Gospel text for Sunday 6 September 2015

Mark 7:24-37          Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Reflection         I wonder if when Jesus said to the deaf man, “Ephphatha … be open,” I wonder if Jesus was also speaking to himself?  Having just walked away from his heart and mind opening encounter with the Syrophoenician mother, might Jesus have also been coaching himself? “Be thou open, Don’t let there be any boundaries or borders between yourself and others.  Eschew any line of demarcation between humanity and divinity.” 

That last would be the border crossing that got Jesus in the most trouble, acting on behalf of God, incarnating the will and the way of God, teaching, healing and forgiving sin. That is why the religious and political officials had to execute Jesus. It was their job to draw and protect the borders and boundaries of their laws. Today we call it gerrymandering, defining borders or boundaries to establish advantage for a particular group. And Jesus crossed the line. He refused to be bound by social, political or religious borders.

Jesus says, “Ephphatha… be open.” Any boundary or border that diminishes the humanity of another human being is to be transgressed. This is the will and the way of God; to be open to comfort, care for and heal every human being, especially the most vulnerable. The question before us today is, what borders or boundaries must we cross to be open, “Ephphatha…” to be open as was Jesus? What Maginot lines have we drawn imagining we can protect our privilege by keeping others at bay?

When Jesus invites us to “Follow me,” he might well add, “Ephphatha… be open. Put on the hands and feet and skin of God. Dare to cross borders to care for and comfort, teach, heal and forgive the sin of others. Refuse to be bound by borders and boundaries that diminish the humanity of another human being, that diminish the humanity of your true self. 

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The Song of Mary, Canticle for Sunday 15 December 2013

The Song of Mary, The Magnificat                                                                                                                    **

Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
    for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
    the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
    in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
    he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
    and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
    for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
    to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
    as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Reflection     When you hear the words, Mary, Mother of God, what image comes to mind? For the first part of my life my image of Mary, Mother of God was the tall, slender, blond girl in my Sunday School class wrapped like a holy present in a pale blue sheet. She was the chosen one. I was not. Fortunately I didn’t have to spend too many therapy hours on Mary. After all she made only a cameo appearance once a year on Christmas Eve. I supposed the rest of the year Mary was safely wrapped in tissue paper and stowed away in the church closet. Somehow that image doesn’t quite fit the woman singing The Magnificat.

Who is this Mary chanting a love canticle to God? Who is this Mary singing a subversive  verse for social justice? I believe this is not the twelve year old blond Mary, wrapped in tissue and stored in a closet. This Mary is not fragile or ineffectual, neither is she submissive or impotent. No, this Mary is competent and vulnerable, courageous and fruitful...  without being arrogant, conceited or full of herself. 

When Mary encountered the Angel Gabriel, she didn’t run away, she didn’t become speechless and she didn’t get inflated. When the angel addressed Mary as “Favored one,” and affirmed, “The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1.28) Mary paused and pondered the angel’s words. Her quiet acceptance of the angel’s blessing suggests that Mary had a sense of worthiness.  When the Angel proclaimed that even though she was unmarried Mary would become pregnant and give birth to a son who would receive the throne of King David and his kingdom would reign forever,” Mary was not paralyzed by the paradox. Instead she stood her ground and engaged the angel asking, “How can this be?”(Luke 1.38) When the angel explained that she would give birth to the Son of God,” Mary was both bold and vulnerable saying, “Here I am... let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1.38) 

I much prefer the stand up, engage God and let her life be changed Mary to the passive adolescent wrapped in a blue sheet. If it was up to me I would keep hail and hearty Mary front and center as a paragon of how to be in relationship with God, of how to show up in our lives, how to live in the tension of paradox, how to be vulnerable and take risks. That’s what it means to be courageous; to show up, be vulnerable and take the risk with no guarantees.  And that’s what it means to be fully alive, blessed, transformed and fruitful.

** Image of Manal al-Sharif, a seventeen year old activist in Saudi Arabia today

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Gospel text for Sunday 24 February 2013

                   In this ancient Byzantine Greek icon, we see Sophia, the feminine aspect of God, with her three daughters, 
                                                                                         Faith, Hope, and Love

Luke 13:31-35          Some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." He said to them, "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.' Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

“How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” This is Jesus, fully human and fully male, describing himself in a profoundly feminine experience... as a hen gathering her chicks. In order to utter these words I believe Jesus must have had the personal experience of cradling, protecting and nurturing.  Jesus must have personally experienced a mother’s piercing desire to heal and cure, care for and protect her children.  And no doubt, Jesus was aware of the many times his Jewish ancestors recorded in the Hebrew Testament (Old Testament) feminine images, metaphors and language to describe their experiences of God. 

God is described as a protective mother eagle (Dt. 32:10-11), a fierce mother bear (Hosea 13:8), and a mother giving birth (Is. 42:14) and breast-feeding her child (Is. 49:15). God “loves the stranger whom He provides with food and clothing” (Deut. 10:18).Speaking for God the Prophet Isaiah proclaims, “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, .... even when you turn grey I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” (Is 46.3-4) 

Both Testaments of the Bible are replete with masculine images of God. Lukes passage reminds us that Jesus himself also used a feminine image to describe himself, and in so doing he was also describing the One God, the Father, who sent him. The God of power and might is also kindhearted, gentle and humane.

Judaism and Christianity are both radically monotheistic. We believe in the ONE holy and living God. The One God who assures the divine origin of both male and female. The One God who reveals an inclusive understanding of Divine presence and action that transcends all distinctions, including male and female. 

Gospel text for Sunday 9 September 2012

Mark 7:24-37

Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

 

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

 

Reflection
When I hear Jesus’ words to the Syrophoenician mother who is begging Jesus to heal her daughter, “Let the children be fed first. It is not fair to take the children’s food and feed it to the dogs,” my first impulse is to attack him, hands on hips shouting, “What do you mean calling us dogs? Just because we aren’t Jews doesn’t mean we’re not people! I thought you were a man of God. Well, if your God is only a God for Jews than I don’t want anything to do with you or your God. Harrumph!!” And we all know where that would have gotten me and my daughter – nowhere!

 

But the Syrophoenician mother has something lacking in my defensive attitude. Humility. Rather than taking offense at Jesus’ dismissive attitude toward non-Jews, she willingly accepts a lesser place under the table with the dogs. From this position of submission the mother implores Jesus once more to allow her daughter to taste even the left-overs, the crumbs that the Jews would not eat from the floor.   When the Syrophoenician mother came to Jesus “and bowed down at his feet,” she did so not only with her body but also with her heart. This is true humility.

 

But it is more complicated than this. In order for this mother to come to Jesus she had much to overcome.  As a woman and a Gentile she was doubly unclean. And having a demon possessed daughter only made matters worse. In addition to humility, this mother who bowed down at Jesus’ feet must have had amazing courage. Courage and humility, two sides of one coin.

 

t takes much courage to know our smallness and nonetheless dare to present ourselves to God. And it is in the very knowing and embracing of our smallness that we humbly present ourselves to God, willing to eat the crumbs from beneath the table, as it were. I believe the blend of courage and humility is irresistible to God. It reveals an interior strength and purposefulness that is in the very image and likeness of God. And as we lay claim to our likeness to God, so are we healed. No wonder the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter was healed without Jesus even lifting a finger!

 Reflecting on his life, I believe Neil Armstrong embodied the qualities of courage and humility, and that his words speak of the place of humankind in God’s creation. “I put up my thumb and blotted out the planet Earth.”