Salvation is for All Nations

August 17, 2014



GOSPEL LESSON: Matthew 15:21–28 [Even the dogs eat the crumbs...]
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word.
And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27
She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Church Dog
Receiving the crumbs of God’s Word.

Knowing our place before God.

Thanking God for his Mercy on us.

Being nourished by the Sacraments.

Praising God!

The Theme of today’s Bible readings is that Salvation is for All Nations. As modern Christians, we have learned this a long time ago, but it was not always so obvious. The Lord God called Father Abraham to go to the Promised Land. His grandson Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, had twelve sons. They became the twelve tribes of Israel and God was known as the “Lord of Israel.” It was like a family religion that would be only for that family, or a national religion only for the county of Israel. There are a few passages in the Old Testament that offers salvation and blessing for people of other nations, but these passages were largely ignored, it seems. The Jews probably wondered why any person from a foreign country would want to believe in the Lord God? And why would the Lord God bless anyone who was not a Jew??

In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus travels to Tyre and Sidon that is outside Israel in Phoenicia, in modern day Lebanon. Here Jesus is confronted by a local woman. She wants Jesus to heal her daughter who is severely oppressed by a demon. She cries out to Jesus but Jesus ignores her. I do not want to think that Jesus did not want to help her. I would rather think that Jesus used this moment for a teaching opportunity. He was testing and teaching his disciple about the Kingdom of God.

The woman began to be a nuisance, and his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” If she had been a Jew, the disciples would probably have ushered the woman right up to Jesus. But she is not in the family of Israel. She is a Canaanite. They think she is outside the love of God. Jesus echoes the feeling of the Disciples when he says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when he says, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Then the woman becomes the teacher that day. She teaches the disciples the true meaning of God’s love and mercy. She has true faith in God. She says, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” She does not want to take away anyone else’s salvation. She is not claiming a right to God’s mercy because of her righteousness or faith or heritage. She knows that the Lord God is a merciful God. She knows that God takes care of all his creatures. She is asking only for what is normal. She is asking for the crumbs. And she knows the power of God. She knows that the crumb has the full power of God.

When Jesus answered her, I am sure he spoke loudly enough for the disciples to hear also. He wanted them to understand that anyone can believe in the True God and anyone can receive the love of God. He said, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

This Gospel story is a prelude to the great commission. Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” It is as John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This Gospel message reminds us that we are not Children of Israel. We are Gentiles. We cannot claim a right to salvation because of our birth. We are not born citizens of Israel nor of the Kingdom of God. And on top of that, we are sinners who do not deserve the love and mercy of God. We must remember that it was the Roman Gentiles who crucified Jesus. Gentiles like us. But on the cross, Jesus took the sin of the world—the sin of the Jews and the sin of the Gentiles. He took our sin. This shows his great love toward us. It reminds us to be gracious to others who come looking for Jesus. It reminds us to welcome the strangers in our midst because we have been welcomed into the family of God.

At one time Jesus said that if you have the faith the size of a tiny mustard seed that you can move mountains. Today we see that faith the size of a bread crumb can give healing and salvation. You do not have to have the whole catechism memorized to know the love of God. A small child knows that they are a lamb of God, and that is saving faith. (In Holy Communion we receive only a small piece of bread and a small sip of wine. But in that is the full power of forgiveness and eternal life. In Baptism, just a drop of water, or maybe three drops [one for the Father and one for the Son and one for the Holy Spirit], suffices to give a flood of cleansing and rebirth.)

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church


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