Listen and Watch Sermon
Pastor Tom Johnson, August 16, 2020
One of my seminary professors once said that the three most important things in biblical interpretation are context, context, context.
Context: Jesus just scolded the religious authorities for their belief that by washing their hands they are pure and undefiled spiritually. It is not dirty hands that defile a person, Jesus says. It’s not what goes into the mouth and out the other end. It is the sinful thoughts, words, and deeds that stem from the heart that defile a person.
Context: Jesus provides a list of evil flowing from our hardened hearts. The last one he mentions is slander. The New Testament word is blasphemia. In the broadest sense, it means words against another or insulting talk or hate speech. In the narrowest sense, it is to speak against God—words that make the sacred profane: blasphemy.
Context: Jesus and the disciples travel outside Israel into the northern region of Tyre and Sidon. Here they meet a Canaanite woman. She is not a Jew. She is not even a Samaritan. They had a name for these people: dogs—not the kind we have at home as our beloved pets but the wild, dirty, and scavenging kind of the first century.
So when the Canaanite woman comes toward Jesus and his disciples shouting in her heavy accent, Jesus knows exactly what is on the minds and in the defiled hearts of his disciples. They were thinking, “Who does this loud-mouthed, foreign and pagan woman think she is to be so bold and outspoken? She is nothing more than a Canaanite dog.” This is literally de-humanizing her—not even of the same species. I must admit. My first impression of Jesus’ behavior is troubling and disturbing. He stonewalls the woman. He acts as if he does not hear—refusing to listen or even acknowledge her. The disciples are emboldened now. “Send her away. Kick her to the curb, Jesus.” So he does. And he does so with slanderous, blasphemous words: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But we know he wasn’t. He said himself that he had other sheep outside the fold of the people of Israel (Jn 10:16). When she will not back down or be silenced, Jesus says, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
What?! What are you saying, my sweet Jesus—my radically inclusive Jesus—my Jesus who came not for the righteous but for the unrighteous—my Jesus who is a friend of sinners of all kinds—my Jesus who died and rose for all—in whom we are neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, slave nor free.
The German Reformer Martin Luther said that Jesus’ reply is “eternally unanswerable” and “masterful.” Jesus is playing devil’s advocate. He is taking on the deplorable attitude of the day. And why would he do that? He does it to unmask the lie of racial superiority that the prevailing culture had toward those outside. He gives this woman the opportunity to not just smack down the ethnic slur but to—with one brilliant word—completely destroy the slanderous metaphor that she and people like her are no more worthy of empathy or help than a wild, stray dog. Jesus uncovers the prejudicial attitudes and slanderous thoughts and words against others that were acceptable to the prevailing culture.
Just like the disciples, Jesus stands at our sides. He hears the thoughts coming out of our hearts and minds even if they do not come out of our mouths. When you and I come across others as we walk through our city streets what sort of filth and slanderous words start to creep out from the dark, hardened cracks of our hearts? What sort of words were you taught by friends and family to describe others who differ from you by their accent, skin tone, neighborhood, country of origin, gender identity, sexual orientation? What sort of choice-words come to mind? This is the slander—the blasphemy that Jesus uncovers—whether spoken or unspoken. Unspoken, please! We dehumanize those created in the beautiful and glorious image of God. Every human being is fearfully and wonderfully made. We are profaning what is sacred by our name-calling.
Dear Christian, choose your words wisely. Be the light of Christ. Speak well of others. Let no unwholesome speech come out of your mouths. Confess and repent of the evil still lurking in our hearts. Dear Christian, do not patronize others and lecture them. Let others speak for themselves. Listen. Listen to their stories and unique journey to discover and uncover their worth in Christ. Does this make us feel uncomfortable? I believe that is why Jesus behaves the way he does. He wants us to feel the cringe. Maybe then we will squirm away from such harmful and shameful thoughts, come into Christ’s light, and let him mold us further into the people of God he died and rose for us to be.
And that Canaanite woman! I believe she senses something in Jesus’ body language or tone of voice that makes her feel safe. “Yes, Lord, you and your people may consider me to be a dog. But even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.” The bread the master serves to the children at the table will reach the dogs on the floor. Touché! In debate, such a sharp and witty response is called a rejoinder. And it is not just her skill with words that’s so impressive. It is what Jesus praises her for: her faith. Did you catch how she turns the metaphor on its head? She turns it on the generosity and goodness of the Master. God is so good and generous at the Lord’s Table that our cups run over. Our bread baskets that were once empty now have leftovers that would feed an army. What she believes about God transforms what she believes about herself. Her worth is not found by where she was born, her gender, who she loves, her skin tone, her accent, her politics, or even her religious upbringing. Her worth is found in the true and living God whose blessings overflow to all creation. Even if we were to use the false and ethnic slurs ourselves—God’s love will still prevail.
Dear child of God, God hears your cries for help, justice, and love. You are not invisible. You have a voice. Shout it out! Be your authentic self. It may cause a stir among some. But be assured that Jesus not only accepts you. He celebrates you. Great is your faith! It is awesome when you believe in God’s faith in you as a lovable, beautiful child of God. We believe in Jesus who lived, died, and rose again for the whole world—whose love overflows for all humankind. Our faith and faithfulness will bring greater glory to God as we build up the humanity of those around us. He is the God who transforms our hate speech into love speech.
In Christ there is no east or west,
In Him no south or north,
But one great fellowship of love
Throughout the whole wide earth.
With God there is no tribe or race;
In Him we all are one.
He loves us as His children through
Our faith in His dear Son.
So, brothers, sisters, praise His name
Who died to set us free
From sin, division, hate, and shame,
From spite and enmity.
(“In Christ there is no east or west” LSB 653, vv. 1-3)
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