Being different and Attitude. Matthew 15v 21-28. Sunday 17th August 2014.
Quote.
A businessman was horrified to see a fisherman lying beside his boat, smoking a pipe.
‘Why aren’t you fishing’ he said.
‘Because I have caught enough fish for the day.’
Why don’t you catch some more?’
‘What should I do with it’ said the fisherman.
‘Well earn more money, then you could have a motor fixed to your boat that would bring you more money to buy nylon nets, so more fish, more money. Soon you would have enough to buy two boats even a fleet of boats, then you would be rich like me.’
‘What should I do then.’
Well then you could really enjoy life.’
‘What do you think I am doing now’!
A well dressed woman visited St Joseph,s Catholic Church one day and gave Wendy a diamond ring. Wendy thanked the visitor and slipped the ring into her pocket. Later in the day she gave the ring to an old woman who lived alone and often ate her meals at the Church. One of the staff protested to Wendy that the ring could better have been sold and the money used to pay, for example the woman’s rent for a year. Wendy replied that the woman had her dignity and could do as she liked with the ring. She could sell it for money or simply enjoy having a diamond ring on her hand just like the woman who had brought it to the Church. Do you suppose Wendy that God created diamonds only for the rich?
What would have been your comments! We continually open our mail each day and very often we find letters from many charities requesting donations or asking us to sell tickets on their behalf in order to generate income. If you enjoy shopping in Sutton town very often you will be approached by somebody with their tin can in front of you requesting a donation for a particular charity.
When we turn the television or radio on we see or hear before us warring nations, Russia verses Ukraine over territory, Israel verses Gaza over territory and further issues dominating the Middle East. We can easily take sides and support one warring party against the other and condemn the party whom we think is responsible, or maybe we turn a side and think, here we go again and regard the whole business as a turn off – who could blame you! What changes -nothing much – these people still find it difficult to live together side by side. The world has been hammered for far too long by nations destroying one another and it still continues, hopefully soon the world will have had enough but the concept of showing compassion becomes that much harder and strained.
Here in our gospel reading Jesus was pestered by a non-jew, a woman from Canaan, a woman from a nation who were considered unworthy but who wanted help for her daughter. She had obviously heard that Jesus was a person capable of giving this help that she so badly needed and wanted for her daughter. At first hand it would appear that Jesus was annoyed or rejecting her. His disciples were equally annoyed and suggested so by wanting to have her turned away. However contrary to the given situation Jesus then turns to her and says I was sent to help Gods lost people – the Jews the people of Israel – those who had to hear God’s message. First above all others however she continues to worship him and then there follows some descriptive language not of Jesus making but of the language of the day indicating that the children are the lost people the Jewish nation of Israel and the dogs are the gentiles and even the dogs need sustenance and take the scraps from the children (the Jewish nation) as the woman suggests. Knowing what we know of Jesus he was testing this woman’s faith and her faith was so great that she was rewarded, for even though she may be regarded as a second class citizen in some eyes, with Jesus she was entitled to be blessed! Remember we are all God’s children no matter from which race!!! Many will reject the teachings of Jesus and lose out including Jew or gentile but others will accept and find the inner peace that they so desperately crave.
This reading furthermore teaches us that of course there are those of us who are different for what every reason. This does not mean that those who are different are absolved of any responsibility but we in our attitude to those who appear different need our embracing love and to respond in a Christ-like manner. With faith comes action. I am not suggesting that we must donate all our funds to every charity that beckons on our doorstep. I am not suggesting that everybody must work in a businessman-like manner to ensure they always have a profit. I am not suggesting that what we have and possess we totally give for the benefit of others. These are all component parts that, as a disciple of Jesus, we have to take into consideration and form our make-up.
What we must do as Christians, we know, is indeed always to consider others as Jesus teaches us but so recognising that everybody has different needs; that sometimes we can be so over-preoccupied with the world’s spiritual needs that we do not consider the basic needs of humankind. Sometimes getting to grips with mankind’s needs will lead to solving their spiritual need. IS this not what Jesus does everytime in solving the hiccups and problems of daily life of those who come to him. He enables them to reach a deeply complex and spiritual hurt from inside. Maybe the Church should be more concerned with the wellbeing of the individual, perhaps the Church should be the union!
Be pleased rather than annoyed that somebody is continually trying to obtain monies for those in-need whether at home or abroad because maybe if we do not support them nobody else will.
We have to keep hoping and praying and wanting that these age old warring nations will find peace – it has to come! They need our help.
Accept that the factory worker who has worked all day for far less pay than the banker needs a rise in income and if that beggar/tramp has a drink ,don’t deny it to him (apart from health reasons of course.) All of us along the social scale need to enjoy the life that God has given us.
There are so many opportunities that surround us where we can emulate the teachings of Jesus but we need to get closer to him.
How?
Ask God to fill us with the power of His spirit so that we are able to accept the terrorist (who we do not understand because we never will, for to destroy a life is an anathema to us), accept the unemployable, accept the waster, give the mourner compassion and understanding that comes from Christ alone.
When we have decided to do that, love God with all of our being, all that we are and love others that maybe different, only then can we with God’s almighty power, win them and others into Gods kingdom.
Jesus blessed this ordinary different foreign woman for her faith, for her belief in himself as God’s son; that he could do something.
We must follow her example and not have that tendency to limit God because of our limited belief!
Amen.
Brian Scotcher
Lay Reader.