Homily 20th Sunday of Ord time August 20, 2023
Do you like the Gospel we just
heard? I am not so sure. First of all, Jesus goes to the region of
Tyre and Sidon. These were rather
prosperous pagan cities on the coast, definitely outside of Galilee and outside
of Jewish territory. Why did Jesus go
there? Maybe Jesus withdrew there for
some change of scenery, some vacation down time, some sight-seeing in the big
city. We don’t know. All we know is that Jesus is out of His home territory,
cruising in pagan area.
A Canaanite woman – that is, not a
Jewish but rather a pagan lady – approaches Jesus and calls out “Have pity
on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter
is tormented by a demon.” Somehow
this woman knows Jesus is special, must of heard of other healings Jesus has
done, and out of concern for her daughter comes to Jesus seeking help and
healing.
And what you would expect next is
that Jesus heals the daughter. Right? Over and over again Jesus does this in the
Gospels. People ask, and He heals.
But this time, surprisingly and
rather disturbingly, Jesus doesn’t. He
tells the woman: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw
it to the dogs.” Not a particularly
pleasant nor kind answer.
However, the woman has the
theological virtue of “hutzpah”, and responds “Please, Lord, for even the
dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then something very interesting
happens. Jesus recognizes the faith that
this lady has, changes His mind, and heals her daughter.
It is the fact of Jesus changing His mind that I find so interesting. Some commentators think that Jesus knew all along what He was going to do and was testing this woman. I find that rather demeaning of Jesus. The lady was hurting enough, and Jesus did not need to add to her distress.
Rather, I think Jesus learned
something from this encounter and changed His mind. In short, He grew. In St. Luke’s Gospel, after the story of
Jesus as a boy being found in the temple in Jerusalem, when Mary and Joseph
thought He was lost, St Luke concludes “Jesus, for his part, progressed
steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men.” (LK 2:52) This means Jesus learned, grew, developed,
as a fully human person. And it did not
stop when Jesus began His public ministry.
Similarly, in Luke chapter 7 when a
Roman Centurian sends some Jewish elders to ask Jesus to heal the Centurian’s
servant, and Jesus agrees to go, the Centurian sends messengers to Jesus to not
bother to come but just give the command and it will be done. And then it says “Jesus showed amazement”
for He had never found so much faith among His own people. Jesus’ understanding and expectations of
where to find faith is expanded. Jesus
comes to a broader and deeper picture of God’s way of working in the world.
Therefore, I believe that Jesus grew
in His understanding and appreciation of God’s work even in places where it
wasn’t expected. I think this is part of
why Jesus, especially in Luke’s Gospel, is so often shown at prayer. In His prayer Jesus opened His heart and His
mind to the action of God around Him, especially in places where it was
unexpected. //
So what about us?
Like Jesus we need to grow in wisdom and grace. Both as individuals, and collectively as the Church. Some think of the Church as a “perfect society” that is ideal and changeless. But that is false. Rather, we are pilgrim people as Vatican II taught, and on our way that involves growth and development. That implies change.
So at one time in the church we
persecuted left-handed people.
“Sinister” with all its evil connotations is the Latin word for
“left”. Left-handed people were thought
to be inherently evil. Fortunately, we
as a community have out-grown that. Any
lefties here?
Several Popes issued Papal documents,
called “bulls” proclaiming the reality of witches, which fortunately we don’t’
hold to anymore, although in many countries people, especially women, are still
accused of, and persecuted for, witchcraft.
August 10 was international World Day against Witch Hunts. Such
action is, unfortunately, still needed.
//
For a long time the church taught
that slavery was approved in the Bible and part of natural law. Jesus certainly knew well of the institution
of slavery but never once condemned it.
Nor St Paul. And yet, if you read
what Pope St. John Paul II has written against the crime of human trafficking,
which is slavery by another name, you would think it among the greatest sins of
all. Our understanding has evolved and
changed.
So we, as the church, have evolved in
our understanding of God at work in the world, just as Jesus in our Gospel
today grows in His understanding of God at work in the world, outside of the
expected categories.
And this work, this growth, is not ended. Pope Francis’ pastoral approach and outreach to gays and lesbians, and his assurance that they are beloved children of God, is pushing the frontier of our church’s pastoral practice and teaching. AMEN!
Truly, we are a pilgrim people. We are on a journey, moving forward towards
the Kingdom of God. Fortunately, we have
the Holy Sprit to sustain and to guide us. And like Jesus in our Gospel today,
to keep us open to the surprising ways God is at work in our midst.
It is NOT a boring journey! God bless.
