Canaanite Grace

Matthew 15:21–28 NIV

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” 23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” 25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. 26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

The mission of Jesus was focused

This brought clarity to everything he did. When you wake up in the morning, if your job is to do everything everywhere, how can you get started? Jesus was here to be the Messiah for the Jews and the savior for the whole world. In that order. And he was living out this mission with clarity and purpose every day. The edges of his mission took him to some non-standard areas. On this day he was in territory influenced by a non-Jewish history. Still, he’s there to make his message known among the lost sheep of Israel, living in that territory. Some teaching, some healing, inviting every Jew to live into the Kingdom of God he was launching. Grueling work in and of itself. Jesus was far from home in the sense of coming from the fullness of divinity into human form in this tiny country on a hot strip of land in the middle east. Jesus was far from his home base to be there that day. Tired? Probably. But clear that he had a message that could change lives.

And here’s the thing. Jesus was in a multi-cultural area. Little bubbles like this keep happening in his ministry. Encounters with Roman soldiers. Greeks who want an audience with Jesus. Again and again we see the hints that this wasn’t just for a few people. If he went to these areas and rubbed up against these lives surely good things were bound to happen. Things not on the planning sheet. Things born in the moment of living and serving among those who are yearning for more.

Jesus knows his impact will eventually be worldwide.

But what if you’re a Canaanite woman living out here in between Tyre and Sidon? Yeah, imagine her life, man. Ancient woman. A man’s world. A suffering daughter that probably freaked out everyone she knew. But this is a mother with bulldog tenacity. I’m sure she had tried everything, but Jesus seemed offer a different path to hope. But Jesus was focused and this round wasn’t to be about problems like hers.

She’s not in the target group. She’s a woman. She has a weird daughter. But none of that fazes this lady. And that’s why I love her.

She gets herself there. She brings her suffering child, disregarding the rejection they may face for going out in public. She comes to Jesus and makes her plea. Just as I am was never more true.

We want to reach our neighborhoods

People. Not just one kind of people. Not just one kind of need. Not everyone comes in person. During a pandemic everything is different and things are influx. So we have a mission: to make disciples out of people who want to know Jesus. We aren’t here to manipulate others. We aren’t here to guilt people into going to church. But we have been handed these holy mysteries: that Jesus is the unique Son of God who revealed the truth. About how God has been working in history and how men, women, boys and girls, every human being, can experience the life of the resurrection. About how every human being has a hope and future in Christ.

When almost everyone had Sunday off work and almost everyone had some family who told them about Jesus, it was a lot easier to fulfill that mission. We were here at certain times on certain days and all interested parties showed up and we took them through a series of in person experiences. So they learned about Jesus, made new friends, and found a better life. We knew what to do and we did it well and we saw results.

But little by little our Jerusalem has come to look more like Tyre and Sidon. And we know there are still some people out there who already know they need Jesus and we want to help them find what they know they need. So like Jesus we show up and we are there to fulfill our mission.

But in between we meet a lot of people like the Canaanite woman. People with great needs that don’t easily fit into our programmed ministries. What would be the point of this Canaanite women saying she would attend a Sunday School class? She has a 24hr challenge with a demon possessed kid that takes everything she’s got. Or we encounter people with addictions. Or people who have nothing but snide things to say about God and Christians and the church. Yet, here they are in our lives. Sometimes persistent in wanting some answers, wanting to engage us. Some of them have kids. So how do we adjust to our changing world?

Now throw in a pandemic. Social distancing surging numbers. We can barely gather and we have to be careful. This is sounding more and more like what the early church faced. A very uncertain world. People who aren’t in sync with us. But still overwhelming need and a great commission.

Do we just throw up our hands and say we can’t do it? Maybe I missed a line but I think Jesus eventually said go among every people group and I’m with you always, even to the end of the age. It may feel like we are facing the end of the age, but it sounds to me like Jesus wants us at our posts and he expects that we can still make disciples right up to the very end when he returns.

So how are we going to do it? Well if this encounter Jesus had is any indication it’s going to be messy. It’s going to be inconvenient. It’s going to require flexible plans. But it can’t be tone deaf to the needs around us. Even Jesus responded and loved and redeemed. And this woman came to him when he went near to her.

So how do we figure out how to go near to where the people are with the needs that Jesus can meet?

Online.

Jesus crossed barriers to bring new life

Well let’s jump back into the story. Something drew Jesus to withdraw from his daily routine and to go to a lesser known region. This is a bit of a pattern with Jesus.

Mark 1:37–38 NIV

37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”

In fact these verses were instrumental in God leading me to come to NW Indiana from Illinois. It seemed odd to go less than an hour away and yet God was calling me clearly. So I’ve never forgotten that it’s easy to just settle into a rhythm and forget to listen daily to God’s constant call to reach those who need to hear about Jesus.

Sometimes right nearby there are people we can reach if we are open and available. Jesus went there with one purpose, but the redemptive purpose pulsed deeply within him. So much so that it could change his plans or his schedule.

So Jesus crossed barriers and even stepped away from his plans in order to bring healing and hope to a home that needed it desperately.

The woman showed up somehow by the grace of God. She had the courage to make a great faith request of Jesus. He had the mercy to recognize it. With a word her world changed.

Imagine the load that was on her as she tried one more time to see her child delivered. Image how light and fleet of foot as she went to see her daughter. For the first time in forever to look her in the eye and see the girl she loved who also loved her… She didn’t fit. But that didn’t stop Jesus from working. She didn’t have it all figured out. That didn’t prevent Jesus from giving her what he could.

I find another reference pretty interesting from Jesus:

Matthew 11:21 NIV

21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

How did he know? Had he been there before? Had someone told him? Oh it’s hard to believe it was an accident that he went to Tyre and Sidon. Oh, he can go on all he wants about how the dogs can’t get the children’s food. I guess I’ll always believe he headed there with a big giant bag of grace and healing and love just for this family. I think he went there fully intending to give this family more than anyone else ever could.

You believe what you want, but that’s what I have seen Jesus do again and again and again. Jesus knows that in unlikely forgotten church forsaken places there are people hungry for what he can give. And he hasn’t forgotten them.

Have we?

Jesus empowers us to cross barriers with new life

So where is our Tyre and Sidon? Are there people who haven’t been on our radar, people who haven’t been in our plans? People who also need what Jesus can give but live outside the normal rhythms of the church?

There was a popular movement asking the question: what would Jesus do? But I think we can do one better than that. What would Jesus have US do? We don’t have to imagine what Jesus would do IF he was here. Jesus IS here. He lives in all who follow him. The Holy Spirit shares with us what we need to know and remember from Him.

Jesus was aware of the barriers and he put himself right where the lot lines exist. In that in-between space his grace changed a family. Today if you’re a family struggling on the fringe of the kingdom of God, know that Jesus is right there today and he stands ready to heal and restore you. Go ahead and make a Great Faith Request. Ask Jesus for what you truly need. He will surprise you.

Today, if you’re deeply connected to our church family, take a moment to remember those who need what only Jesus can give.

If you’ve been putting following Jesus on hold until after the pandemic, can I nudge you this morning to say, you can’t wait to follow Him. Don’t lose your connection now. It’s never been more important for you and everyone around you. We all have to balance the risks. That’s a choice each family needs to make. But Jesus intends for us to continue crossing barriers with new life. Let’s not forsake gathering together as Hebrews 10:25 reminds us. To make this possible we wear masks, we keep our distance, the service is brief and we fellowship outside. Time inside the building together needs to be managed well, but so far we are doing well with it. Thank you. Many of us gather by Zoom and phone on Wednesday nights to pray and read the word together and discuss. Why don’t you get over that hump and join us?

But what will we pray for? We’ve had a lot of physical illness to lift up recently and that’s fine and good. But let’s pray for families. Let’s pray for nearby neighborhoods that need Jesus. Let’s pray for those who are lost and confused. Let’s pray for those who protect and serve. Let’s pray for those who live under injustice every day. Let’s pray for children growing up with out a lot of guidance.

And then let’s find ways to break through. We livestream the service and that’s making a difference for some. We need to spend some time getting our sound system all figured out for everything to work better. We used to have people hosting the live stream and that has fallen off some so the impact has declined some. It’s pretty simple if you’re willing to serve in this way on a rotating basis. We had someone request prayer last week and nobody was there to respond. I responded later, but it was too late for them to see it. They had logged in as I lov. So I lov, if you’re out there, I did pray for you and I hope we can minister to you.

Let’s get our ministry mojo back. We don’t know if the virus is going away any time soon. We should wear masks whenever we go out and will be around other people. As Christians, this is one way to demonstrate clearly to the world that we care about others and put their needs ahead of our own. The numbers are surging again in our area so this is still a time to be careful. But it’s also a time to keep caring, amen? So please find ways to express care and find ways to extend the love of Jesus. It will take your mind off all the craziness to realize the good things that can still happen.

Jesus empowers us not just to survive but also the share and to serve. He’s great at busting through and doing more and surprising us all. So open your mind and open your heart to those making great faith requests around you. Probably you shouldn’t go inside someone else’s home unless it’s an emergency to help family in need. But there’s so much you could bring to their doorstep or phone line or mailbox or inbox or social media feed.

I’ll tell you something that made a difference. One morning I was headed out the door to the church and I was tired and feeling the load of it all. I couldn’t get to the phone before it went to voicemail. When I got to where I could play the message it was a man from Nazarene Headquarters. He said he was calling pastors that morning to pray for them and encourage them. He said you don’t need to call me back but just know I have prayed for you today and I thank you for all you do. I can’t tell you what that meant to me and what a crucial moment it was. Could you pick up the phone and call everyone in the church and pray for them? Is there someone within reach of our ministry you could encourage with a prayer? If you miss them, could you leave the world’s most encouraging voicemail that might bless their day? We all have different gifts, but the needs are great. Probably greater than we even know. But so is the grace and power and love of Jesus. Don’t doubt the difference he can make through your life.

Who would have thought a Canaanite woman had so much to teach us about faith and the grace of God?