"To nourish and raise children against odds is in any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons." -- Marilyn French
Jesus' words to the woman in this week's gospel sound harsh. He doesn't sound like the Jesus we usually hear. He and some of the disciples are in the Tyre and Sidon area, cities on the Mediterranean Coast north of Israel. This is Gentile territory and away from the crowds that had been following Jesus. He may not have expected anyone to know him there. Scholars suggest two possibilities for Jesus' words.
One is that we don't know the tone or inflection of Jesus' and the woman's voices. He may just be toying with her, and she is going along with it but still very intent on her daughter's healing.
Matthew got this story from Mark; and in Mark's gospel, the human Jesus is learning who He is through what happens to him. In Phil. 2:6-11, it says Jesus "emptied himself" to become human. It may be that He and his disciples are being reminded through this encounter with the Gentile woman that God's message is for all people. Also, perhaps Mattew, himself a Jew, is coming to understand this. The Jews were God's chosen people, chosen to be a "light to the Gentiles" --(Is. 49:6) so that all people would come to know the one true God.
Another thought from this story is the dedication and love of the mother for her child. She is willing to go to this stranger and ask for help. Somewhere she has heard of Jesus and this healing. Again, as in so many healing stories, Jesus tells her that her faith has accomplished the healing. She is a symbol to us of God's complete, inclusive, and relentless love for all people.
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
July 27, 2008
"I know that God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much." --Mother Teresa
"Thy kingdom come..." We pray these words often, but do we really think about what our world would be like if the kingdom of God was our focus? During July we have heard from Matthew's gospel, Ch. 13 where Jesus speaks to us in parables about what the kingdom of God is like -- a sower of seeds where some fell on good soil, of grain that grew in spite of weeds, of a small mustard seed that grew into the largest of plants, of the little bit of yeast that makes the dough rise, like a treasure someone found in a field and sells all he has to purchase it, like a merchant who found a great pearl and sells all he has to purchase it, etc.
Parables are stories that teach us something about God, something we may have not thought of before. What would happen if God's kingdom were a priority for each of us? Even a little yeast makes the dough rise. What would we be willing to sacrifice to bring about the kingdom?
This week I have been thinking about the Olympic games (and we must pray that there is no violence.) People from every country are willing to set aside their cultural and language differences and come together with the games as their focus. On a local level, six Christian churches in our area are willing to come together and set aside their doctrinal differences in order to offer food to the people of this area through Angel Food Ministries. What might happen if countries of the world could set aside their desire for wealth and power and concentrate on eliminating hunger?
Our true treasure is our faith in a loving God who wants only the best for us and gives us many ways to show us who we are and what we are to do. As we make decisions, maybe we could try to keep the coming of God's kingdom as our focus.
"Thy kingdom come..." We pray these words often, but do we really think about what our world would be like if the kingdom of God was our focus? During July we have heard from Matthew's gospel, Ch. 13 where Jesus speaks to us in parables about what the kingdom of God is like -- a sower of seeds where some fell on good soil, of grain that grew in spite of weeds, of a small mustard seed that grew into the largest of plants, of the little bit of yeast that makes the dough rise, like a treasure someone found in a field and sells all he has to purchase it, like a merchant who found a great pearl and sells all he has to purchase it, etc.
Parables are stories that teach us something about God, something we may have not thought of before. What would happen if God's kingdom were a priority for each of us? Even a little yeast makes the dough rise. What would we be willing to sacrifice to bring about the kingdom?
This week I have been thinking about the Olympic games (and we must pray that there is no violence.) People from every country are willing to set aside their cultural and language differences and come together with the games as their focus. On a local level, six Christian churches in our area are willing to come together and set aside their doctrinal differences in order to offer food to the people of this area through Angel Food Ministries. What might happen if countries of the world could set aside their desire for wealth and power and concentrate on eliminating hunger?
Our true treasure is our faith in a loving God who wants only the best for us and gives us many ways to show us who we are and what we are to do. As we make decisions, maybe we could try to keep the coming of God's kingdom as our focus.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
June 29, 2008
"Giving opens the way for receiving." -- Florence Scovel Shinn
Often in these articles I have said the "Kingdom of God" is wherever people are working together to do the work of Jesus. Last Saturday morning at the Baptist Church Gym, women, men, and teens from six different churches were working together to bring food to people in our area. It was our first distribution of food in the Angel Food Ministries. We could feel the presence of the Spirit. It was a blessing to watch the cooperation and cheerfulness of everyone as they welcomed and helped those who came. This was truly a "Kingdom of God" experience.
This weekend we celebrate two of the first leaders of the Church -- Peter and Paul. This feast was first celebrated in 258 A.D. Peter and Paul, both Jews, were very different people. Peter, a fisherman who was open to the Spirit, became the leader of the disciples and their early organization was the beginning of the Church with its laws and structures. Paul, who was a Pharisee learned in the Jewish Law, became a spokesman for the importance of freedom in Christ by his experience of Jesus.
Peter ministered to the Jews, Paul to the Gentiles or non-Jews. Both were martyred for their faith and spreading the message of Jesus. Peter was crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to die as Jesus did. Paul, who was a Roman citizen exempt from crucifixion, was beheaded outside of the city of Jerusalem.
They are an example to us that although they disagreed on methods and their missions, they both had complete faith in Jesus and what He was trying to accomplish. Each one ministered as he was called to do. We are all called to carry on Jesus' mission, sometimes right where we are and sometimes to a specific ministry. We are to be open to the Spirit and each of us is to answer our own particular call.
Often in these articles I have said the "Kingdom of God" is wherever people are working together to do the work of Jesus. Last Saturday morning at the Baptist Church Gym, women, men, and teens from six different churches were working together to bring food to people in our area. It was our first distribution of food in the Angel Food Ministries. We could feel the presence of the Spirit. It was a blessing to watch the cooperation and cheerfulness of everyone as they welcomed and helped those who came. This was truly a "Kingdom of God" experience.
This weekend we celebrate two of the first leaders of the Church -- Peter and Paul. This feast was first celebrated in 258 A.D. Peter and Paul, both Jews, were very different people. Peter, a fisherman who was open to the Spirit, became the leader of the disciples and their early organization was the beginning of the Church with its laws and structures. Paul, who was a Pharisee learned in the Jewish Law, became a spokesman for the importance of freedom in Christ by his experience of Jesus.
Peter ministered to the Jews, Paul to the Gentiles or non-Jews. Both were martyred for their faith and spreading the message of Jesus. Peter was crucified upside down because he didn't feel worthy to die as Jesus did. Paul, who was a Roman citizen exempt from crucifixion, was beheaded outside of the city of Jerusalem.
They are an example to us that although they disagreed on methods and their missions, they both had complete faith in Jesus and what He was trying to accomplish. Each one ministered as he was called to do. We are all called to carry on Jesus' mission, sometimes right where we are and sometimes to a specific ministry. We are to be open to the Spirit and each of us is to answer our own particular call.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
June 1, 2008
"Be a living expression of God's kindness." --- Mother Teresa
This week's gospel comes from the end of the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5-7 in Matthew. When Jesus saw crowds of people from all of Israel following him, he went up on a mountain, sat down and began teaching them. He started with the Beatitudes and then spoke about all phases of life. He was trying to tell them about a new way to live -- His way, and the new life it would give them. His way is still the only way people of the earth can live in peace. We haven't got there yet. We still have some growing to do.
One area he addressed was our motives for what we do. Do we do all the right things to be noticed and acclaimed or do we do them because this is what Jesus asks us to do? Also, sometimes I think we put the cart before the horse. If we say and do the good things thinking it will make God love us, we have it backwards.
We live the way Jesus says because he has told us Gold already loves us and wants us to have the best life possible. We believe in Jesus' words and respond out of gratitude. Many times the things Jesus asks us to do are difficult and challenging, but we live by faith in Him and the comfort and strength of the Spirit.
And that is what our community is about. In talking with Fr. Jerry this week, he said he has felt the goodness and support of our parish. He feels close to Mary and believes he was sent here to be with us at this time. We all profess faith in God and hopefully try to live as followers of Jesus, remembering always that Jesus preached with his words and his life.
This week's gospel comes from the end of the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5-7 in Matthew. When Jesus saw crowds of people from all of Israel following him, he went up on a mountain, sat down and began teaching them. He started with the Beatitudes and then spoke about all phases of life. He was trying to tell them about a new way to live -- His way, and the new life it would give them. His way is still the only way people of the earth can live in peace. We haven't got there yet. We still have some growing to do.
One area he addressed was our motives for what we do. Do we do all the right things to be noticed and acclaimed or do we do them because this is what Jesus asks us to do? Also, sometimes I think we put the cart before the horse. If we say and do the good things thinking it will make God love us, we have it backwards.
We live the way Jesus says because he has told us Gold already loves us and wants us to have the best life possible. We believe in Jesus' words and respond out of gratitude. Many times the things Jesus asks us to do are difficult and challenging, but we live by faith in Him and the comfort and strength of the Spirit.
And that is what our community is about. In talking with Fr. Jerry this week, he said he has felt the goodness and support of our parish. He feels close to Mary and believes he was sent here to be with us at this time. We all profess faith in God and hopefully try to live as followers of Jesus, remembering always that Jesus preached with his words and his life.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
March 30, 2008
"Now faith is the assurance of things hope for; the conviction of things not seen."
Several years ago when I was a cantor, I would see people coming to Communion. I knew many of their stories --a man recently widowed, a woman mourning the death of her child, a young man being ostracized because of his beliefs, a young, single woman carrying her child, a woman battling cancer, a young couple still rejoicing over their recent marriage, a new mother, carrying her child --many stories, each one unique to that person.
And all came to receive the Eucharist. Theirs was a faith in a God whom they could not see but believed was working in their lives. We say "Seeing is believing." But we can also turn it around. If we believe God is working in our lives, we will begin to see it. Then we will believe more and 'see' more. That's how faith grows.
Again this week we hear the story of Thomas and his unbelief. But I wonder if many of us wouldn't have had the same reaction if we had seen our friend beaten and crucified, and now we're being told he is alive. We tend to be people who want logical proof and tangible evidence. Thomas teaches us that sincere doubt can be the way to a deeper faith.
Several years ago when I was a cantor, I would see people coming to Communion. I knew many of their stories --a man recently widowed, a woman mourning the death of her child, a young man being ostracized because of his beliefs, a young, single woman carrying her child, a woman battling cancer, a young couple still rejoicing over their recent marriage, a new mother, carrying her child --many stories, each one unique to that person.
And all came to receive the Eucharist. Theirs was a faith in a God whom they could not see but believed was working in their lives. We say "Seeing is believing." But we can also turn it around. If we believe God is working in our lives, we will begin to see it. Then we will believe more and 'see' more. That's how faith grows.
Again this week we hear the story of Thomas and his unbelief. But I wonder if many of us wouldn't have had the same reaction if we had seen our friend beaten and crucified, and now we're being told he is alive. We tend to be people who want logical proof and tangible evidence. Thomas teaches us that sincere doubt can be the way to a deeper faith.
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