Year B, Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
September 8, 2024
Proverbs 22:1-23, Psalm 125, James 2:1-17, Mark 7:24-37
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“Sharing Abundance: A Love Beyond Boundaries”
The Very Rev. Kathleen Murray, Rector
Historic Beckford Parish, Mt. Jackson & Woodstock
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 18
September 8, 2024
Some stories in the Gospels stymie me. This lesson about the Syrophoenician woman makes me very uncomfortable. Early last week, I realized I had never preached about this Proper. I’m always at the shore on this Sunday. I’ve done some study and prayer since then. Let’s see where it takes us.
Today’s reading follows right after Jesus’ declaration that all foods are clean. In that passage, he dismantles dietary laws that defined who was “pure” or “impure.” In today’s story, he dismantles the idea that some people are unworthy of God’s healing grace. A Gentile woman in a foreign land and a man with a disability in a predominantly non-Jewish region become the focus of Jesus’ transformative work. Both are considered outsiders, but in God’s eyes, no one is beyond the reach of healing.
But I also wonder if we don’t see some of the hypocrite in Jesus that he so often rejects in the religious leaders.
The Syrophoenician woman—a Gentile, a foreigner, a person who by every standard is “other”—comes to Jesus, desperate for her daughter’s healing. What’s surprising is not her approach but Jesus’ initial response: “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The children, of course, are the people of Israel. Jesus is too blunt for our usual image of the compassionate healer. He’s saying that this woman and her daughter, as Gentiles, are not part of God’s priority.
It’s tempting to soften this saying, to make Jesus sound more like the “nice Jesus” we expect. But that would miss the point. Jesus is showing his humanity in this passage. He’s also showing that he can learn. The woman doesn’t back down. She doesn’t argue for fairness or point out her deserving nature. Instead, she humbly yet boldly challenges Jesus: “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And here’s the turning point—Jesus, the human Jesus who said she and her child were dogs, is moved by her response. For saying that, he tells her, “You may go—the demon has left your daughter.” In essence, he says, “good answer”.
Here’s one of the remarkable things about this Gospel story – Jesus learned from this woman. In most of the Gospels, Jesus teaches and transforms others. Here, it’s the outsider who provokes Jesus into action. She asks for mercy, not because of her identity or tradition but because of her need. At that moment, the boundary between insider and outsider begins to crumble. Her faith expands the scope of Jesus’ ministry beyond Israel, showing that God’s love is not limited to any one group.
This moment parallels Jesus’ encounters with the Pharisees, who cling to tradition and believe they are owed God’s favor because of it. The Syrophoenician woman, by contrast, knows she has no claim based on tradition or lineage—only on the deep, universal need for compassion. Her persistence and faith open up a new dimension of Jesus’ mission.
Jesus moves from this encounter to another boundary-breaking act—healing a man in the region of the Decapolis, a predominantly Gentile area. This time, the healing is physical and intimate—Jesus touches the man, puts his fingers in his ears, spits, and touches his tongue. It’s a dramatic, almost visceral act of healing, which echoes the prophecy from Isaiah: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf opened.”[1] This is more than just a miracle; it’s the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring healing and liberation to all people.
What’s interesting is the connection between these two stories. Jesus, who was moved by the woman’s faith, now physically opens the ears and mouth of another outsider. It’s as if Jesus’ ears and heart were opened in that first encounter. After hearing her, he is empowered to heal more, crossing boundaries and reaching out to those who were once considered beyond God’s care.
And this is where the challenge comes for us.
How are we being called to have our ears opened and our hearts changed? How are we, as followers of Christ, being called to cross the boundaries that divide us from others? If Jesus himself was open to being moved by the faith of someone so different, how much more are we called to stretch beyond our comfort zones and listen to those we might otherwise ignore?
In our world today, boundaries are everywhere. We draw lines between ourselves and others based on nationality, race, politics, or religion – even the part of the country (and county) in which we live. We decide who is worthy of our time, help, and kindness. And yet, the Gospel calls us to let go of those boundaries, to let the power of God’s love break through them. Like Jesus, we are called to open our hearts and listen—really listen—to the stories of those who are different from us and to allow their needs and their faith to transform us.
And it is not enough to offer crumbs from our tables. Jesus didn’t stop at crumbs; he offered abundance. After healing the man in the Decapolis, Jesus went on to feed 4,000 people—mostly Gentiles—with food left over. That act shows the expansive love of God, the love we are called to share with others. No one is beyond the reach of that love, and no one should be satisfied with just crumbs when God offers a feast.
Elisabeth Johnson reminds us that no matter who we were or what labels we’ve carried, we are now the children of God. Whether we identify with the Syrophoenician woman, begging for crumbs, or with those who have yet to see their own need for God’s grace, we are all invited to the table. There is enough healing, enough grace, and enough love for all.
As we leave this place today, let us be mindful of those still waiting for crumbs in our community and beyond. Let us be bold in crossing boundaries, persistent in advocating for the well-being of others, and generous in sharing the abundance of God’s love. For that is the work of the Gospel—the work of boundary-breaking love that heals, transforms, and restores. Amen.
[1] Isaiah 35:5, New Revised Standard Version (“NRSV”)