The Voice Of Mercy

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Jesus stands between two opposing voices. On one side a Canaanite woman. On the other his Jewish disciples.
“Have mercy on me, Lord.”
“Send her away”
“My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
“Tell her to be quiet.”
Two opposing voices.
On one side the wrong gender – a woman; the wrong nationality – a Canaanite; the wrong side of town - Tyre and Sidon; the wrong religion –a gentile; the wrong everything – and it all adds up to this: She was the unknown, the unsafe, undesirable, unacceptable, unworthy, unequal, the unclean.
And on the other side those who were right – the right gender – men; the right nationality – Israelite; the right faith – Jewish; the right qualifications- disciples. And it all adds up to those who were known and safe, acceptable and worthy, equals ..and clean.
And Jesus stands between them. And probably because Jesus does not acknowledge or answer either one of them… The disciples now order Jesus one more time to be done with her and move on. Don’t know if stopped, looked, actually acknowledged her…or if he just threw the words at her over his shoulder as he kept walking away – but Jesus does respond to her: I’m not here for you, I was not sent for your kind – I was sent only for those who are like me. I came only for Israel.
How pathetic, that Jesus’ answer to her, has forced her to beg. She approached him and adjusted her skirts and robes, and got down on her knees. ‘Lord help me.’ And then Jesus so much as called her a dog – telling her in so many words that simply because she was who she was, she did not deserve what he had to give…that her daughter didn’t deserve to be free of the demons that possessed her…
A humiliated and kneeling woman doesn’t have far to fall, and by all rights that insult should have floored her on the spot. After all, what is a desperate Canaanite to do after such a slap but slink off into the crowd, take her place in the filthy streets among the dogs where she belongs, and go back to the daughter still suffering in a demon’s grip
But she remained and told Jesus she would be happy with a scrap. Acknowledgment of her humanity – her personhood…scrap of concern
Two opposing voices – one begging for mercy…the other insisting that Jesus turn his back. What will Jesus say? Considering that it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person. Considering that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart. What will Jesus say?
Will Jesus hold on to what has always been? Will he keep the letter of the law? Will he stand on a tradition which has become a holy fence keeping the unclean gentile on the outside? Or…Will this be a time to break down that old fence…will it be a time when Jesus stands as an example…is this his opportunity to put his own words into action…an opportunity to teach a new and different way to those disciples who believe it would be better to turn her away because they don’t want to be tainted by her unclean state.
We hate this passage, because we don’t like that Jesus ignores the plea of a desperate woman…don’t like it because we expect more from Jesus than insults and rejection…don’t like it because we wouldn’t want Jesus to say these kinds of things to us. And we love this passage because of what Jesus does in fact finally say….love it because it means that in God’s plan, it is and will be that Jesus will show mercy to the unknown, unsafe, undesirable, unacceptable, unworthy, unequal, unclean gentile…and that means you and me!
Jesus stood between two opposing voices. Twelve voices who told him to stay the course…don’t change… pay no attention to the woman…she is not one of us and we are not gonna and we don’t have to deal with her….and one who asked him to put into practice the word he preached: love compassion acceptance, and ….mercy.
Jesus is the voice of mercy. His is the voice everyone longs to hear when we are in trouble, and when we are lost, and when we are scared, and when we are in need. In the end, that voice – was the dearest sweetest voice that Canaanite woman ever heard. “Then Jesus answered her, -Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
We who are Christ’s disciples are now his voice. We have been taught the lesson, he has given us the example, that yes, even those who we may not believe are worthy – yes even those who are not like us – yes even when the voices all around us and the voices in our head tell us to ignore and move on – tell us to keep that holy fence in good repair to keep them out ---- yes even those are to hear Christ’s voice of mercy – through us.