The lessons for today all make a point of including everyone. Isaiah talks about even the outcasts of Israel, even those that the people themselves had rejected. Paul, who rarely says things in a positive way, says that all are imprisoned to disobedience so that all may be saved. Even our psalm includes everyone.
And then we get this perplexing lesson from Matthew that involves Jesus ignoring someone in need. What’s going on? This isn’t like Jesus. Maybe there was something else going on. Even He has just been teaching that God is for everyone.
He does so by explaining that following cleansing rituals doesn't necessarily make a person in the right with God, nor does not following the rituals keep people from God. The commandments and promises are for all. He is telling the church authorities this because they are keeping certain people out of the temple.
It is as if Jesus were here saying that no one is excluded from the promise and therefore no one is excluded from God’s love. So if there is anyone that you think God might love but they aren’t good enough to be here in this place, Jesus says no, God’s loves them. They are not excluded. And if there is anyone that you think that God might love but they need to change something about who they are in order to really be Christian. No God loves them, they are not excluded. And if there is anyone who you think God might have loved but then they did this unlovable, unforgivable thing. So maybe they removed themselves from God’s love, No! God loves them! No One! is excluded. That is what Jesus is saying in temple speak to the pharisees.
But not only are the pharisees confused, the disciples don't get it either. Their only thought is to be worried because Jesus has made the religious authorities mad. So they ask him about that and he asks right back, don't you understand? The answer is obviously no. they don't get yet that the kingdom is for everyone.
Then Jesus encounters an outsider, one of those ones that he was just saying are not excluded from the promised because they have ritually unclean hands. And...he excludes her. Imagine being one of his disciples.
He always heals those in need and now he isn't. Wouldn't you be surprised. Confused? Indignant even? Plus he was just saying something about everyone getting the promises of God...
So because of this he kinda freaks them out. They urged him, the text says, and while it doesn't say what they urged him to do but it appears that they might have urged him to heal her daughter so that she might leave. Because he responds saying that he wasn't sent to the likes of her. That she isn’t allowed into the temple so she isn’t worthy of his healing.
Oh! Do you see what Jesus is doing here? He has told them not to exclude anyone and they are good at listing the reasons that someone should be excluded. Now all of a sudden they are seeing what exclusion does. Their argument that not being allowed into the temple isn’t the same as being kept away from God’s love has fallen away. They see what is does to keep someone out. It denies that person the healing, attention and love that comes as a natural part of being on the inside.
But thank goodness for her, she is persistent. But more than that, she is right, the gospel. the good news, the word of God is on her lips and she gets to speak the punchline of this story. Usually Jesus does that but in this case, this unworthy newcomer does it.
She says that even the dogs, even the unworthy, the useless get feed with the scraps of good things. Jesus hears this and agrees. He tells her that her faith has made her daughter well.
It isn't her work, her persistence, her cleanliness, her worthiness, her obedience to ritual that made her well. Only that she had faith that god could do it and it was done.
This is actually the promise of baptism. Today we get to baptize ____________ and _____________ and we all know that we are just the agents of the baptism. Baptism comes from God and it is for everyone, anyone who asks. Ever. Period. No Matter what. AND baptism is a sign of God’s unconditional love right now and forever.
That is why we so often baptize infants and little kids, because they can’t do anything to earn it, they usually can’t even ask for it. It is entirely free to them but it starts in childhood when all is clean and good but it lasts forever, no matter what. So no matter what mis-steps these kids take, no matter what trouble they get in, no matter what brokenness they encounter in the world around them, they are never going to excluded from the promise of God.
Never will they be farther away from God’s love than they are today, right now with this whole assembly and their family and the minister standing by speaking load and clear promises to them.
Christ will always be that close to them, closer even. Just as God’s promise and love are always that close to us no matter what forever, now and in the last days. In Good days and bad days. When we are shiny and clean or muddy and broken. Christ is for us and God reaches out to us in love and will keep doing so forever! Thanks be to God.
Amen
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