God sees our Heart

God sees our heart

Matthew 15:10-28

Opening and Prayer

Welcoming and generous God, you make all things new.

We are glad to be together in your house of prayer this day.

You invite all people into your fold to receive your blessing.

Justice and right relations have their source in you.

We are filled with joy to be counted among your children.

As we gather, make us one in worship and thanksgiving.

We lift our voices to proclaim your all-encompassing love.

May our praise join with the praise of all your people.

And reach the ends of the earth, for you are our Saviour and our hope.

We call out to you to send the Holy Sprit to be with us today as we gather in praise and worship of you.

We ask for this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen

Sermon

Today’s scripture seems to be 2 separate stories. In one we have Jesus teaching us about being aware of what we say more than what we eat. In the second we have him healing a woman who shows him great faith. However, these two stories are best understood when we look at them together.

Chapter 15 begins with Jesus being confronted by the Pharisees because his disciples did not wash their hands properly according to the religious law before eating. Jesus explains to the Pharisees how the rules they have created for themselves; their laws, nullifies the importance of God and places the importance on the rules and traditions of their religion.

The two verses that precede the scripture for today and follow Jesus’s words to the Pharisees are the setup for a better understanding of todays scripture.

Matthew 15:8-9

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

9 They worship me in vain;

their teachings are merely human rules.’”

The book of Matthew focus’s in many places on how the Christian differentiated themselves from the Jews at the time. And in the start of today’s scripture Jesus probably shocked the Jews that were present when he said

Matthew 15: 10-11

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

This idea that what you ate was not what cause you to become unclean in the eyes of God would have been unthinkable. The pharisees had a complex set of rules and regulations that were meant to ensure that a person was kept clean. That they did not defile themselves and therefore were ensured that their position in the kingdom of God was maintained.

This spoke against the very foundation of religious thought at the time. That people were not judged by their ability to adhere to the rules of the pharisees but instead they were judged by the condition of their heart and mind would have gone against everything they understood about cleanliness and holiness. Their whole temple life was focused around obeying the rules set forth in the books of law and sacrifice for their violation of the law to regain cleanliness and holiness. They had a simplified understanding of what it meant to be a Jew that was based on the rules of man and not on scripture. Jesus attempts to explain this to them in the next verses

Matthew 13-14

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Those of you who have been coming every week will recognize Jesus’s reference to the parable of the wheat and the weeds. Speaking to the truth that both good and evil live in the world and will be separated at the end of the ages where the weeds will be pulled up and burned. However here he adds to his previous teaching. Saying that not only are they to be left alone as he taught in the parable but that they are blind and that the blind will lead the blind, resulting in both falling into a pit.

Peter being the outspoken disciple then asks:

Matthew 15:15-20

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

This is where the lesson lies for those at the time and for us today. In this short bit of scripture Jesus is explaining what it means to be a follower of God and to have faith.

If being Christian consisted of only following some rules and regulations, then it is way too easy. If all we had to do to be a Christian was washing our hands, be careful in what we eat and show up at worship once a week then it is far to easy to be saved.

Afterall, how difficult are these thigs to do. There are plenty of people in the modern church who would fall in line with the thinking of the pharisees. They believe I am following the rules of Christianity, therefore I am saved. They might even be the people who are serving in areas of the church, helping those in need and externally appear to be good and faithful Christians.

Jesus has taught this before, in

Matthew 7: 21-23

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Jesus knows that there will be false believers and people who believe that they are true believers but really are not. He knows that there are those who have been led by the blind and have become blind themselves to their own motivations and character and to following and obeying the teachings of man over the teachings of God.

This is the reason he is clarifying at this time the difference between adherence to the laws of man and the commands of God. Jesus wants to drive home the fact that it is our thoughts, words and behaviors that define who we are and not something as simple as watching what we eat and adhering to an appearance of holiness.

What is in our heart matters to God. This is why Jesus so emphatically preaches this idea throughout the new testament. This is why he constantly speaks to the difference between the practice of religious tradition and the heart of the worshiper. When we become focused on following the rules and traditions of the church more than on God we have moved into dangerous territory and can be led astray by those false prophets, or in this case we are the blind being led by the blind.

What matters to God is not always how we appear to be acting in our lives. God knows we will sin and that we will repent if we are Christians. What matters to God if the why we act, are we repenting because of our faith, or out of our own personal desire to get into heaven. Are we motivated by love or by the rules of Christianity?

God will not watch and remember everything we do in our lives instead he will watch and remember the reasons we had behind everything we have done in our lives. Tomas Aquinas summed it up simply for us. “Man sees the deed; God sees the intention”

These versus Matthew 15:10-20 could be used by many to argue that the traditions of the church are outdated and do not fit within modern culture. They are caught up on the rules and regulations of the old Testament which are not important today because of the new testament if they are read alone and their interpretation is stretched by a bias coming into reading them. That is why it is important that we look at the story that immediately follows this teaching by Jesus.

This first story teaches us that what is in our hearts is important. The second story shows us what should be in our hearts.

Matthew 15:21-23

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.”

In this opening there are some important facts to recognize. This is the one and only time that Jesus left Jewish territory. There is nowhere in Palestine where he was not known so he decided to withdraw north into the land of the Phoenicians. In doing so he begins the process of bringing the Gospel to the gentiles.

Jesus has been busy and been berated by crowds constantly seeking his teaching and his ability to heal. This would have been his chance to get away as the end of his time is drawing closer and given him a chance to spend more time in teaching his disciples.

However, even here in a land where he should be unknown there are people who have heard of him. A Canaanite woman approaches and calls out for Jesus to have mercy on her and to save her daughter.

What does Jesus do? Do you remember last week’s sermon? Jesus Immediately saved peter on the water the second he called out for help. Yet when this woman calls out the bible specifically states that “Jesus did not answer a word.” Jesus remained silent while this woman was calling out for help.

This woman must have been persistent. Continuously asking for mercy and healing because the disciples seem to become frustrated with her. They Go to Jesus and ask him to send her away because this woman keep ‘crying out after us’ in plain langue she is bothering and pestering us to heal her daughter.

Does this sound like the heart that Jesus had just spoke of in Matthew 15: 10-20? The disciples are not acting out of compassion but instead in their own self-interest because of the fact this woman was bothering them. This is not Christian love compassion. Even Jesus himself is being silent and not helping this woman.

When Jesus finally does answer the woman, we get a look into his reasoning for being unresponsive to her plea for mercy and the healing of her daughter.

Matthew 15: 24

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

Does this sound like the Jesus that many people preach today? The one who loves and accepts everyone regardless of their actions. Does this sound like the Jesus that forgives and heals you regardless of who you are as along as you say a few words and show up at church semi-regularly?

This is the real Jesus and here he is telling this woman, who came pleading to him to have mercy on her sick daughter, “ I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” Jesus is saying I am not here to help you, I came only to help my people. The people of Israel, the people who were your people’s enemies long ago.

Again, this is not the first time that we have been told that the mission at that time was to the people of Israel.

Matthew 10:5-6

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel

Jesus did not hide the fact that he came for the people of Israel. He is clear in his instructions to his disciples that they are not to go to Gentiles at this time but are to stay focused on those who have been God’s people since the beginning. Therefore, it should not be surprising to us that he and the disciples are not immediately understanding of this woman’s plight.

Matthew 15:25-26

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.”

Even being rebuked by Jesus the woman does not give up. She continues her plea for his mercy and healing. She comes before him and kneels. She pleads for his mercy calling him Lord. Showing him the reverence and respect that many within his own people do not show him.

Yet once again Jesus attempts to turn her away and this time it is in amore abrupt way. He tells her that it is wrong to take bread from the table and toss it to the dogs. It should be clear in this case that the children are the people of Israel and the dogs are the gentiles.

Being called a dog was a serious insult. It implied that one was unkept and lacked intelligence. There are two forms of the word in Greek, one that meant the savage beasts that wandered the streets as strays and the other that meant the dog that was kept in the household as a pet and for it service. In this instance it is the household dog that is being used.

So, while it was an insult it was also an opportunity. Jesus was telling the woman that it was wrong for him to give himself, the bread of life to those who were not in the household of the Kingdom of Israel. For he was sent to those that belonged to Israel alone.

The woman seized this and replied.

Matthew 15:27-28

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 woman accepts her position as a dog and then lays claim to the crumbs that fall from the table. For this woman, the most important thig is her salvation and the fact that Jesus will heal her daughter. That is all that she is focused upon.

Jesus who now sees the heart of this woman, that she clearly has faith and is true in her intentions grants her request.

Like the woman we need to understand the importance of knowing we are all sinners and that we are saved by the grace and mercy of God. No human is deserving of salvation, that is the truth, we are all motivated by our own desires and tempted by our sinful nature. We are all corrupted by those things which make us unholy and like the woman we need to come to God and ask for his mercy and his help.

The woman’s focus was on Jesus alone and she placed all of her hope and trust in him. She could have walked away when Jesus and the disciples ignored her, but she persisted. She could have walked away when she was insulted, but she persisted. In this world we will be ignored we will be insulted; we may even be persecuted but like this woman we need to endure and persevere in our focus on Jesus.

This Canaanite woman displays many of the characteristics that Jesus called for in Matthew 15:10-20.

The driving force behind the woman’s behavior was love. She may not have been of the nation of Israel, but her love for her daughter was so strong that she was willing to be rebuked and insulted. This echoes the love that Go has for his children. We need to have this love and compassion for those around us.

The woman had faith. She approached Jesus in a sense of awe and reverence. He was more than a man to her, and she knew he had power beyond that of anyone she could ever know. We also need to approach our god with reverence and awe. Many of us today treat Christianity today as the pharisees did as a practice and process instead of having faith in god.

She worshiped him. The woman knelt before him, she called him lord and she prayed for her need. We are called to praise and worship our God, weekly through our service, yet how many do this because of adherence to mans rules instead of desire to please god.

The woman had perseverance. She would not give up. She came to Jesus as her last hope and because of that she refused to be sent away. She knew that her only chance was in him. She was not following a ritual, or preforming a ceremony, she was coming to God with her heart fully exposed.

Finally, even in the midst of everything that was happening she had a positive outlook. Even though she knew that her child was ill she knew that God could heal her. She was filled with hope and perseverance and this allowed her to respond to Jesus in such a way that he says her faith in her times of trouble.

These two stories show the importance of reading the scripture regularly and beyond a simple quote you may seen thrown up on a post on social media. Separated they could speak of many different things, yet together they teach us of the importance of keeping out hearts and minds focused on God. Jesus himself taught us this in a verse we should all have memorized by now

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ i 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ j 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

God cares about who we are and why we do things more than what we actually do. He does not want us to be religious people who show up to church because we feel obligated to do so. He does not want us to serve the church and take part in missions because of the rules that man has made for the church.

Instead God wants to see in us Faith. True faith in him as our lord and savior. God wants to see our love for God and for fellow humans, love that comes from our relationship with our God. He wants to see our reverence and praise and worship of him. He wants us to come to him with an understanding that he is all that matters in our lives. God wants us to place all of our Hope and trust in him.

God is calling for all of us to come to him and to focus on Jesus every day of our lives in everything we do. God sees our hearts.

Let us pray,

Living Christ, so many different people reached out to you in times of desperation with so many different needs. Yet you had compassion for them all. Lord Jesus, we know both struggle and joy in our lives, too.

This day we set before you our many different hopes and concerns.

Fill us with your compassion as we pray.

For all that we are and all that we do, all we wish we could do and all we long for…

We pray for everything we work for in our church and community, and everything we hope for in the face of so much change…

We pray for the choices we face in our country and community, in our homes and workplaces, and for all the responsibilities we bear in our different roles…

We pray for the troubles that weary us, the situations that puzzle us and the uncertainty that surrounds us…

We remember before you each situation that worries us and each person, we care

We pray all of this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

It is now time for the offering, if you are present you can place your offering in the offering box at the entrance to the sanctuary,, if you are watching online you can send your offering through your banking app, online banking or hold onto it until you join us once again in person.

Closing

Go in peace brother and sisters, God bless.