More than One Way

All Saints –  20th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year A - 2026

Readings:
First Reading -            Genesis 45:1-15               
Psalm -                        Psalm: 67: 1-7
Gospel -                       Matthew 15:10-28
What I want to say:
There is more than one way to understand most things
-        Jesus treatment of the Canaanite woman
In all that is happening for us today, let us take hold of sheer gift and abundance God’s blessing in this time.
What I want to happen:
What gift do this week’s readings offer us.

 The Sermon

     
 1.    Introduction:

Today's gospel is kind reading a lot of preachers like to avoid
on face value Jesus does not treat this woman well
Some like Jewish writer Dr. Amy-Jill Levine view this encounter as one of the most ethically challenging passages in the Gospels.

       2.    Gospel

Put this reading back into story of Matthew’s gospel
-        Jesus and disciples told off by Pharisees not washing hands before eating
-        Responds – “It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.”
-        this is about purity rules rather than sins
-        these are rules put around Mosaic law  - Torah
-        prevent Torah broken
-        avoid another catastrophe like exile
Torah was way people invited to live in response to what God has already done
after freed from slavery and were in wilderness on way promised land
-        already had reward
-        already freed from slavery
-        Torah set out how they were to live in response to that gift,
o   not to earn it
-        how they were to be people of God
-        living into Abrahamic covenant
-        be a blessing for all people and all creation
®   We can understand Jesus inviting people to see rules that surround God’s law as way to live in response to abundant generosity and mercy of God
o   keeping of rules less important than what rules point to
o   God’s abundant generosity and mercy

      3.    Story continues

Then goes into Gentile area where what he has said is put to the test
Confronted by courageously persistent Gentile women
-        Recognises this renowned Jewish rabbi
-        Pleads for her daughter
o   annoyingly persistently nags for her daughter
-        Jesus not respond
-        Disciples get frazzled and tell her to go
-        And when she persists
-        Go to Jesus and ask him to do something
-        “I’ve been sent only to the lost sheep, the people of Israel.”
-         In her unwavering and persistent care for her daughter
o   Prostates herself before Jesus and pleads her case
-        Jesus responds with “It is not good to take the children’s bread and toss it to dogs.”
-        On face of it little bit racist
-        deeply insulting
-        very troubling
-        is what makes this one of the most ethically challenging passages in the Gospels.

      4.    4 Ways

Today’s gospel read number ways
    a.     Then some see this as Jesus testing her faith
-        I struggle with given her need
-        Not respond to any other person in need in this way
-        Not very pastorally sensitive
 
    b.    Some who see this as Jesus fully human
Man grew up in Jewish contest
Simply saying what context
-        Non-Jews are less than Jews
-        His ministry is to Jews
-        Ok call Gentiles dogs
In this reading gentile women calls out Jesus’ racism
Resists Jesus attitude
Reminds him of lesson of feeding of 5000+
-        God abundance and mercy being more than enough for all
-        Even though she is unclean Gentile
-        she helps him expand his understanding of what his mission is
-        through her Matthew lays groundwork for Great Commission in Matthew 28
 
     c.     Others who lived with racist structures
-        Suffering under racist attitudes and abuse all lives
Cannot have racist Jesus
Untenable
So read this as Jesus simply stating what disciples thinking
-        Exposing their racist thinking
-        Allowing Gentile woman to do what he knew she would do
o   Resist
o   Call them out
o   Remind them of God abundant mercy and generosity to all
o   Including her 
 
      d.    Matthew’s community
always 3 audiences
this story is more about Matthew’s community than anyone else
In Mark (came first) – Syrophoenician woman (where she is from)
-        way more accurate
-        Canaanites disappeared into history a long time ago
-        cultural - political division
-        way less heat in Mark’s version
Canaanite is highly charged biblical term
-        an ancestral enemy from Israel's history
-        Matthew deliberately highlights the ultimate, primordial "Other".
-        elevates the story from a contemporary cultural dispute to a monumental clash of historic biblical boundaries.
®   May say more about issues Matthew’s community facing as Jewish cult
-        after fall Jerusalem
-        destruction of temple
-        Judaism is being reframed and re-understood
-        what mean to be people of God now without temple?
o   without temple priesthood?
®   Matthew’s community asking - what is their place within Judaism?
®   what place in their community for non-Jews?
Matthew is using this story to expand their understanding of who they are and their place in God’s ongoing mission

      5.    Questions

wonder which of these 4 ways speak to us?
maybe more than one way?
Whatever way we read this
Offered courageous, unwavering women whose persistent care for her daughter
-        led her have persistent and unwavering trust that Jesus could cure her
In Matthew's version Jesus makes this Gentile woman
-        began as an outsider not worthy of a response and then called a dog
-        a model of supreme faith or trust in Jesus and in God’s mercy
-        what a huge reversal of her status
o   for disciples
o   for Matthew’s community
Wonder what this woman offers us?

      6.    Other readings

®   Romans
has my favourite Greek work
"Me genoito" (μὴ γένοιτο) is a strong Greek phrase that means "may it never be," "God forbid," or "by no means."
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Absolutely not! or Hell no!
In Letter to Romans Paul centres his theology on God’s mercy
writing to divided church
imploring them put significant issues (Jews and Gentiles) to one side
centring life on God’s mercy which all already received
same mercy Canaanite women had such trust in
live that mercy for each other
for those yet to respond
 
®   Genesis
see that same mercy in final reading from Genesis
mercy Joseph shows to his brothers
he is now able to understand that while brothers sold him to slavery
God used that to send him ahead
-        He worked that out for himself
-        important that we don’t try to do that for others going through very hard times
God’s mercy could be offered to all people during famine
-        including his own miserable family   

  7.    Examples of living God’s mercy

  • Clare of Assisi – Tuesday
  • Maximilian Kolbe - Friday

      8.    Conclusion

Invite you to remember Canaanite woman
remember God’s abundant mercy
take time allow your heart to be shaped by this mercy
grow in trust in that mercy
We might join that courageous unwavering Canaanite women in living out that mercy  for others.

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