Proper 18

Isaiah 35:4-7a; James 2:1-10 (11-13) 14-18; Mark 7:24-37

Of all the words uttered by Jesus, these from Sunday's Gospel are sure to shatter your "Sunday School" image of Jesus gentle, meek, and mild.

To the Syrophoenician woman, begging Jesus to exorcise the demon from her daughter, He replies, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs." The meaning is clear: the children are the Jews, the food is Jesus' message, and the dogs are the Gentiles.

If the Gentile world gets anything from God, it will be table scraps.

Well, not so fast. By comparison, yes, the Gentile nations were morally deaf, dumb, and blind. Without benefit of Torah, the effects of the Fall on them had been even more devastating.

But did that mean God had lost sight of them? I don't think so. Click here to watch the sermon (or download and read the transcript) to learn how no creature is beyond God's reach.