You are a spiritual being having a human experience." (And so are “they”)

Matthew 15: 21-28

I begin today’s message with a single statement that might seem so obvious many will wonder why I bother to begin this way. But the fact is sometimes the most obvious statements need to be repeated for their value to be regained.

Simply…Jesus was human. Jesus was a human being, made of flesh and blood. Jesus grew up just like every other little Jewish boy in his time and place. He would have learned carpentry from Joseph and the religious teachings from his schooling. He was the oldest of at least 7 children.  Luke records him as being wise beyond his years, but he still grew up and matured as any human boy would. Mary would have changed his diapers, patched his skinned knees, and taught him right from wrong. 

Some find this sacrilegious, believing Jesus was a perfect child from the beginning. And I agree. He was perfectly a child. If Christ were to live the human experience, growing pains would have to have been part of that experience. 

So I am convinced that Matthew, in today’s reading, is giving another glimpse into what it meant to be a human Jesus. Raised in the culture where Gentiles were in fact referred to as “dogs,” Jesus would find it difficult to see that his ministry was to be far bigger than anyone might have imagined. 

Whether we like to admit it, or even are able to perceive it ourselves, it is natural to convey to our children what is good and worthy and what is not. We may never say it, but our way of being makes it obvious. In Jesus’ case, there was no denial of prejudice. The Jews did not mix with Gentiles. Jews were clean and Gentiles were unclean. This is how Jesus was raised. Pure and simple. This was his culture and his religious upbringing.

So something about this woman changed his mind. He apparently ignored her persistence. The disciples had to come and ask him to please do something to make her be quiet.  Peterson in the Message puts it this way:

“Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, “Now she’s bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She’s driving us crazy.”

I like the response he gives in the Message: “ Jesus refused, telling them, “I’ve got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.”

But when Jesus stops to listen to her, stops to pay attention to her, he sees something. He sees past the assumption that she is merely a Gentile woman (two strikes against her) and sees faith. He sees her heart, her soul, perhaps he sees in her eyes, faith. Faith, a belief or trust. Or as the writer of Hebrews tells us: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” An assurance that there is a possibility, a hope. A conviction that life holds more than meets the eye.

In that moment, all of the prejudice melts away and he understands and honors the humanity of this woman and all people, even the Gentiles. (Even the enemy Canaanite.) 

I personally am glad that Matthew gives us this example of Jesus’ humanity. Because it opens the door for us to consider our own. If Jesus was affected by the teachings of his culture, religion, peers etc, how much more are we? If Jesus was blindsided by the truth of his calling on earth, then how much more are we? If Jesus was willing to change his mind, then how much more should we?

My first reaction to this was “but Jesus was sinless!” And then I realize that indeed he was. When faced with truth, with another’s faith though different than what he knew, he did what was right. He was righteous. He changed his mind and saw how big and wide the kingdom of God is.

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a Jesuit priest once said: "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience."  And I suggest, that is what Matthew would have us understand about Jesus. He was experiencing what it was like to be human. He was experiencing the short sightedness of the human condition while being prompted by the Divine from within.

And I would suggest to you, so are you. So are we. We are short sighted humans, raised with short sighted beliefs and understandings, in need of listening to a Divine prompting. The difference is that we don’t seem to be as ready to receive those promptings as Jesus was.

I am greatly disturbed by the world of contentiousness that surrounds us. We don’t listen to each other. We don’t stop our own rantings long enough to look at each other. We won’t see that hope and faith and trust in each other’s eyes. If we did, we might share our gifts, our treasures, our love with each other for our healing and theirs.

We are so quick to label one another. Which Lutheran are you? Are you a Christian? Are you one of those liberals?  Are you a conservative fundamentalist? Are you an American patriot? (whatever that means.) Do you believe in small town values? (whatever that means?) and so on.

And yes, even, are you a legal citizen or an immigrant? Are you transgender? Are you gay? Are you straight? Do you speak English? (which one?)

Matthew encourages us today to stop and look into the other person’s eyes and see their hopes, their dreams, their faith. And see that they too are spiritual beings having a human experience that may not be, at this moment, very pleasant.

If Jesus was willing to stop and rethink what he thought he knew, what he probably felt in his gut, then let us follow the one who was sinless and do the same.

"You are not a human being having a spiritual experience; you are a spiritual being having a human experience."  And so was the Canaanite  woman, and so are “they” (whoever they are).