Seattle: Looking At Our Own Attitudes of Acceptance

Matt. 15: 21- 28 (NRSV)

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 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." 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." 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." He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."  She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

When ever I read the story of the Canaanite woman I am reminded of a woman I knew back home in Wareham, Massachusetts.  She was a woman who was well known for her drinking and foul mouth.  But she also took in many abused children and animals and made them her own.  Though she was a woman who often lost her temper without much provocation and had many attitudes I now disagree with, she had a heart of gold.  She had a lot of trouble with this Gospel story.  When she read about Jesus’ exchange with the Canaanite woman, that compassionate and accepting Jesus just seemed like such a bastard, and she would often say as much. 

Reading this story we might understand it to suggest that Jesus is being quite the jerk.  He appears to be telling this woman that she is a dog, because she is a Canaanite woman.  Is Jesus discriminating against her because she is of a different culture?  Keep in mind that the Gospel stories that come to us were written not by the authors themselves, but were written by someone who wrote it on behalf of those who told the stories.  Given the time in which many of these Bible stories would have been written, this particular story would mean that Jesus was so astounded by the persistent faith of a non-Jewish woman that Jesus granted her request.  The woman did not accept Jesus’ rejection of her, but stated that if she is a dog as Jesus’ example might suggest that even then, she would accept what she was given.  Even though Jesus was not terribly kind to the Canaanite woman, she still believed that he had the power and presence of mind to honor her faith and heal her daughter.

I once heard another interpretation of this Gospel that may indeed be true.  It suggests that Jesus though he is Divine, is also human. Because of the humanity of Jesus, he would have been affected by the racial and religious thinking of his time and therefore he was discriminating against the Canaanite woman.  This is interesting because usually we see Jesus welcoming the marginalized of society, not continuing to suggest separation.  Jesus was especially welcoming to women in the middle of a very male driven society. So, why is this particular event different?  Jesus could be showing to us that he too faces the struggle to accept those different than himself, and therefore he too might slip.  The problem with this is what does that do to our understanding of Christ being Divine?  In my own humble opinion is that Jesus in his Divine nature was indeed perfect.  Jesus’ human nature was just as corruptible as ours, yet, because Jesus was Divine, Jesus shows us how to place our imperfect humanity at the service of God and others and face even our own difficulties with those different than ourselves, and find within them God’s presence to challenge us to change and serve them. 
God can and does change, and so can human beings.  Divine perfection is not in any way a stable, one way method of being.  God’s Divinity is an ability to see beyond God’s Self and to know that God can change and does change.  God became one like all humankind in the Person of Jesus.  Through Jesus, God teaches us to open our hearts and minds to the possibility of change and to be willing to cooperate with the movement of God’s Holy Spirit within our lives.

Today the Episcopal Church and the Indigenous Community remembers Chief Seattle.  James Kiefer in today’s prayer writes about Chief Seattle.

Noah Seattle was born about 1790 near Puget Sound, in the northwest corner of the contiguous United States. He was chief of his tribe and of the alliance of tribes in his area. Faced with the incursion of white settlers, he chose peace rather than war, and offered the settlers friendship and assistance. He became a Christian, and instituted in his tribe a practice of communal prayers morning and evening, a practice continued after his death. In 1855 (being then about 65 years old), he signed a treaty ceding most of his tribe's ancestral lands to the settlers and moving his people north. On that occasion, he gave an eloquent and poignant speech in his native tongue on justice, and on love of and respect for the land. Portions of the speech are often quoted by environmentalists, though the translations vary and some of them may have been embroidered.

All of us Christians need to be open to God’s Holy Spirit moving upon us to accept the many people who are part of the Church.  We are also called to be good stewards of the earth and environment in which God has placed us. As a gay man who is partnered to a wonderful man, we have been so fortunate to be welcomed as members of the Episcopal Church.  We continue to join our voices with those who call for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people in the Church and society.  However, we are also very concerned that people of various races, cultural traditions, and other minorities, women often included among them, also find an inclusive and welcoming home in the Church.   God has gifted the Church with a rainbow of many beautiful colors, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities/expressions, races, classes, challenges and so much more all to be welcomed and be among the ministers within the Church.  We are all empowered with gifts from the Holy Spirit to serve all of her many splendid and wonderful children. 

Today’s Gospel is a call to open our hearts to who might be calling out to us to serve them.  The Holy Spirit is also moving on our hearts to open them up so she can love us through all sorts of wonderful people, who want us to serve them with her gracious power.  That hardness of heart we often feel when someone calls us and we don’t really want to bother?  That is the Holy Spirit trying to open our soul.  She doesn’t want to hurt us, she just wants to help us see that there is so much room within our hearts to love other people.  The Holy Spirit wants to make the abstract Gospel story become our own living story.  It is the best way to keep our hearts from being left on the shelf to collect dust and become useless.

Where and how is God’s Holy Spirit moving upon us to open our hearts today?

O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 5, Book of Common Prayer, Page 229).

Almighty God, who in giving us dominion over things on earth have made us fellow workers in your creation: Grant us such wisdom and reverence toward you that, following the counsel and example of your servants Noah Seattle and Black Elk, we may so use the resources of nature that no one may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for Chief Seattle)

O God, the creator and preserver of all, we humbly beseech you for all sorts and conditions of people; that you would be pleased to make your ways known unto them, your saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for your holy Church universal; that it may be so guided and governed by your good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to your fatherly goodness all those who are in any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; that it may please you to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. (Prayer for All Sorts and Conditions, Book of Common Prayer, Page 814).