Most of us have probably walked through a situation like this at one time or another. You are on a busy downtown street. You have a destination ahead. An appointment. A store you are trying to get to. A lunch spot. And then you pass a homeless person, begging for spare change. For many of us the situation makes us uncomfortable. If you work downtown, maybe it’s routine for you. You have a regular response. You always just walk on by. Or you always drop a few coins from your pocket as you rush on. Some of us wonder, if the person is really homeless or if it’s just a scam. I gotta tell you I rarely think it’s a scam, because really, who is gonna spend their day like this unless they really need the money?
Well a few years ago, this phrase became popular WWJD, “What would Jesus do?” People still wear t-shirts and bracelets asking the question WWJD? The UMC even has a video that we’re going to show you now, that gives a spin on this scene, when walking by a homeless person: WWJD? “What would Jesus do?” It’s not a bad question to ask ourselves in most situations.
We’re going to look at a Bible story together today, and see just exactly what Jesus DID DO. Because, if we are going to “Follow Jesus, and Change the World” which is our vision here at The Village, then is makes sense for us to learn as much as we can about how he acted in various situations, right?
When we pick up our story in Matthew 15, verse 21, Jesus is tired and needs to get away. He’s been with the crowds. He’s been hassling with the religious leaders, the Pharisees, about the laws about unclean food. He has told them this: basically it makes no difference what you put in your body, it’s what is in your heart that matters. So he wipes out all their complex laws about what a good Jew can and cannot eat. This is one of the main things that separates the Jews, (the chosen people of God), from the Gentiles, (all those other wretched folks). With one fell swoop, Jesus throws out their traditions about food and cleanliness laws.
Well, I guess he knows he’s in trouble; he’s worn out from all this rabble rousing – so he gets out of town – actually gets out of a region where lots of Jews live, and travels to Tyre, which is a Gentile area. He’s trying to hide out – get away for a little retreat time – some time to rest – and recover – to get ready to serve God some more. He thinks he’s found a house where the folks won’t bother him.
But Jesus is met by a woman with a demand, “Heal my daughter, she is possessed by a demon.” Jesus is spent. Even the son of God needs to get refueled sometimes, and this woman comes and wants him to do something that takes lots of energy: HEAL her child. How dare she ask him to do this anyway? She is not a Jew. She is not one of God’s chosen people. And so Jesus and his disciples try to brush her off. Doesn’t she know he has better things to do – more important people to care for?
It’s like someone trying to crash a party at the White House. Doesn’t she know you have to have your name on the list to get through security? No can do! That’s why those folks have body guards. Jesus had the disciples around him to protect him from the likes of her. But this woman does not follow the protocol. She just walks right in. Who does she think she is? She is one uppity woman!
But then Jesus SHOCKS us with his response.
"I've got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel."
25Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. "Master, help me."
26He said, "It's not right to take bread out of children's mouths and throw it to dogs." (from “The Message” Bible)
WOW! He calls her a dog!! Is that what Jesus would do??
And she comes right back at him. The nerve of her!
27She was quick: "You're right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master's table." (“The Message”)
This is the most outrageous dialogue in the entire New Testament. Then the most amazing thing happens:
28Jesus gave in. "Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!" Right then her daughter became well. (“The Message”)
JESUS GIVES HER WHAT SHE WANTS! UNBELIEVABLE.
Now just stop for a moment, and imagine yourself in this position. You ask Jesus for something. He says, you don’t deserve it – there are others are ahead of you in line. And you have the nerve to say: I WANT IT ANYWAY, JESUS. EVEN THE DOGS GET SCRAPS. You see, I’VE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU, JESUS, AND TAKING YOU SERIOUSLY.
She actually throws Jesus’ words and values right back at him. How Bold of her! And Jesus. . . Jesus respects her boldness. . . and rewards her! He praises her faith. And he gives her what she asks for.
This is SUCH an amazing story. I LOVE THIS STORY. You never heard this story in Sunday School did you?
What does this story say to us?
The story shows us, that even Jesus, even Jesus at times, had to be stretched. You see he was fully God and fully human. And so, in this case, his human side was just a little bit stronger, for a moment, and he had a blind spot for the thing his godly side would do. He had to be pushed to act out of his godly side. You see, in this particular moment, Jesus was tempted to limit his mission. He wanted to keep things manageable. So, he thought, I’ll just focus on the Jews, for now. He says to himself: First things first. Let me save my people first – the people I’m close to. Let me stay in my comfort zone. THEN we’ll get around to those unclean Gentiles. Oh sure I know I just told the Pharisees they should not be so closed-minded about the food laws, and so judgmental. But I’m tired. I came here to rest and this woman is really annoying. God, can’t you give me a break, just this once?
Poor Jesus. It seems that even he had a blind spot. But then his own message of grace for everyone came right back to haunt him. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
And so this bold woman – this audacious MOTHER – who loved her child and who was fighting for her child’s life – she challenged Jesus to live by his own words. Don’t you just love a righteous mother? She PUSHED JESUS. And he LISTENED. Jesus LISTENED to the woman. He listened to her when she reminded him of his own message. She pointed out his blind spot to him: God’s grace is for everyone, even the Gentiles. Jesus, you were tempted to cut corners. You know better.
I love this story. Because in this story, even Jesus almost fails to do what we all know Jesus would do. Isn’t that something? We ask: What would Jesus do? And it’s almost as if Jesus might not measure up to his own standards. (That’s why this is one of those stories you probably didn’t hear in Sunday School.) But that audacious woman reminds Jesus – and he comes around. He says: “Woman, your faith is great. Your faith is something else.” And right then, at that very moment, her daughter was healed.
What a wonderful story. Jesus listened to the woman. He was changed. And God’s way prevailed.
So, my friends, I wonder what this story says for us today. It’s a story that turns our preconceived ideas upside down. Jesus was all about stretching folks. He was stretching the Jews to see that their laws about insiders and outsiders were keeping them being close to God. But then when Jesus was tired, and did not have energy for the outsider, she had to push him and remind him – but you said – you are here for everyone.
Here at the Village – we like to push the boundaries. We love that UCC invitation – “whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey you are welcome here.” So far, we are doing a great job of welcoming folks. We are creating a welcome space here for folks that don’t feel welcome in many other churches in town. Good for us! Let’s pat ourselves on the back. If Jesus walked in here, I think he would give us a high five.
BUT, I just wonder, if the woman in the story walked in what would she say? What blind spot do we have that she would uncover? Who would she challenge us to see that we are missing?
As you look around this room right now, what is the most obvious, most basic category of people that is under-represented? Who is missing?
MEN. On any given Sunday at The Village, we have way more women here than men.
Most churches in America have more women than men. 61% women 39% men according to one study. And fewer than 10% of U.S. churches are able to establish and maintain what can be called a vibrant men’s ministry. Midweek study groups generally draw 70-80% female participants. Well, so far we are normal. . . very normal. I guess we could congratulate ourselves. But our goal has never been to be normal. Most of those normal churches are not very healthy. So, I say we can do better.
Does anyone out there believe that men need God any less than women do?
Hmm. . . do we think men are searching for meaning and direction in their lives just like women?
How about this, do men deal with grief, addiction, disappointment, feelings of self doubt?
Anger, the need for forgiveness and reconciliation? Healing and conflict resolution?
Do men need the things we say we value here at the Village? Authentic relationships? Balance in their lives? Opportunites to show compassion for people living in poverty and a chance to follow Jesus and change the world? Do men want to change the world – or is that just a woman thing? I don’t know, but I think I know some men who want to change the world.
Well, then, I believe we, like Jesus, are going to need to take a look at this blind spot we have. Because here is the thing: it’s a fairly agreed upon organizational theory and business principle that a system produces what it’s designed to produce.
For example, if a school produces highly functioning students, then that system is set up to do that. By the same token, if a school produces students that can’t read, then the system is set up to produce students that can’t read. Now if you have an all white church in an all black neighborhood, there is something in the system of that white church that keeps that church white. They may tell you they are open to having black folks, but the system, and the results tell us otherwise. By the same token, if most U.S. churches have more women than men, then we have not yet figured out how to have churches that meet the spiritual needs of men.
Now look around this church. We have LOTS more women than men. We are a new church, about 3 months old today. We are still setting up our systems. We are not set in our ways yet, my friends. We have lots of opportunities. We can try new things. We don’t have any traditions yet. But it won’t take us long to get set in our ways. So today, I am putting forth a challenge. Let’s learn from this wonderful story of the audacious woman and Jesus, and Jesus’ blind spot. He almost let his blind spot for the Gentiles keep him from healing that woman’s daughter. But she demanded that he listen, -- that he listen to his own message – his message of grace for EVERYONE; and her daughter was healed.
I am inviting us to pay attention to our blind spots. We are going to have lots of them – but one I have identified for us today, is our ability to be a spiritual home for men. There are some things that are keeping us from doing that well. We need to find out what those things are. I don’t have the answers. I have some hunches. But this is going to take some work. We can start by listening to the men who are here about their experience of the Village, and their ideas about how we can reach men. The next thing we can do is to ask ourselves, how many men have each one of us invited? And finally we can ask: what activities or ministries have we offered, specifically with men in mind?
As we plan our activities and ministries over the next months and the next year, I challenge us to ask ourselves, what are we doing to make The Village welcoming and relevant to men and to women? And I ask you to join me, in asking God to keep us honest, just like the woman in the story kept Jesus honest. We all have blind spots. Even Jesus. Even Jesus had to be challenged to see what he could not see. We are off to a great start here with The Village. We are providing a spiritual community for people who were not welcome in other places. But we can’t get complacent. Just as Jesus had to listen and learn, we need to do the same. So, let’s ask God to help us. As we move forward, may God help us pay attention to all the people God wants us to reach, so whoever you are and wherever you are on life’s journey, you will be welcome here at The Village Church.
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