woman. If I had been the messiah I would have just said to the woman, “I am happy you came to me. I was just explaining to the fellas that God wants to reach out to people on the margins. I will gladly heal your daughter.” That’s what I would have done. I just want to fix things.

What did Jesus do? First, he demonstrates an essential quality of The Messiah that I certainly do not have. Patience. Jesus is a wonderful counselor. Unlike some wanna be messiah’s that rush in where angels fear to tread and start healing everybody in sight, Jesus, the patient Messiah, let’s the story unfold so that when he is through both the Canaanite woman and his disciples (and us) have something enduring to take home.

When I read this story I remember that Jesus wasn’t a superhero. He wasn’t the generic savior of the world. He is the Messiah of Israel. The mission of Israel’s Messiah is to be the savior of the world. (John 3:16) Jesus’ encounter with the woman allows the woman to move from rushing to the man she heard was performing miracles in Israel, to affirming, through worship, confession, and understanding, that Jesus, as Israel’s Messiah, was the One who could heal her daughter.

A friend loved the church and wanted to see the church grow and flourish. Weekly he would come by my office to encourage me. He had a list of topics that he wanted me to avoid in my sermons. He didn’t want me to offend anyone. Eventually he came to understand that a low carb, low calorie, non-fattening, messiah may not be offensive, but is not The Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world.

What does today’s reading reveal to you

about God?

What does it reveal to you about yourself?

Think about what God wants you to do

or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to change anything in your life?

Matthew 14:34-15:20

We live in a marginal world. There are always some people living on the margins of society. They seldom, if ever, have enough of – anything. They live without hope. Even in the church there are those who always stay on the sidelines, seldom allowing themselves into the fellowship times where intimate relationships are born and nurtured. They watch as others go to the altar for anointing and prayer, never having quite enough courage or faith to let go and trust God with their lives.

The reason we do what we do as the church is to continually offer hospitality, acceptance and love to encourage those in the margins to come deep into the heart of God. So it will be until Christ comes again in Final Victory. In the opening verses of today’s reading Matthew describes what that day will be like:

the news of Jesus spread quickly throughout the whole area;

and soon people were bringing all their sick to be healed.

They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe,

and all who touched him

were healed.

When Jesus comes the margins will be removed!

In the next passage Jesus begins to prepare the church for our work to take down the barriers that keep people on the margins. Jesus tells the Pharisees that with God, it is a matter of substance over form. God is looking to our heart, our inner life, for evidence of our transformation. It is not so much a matter of how we worship; but why we do worship. Understanding this will help Matthew’s church take the Good News to the gentiles; and will help our church reach those who are marginalized.

The more my focus is on Who I worship and Why, the more God can use me to invite All people to come and receive healing and wholeness from God.

What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?

What does it reveal to you about yourself?

Think about what God wants you to do 

or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to change anything in your life?

Matthew 14:13-33

As I prepare this the Weather Channel is on with news of people packing to evacuate the coastal regions in the path of Hurricane Irene. We are packing to leave also, but not because of the Hurricane. Cheryl’s mother has been hospitalized in Clearwater and we need to return home.

Today’s reading is helpful to me as I respond to our family crisis. When we were in Israel last year we visited a place believed to be the location where Jesus fed the multitude of men, women and children. As those images come to me I have a sense of the eternal continuity of God caring for his people. In two weeks when we celebrate Holy Communion (Sept. 4) I will use the same words Jesus used while preparing the meal: I will take the bread; bless the bread, break the bread and give the bread. Every time I get to say those words I feel connected to something so sacred, and so much bigger than me. I feel as I am in a safe place.

The story of Peter’s adventure on the water has always intrigued me. First, I have a pet peeve with the way the story is sometimes used. I cringe when people use the story as an example of putting faith into action and say something cutesy like, “If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat.”

I think Jesus was walking on water because it was the most expedient way for him to catch up to the disciples. Jesus was not challenging them to show their faith by walking on water; Jesus was challenging the disciples because of their lack of faith. Jesus had just finished feeding thousands of people with a few loaves of bread and two fish. What else did the disciples need to believe? Why were they terrified to see Jesus coming to them? They responded from fear and missed being comforted by Jesus through faith.

This episode is an encouragement to me to live with a made up mind: Jesus will take care of me; all things are possible with Jesus; I can rest in the assurance that Jesus knows where I am and is and will be all I need.

What does today’s reading reveal 

to you about God?

What does it reveal 

to you about yourself?

Think about what God wants you

to do or remember about this passage.

Does God want you 

to change anything in your life?

Matthew 13:44-14:12

Life is so full of interesting contrasts. I am enjoying another crisp, cool, refreshing morning. Not all that far from us it is already hot and humid. I’m pondering how to spend the day; curled up with another good book or explore the beauty of the mountains or take Buster & Hershey to the dog park by the French Broad River or all of the above. Not that far away people are boarding up in preparation for Hurricane Irene.

Jesus was a master at revealing the contrasts within the Kingdom of God. One person is simply trying to make their way through life and stumbles upon the Kingdom. The discovery is so profound for them; the Kingdom is given top priority in their life. Another person is searching desperately for meaning in life and finds the Kingdom of God. It is so just what they have been looking for that everything else in their life pales in comparison to the love of God.

This love of God is so amazing. All people everywhere are invited to live under the care and love of God. Many respond, but not all for the right reasons. Some just follow the crowd; others are seeking only to find themselves, not God.

In the midst of the beauty of holiness (harmony with God) there is also evil, as evidenced by the brutal murder of John the Baptist. In the midst of the revelation of the Glory of God that is in Jesus, there is also apathy, as evidenced by the dismissive attitudes in Nazareth.

In the midst of all these contrasts I see the unwavering commitment of God to save His people. I also see the unwavering justice of God. The choices I make matter to God. Without God’s justice, His love is like marshmallow soup. It may be sweet, but it doesn’t do anything good for me.

What does today’s reading reveal to you

about God?
What does it reveal to you 

about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do 

or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to 

change anything in your life? 

Matthew 13: 24-43

Like any good story teller, Jesus uses humor and hyperbole to make his point. Remember, these parables follow Jesus encountering some significant opposition, so he is trying to lighten the mood of the disciples, as well as provide assurances that God will prevail over the forces of evil. The stories about seeds, wheat and weeds give that assurance and the mustard seed and yeast stories provide the comic relief, as well as give an insight about the Kingdom of God.

The mustard seed isn’t the smallest seed nor does it grow into a huge tree with branches sufficient to house flocks of birds. This reference to such a tree comes from the Book of Daniel where a majestic tree is pictured as standing at the center of the earth with its branches reaching to heaven. I am sure the disciples were snickering at the image of a mustard bush being compared to Daniel’s mighty tree.

Jesus is saying that there might be just a few of them, but God is going to do a mighty work through them, using the most unlikely of means.

The disciples really get wide eyed when Jesus talks about three measure of flour. That’s fifty pounds of flour! In the Bible yeast is often used in a negative connation, so Jesus is saying something like one bad apple spoils the whole barrel. What is Jesus getting at? The key is in what the woman does with yeast. In the original Greek, she ‘hides’ the yeast in the flour.

Jesus is saying that one person not laughing at a racist joke can make a difference. Jesus is saying one person exercising Christian integrity at the point of decision can make a difference. Jesus is saying that his little band of followers, armed with the Good News, living for God in a fallen world, can change the course of history.

They did.

We can.

What does today’s reading reveal 

to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do

or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to change 

anything in your life?