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.
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.
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