Pentecost 13, 2011
Matthew 15:21-28
“Dog Food”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Charles Spurgeon is one of the most well known preachers of the 1800’s. Although a Baptist in theology Spurgeon wrote thus about Martin Luther: “If every angel in heaven had passed before Luther and each one had assured him of the truth of God, he would not have thanked them for their testimony, for he believed without the witness of either angels or people; he thought the Word of divine testimony [Holy Scripture] to be more sure than anything that seraphim could say. Most of us are not as big as Luther’s little finger; we do not have as much faith in our whole souls as he had in one hair of his head.” Such wonderful praise of Luther. Such wonderful praise of the man that proclaimed on his deathbed: “Wir sind alle Bettler” which means “We are all beggars.”
Most of us, if not all of us, have seen people begging. Beggars aren’t necessarily the kind of people we like to meet. Most people tend to ignore them as they stand on street corners with signs asking for work, food, money, or a place to sleep. They look dirty and they probably smell. Often we mistrust their motives for begging and ignore them. How sad it is to know that there truly are people in desperate need [beggars] that are so hungry they would be happy to eat table scraps or dog food. Knowing that how many of you would proclaim with Luther to be a beggar yourself?
“Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.” (Matthew 15:21-22)
Here is a mother fearing for her child’s very life rushing to Christ for help. We know that by her language this woman was Greek; by birth a Canaanite, a heathen; by allegiance a Roman subject, a Syrophenecian. By Jewish standards at the time she was worthless and didn’t deserve to even speak to Jesus. But as we see from her cry “Lord,” by faith she is true believer. She has come to her Lord begging that He heal her daughter from the demons possessing her. Jesus was her only hope!
But what happens next is not what we would expect from our Loving Savior. “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.” (Matthew 15:23) Jesus says nothing to the woman. The disciples plead with Jesus to send her away. They didn’t care if He helped her or not…just get rid of her. They were getting fed up with her following them, carrying on about needing help, and bugging them. They didn’t want this wretched person…this beggar around.
“He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) Finally Jesus responds; but it is a response of No. In His state of humiliation Jesus prophetic activity was limited to Israel according to the flesh. After the resurrection and exaltation He would draw all men to Himself. (John 12:32). Jesus ministry was centered on the chosen people; the nation of Israel. He was called to bear witness to them, to heal them, to show miracles to them, to preach to them…alone. After Jesus death and resurrection the Apostles were sent to all people, to preach to all people, to heal the sick and perform miracles to all people. But at that moment…Jesus was called to go to the Jews alone.
The disciples say nothing. But they weren’t the ones that needed Jesus to heal their daughter. She was desperate. “The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.” (Matthew 15:25) This mother begs Jesus to help as if the misery of her daughter was her very own.
We know how this mother feels. We find ourselves begging to God for help. We have had loved ones that we have prayed for over and over again. We pray for those we love that have cancer. We pray for those who have been in accidents. We pray for those with addictions, with marital problems, diseases, broken hearts, unemployed, and countless others. There are many times that only a miracle can save someone we love. There are times when we can only turn to God. Yes, we know the anxiety, the hope, the pain, and the desperation of this woman for we have often cried out “Lord, help me!” It often seems that Jesus offers no response…doesn’t listen or doesn’t care.
“He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." (Matthew 15:26-27)
Jesus is telling her that it is not proper that He withdraw His services from the children of the chosen people and turn unto the unclean heathen. This was a hard judgment on the woman, apparently a final ‘No’ to her plea. But it only seems that way.
The woman knew and admitted that she was not worthy of His help; that she was unworthy as a heathen woman. But she holds firm to her faith; to God’s promise to those who love Him. She catches the Lord Jesus with His own Words. Yes, still more, with the rights of a dog she gains the rights of a child. Now where will he go, the dear Jesus? He has caught Himself and must help her. But know this well, He loves to be caught in this way. If only we had the skill of this woman to catch God in His own judgment and say: “Yes, Lord, it is true, I am a sinner and not worthy of Your grace, but you have promised forgiveness and did not come to call the righteous, but, like Saint Paul says in His letter to Timothy, “to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1:15) Behold, the Lord must then through His own judgment, have mercy on us.
Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:28)
“Wir sind alle Bettler.” We are all beggars. We are all beggars before God. We are all in need of His saving grace. We, like this woman, deserve nothing better than table scraps; dog food. Yet what do we get this very day? Today we feast on the very body and blood of Christ. Today we feast on God’s own Word.
Through Jesus death on the cross…through His very body and blood given and shed for you…we receive the riches of heaven. All that God has is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. We are beggars that have been lifted up. God does not ignore us. God does not despise us. Instead He gives us salvation. He gives us life. He gives us paradise. Like the woman of our text “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) My brothers and sisters in Christ hear how much Christ loves you. “For…neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
We are beggars…sinners…and we are the guest of honor…saints. No longer shall we feed on dog food…the scraps this world gives us in sin…we shall be honored guests at our Lord’s banquet feast. Come to the Lord’s Table this day and partake in the foretaste of the feast to come. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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