The Rock - Sermon Preparation for August 27, 2023

 The Rock – August 27, 2023 – Lebanon UMC — by Alan Swartz

Proper 16 Year A — Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost

See the video of the sermon I preached at Lebanon UMC on August 27, 2023

Romans 12:1-8 (NRSVue)

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶ We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸ the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Matthew 16:13-20 (NRSVue)

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Introduction

We saw last week how Jesus took his disciples into the region of Tyre and Sidon, an area that was primarily Gentile, not Jewish. We saw how Jesus once again interacted with a Gentile seeking healing on behalf of someone. Now, this week, we see that Jesus has taken his disciples to Caesarea Philippi.

In the Old Testament this area was known as Baal Gad. It was associated with the northernmost part of the area of the conquest (the tribe of Gad) and was known for the worship of Baal. (Kamrat and Sperling)

This area in later days came to be known as Panias, named after the Greek god Pan. By the 3rd century BC, it became a place for the worship of Pan — a nature god often associated with fertility and sexuality. A spring emerged from the mouth of a large cave there and offerings were made to Pan by casting sacrifices into the cave.

In 20 BC this area was gifted by Caesar Augustus to Herod the Great who built a marble temple there in honor of the Emperor. Upon Herod’s death his son Philip established his place of rule there and name it Caesarea Philippi. (Choi; Boring 343; Witherington 310)

Now I am mentioning all of this to help paint the scene. Imagine Jesus and his disciples standing before this cavernous opening with all types of associations with pagan worship, including Canaanite and Greek worship — a place that is now a regional center of political power for Rome. Here, at this spot, Jesus confronts his disciples with two questions…

Who do people say I am? And, who do you say I am?

A Messianic and Davidic Identity

So, let’s take a closer look at the text.

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist but others Elijah and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

The disciples now recognize that Jesus is the anointed one — that it, the Messiah. Matthew identifies Jesus with David throughout his Gospel account beginning in the very first verse where Matthew identifies Jesus as “the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Mt 1:1 NRSVue) In chapter 9 two blind men call out to Jesus, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (9:27) We saw just last week how that Canaanite woman cried out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David.” (15:22) Two more blind men are healed outside of Jericho, again crying out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” (20:30) When Jesus processes into Jerusalem the crowds shout, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (21:9) When Peter calls Jesus, “the Son of the living God,” he is giving Jesus the title given to David. (Barber)

¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

I want to mention four points from this passage. First, Peter is identified as the rock upon which Christ will build his church. Second, the powers of death will not prevail against the church. Third, Peter is given the keys to the kingdom. Fourth, he is given the authority to bind and loose. Let’s first look at the first two points.

The Rock vs the Gates of Hades

You probably already know that the name Peter means rock, so Jesus uses the name as a pun for the establishment for his church. His church will be founded on this rock. I believe that Peter is singled out for making this tremendous profession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 

So, Peter is called the Rock. In fact, instead of using the name Peter it would be more accurate to call him the Rock. (Boring 345) Now it is interesting that today there is someone else known as the Rock — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a well-known professional wrestler turned actor.  Dwayne is known for his imposing bulk as well as his taunts and trash talk especially the phrase “lay the smack down,” or “layeth the smaketh down” as he puts it in the KJV vernacular. (“Dwayne Johnson”)

We don’t know much about Simon “The Rock” Peter’s physique, but he was most likely fit and strong to be a fisherman in the first century AD. While Peter isn’t know for trash talk, he is certainly known for his shortcomings: one who often lacked faith and would even deny knowing Jesus. No, what is being praised and lifted up here is his proclamation of Jesus as the Messiah and the Son of the living God. This is the Rock upon which Christ will build his church.

The next point made is that this church will prevail over the Gates of Hades. Now some translations use the phrase Gates of Hell which really isn’t what the text says. Hell is more commonly associated with the word Gehenna (a place of burning and destruction) whereas the word Hades is more closely associated with death and the realm of the dead.

If you are like me, when you hear of the church founded upon a rock you visualize the church as an impenetrable fortress, such as Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress.” But here Jesus portrays the church as on the offense. It is death that is placed on the defensive. St. Paul called death “the last enemy to be destroyed.” (1 Cor 15:26) He also said that since Christ has been raised from the dead he will never dies again and “death no longer has dominion over him.” (Rom 6:9) Death will be destroyed and we are to consider ourselves “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (6:11)

The Keys

The next two points are the Keys and the Binding and Loosing. 

The first thing I want to mention is where the concept of binding and loosening comes from. Binding and losing are part of the rabbinical tradition. You Different rabbis had different ways of interpreting scriptures and interpreting what the commandments mean and how to faithfully live them out. The rabbis would speak of binding and loosing which meant that they would forbid certain practices or allow certain practices. If you bind something, it’s forbidden. If you loose something, you permit it. You are free to do it. This binding and loosing became very important. The followers of those rabbis took their teaching on binding and loosing very seriously.  

Basically, what Jesus is saying to Peter is in the context of this great confession that Peter has made; that Christ will establish his church on this rock. He has given Peter the keys to the Kingdom. The keys are part of binding and loosing — forbidding and permitting. Later we will see how it also ties into the notion of forgiving or retaining sins.

Matthew talks about binding and loosing here in chapter 16 and in Chapter 18. Let’s talk just a little bit about the similarities and differences.

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If you are listened to, you have regained that one. ¹⁶ But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If that person refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church, and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a gentile and a tax collector. ¹⁸ Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Mt 18:15-20 NRSVue)

Here Jesus is extending the authority to loose and bind to all of the disciples present. Indeed, it is understood to be given to the church. Moreover, we see how that authority is tied directly to church discipline. Here is a process of dealing with an unrepentant sinner in the church, a process that finally ends with the unrepentant sinner expelled from the church and treated as a gentile and a tax collector.

Too often people hear the pronouncement given to treat one as a gentile and tax collector and assume it allows for harsh treatment. To the contrary, just how did Jesus treat gentiles and tax collectors? In the verse preceding this section Jesus says, “So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” (vs 14) To treat one as a gentile or tax collector is to be loving in outreach to the person in the hope of receiving them back into the fellowship of the church.

These passages in Matthew are similar to a passage in John’s gospel. Here it is…

¹⁹ When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors were locked where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” ²² When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (Jn 20:19-23 NRSVue)

What a wonderfully powerful and frightening gift. It is frightening because it is so easily abused. Throughout history we have seen the way the church has treated people. We see the way people have been shunned, shamed, and derided with no hope of reconciliation being offered. It is also a powerful gift. Imagine, we have been the authority to announce the redemption we have in Jesus Christ and to proclaim forgiveness in his name. How wonderful is that?

Now keep in mind, how historically, the church has put this concept of binding and loosing to work. Consider, for example, why there are certain New Testament commands that we no longer take literally or enforce upon people. For example, we no longer expect women to come to church with their heads covered. We allow women to speak in church. We allow women to teach in church. We have renounced slavery, a practice that was recognized and permitted in the scriptures. Divorce no longer precludes people from leadership roles in the church. We have allowed we have given women license to preach since John Wesley’s days and now ordain women and elect them bishops. (Powell 81)

There is so much more we can say about this text, but I really need to move into our epistle text for today.

All Members of the One

Our reading from Romans begins…

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Today’s epistle lesson ties in so nicely with the Gospel text. Jesus talks about the establishment of the church and its authority. Paul talks about the makeup of the church in terms of its members.

We are reminded to present our “bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” It is not animal sacrifice that God wants from us. He wants, not the dead, but the living. Our bodies represent our whole selves. We offer our whole selves to God as a reasonable or logical act of worship. Our whole selves includes our bodies as well as our minds. By giving our whole self to God we acknowledge that we no longer belong to ourselves, but to God — completely. (Witherington and Hyatt 284–85; Murray 110–11) It is an offering that isn’t made in a temple, but in our everyday life and activities. (Stott 321) This act of obedience and worship is what is pleasing to God. (Wright 707)

As Paul says to the Corinthians…

¹⁵ Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? … ¹⁷…anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. … ¹⁹ …your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰ For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Cor 6:15-20 passim, NRSVue)

Paul talks about the renewing of our minds that we “may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect. Another way to put this may be: “Do not let yourselves be shaped by what everyone else does, but rather let yourselves be transformed in a whole new way of thinking, so that you can discern what conforms to God’s will, namely what is good, and pleasing, and perfect.” (Achtemeier 195–96)

He continues…

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. 

We recognize our place in the church — the body of Christ — with a spirit of humility and sober judgment. We are all members of one body. We are individually members of one another. We all have a function within the body, and we are uniquely gifted for that function.

Gifts

Finally, Paul mentions that as members of the same body, we all have gifts that are vital to the body as a whole.

⁶ We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸ the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Paul Achtemeier, in his commentary, makes two points about the mention of the spiritual gifts here. First, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Second, no one gift is better than another and no gift is unimportant to the work of the church. (Achtemeier 197)

I don’t need to go into any detail about the gifts mentioned here. This list is representative of a much larger list of gifts. What is important is to be faithful stewards of the gifts we have been given.

So, Now What?

Our lessons today, from Matthew and Romans, serve to remind us of the importance of the mission of the church. Our God’s desire is that not one soul is lost. Our work is never complete when there are those who need to be shepherded into the Kingdom. The church is uniquely gifted to do that work. Sadly, we have seen too many examples of these gifts being abused.

We are not gatekeepers of a fortress, with the job of keeping the riff-raff out. We are the church of Jesus Christ that rails against the forces of death and destruction knowing that the defeat of those forces is certain.

We are the People of God, the Body of Christ, Members of One Another — we are the bearers of the hope and grace of God.

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

 

References

Achtemeier, Paul J. Romans. John Knox Press, 1985.

Barber, Michael Patrick. “Jesus as the Davidic Temple Builder and Peter’s Priestly Role in Matthew 16:16-19.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 132, no. 4, 2013, pp. 935–53. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/42912475.

Boring, M. Eugene. “Matthew.” The New Interpreter’s Bible, edited by Leander E Keck, vol. 8, Abingdon Press, 1994, p. 744.

Choi, Agnes. “Caesarea Philippi.” Bible Odyssey, https://bibleodyssey.net/places/main-articles/caesarea-philippi/. Accessed 25 Aug. 2023.

“Dwayne Johnson.” Wikipedia, 25 Aug. 2023. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dwayne_Johnson&oldid=1172238053.

Kamrat, Yuval, and S. Sperling. “Gad.” Encyclopaedia Judaica, Online Edition, 23 May 2018, https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/philosophy-and-religion/biblical-proper-names-biographies/gad#2587506980.

Murray, John. The Epistle to the Romans: The English Text with Introduction, Exposition, and Notes (Vol 2). 1984 Reprint, vol. 2, Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 1968.

Powell, Mark Allan. “Binding and Loosing: Asserting the Moral Authority of Scripture in Light of a Matthean Paradigm.” Ex Auditu, vol. 19, 2003, pp. 81–96.

Stott, John R. W. The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World. InterVarsity Press, 1994.

Witherington, Ben. Matthew. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2006.

Witherington, Ben, and Darlene Hyatt. Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. W.B. Eerdmans, 2004.

Wright, N. T. “The Letter to the Romans.” The New Interpreter’s Bible in Twelve Volumes, vol. 10, Abingdon Press, 2002, pp. 395–770.

 

Dirt, Dogs, and Defilement - Sermon Prep for August 20, 2023

 Sermon: Dirt, Dogs, and Defilement – August 20, 2023 – Lebanon UMC

Proper 15 Year A — Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

Watch video of the sermon on Facebook.

Matthew 15:1-28

¹ Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” ³ He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. ⁶ So, for the sake of your tradition, you nullify the word of God. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:

⁸ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;
⁹ in vain do they worship me,
    teaching human precepts as doctrines.’”

¹⁰ Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: ¹¹ it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” ¹² Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵ But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶ Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

Introduction

What is holiness? I bring the topic of holiness up to some degree every week in my preaching. As people in the Wesleyan tradition, we have a very clear understanding of holiness based on the scriptures, the writings of Wesley, and other Wesleyan theologians that followed Wesley. Today I want us to look at it in the larger historical-cultural context of the New Testament.

In the New Testament, the question of holiness, (that is what is holy and what is profane), must be understood as part of an honor/shame society with distinctive understandings about what is clean or unclean, and what is pure or polluted.

Think about these things as we proceed.

Today’s text has many threads, and it would be hard to examine these threads by just going down through the text in a linear fashion. So, what we are going to do is pull each thread out and examine it before moving on to the next thread. These threads deal with issues of tradition, purity, judgement, and love.

Do Dirty Hands mean a Dirty Heart?

The first thread I wish to examine is the thread of tradition. This comes up in an incident between Jesus and his disciples on the one hand and a group of scribes and Pharisees on the other. This group noticed that the disciples were eating without having washed their hands.

¹ Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.”

What we are talking about here isn’t a soap and warm water washing to remove soil from one’s hands. What is meant here is a ceremonial washing — a ritual of cleansing. Purity isn’t about the lack of actual dirt; it is about keeping the ceremonial requirements of the faith. (Simmons 60) This would be an example of a boundary law that we will talk about in greater detail later. Jesus viewed this requirement as a tradition that should not carry the weight of the law. Jesus accuses this group of scribes and Pharisees of putting tradition over the Law. (Witherington 297)

³ He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ ⁵ But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. ⁶ So, for the sake of your tradition, you nullify the word of God. ⁷ You hypocrites!

The Place of Tradition

Let’s continue to examine the thread of tradition. One of the issues that the church struggles with is just what is required of us. What must we do or not do to live authentic Christian lives? When we consider the law as handed down by Moses how does it apply to us?

This week I have had the pleasure of taking part in two Bible studies. We are studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians in our Tuesday evening Bible study. On Thursday I led a Bible study on the book of Jude to a group at my last church. Both letters address the problem of interlopers who seek to pervert the Gospel.

The churches of Galatia have come under the influence of a group of conservative Jewish Christians from Jerusalem. This group insisted that the Galatians adhere to the laws handed down from Moses — especially those we refer to as boundary laws. Boundary laws are those practices that define the boundary or border of our community. The Galatians (who were Gentiles) would need to convert fully to Judaism.

Remember that Christianity is not a distinct religion separate from Judaism at this point. It would be more accurate to think of Christianity as a sect within Judaism. Christians didn’t even call themselves Christians at this time. This created a real problem in dealing with the Gentile community. If Christianity is a part of Judaism it would seem to make sense that Gentiles must become Jews if they are to accept that Jesus is the Messiah. So, the Galatians fell into line with this teaching and practice.

For Paul, the Galatians were abandoning the very freedom they had in Christ.

Now, the interlopers Jude deals with can be thought of as in the other extreme. These were people who completely rejected the law and any moral code. They were libertines and antinomians. They believed that freedom in Christ meant that we could live without any rules or expectations. Jude condemned these interlopers as much as Paul condemned the interlopers in Galatia.

So, back to the question: what place does tradition have in our practice of faith?

In our church we say that our faith is informed by what has unfortunately been called the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Our faith is informed by scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. The problem with the word quadrilateral is that that it suggests that these four things are equal — they are not. The scriptures are the primary source of our faith. As our article 5 of our Articles of Religion state:

The Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. (“Articles of Religion”)

So, scripture is primary. But how do we understand or interpret scripture? That’s where the other three come in. So how we understand and interpret scripture is guided by our traditional understanding of the text. We also consider if an interpretation of scripture is reasonable. For example, when Jesus tells us that we have to eat his flesh and drink his blood we do not believe he was being literal. (Jn 6:56)

In Jesus’ day, there were all sorts of rabbinical traditions that helped with the understanding of the Law. One of those traditions is that of korban. Matthew doesn’t use this word, but Mark does in his account of this same incident. (Mk 7:11) Korban refers to a sacrifice — a gift — that is offered to God. (Halbertal 1)

Now, Jesus isn’t saying korban is a bad thing. What he objects to is using it as an excuse to not keep God’s law. In this case the requirement to care for your elderly parents. So, an adult child upset with his or her parents could say whatever help you were to receive from me is korban, that is dedicated or reserved for God. The pharisees in today’s text see the vow of korban as a legal requirement that could not be broken. (Hare 174) Jesus is saying that the vow of korban is not law, but a tradition. To say it is a law is to put it at odds with the requirement of the law given by God to care for one’s elderly parents.

Another reason Jesus is critical of the rabbinical teaching about money and korban is the tendency in rulemaking to be increasingly restrictive. Traditions can be more restrictive and binding than the actual requirements of the law.

You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound dog

Our next thread is the thread of purity. The ideas of being pure and being clean are closely related. What isn’t pure is unclean. What is pure vs. profane, or clean vs. unclean are common components of an honor/shame society. Jesus would fall very low on the social status scale. His opponents were all of a higher social class than he was. (Crook 601) Yet we see how when Jesus is being challenged by others, he ends up shaming them.

It's not that what is pure, clean, or honorable doesn’t mean anything to Jesus. On the contrary, these things are important. For Jesus, they reflect what comes from the heart. We remember how Jesus would cast out unclean spirits. He would cleanse the lepers. His words destroyed the shame of the woman caught in adultery. His name is salvation.

So, what are we to make of this text today in which Jesus seems to call this woman a dog? Perhaps not directly. What is it about dogs? You know the term dog is often used in a derogatory sense, isn’t it? That’s just the way that it is. But most dogs I encounter, at least those that are pets, are very well-behaved and wonderful loving creatures. But that doesn’t seem to be the image that’s conveyed in our text today. Indeed, in the Hebrew scriptures, dogs are referred to negatively.

I confess that I got distracted in my study at this point. I began to look into the place of dogs in the scripture. I couldn’t believe how much has been written on the subject. In the Old Testament food unfit for people was to be thrown to the dogs. They were scavengers and as such were not allowed inside homes. (Basson 93) Dogs were not pets and were not used for hunting or other work tasks. (Miller 488) This is in spite of the fact that dogs were kept as pets and cared for by other Near Eastern nations, including the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Babylonians. (Schwartz 248) So, what Jesus says to the woman in today’s text seems harsh.

²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that moment.

At this point in his ministry, Jesus is focusing on reaching the house of Israel. We do know that later he reaches out to Samaritans and has encounters with Gentiles. There is the Roman centurion (Mt 8:8), the encounter at Gadara (Mt 8:26-34), then this encounter with the woman in Sidon. As Jesus prepares for the events of Holy Week, we learn that two Greeks, Godfearers, seek to meet with Jesus during their trip to Jerusalem to worship God. (Jn 12:20-23)

So, in today’s text, Jesus has taken his disciples in Gentile territory. There we are told a Gentile woman came to Jesus. Not just any Gentile, but a Canaanite woman. The Canaanites were a despised people. God had instructed the Hebrews to drive them out of the land. She comes to plead on behalf of her daughter and Jesus ignores her. Even when she calls out to him as the Son of David, he ignores her. The disciples are so bothered by her presence that they begged him to order her away.

Jesus finally says that he has come for the lost sheep of Israel. But she kneels before Jesus and continues to beg. Jesus says to her that it isn’t right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. Being Jewish, the disciples would have heard the reference to a dog in a negative context. Just as a dog is unclean so is this woman.

But the woman doesn’t quit. She continues her pleading with Jesus. She responds by saying that even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Being Canaanite, this woman had a more positive view of dogs. To Canaanites, dogs are affectionally kept as pets. They are allowed in the house. They do eat at their master’s feet. This is all she wants. (Smith)

Finally, Jesus remarks on what faith she has. Just like the Centurion. This person is a Canaanite and a woman. Two strikes against her in that world. The persistence of her faith and her perseverance was rewarded. The woman’s daughter is healed.

I love how verse 28 is laid out in The People’s New Testament commentary. “(1) [The woman] came to Christ [with] great difficulties. (2) She persevered when her prayer seemed to be denied. (3) She still pleaded when obstacles were presented. (4) She waited at the feet of the Lord until he had mercy.” (Johnson) Oh that we could learn from her.

1.      We bring our difficulties and problems to Jesus.

2.      We persevere in our prayer and petitioning even when it seems we are getting no response.

3.      We continue even when obstacles are placed in our way — we don’t give up.

4.      We continue to pray, kneeling at our Lord’s feet, until we experience his mercy.

Kneeling is an acknowledgment of power and authority. Repeatedly we read where people knelt before Jesus on behalf of themselves or someone else. A leper is cleansed after kneeling before Jesus (Mt 8:2). A ruler’s daughter is healed when he kneels before Jesus (Mt 9:18). After his resurrection, the disciples kneel before him. (Works)

The Quality of Purity

Then there is the thread of judgment. The scribes and Pharisees declare that Jesus and his disciples are unclean. They have failed to purify themselves with the ritual washing required by their tradition. This fails to make any impression on Jesus.

¹² Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” ¹³ He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.”

Remember that he said, “what comes out of a mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles” (Mt 15:18 NRSVue). He also said, “every good tree produces good fruit [and] can’t produce bad fruit” (Mt 7:17-18 CEB). Jesus tells his disciples that any plant not planted by the father will be pulled up and discarded (Mt 15:13).

^17 “Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

To Jesus, the evidence of purity is what we see in a person’s life by their actions and words. He said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (Jn 13:35 NLT).

The very quality of purity is seen and demonstrated in love.

All You Need Is Love

So now we have the final thread — the one of love. The text doesn’t mention love, but it is all about love. Jesus tells us that love of God and love of neighbor is far more important than maintaining traditions for the sake of tradition. We must also consider that Jesus chose to go into the area of Tyre and Sidon. An encounter with Gentiles was unavoidable. Perhaps it was meant as a demonstration of God’s love for the entire world.

That is what we take away from this text today. The importance of love — the power of love. Our purpose, our mission, our call to serve our Lord is all understood in the primacy of our call to love God and to love our neighbor.

Reference

Basson, Alec. “Dog Imagery in Ancient Israel and the Ancient Near East.” Journal for Semitics, vol. 15, no. 1, 2006, pp. 92–106.

Crook, Zeba. “Honor, Shame, and Social Status Revisited.” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 128, no. 3, 2009, pp. 591–611. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/25610205.

Halbertal, Moshe. On Sacrifice. PDF, Princeton University Press, 2012.

Hare, Douglas R. A. Matthew. John Knox Press, 1993.

Johnson, B. W. “Matthew, Chapter XV.” The People’s New Testament, Online Edition, 1891, https://www.thebible.net/reference/pnt/PNT01-15.HTM.

Miller, Geoffrey David. “Attitudes toward Dogs in Ancient Israel: A Reassessment.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, vol. 32, no. 4, June 2008, pp. 487–500. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1177/0309089208092144.

Schwartz, Joshua. “Dogs in Jewish Society in the Second Temple Period and in the Time of the Mishnah and Talmud.” Journal of Jewish Studies, vol. 55, no. 2, Oct. 2004, pp. 246–77. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.18647/2552/JJS-2004.

Simmons, William A. Peoples of the New Testament World: An Illustrated Guide. Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.

Smith, Mitzi J. “Commentary on Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28.” Working Preacher from Luther Seminary, 20 Aug. 2017, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-20/commentary-on-matthew-1510-20-21-28-4.

“The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church.” The United Methodist Church, 2016, https://www.umc.org/en/content/articles-of-religion.

Witherington, Ben. Matthew. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2006.

Works, Carla. “Commentary on Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28.” Working Preacher from Luther Seminary, 17 Aug. 2014, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-20/commentary-on-matthew-1510-20-21-28-5.

 

When the Storms of Life are Raging (Sermon Prep)

 Sermon: When the Storms of Life are Raging – August 13, 2023 – Lebanon UMC

Proper 14 Year A — Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost

See the video on Facebook.

Matthew 14:22-33

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

²⁸ Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Introduction

Do you think of yourself as a person of faith? If asked, how would you define faith? This week I read an article by a former dean at Duke Chapel. He mentions two kinds of faith. There is a faith that can be based on belief and a faith that is based on trust (Wells). It is important to know what you mean when you use a word or hear someone else use a word.

Words, in and of themselves, are merely symbols of an image we hold in our own minds shaped by our experiences. When I say chair, I have in mind a certain image of a chair. When you hear the word chair it invokes a certain image in your mind.

I say all of this because in my study of faith, trust, and belief this week, I realized just how much people can differ in their understanding of these concepts. One person may say that faith and belief are two entirely different things (Marti). At the very least it seems that people do make a distinction between faith and belief (McCraw 146).

There must be some basis for faith. While some people may say that they have a blind faith, I wonder if such could actually be referred to as faith. There must be some basis for faith — even so-called blind faith rests in some type of intellectual acceptance of something upon which the faith is based. That is why people motivated by a religious blind faith can be responsible for horrible behavior (See Cook).

I accept that faith, trust, and belief are all related and we can and should talk about what that looks like. But first. Let’s look at today’s Gospel text from Matthew.

Our Text Today — from Matthew 14

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into a boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, ²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. 

Matthew mentions two encounters between Jesus and his disciples on the stormy water. The first is from chapter 8, which reads…

²³ Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. ²⁴ Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. ²⁵ The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

²⁶ Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.

²⁷ The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27, New Living Translation)

In this first incident, Jesus is already in the boat with his disciples — he is just asleep — oblivious to the wind and tossing about of the boat. Today’s lesson deals with an event that takes place after the feeding of the 5000 miracle. We may perhaps wonder at the continued lack of faith on the part of the 12.

In today’s story, the disciples are out on the lake by themselves, having been sent on by Jesus. Jesus wanted some time alone on the mountain to pray. Remember he had already tried to get some alone time with his Father after learning about the death of cousin John. That didn’t work — people found out where he and the 12 were and they followed after them.

Now the 12 find themselves alone on the boat on the stormy waters. Jesus isn’t even asleep in the boat. He is still on land. They can’t wake a sleeping Jesus who isn’t on the boat with them. So, they hunker down on the boat for the night. Perhaps they are praying. Perhaps they are crying out. But they must hold out for the night until the darkness passes with the dawning sun.

The image of the storm-tossed boat is an important one for Matthew. For Matthew, this image of the boat is the image of the church being sent out on the stormy seas of its missionary work (Boring 327). In the Hebrew scriptures as well as here, the sea is a symbol of the forces of chaos. That is why when John is given a revelation about heaven, he sees it as a place where the sea is no more (Rev. 21:1). No sea means there is no longer any chaos. The presence of the new heaven and the new earth means that creation itself is set free from its bondage to decay (Rom. 8:21).

If this stormed-tossed boat is indeed the storm-tossed church, then we see how we really do need to have Jesus present in our midst. The chaos of the sea and the storm threaten to separate us from our Jesus — our Savior (Boring 327). The story continues…

²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

So, the sun is up and there they see Jesus walking out on the water. But for whatever reason the sight of Jesus is frightening. Is it foggy? Does it look like he is floating across the water? The text says that they believe they see a ghost, or φάντασμα in Greek. When the disciples see Jesus walking across the water, they don’t see him as someone who defies gravity to keep from sinking — no, they see the one who overcomes the forces of chaos — of evil (Boring 328).

In the Old Testament it is only God who can walk on or through the water. Isaiah 77:19 says, “Your way was through the sea, your path through the mighty waters” (NRSVue). Or as the prophet Isaiah said…

⁹Awake, awake, put on strength,
    O arm of the Lord!
Awake, as in days of old,
    the generations of long ago!
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
    who pierced the dragon?
¹⁰ Was it not you who dried up the sea,
    the waters of the great deep;
who made the depths of the sea a way
    for the redeemed to cross over?
            (Isaiah 51:9-10, NRSVue)

Jesus demonstrates his mastery over the forces of chaos. He is able to cross over in spite of whatever forces are striking the vessel. The disciples see it — Peter sees it. Jesus instructs them to take heart.

²⁸ Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 

So, for whatever reason, Peter is suddenly emboldened to announce, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” After being bidden to come Peter steps out of the boat and begins to walk on the water.

Now, Matthew wants to be clear that this Jesus is not some sort of phantasm or disembodied spirit that walks on water.  The fact that Peter is also able to step out even if it is just for a few steps tells us that this demonstrated the divine empowerment involved (Hare 169).

Peter is willing to take the risk of stepping out of the boat. It is a demonstration of trust — his trust in God and his trust in his master (Hare 170). But Peter is distracted. He takes his eyes off of Jesus. When he cries out to Jesus, Jesus takes him in hand and guides him back to the boat.

If Matthew wants us to see the church and the work of the church in the symbol of the storm-tossed boat, then we are to draw certain conclusions for us today. It is very easy to see the church as a safe abode to hide from the raging storms around us. But that isn’t what is meant. The church is that ship sent forth by Christ to be engaged in its mission work upon the stormy seas.

We will be tossed about. But we cry out to our Savior to guide us during the storms. In both accounts of being rescued from the storms — this story and the one in chapter 8 — we see that with the 12 we are to cry out to the Lord to save us (Witherington 293). Jesus has authority over the chaos of life, and we will see as we continue into Matthew’s gospel story that Jesus will extend this same authority to us — the church — as we faithfully engage in the work entrusted to us (Boring 328).

And finally, we finish today’s text…

³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

The first story of Jesus calming the storm — in chapter 8 — ends with the disciples wondering, “Who is this man, that even the wind and the waters obey him?” Now, here, at the end of today’s story we hear the disciples proclaim, “You are the Son of God!” We see that Peter isn’t the hero in this story, Jesus is. This is the first time the disciples make that profession in Matthew’s account. This is the first time they recognize him as the Son of God (Hoffman).

So, What is Faith?

So, back to the questions I asked at the beginning. What is faith? Is faith related to belief and trust and if so, how so? I want us to consider this by breaking it down a bit.

First, let’s consider belief. What does it mean to believe something? Belief is an intellectual assent, an acknowledgment or acceptance of something to recognize as real. Beliefs may be based on reality or not. I can believe that the earth is flat or that the moon is made of cheese. Believing it doesn’t make it so.

But even if the matter is true, belief falls short of what we mean by faith. “Do you believe in God? Even the demons believe, and shudder!” writes James (2:19). When we talk about belief as faith we tend to talk about statements and doctrines and dogmas.  “I believe in God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” A creedal statement may be a beginning to understanding faith or what it is that we believe, but it isn’t faith itself. Yes, it is a beginning — a knowledge of God is necessary to having faith in God.

So, second, what is trust? To trust in something is to have faith in it. It is to have confidence in something. When I say I have faith that God will keep his promises I am saying that I have trust and confidence that God will keep his promises. As an attribute of faith, it means that I will be loyal in my allegiance to a cause or a person. In this case, in God and in Jesus Christ.

In the boat, the disciples had to learn to trust in Jesus. This is the faith Jesus is looking for when he challenges his disciples, “Why is your faith so small?” You see, faith is not about being able to walk out on the water. Faith is about trusting in Jesus, that he will meet us where we are — here in the boat — as we need him (Boring 329).

So, if we have faith, if we truly trust in God, if we indeed have complete confidence in Jesus Christ as our Lord and our Savior, then there will be evidence of it. You see, if there is no evidence of trust then there is no trust. The evidence of our trust and confidence is the action that is the result of said trust and confidence. Our actions — both good and bad — demonstrate where we place our trust and confidence. As Jesus said, “every good tree bears good fruit, and every bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matt. 7:17).

This action that demonstrates our faith will works itself out in our love of God and in our love of neighbor. Do we love the Lord, our God? Is it evident in our time of prayer? Is it evident in our searching the scriptures? Is it evident is the way we gather to worship together as the Body of Christ?

The same is true for our love of neighbor.

We know people whose lives are stirred up by the storms of life and circumstances. If we don’t know any, then shame on us. We need to be about the business of finding them and meeting them. We need to recognize that the storms causing chaos and trouble look different in the lives of different people. Maybe it is dealing with an addiction. Maybe it is dealing with a terminal illness — their own or in the life of one they care for. It may be a storm of anger or indifference or despair (Chinlund 8–9).

Just as the storms calmed when Jesus entered the boat so are we called to be a calming presence in the lives of those who hurt. There is no guarantee that everything will work out. No, that’s not the point. The point is that we are present in Christ, as the Body of Christ in the lives of others. There may yet be healing. There may yet be disciples to be made (Boring 330). When the storms of life are raging, we are called to stand in their presence being with them bearing the image of Christ.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

 

References

Boring, M. Eugene. “Matthew.” The New Interpreter’s Bible, edited by Leander E Keck, vol. 8, Abingdon Press, 1994, p. 744.

Chinlund, Stephen. “Calming the Storm.” Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 43, no. 1, Spring 2004, pp. 7–10.

Cook, E. Albert. “Blind Faith.” The Biblical World, vol. 53, no. 2, 1919, pp. 173–80.

Hare, Douglas R. A. Matthew. John Knox Press, 1993.

Hoffman, Mark G. Vitalis. “Commentary on Matthew 14:22-33.” Working Preacher from Luther Seminary, 7 Aug. 2011, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-19/commentary-on-matthew-1422-33-2.

Marti, Fritz. “Faith versus Belief.” The Journal of Religion, vol. 26, no. 1, 1946, pp. 30–41.

McCraw, Benjamin W. “Faith and Trust.” International Journal for Philosophy of Religion, vol. 77, no. 2, 2015, pp. 141–58.

Wells, Samuel. “The Better Part of Faith.” The Christian Century, vol. 139, no. 19, 18 Nov. 2022, https://www.christiancentury.org/article/voices/better-part-faith.

Witherington, Ben. Matthew. Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2006.