“GREAT IS YOUR JESUS”
Saint Matthew 15. 21-28
Reminiscere: The Second Sunday in Lent 17 February Anno Domini 2008
Fr Watson
Sometimes you're just like the 12 Disciples. You sin when you think you are better than all those others, those non-believing Syro-Phoenicians that you call liberals, secularists, heretics, atheists, Muslims and homosexuals. But you're not any better. All have sinned and fallen short of God. The only difference is Grace; is Christ. Jesus has come to walk with you; to pick you up and carry you with Him home. Sometimes you too try to sinfully chase the "others" away from the Lord. But Christ came for the licentious, lunatic, lost, leprous, losers, lonely, lying people. Jesus came to search and save the entire sin-filled world. Salvation is of the Jews, that is, it starts with Jesus the God/Man Who is the perfect Israel of His Father. Jesus saves the believing Hebrews first and then ordains His Pastors to immediately go into Samaria, Galilee and all the world with His Presence in Holy Word and Holy Ordinance.
It is a sin to want anyone to be sent away. The only thing you should try to banish and drive off is your own old Adam. Repent. Turn from your parochial ways of wanting everything your way; of desiring that everyone be just like you, and in love, that is, by Grace through Faith, embrace all your fellow dirty sinners who have been brought by the Same Holy Ghost into the same family of Christ's pure Doctrine.
But most of the time you sin by not being just like the woman of Canaan. She is one of Scripture's most beautiful examples of what the Lord's Presence can do. She is the perfect exemplar of faith in the Word and of patient endurance under the Cross.
The woman that Jesus came to had a daughter that was possessed by a demon from Satan! The woman didn't have a marriage that was unfulfilling; a job that was boring or difficult; a rebellious video-junkie teenager; an enlarging waistline or receding hairline; a beater car, old furniture or creative potential going underutilized…she had a little girl being tortured by a creature from hell!!! Repent of your weak faith and your selfish preoccupation with unrealistic expectations about being a part of the Lord's family. Christ is the conquering King. He is a General of Blood and Gore-His own shed blood and ripped and pierced body. His life was one of work and suffering. He asks you to pick up your cross and follow Him
For those desiring ease, comfort, earthly peace and mammon, don't pretend to be a Christian. A Christian is one who is a "little Christ." A Christian is one who will be conformed to the life and posture of Christ. A Christian will suffer…. for a little while.
The Lord is good. This morning's text illustrates His love in that He does come to the woman's land, her place, and He does not allow her to be driven away by the 12. The Lord's goodness is manifested in that He strengthens her already indomitable faith by giving her just enough trial but not too much. Yes she has been tried in the oven of trouble and anguish, like a slag of ore in a blast furnace. But Jesus Himself has been her refiner and He has purged away the dross to leave her a pure piece of silver, or gold. His blood is infinitely more precious than jewels or valuable metals, and it is His obedience to the Law that defeats the demons. It is His coming suffering and slaughter on the Cross; His bleeding that will destroy the Prince of the devils.
The "run of the mill" problems that you all face daily, is not meant to disparage or make little of some of the genuine heartaches and debilitating tragedies in your lives. Some of you have, or will, experience battles every bit as fierce as this woman and her young daughter. But, who are you? Where are you? To Whom do you belong? You are like a beloved little dog of the Good Man of the House. The Good Man is Jesus; the House is heaven-is the Church. Like a pet that is in reality part of the family, you eat the crumbs that fall to the floor. But even better than being a "little dog" you are now, like the Woman, a brother of Jesus; a sister of Jesus.
Jesus came to your own individual Tyre and Sidon of unbelief at the Holy + Font. Jesus has healed you and your "daughter" by giving you faith in the gift of the Holy Ghost. God has bestowed on each and every one of you the same tenacity to grab on to His Son and not let go no matter what you may see with your eyes or hear with your ears. God gives you the endurance to put up with the criticisms and taunts of clueless onlookers and bystanders, and to simply and sincerely trust the Word. The Word is Jesus in Scripture; Jesus in Washing; Jesus at Table; Jesus in Absolution.
Hold on to Him dear Saints! Faith is of value because it is the gift of God to receive all that God bestows upon you! You don't have faith in "yourself," and you don't have "faith in faith." Your faith gift of the Spirit is that which constrains you to hold on to the Lamb, to eat the Lamb both by belief and by Body & Blood.
Jesus looks at you all this morning; He speaks directly to you and says "Woman" (or, dear Bride, My Church); He says to each of you, "great is your faith." What He is saying is: "I love you, your sins are forgiven, it's going to be okay, you're safe now, receive My Peace, be healed." GREAT IS YOUR JESUS!
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost