You may wish to light a candle before you begin.
May the grace, mercy and love of God be with us all. Amen.
Collect
Lord of heaven and earth, as Jesus taught his disciples to be persistent in prayer, give us patience and courage never to lose hope, but always to bring our prayers before you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Confession
Let us confess our sins in penitence and faith, trusting that in God our Father we may find forgiveness, renewal and peace.
Gracious and holy God, when we fail to be good stewards of your creation, forgive us; when we fail to be good stewards of your gospel, forgive us; and when we fail to be good stewards of your gifts, forgive us. Help us to use the time, the talents and the opportunities you give us to your glory and in ways that enrich the lives of those around us. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hear this word of pardon: through God in Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven. Amen.
God’s Word
Romans, chapter 11, verses 1 to 2a, and 29 to 32 :-
I ask, then: Has God rejected his people? Of course not! I am an Israelite myself, of the stock of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected the people he acknowledged of old as his own.
For the gracious gifts of God and his calling are irrevocable. Just as formerly you were disobedient to God, but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so now, because of the mercy shown to you, they have proved disobedient, but only in order that they too may receive mercy. For in shutting all mankind in the prison of their disobedience, God’s purpose was to show mercy to all humanity.
Matthew, chapter 15, verses 21 to 28 :-
Jesus then withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And a Canaanite woman from those parts came to meet him crying, ‘Son of David! Have pity on me; my daughter is tormented by a devil.’ But he said not a word in reply.
His disciples came and urged him: ‘Send her away! See how she comes shouting after us.’ Jesus replied, ‘I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and to them alone.’
But the woman came and fell at his feet and cried, ‘Help me, sir.’ Jesus replied, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ ‘True, sir,’ she answered, ‘and yet the dogs eat the scraps that fall from their master’s table.’ Hearing this Jesus replied, ‘What faith you have! Let it be as you wish!’ And from that moment her daughter was restored to health.
Thanks be to God, for this his holy word. Amen.
Reflection on the Readings
There is a thread running through both our readings today that is about exclusion. And then another common thread to do with persistence. And then, added to these, something important about what faith is, what faith does, and where faith is to be found.
Let’s start with Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul rejoiced greatly to find the gospel message he felt called to preach being enthusiastically received by Greek or gentile people, non-Jewish people. But he himself was a Jew, and so he also felt the pain of finding this same message rejected by those of his own faith. Why was this? Had God rejected his own people?
Paul could see how people who had been excluded - people he’d have excluded himself back in the old days - were coming with delight into a new faith in Jesus. It had always been God’s plan, he realised, that those who had been for so long excluded should now be included, so that in this new beginning there would be no distinction between Jew and Greek, and all would be one in Christ.
He could also see how faith, in other words trusting in Jesus and in the healing and reconciling power of the cross, rather than law - the requirement to keep to the letter every facet of the Law of Moses - was becoming the basis for a new form of community, marked by healing, thanksgiving, peace and mutual love.
And yet his own people seemed for the most part to be excluding themselves from this new way. For Paul this was hard to take. In the reading we heard this morning he suggests a link between the new obedience of those who once were excluded, and the new disobedience of those (his own people) who continued to claim that they and only they were God’s chosen people. And, looking at this, he insists that it remains God’s purpose to show mercy to all humanity, and not to be partial. Jesus died on the cross not for some people, but for all people; not to change some human situations, but every human situation.
But it remains up to us whether we accept that, whether we respond to it. At the heart of it all is love: Jesus is the King of love. And love cannot force or compel, it can only love, and wait for the other to respond - it can only attract and serve, and risk being ignored, rejected or taken advantage of.
God’s purpose is to show mercy to all humanity, wrote Paul. But that’s not so clear when we start to read our passage from Matthew’s Gospel which begins with Jesus in the region of Tyre and Sidon, modern-day Lebanon, and back then a very mixed community, many if not most of whose members would not have been Jews.
A woman described here as Canaanite, and in other Gospels as Syro-Phoenician - certainly not a Jew, anyway - is being troublesome. Or so the disciples think, we find. They’re urging Jesus to get rid of her, but he in fact just chooses to disregard her completely. He blanks her, and she is excluded, because she isn’t one of the lost sheep of Israel, and therefore she isn’t the concern of Jesus at all.
But what she is, is persistent, not on her own behalf, but for her sick daughter. So at last Jesus does have to respond to her directly. He speaks to her as any Jewish rabbi might be expected to speak to one who has been excluded, who doesn’t count: “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs!” “But the dogs can still take the scraps from under the table,” replied the woman.
Had Jesus deliberately provoked her into a profession of faith that would astound and maybe open the eyes of his disciples? Or had Jesus meant what he said, until the woman’s firm and faithful response changed his understanding? We can’t be completely sure, but this we can say - the story shows us how faith can cross boundaries and break barriers. We see that persistence pays off in prayer as it does elsewhere, and that in reality the love of God seeks to exclude no-one.
And nor should we. “Love your neighbour as yourself,” says the Summary of the Law. And my neighbour isn’t the person of the same tribe as me, or the person who looks like me, or thinks like me, or votes like me. He or she is the person who needs the help I can give. Without regard for race or religion or even merit. That is how God sees us; and that is how should see and deal with one another.
Statement of faith
We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love. We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high. We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayers
Pray for the world: that leaders of nations may work together for harmony, fellowship and peace, and with full regard for human rights and freedom, especially on this World Humanitarian Day; that across the world we may work together for the common good, especially as we face up to the continued impact of Covid 19: and that the work to find an effective cure may meet with success, and its fruits be made available to all.
Pray that the Church in every place may be fervent in prayer, strong in faith and purpose, and open to all. Pray for Christians in Scotland, and for the life and work of the Scottish Episcopal Church. In our own Diocese, pray for Bishop Richard, and today especially for all that helps to create good and creative links between church and community in each local place.
Pray for all who are ill or troubled, especially those we know, and for their help and healing; pray for all in hospital or other places of care this weekend, including those infected with the Covid virus. Pray also for the health, safety and protection of all who care for others.
Pray for our families and friends, and the life of our communities. Pray for all who have lost jobs, or whose employment is insecure. Pray for our shops and high streets under pressure. Pray too that we may continue to act with responsibility and care, looking out for each other, and keeping safe ourselves.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Blessing
May God, who no longer calls us strangers and foreigners but has made us fellow-citizens with all the saints, bring us into full fellowship with him; and may the blessing of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be with us always. Amen.
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