Woman, Great Is Your Faith

Based on Matthew 15: 21-28

This story of the Canaanite woman is very difficult to read and understand. We see a side of Jesus that we do not normally see. Jesus does not appear to be the compassionate Jesus that we witnessed with the blind man, the woman who came and wept at his feet or the woman at the well. If we read the story of Jesus' interaction with this woman, Jesus is sounding as if he is prejudiced against the Canaanite woman. Is that really what is happening? From a cultural perspective it is very possible. Though Jesus was God's perfect revelation in the human form, Jesus was human. Jesus had all human weakness. Yet, Jesus was also divine. How can the divinity of God in Jesus fail at this particular point in time when confronted by this Canaanite woman and her need? I think the answer is that the divinity of Jesus did not fail, nor did his humanity. What happened in this exchange was the culture in which Jesus existed challenged him to challenge others understanding of racial and cultural diversity. Jesus rose to the challenge and it was the woman's faith in God that persisted and ultimately gave her what she needed from God.

This is another example of how God does not want to let us be complacent about where we are. God does not want to leave us be and let us become stagnant in our relationship with God and others. We all get just a little too comfortable in our relationships and even our prejudices. Even minority groups can find themselves facing the very attitudes in themselves that they object to.

I was particularly amazed when I was coming out as a man who is gay with how many Caucasian gay men around me were affected by attitudes of racism. One in particular told me about how he protested the idea of African American people advancing in business and politics. My jaw just about broke as it hit the floor. Yet, I have to be honest, I was raised by a very prejudiced father. I would often be horrified when as a child I would go with my father on Saturday afternoons to my uncles garage and hear stories of my father and his brothers beating up African American boys after school on many days. What was equally disturbing is how much enjoyment my father and his brothers often got out of those conversations. When I first got to the Twin Cities I just could not wrap my mind around the idea of why would there need to be a separate Pride for black people. Why can't all LGBT individuals celebrate the same Pride celebration? Doesn't this idea fly in direct contradiction to the bumper sticker that reads: "Diversity is our strength?"

Our problem is we so often cannot look past our own pride and prejudice (and I know those two words are a famous book and movie, but that's not where I am going) to the point of realizing that deep within all of us, there is someone we do not accept, love or want to help. We are too wound up in ourselves and our inferiority. To compromise ourselves beyond where we are can cause us too much difficulty or inconvenience. However, God cannot leave us alone. God cannot leave us in that place were we are all too comfortable with that niche in our being that keeps us from loving God in that neighbor who is different.

As Jesus is questioning the woman she persists. The Canaanite woman can see past what Jesus is doing. I think the Canaanite woman honestly knows that he is not dismissing her for her cultural difference. All she is interested in is coming to God through Jesus and receiving from God that which she needs at that moment. She still trusts that God is going to meet her at the point of her need. The Canaanite woman answers Jesus question, but more importantly keeps saying "Lord, help me." And because of her faith in God, Jesus is able to grant her the healing of her daughter. The lesson learned for the people of God who witness this is God is able to work through our most difficult moments and both teach us new things about ourselves and our relationships with others. The question for us is, are we listening to what God wants to teach us? Or are we just waiting for what we want to hear?

As lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people who are so often spiritually abused by clergy and lay people, do we allow them to keep us from God? Do we still keep coming to God even though there are people in the Church who appear to want to push us further and further away? Do we keep believing that Jesus is the Son of God and he can heal us of the wounds we have? Do we still go to Jesus and receive him in the Eucharist so we can remain members of the Body of Christ which is the Church? Or do we let all of the anti-gay voices chase us away?

The point is we do not have to stay away from Christ and the Church. There are churches and places for us to come to God and Jesus. There are places that will receive us warmly and openly. There are churches that now see that our being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered as a gift from God. There are churches and whole books and videos written that understands that our gift of homosexuality, bisexuality and being transgendered is the gift of sexuality and gender identity or expression that should be celebrated and affirmed. We no longer need to live in fear. We do not have to settle for the Pat Robertson's or Pope Benedict's of the world. We can instead look to leaders such as Bishop Gene Robinson or Bishop John Spong, Bishop James Jelinek, Bishop-Elect Brian Prior, the Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and so many more. There are great men like Fr. Paul Bresnahan, Fr. David Norgard and Rev. Susan Russell, Dean Spenser Simrill, Canon Richard Norman, and Canon Cara Spaccarelli. There are examples of Lutheran's like Rev. Anita Hill and so many more. The negative voices of hate and prejudice do not have to be the only voices we listen to. There are opportunities to grow in our relationship with God and keep the faith that the Canaanite woman had.

What voices are we listening to? How are we tuning our ears to hearing what God really has to say to us? Are we settling for the voices of negativity? Are we willing to keep believing even if the voices we hear appear to be challenging us?

O God, help us to have the faith that this Canaanite woman had. Help us to not only listen to the negative voices, but also listen for the positive voices in the Church. Give us the grace to keep praying for an open mind and heart for those who have yet to experience conversion with regards to race, culture, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. Give us the fortitude to keep believing in Jesus even when it seems difficult. May the Church continue to heal from divisions and attitudes of inequality and lead us all into a brighter future. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.