Matthew
15:21-28
Faith
The Lutheran theological movement
is greater than the life experiences of Martin Luther, but his life experience
gave rise to the Reformation initiated by his writings. We are not devotees of Martin Luther and we
would never, ever want to mistake him for anything other than what he was. To paraphrase his own words, Luther
understood himself to be just another son-of-a-gun trying to help another son-of-a-gun
out of the ditch. (Luther did tend to
use more colorful language, but this is a family-oriented congregation.)
Luther’s struggle is brought alongside
our struggle; and it is hoped that Luther’s resolution might become our own.
For most of Luther’s youth, he thought
of himself as the “dog” under the children’s table. He would have accepted Jesus’ condemnation –
continuing to think of himself as being unworthy of the food which was freely
given to those who did deserved it. Luther
was obsessed and destroyed by the question of whether God would ever speak the
words to him which Jesus speaks to this Canaanite woman: “Great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
I prefer not to say of folks “You
are Lutheran.” But it is true that you
are participating in a Lutheran worship service. Some of you – eight of you – will affirm your
baptismal covenant in the context of this Lutheran worship service. By asking “How Lutheran are you?” I am really
asking how dogged you have been with questions of faith and enough faith or
sufficient faith or faith capable of moving mountains. How many years of your youth have you given
over to asking such needless questions?
Hopefully, you will never ask yourself
this again.
The gift of the Lutheran theological
movement is to never again allow ourselves to perceive God as anything other
than a loving parent, perpetually prepared to share whatever has been offered
to his children. We are often accused of
“cheap grace,” but as Luther said there is nothing cheap about it. This gracious attitude of our God toward us
came at the price of our Lord’s own precious blood.
“Great faith,” “enough faith,” “faith
so as to move mountains;” these are the questions which distract us from the
mission we embrace and the opportunity we have been given. You are a person of faith – why else would
you be here?
Before you start to look around,
and wonder if I am talking to everyone else but not you, take a quick look back
at this reading from Matthew’s gospel. We
know two things about this woman whom Jesus commends. We know she is a mother – she comes asking
for her daughter to be made well. What else
do we know? She is a Canaanite. Do a search on Canaanites – but allow me to
summarize by saying she wasn’t from a Jewish family, she was one of “them,”
historically her people had participated in the destruction of all that was
sacred to the followers of Moses.
So before you look around and
wonder if you belong among the others being told your faith is just fine,
remember all of this started with a Canaanite woman. If she belongs, so do you. Jesus says it! We believe it!
I didn’t do well in my Greek
classes. So, I have learned not to try pronounce
those words or pretend I understand the various nuances of words written in the
original language of the New Testament. But
I am going to encourage you to consider what Jesus meant when he says, “Great
is your faith!”
Does he mean “great” as in a
bunch? Or strong? Or effective?
Or might he be speaking of the greatness of faith when it is revealed
and acknowledged? Jesus never speaks
well of those who horde or accumulate or look only at themselves. Why would he do that here? Might he be celebrating the “greatness” of a
faith which persists even in the face of adversity, or hardship, or insult and
injury?
“Great” is the faith which brings
us back time after time after time to be assured. “Great” is the faith which prevents us from
being self-aggrandizing, from ever thinking we deserve something more. “Great” is the faith which sees our humility
as a badge of purity. “Great” is the
capacity to know that it is another who is capable of doing what we are unable
to do for ourselves.
Luther wasted too many years of his
life wondering if his faith was sufficient.
We are likely to ask such questions in our journey as well. But the Gospel puts an end to such struggles.
“Great” is your faith! It shall be done for you as you wish.
Amen.
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