True Grit –
Proper 18B – September 9, 2012
“Today Class, we’re going to have a pop quiz.”
Do you remember having Pop
Quizzes in school? A Pop Quiz is a
teaching tool. Goal: Encourage you to study … keep up. What is the universal
response to a Pop Quiz? Groan!
There were always a few
kids who delighted in Pop Quizzes; Others totally didn’t care; But the majority: Groan!
Most of us live in the fat belly of the Bell Curve.
We might excel in some things
We might be worthless in some areas
But in most of life, we’re smack dab in the middle
Why? It’s safe!
Wildebeests: Front (Crocks),
Trailers (Hyenas), Edges (Lions & Cheetahs). Safest place to be: In the middle of the
herd.
In the Gospel today: Jesus
is out in front. He’s tired. He’s been trying to get away for some R&R.
Let me catch you up
(context):
Jesus
fed the 5000,
Crowds
have been overwhelming him.
He
walked across the lake,
Last
week he was catching flack (responsible for his disciples)
So
now he has left the area completely – Left town.
He’s
in Gentile Territory (Minimal contact: Clean vs. Unclean)
He
tried to keep it a secret, but he could not.
The trouble, when you’re good at what you do, is you
become someone in demand. Have you ever
noticed that?
Jesus was catching
a lot of flack: he had hyenas nipping at his heels, he had crocodiles
snapping at his neck; but mostly he was surrounded by people who just wanted to
be around him.
They didn’t care about whether carrying a needle in the hem of your
garment on the Sabbath constituted a violation of Torah;
they didn’t care whether or not pots and pans were washed properly;
What they cared about was that Jesus cared for THEM,
Jesus cast out demons, touched
the untouchables, healed the
sick, fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, and pronounced absolution for sinners
(absolute heresy: only GOD can forgive!)
Jesus
taught them about a God who cares
for the sparrow as much as the Eagle; Jesus taught them that the light shining
out from their lives was evidence of God’s presence – it is the light that
counts, not the darkness.
But
Jesus needs a break, and so he goes where he is sure no one will follow, but
they do. WORD gets out, and Jesus faces a POP QUIZ.
Gentile woman.
3 Strikes: Gentile, Woman, Demon/Daughter
Jesus talks the talk, but will he walk the walk?
She comes to him and she
begs him.
No one stands up for her; no one comes to her rescue; she’s on her own. But
she’s also feisty. She’s not there for herself. She’s fighting for her daughter.
She has a cause that’s worth the fight.
Perhaps
Jesus is being tested here, or maybe he’s testing his disciples. Will no one
take the time to remind Jesus of his words?
Not today, but Jesus rises
to the occasion. “Your
faith has brought healing to your daughter. Go, be at peace,” he
says.
“My brothers (and sisters), as believers
in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism,” says James (2:1). What
Jesus does, he does well, and he does it for all people: Inner circle and outer
limits alike!
