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8/20/2017
When we will ever learn?
Matthew 15:10-28
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May the words of my mouth and the ears of our hearts be open to the word of God this day. AMEN.
If this past week hasn’t proved anything more – it has shown us that racial and cultural tensions are still a heated issue facing our country and our world. Groups marching in Charlottesville and San Antonio last week some supporting removal of confederate statues and some for keeping the statues clashed in both cities. Allegedly as we all saw on tv, the situation in Charlottesville got so heated, a man drove into a crowd of protestors that were opposite his beliefs in order to do harm – killing one and injuring others. Threats of attack, assassinations and killings spilled out throughout the country over the internet, in rallies, in meetings as the week went on. This weekend other protests on both sides of the issues are being held in Dallas and Boston– and the fear of more violence is imminent.
But it is not only here, over in Spain this week another alleged terror attack and plots by Issis to terrorize and do harm to people that are not like them. A van runs down a crowd on a busy street killing 13 and injuring over a 100. Later another attack occurs on the streets of Cambrils, another Spanish city. Supposedly linked together all over hatred of one people over another.
Racism, Bigotry, Cultural discrimination are still a major part of the human sinfulness. We deal with it every day. It is part of our society, it is part of our schools, our work places, our churches and our very nature. We can sit at a distance from Charlottesville and Barcelona and say at least we are not like that. We are better than that. But are we? We have racism, we have discrimination, we have bigotry. Could not those same protests be happening right here in Hanover. The sad truth to the matter is that human history has shown that humanity is capable of great love and great acts of kindness, but we also are capable of great hatred, violence and division. In a world filled with so many problems like 1 in 6 children in these United States go to bed malnourished and where there are nations of millions facing severe famine crisis. In world where neighbors are shooting neighbors, in Chicago alone, nearly 500 people have been murdered so far this year. Okay closer to home, In York, much smaller than Chicago, but 54 shootings so far this year – and those are the ones reported. Where there is homelessness, crippling diseases of all kinds, child abuse, elderly abuse, marital abuse, addictions of all kinds, with educational failings, and an economic crisis’s. With all those other things outthere don’t you think that there would be enough reason for people to come together to fight against these things, instead of finding things that can divide us and rip society apart. When we will ever learn.
Isaiah was speaking about this very issue 2600 year ago. The people of Israel, the ones that were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Chosen people of the twelve tribes of Judah’s sons. The ones that claimed to be the people of God, had rejected God and fallen away into sinfulness. God removed his hand of protection from this “chosen ones” and allowed the Babylonian empire to conquer his people, to destroy their cities and their holy places, to carry them off into what is now the Iranian area as slaves. But in Isaiah 56, the prophet is speaking once again that God is about to bring in the day of salvation. God will once again claim his people and bring them together as his own, defend them and make them prosper in peace and joy. Now is the time of the restoration of Israel and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Isaiah is saying God is fulfilling the covenant once again in Israel. But, Isaiah doesn’t stop with just those “Chosen people” he broadens God’s people to include anyone, foreigners and Hebrew, anyone faithful who keep to the ways of God. Isaiah goes on to say that God will bring to his holy mountain all those who are faithful and make them “joyful in my house of prayer”, says the Lord, “For my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”
But do we ever learn.
600 years later, Jesus in our Gospel reading for today is dealing with the same issues. What we get today is a section of reading that comes in assuming you already know what has happened before. St. Matthew records in the beginning of this chapter the fact that the Pharisees and the scribes had come to Jesus asking why his disciples break the traditions of the elders. Why do they not wash before they eat? These religious leaders are not worried about the health issue, they don’t care if the hands are washed in soapy warn water or scrubbed with anti-bacterial disinfectant. They don’t care if the food is properly washed of any dirt, pesticides, or germs. They don’t even know about e-coli poisoning. Their only concern is keeping the human rituals and traditions of the truly righteous. They know that for 1000 years the priests have followed certain laws on washing in a certain ceremonial way. This is what makes them sacred and righteous, these laws they abide by.
But Jesus contours asking why they do not hold up to the law of Moses to honor your father and mother, when these same priests abide by a tradition that says that it is okay to ignore your father or mother or person in need as long as you are given what you would have given to them to the church. Get that- the priests condone, not only they mandate it that people use their last bit of money as required sacrifice to the church instead of helping support their own family in need. These are the leaders of the church, the faithful, the Chosen people, not the gentiles, not the Romans, not the heathen, but the truly righteous people.
So Jesus calls the crowds together and teaches them in this section what it means to be a righteous person, it is not by the law or the ritual, it is by how you live it, what you say or what you do that shows your faithfulness. OOOOh, that stikes home. The disciples warn Jesus, “Ooooh you offended those priests, those Pharisees when you said that. They are the leaders, they have the titles, they are of the club. They have the education, the training, the family lineage, They are the pure line of Aaron. They are not look those others, Jesus, and you just denounced them in front of everyone.” But Jesus goes on to explain again, that it is not the “particular law” like ritual of washing that makes you right. There is no check list of – do these 100 things and you will be selected as the most holy, special, chosen, righteous in the club person of all times. Jesus explains it is what comes out of you that shows your heart and mind, how you speak, deal with others, live, is what shows your faith and righteousness in the Lord.
And almost on cue, Matthew lines up the next story in the area of Tyre and Sidon. An area total opposite of Jerusalem as you can get. It is way up North, past Samaria, past Galilee, it is up along the coast of the Mediterrean Sea in what would have been the Pheonicians, modern day Lebanon. And there Jesus just happens to be confronted, loudly by a woman, a gentile, an outsider, a Canaanite woman. She comes to Jesus in hope and strength and will not be put off. Jesus says that he comes only to the Lost sheep of Israel, to the “CHOSEN ONES” perhaps to test her faith, to see her response, or perhaps to show to the disciples what he means of a person who has faith. So Jesus basically refuses to help her, she still is persistent and pleads from him for even the tiniest bit of help. And Jesus grants her the healing of her daughter, not based on her ancestry or her prescribing to some law but simply on faith. On the actions and the words that come from her for the love of her child.
Racism, Bigotry, Cultural discrimination are still a major part of the human sinfulness. It is part of our society. When we will ever learn. Isaiah calls out that the way of God is for all people, the house of prayer is for all people. Jesus teaches the Pharisees, the disciples, the crowds that it is not what race, culture, law that makes you a child of God, but through faith in how you live and what you say, by how you show your love. So why do we still not learn. Isn’t it about time? Amen.
May the peace and Grace of God be with you this day and throughout the week to come. AMEN.