May God bless us this morning Not because of
the actions that we do but because of his spirit
that flows through his word May we be convicted
and blessed amen Howdy Y 'all doing all right
today So far, okay. Good. All right. I didn't
hear any nose. So so so far we're doing okay.
All right, good I wanted to talk with you all
a little bit today about the experience of Jesus
with the Canaanite woman and In so doing I kind
of wanted to start by explaining that I have
this fascination with New Year's Eve Now this
is a little bit strange is that I never really
was a huge Christmas fan I Know this is strange.
I never was a huge Easter fan. I know this is
strange. I was never a huge Thanksgiving fan
Even with all the food, but for some reason New
Year's Eve was always this thing in my mind That
I needed to do something fun and to celebrate
it Now it don't don't worry. I still have a good
time with Christmas and Thanksgiving and Easter
But I wasn't fascinated with them the way I was
with New Year's And the thing is is that I would
always be looking for some sort of a fun event
or party that I could go to for New Year's. It's
because it's like, you know, Christmas, you're
going to make sure that you go to church and
you spend your time there, you know, worshiping
with Christmas Eve. Thanksgiving, you're going
to make sure that you're with your family, that
you overeat and argue about something. It's not
Thanksgiving otherwise. And then, of course,
Easter, you have to make sure that you go out
and hunt for eggs. But New Year's, it's like
you have to make sure, in my mind, that you've
got to go do something really, really fun. And
so as I was sitting with a group of young people
that I was hanging out with, and I heard them
talking about the New Year's party that was coming
up. And I'm thinking to myself, great, I have
no idea what I'm gonna do for New Year's. This
sounds like an awesome thing. You know those
moments when you realize that you were talking
about something fun in front of somebody that
you had no interest in inviting? It was one of
those moments and it was the weirdest I hate
that sort of a thing and it's like, you know
It's like one of those childhood things like
middle school where you're just kind of like
I'm stuck at the punch bowl Not sure what to
do. It was kind of one of those moments and it
was like, oh really? When is the New Year's party
gonna happen? And this moment that well, well,
we're still trying to find out what's going on.
Oh, okay. Great Well, when do you think you'll
find out? Well, maybe we'll be able to get some
information later today. Okay, that sounds great.
That sounds great New Year's came and went absolutely
nothing saw the pictures on Facebook Everybody
except for me. Oh Man how I mean how awkward
is that feeling right? Wait, but don't worry.
Don't worry I I found some other friends to hang
out with for the next year. So don't worry. Don't
worry much cooler people that I get to hang out
with now, right? Absolutely, absolutely. But
the reason why that stood out to me is that that's
what it reminds me of with the Canaanite woman.
You see, Jesus and his disciples had been in
the middle of preaching and proclaiming the gospel,
but they were doing so in areas that were lived
in by the Jewish community. And then they had
gone to Tyre and Sidon to step away. because
they were having some trouble with the Pharisees
at that time. But you see, Tyre and Sidon, this
was Gentile territory. This was an area that
wasn't really Jewish in its culture. And so stepping
away, they weren't really expecting to be doing
anything like they had during their time among
the Jewish community. Why? Because Jesus coming
to fulfill the prophecies that had been given
to the Jewish people. This was something where
he was focused on this part of his ministry before
sending out his disciples to reach to the ends
of the earth. But what ends up happening at this
moment in time? This Canaanite woman, and when
we say Canaanite, what we have to remember is
that it's emphasizing somebody who came from
a background that worshipped these Canaanite
gods, these other entities that were not a part
of Yahweh in the Israelite form of worship. Because
she was actually a Syrophoenician woman as we
know from one of the other gospels. Is that she
was actually from this area of Syria and she
came from a Phoenician or a Greek background
for her culture. But here she is expressing that
her child has now been possessed by a demon.
And the thing with this is that we don't know
what led up to this moment. We don't know what
it was that had been a part of her background
that had led to this point where her child was
possessed by a demon. We can only guess, we can
only assume. But with this is that at this moment
in time, this was not a part of the main focus
that Jesus and His disciples had. You see, in
our Gospel, it ends up having the disciples saying,
send her away, for she is crying out after us.
Now, what I want to make sure that I point out,
though, is that this isn't just make her go away,
we don't want to see her, but afterwards, Jesus
ends up saying, I was sent only to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. Now, it sounds strange
unless you realize that what the disciples were
trying to get at was, Jesus, can you just take
care of what she's asking for so that she'll
go away? Which is a sad reason to help somebody
in the first place. But what's even stranger
is what comes after this. See this is one of
those moments whenever we kind of wonder if maybe
somebody misunderstood Jesus and what he was
saying Maybe if we go in and we're like, uh,
well, let's see here. I was sent only to a lost
sheep of it house of Israel Okay, what else does
he have to say? It's not right to take the children's
bread and throw it to the dogs This is a very
strange passage and it's also something that
bears a lot of weight on our own lives and where
we are. You see, the thing is that in looking
at so much of what Jesus was doing, is that in
the midst of what he was working with, what it
was that he was doing with the miracles and with
so much of his work was that it was also based
on teaching them, on teaching the people how
he was there to fulfill Everything that had led
up to that point. This was a big reason for why
his ministry was among the Jewish community Because
those that were outside of it in many ways were
just looking for something miraculous looking
for just some sort of a wonder and Jesus didn't
want his ministry to become just signs and wonders
He wanted to be teaching them of the coming of
the kingdom So for a person to come from a background
where they did not know what had led up to him
being there. His work there wouldn't have the
same bearing. But what I find interesting is
that in some ways, that's much of what we do
with the church today. You see, oftentimes we
are looking for things that create a sense of
spectacle. We want things that seem beautiful
or amazing or ostentatious. to use a four syllable
word that I had to teach during high school.
One of the things with it is that we spend so
much time wanting things to look amazing that
we don't spend the time asking what led up to
it. You are here for worship today on Sunday
morning. What has been happening in your life
in Christ for the last six days? You have come
to know Jesus as your Savior What is it that
he has saved you from? And the thing is is that
we oftentimes take that for granted we're just
wanting to make sure that things seem nice and
That they are pretty for those that we get to
invite here But the truth is is that Jesus ministry
was deeper than what was being shown on the outside.
And that's the thing about what ends up coming
next that's so fascinating. Would we ever consider
saying to somebody that we had just met, let
alone anybody that we knew even better than that,
you're kind of a dog? Not so much. And that's
not even considering the fact that in today's
American society, we oftentimes think of our
dogs as people and somebody's pushing the baby
stroller down the sidewalk and you're like aww
they look just like and then you realize it's
their dog and you're not sure which parent to
say that looks just like don't say the mother
never say the mother ok alright but as much as
we might think that oh well this could be a term
of endearment this is still an insult And the
reason for it is because the Jewish people would
oftentimes call Gentiles dogs. Now the thing
is, is that in a way though, what we oftentimes
look at in trying to kind of modify what Jesus
is saying misses the whole point, is that Jesus
is wanting to see exactly where she's coming
from. The thing is, is that oftentimes when someone
faces the most obstacles and the most difficult
hindrances, we oftentimes see what matters to
them most. Now, I know that the younger generation
doesn't get this, but there was a time when you
could not do every single thing online. You had
to actually go to places like the Department
of Motor Vehicles to... get a license. You had
to actually go into a store to pay a bill. You
had to actually maybe write something out. It
was called a check. It was this thing on paper
and it was what they had before debit cards.
I know, hard to imagine, but it was a thing.
But imagine that you were trying to get there
to the Department of Motor Vehicles in time to
make sure that you could renew your license because
you maybe had waited until the very last day
to go and renew it. And you knew that if you
waited until the next day, your mother would
have to drive you down herself. Now, which may
or may not have happened in my twenties. But
with this though, is to realize sometimes as
you're trying to get right to the door, and you
realize that that person is about to come up
and lock it. It's almost like you can see some
of the people that it's like they stop and they
kind of give up It's like well, it didn't work.
I'm gonna go back but sometimes every so often
in a blue moon someone gets to that door and
Just looks at the person about to lock it and
says please I need to get inside And maybe since
they hadn't quite turned that key yet Maybe they
open up that door. And the thing is, is that
as much as this moment is difficult to hear,
is that this is also the chance where this woman
demonstrates that she wasn't there just for the
signs and the miracles. It's because she knew
that he was the only one from God, the Messiah.
That's what it means to say, Lord, Son of David,
is that's a term that is used for the Messiah.
And if there's only one Messiah, where else are
you going to go? The thing with this is that
do we treat Christ and His Kingdom like the only
true hope? Are we actually treating what this
Gospel is as the only hope to bring out to the
rest of the world? How many other things do we
allow to take its place? How many other things
do we say, well, you know, we had a really good
time. We saw this movie. It was really pleasant.
Maybe I'm not going to really talk about what
we discussed in Bible study this week. Or, you
know, we had this really great dinner, and I'm
really glad for the opportunity, but I don't
know if I really want to talk about anything
spiritual. It might make things a little bit
difficult. The times whenever we treat our faith
like an extra Like here's all the things that
we've got to get done And maybe this is the little
extra thing that I don't have time for today
But here's the thing with this Jesus ends up
saying Is it it is not right to take the children's
bread and throw it to the dogs Now there's a
discussion that in the Greek The term that's
used for dogs when referring to Gentiles is different
from the term that's used here Because this is
meant to be a household pet That's kind of sort
of stretching it. It's sort of like saying a
wild dog versus a little dog It's sort of like
whenever we say to some somebody. Oh bless your
heart Yeah, we know that that means, yeah, you're
kind of stupid, but we're just trying to be nice.
Yeah, it was sort of like that. But what does
she say? Yes, Lord. And even so, the dogs eat
the crumbs that fall from their master's table.
See, the thing is that she didn't take that dog
word and leave it be, but rather took it further.
is that it doesn't matter what place I have in
your household, Jesus, because just being in
your household is more than enough. Doesn't that
hit it? The times whenever we feel like what
our faith is and what we've received from church
and from Jesus and everything else and we find
something lacking and we're disappointed somehow,
And we forget the fact that we've been given
eternal life in Christ Jesus. See, at that moment
in time, is that Jesus knew exactly who this
woman was. And that as much as she had not been
born into a Jewish household by faith, she was
truly part of the people of Israel. And that's
the thing with this part. is to be able to say,
your faith is great. Let it be done for you as
you desire. And that's the thing is, are we so
involved in knowing God and pursuing His kingdom
that others just have to be a part of that? We
spend a lot of time trying to make sure that
who we are and what we do is easy and palatable
for others. I understand that. I've done that.
Hey, I switched from a King James Bible to a
New International. Hey, I'm hip. I'm with it.
But at the same time, is our life so transforming?
Like what was happening among the people of Israel
at that time, for those who followed Christ Jesus,
that others are willing to... jump over whatever's
needed to get to it. What is it that we are missing
right now among us that others are not seeing
us and wishing they could be a part of it? It
kind of flips it around a little bit there. You
see, one of the things that strikes me is that
oftentimes as a minister, I feel like I have
to convince people to be involved in ministry.
I feel oftentimes like I'm trying to beg people
to get to be a part of the life of the church.
But then sometimes I'm humbled a little bit.
I was checking back on one of the old services
and I saw a bunch of the pictures from one of
the Texas ramp projects. And there was like two
dozen people there. working on a ramp for somebody
that they've never met. And then realizing several
of those people that I've never met, which meant
that their outreach was going way beyond our
own walls. Our small groups for discipleship.
We paused in May and I've had this thought and
this fear of, oh no, how are we going to get
them to start back up again? Well, there are
just some that I've never even had to... keep
going in the first place. I don't even have to
convince the lifelike people or the Saturday
morning breakfast people or anybody else to keep
on going. Or the people who go and study after
worship like here. And they still keep going
time and time again. But even the ones that I
did get a chance to be a startup to start with.
No, they're ready to go. They've already figured
out their curriculum, what they want to focus
on, how often they're going to meet, who all
is a part of it, who they're going to start inviting.
and realizing that I was spending so much time
trying to be convincing myself that I was forgetting
that the very thing that draws people in is doing
its work already of hope and mercy and grace.
And that's the big piece today is that God is
still doing his work among his people not because
we have it figured out. but because God has it
figured out. See, that's the thing, is that the
very God who has walked among us, the one who
has come to give us everything, even the one
who tested this woman by calling her a pet dog,
who then went to a cross and gave up everything
for us, is still the way. of bringing people
into the kingdom. I know that there are times
when it becomes a struggle, and I know that there
are times whenever we get offended, we get hurt,
and there are times whenever the people who are
around us are the very people that we feel like
are Canaanites that we wish we could just get
rid of because they're kind of a nuisance. But
those are the very people that end up showing
us God's love even more strongly than we show
it to them. So this morning, maybe to ask the
question of what are the things that have kept
you from pursuing the kingdom of God? Who are
the people that you have wanted to keep at arm's
length because you just didn't want to have to
deal with that? And maybe to ask, how is it that
God this morning is sending you to them, not
with some great miracle or some beautiful sign,
but rather with the only thing that can truly
change, mercy, forgiveness, and hope. Because
whatever may be hurting you, maybe they need
to see that hope in you as well.