Proper 18 B

 I read an article in the Washington Post * (The Shelter and the Storm, Washington Post, September 7, 2024) about a rural town in Massachusetts splitting apart over the planned reuse of a closed minimum security prison. The plan was to turn the shuttered facility into a shelter for migrants who are waiting for a hearing on their asylum requests. The migrants to be housed are pregnant women and women with children. The town, which is suffering from an economic downturn due to the shuttered prison, erupted into all too familiar expressions of “not in my backyard.”
We all know this story, “no migrants in my town!”
 Remember, these are people who have been invited into this country to apply for asylum,  which means they’re in such danger where they are originally from the United States wants to help them.
But, once again, an American town is faced with the reality of helping your neighbor versus the rhetoric of helping your neighbor.
Did I mention this town is predominately democrat?
Anyway, it seems we may never learn that when Jesus said his mercy and grace was for everyone he meant everyone.
Except… for in today’s gospel… when our Lord and Savior is exclusionary in a very offensive way.
That is, until he encounters a gentile woman. A woman who embodied difference and who taught Jesus a thing or two.
 You’ve heard me speak about this story many times. It’s controversial, annoying and in the end, glorious.
The Syro-Phonecian woman had guts. She bested Jesus in a debate about who deserves God’s mercy and grace. Now, at the time of this encounter with the woman, Jesus didn’t realize he was the Messiah for all people—she, through their debate,  teaches Jesus that yes, he is the messiah for everyone, everywhere, always.
Just as he encounters her, Jesus still thinks he’s only been sent for the Jews, which is why he rudely—and I mean rudely—dismisses her as a dog, an “unclean woman.” She’s unclean, according to Jewish purity laws, because she’s not Jewish, she’s a foreigner, a gentile!
Now, you may be surprised to hear that Jesus didn’t know something but, it’s clear to me---and you’re free to disagree---that Jesus is corrected by the Syro-Phonecian woman.
I actually find it refreshing, that Jesus could be wrong about something. But more than Jesus being wrong, what I find most amazing is the grace with which the woman responds.
Jesus insults her, yet she doesn’t yell or cry, she isn’t struck dumb by his insolence.
She simply replies with a logical argument: “you may think of me as a dog, but even dogs get the crumbs. I’m not asking for the fullness of your glory, I’m just asking for the crumbs. For the crumbs are better than nothing and I know what you can do, so I’ll take just a portion.”
This display of great faith in Him and great love for her daughter turns Jesus’ heart and, ultimately, changes his mind.
It’s a startling Gospel story and one that has infuriated women for generations. Most of our sacred scripture warn about the danger of judging a book by its cover, of excluding people from our lives because of the size of their paycheck, the color of their skin, the name of their God, the gender of their beloved, the party affiliation on their voter registration card. Culminating with this Gospel reading we’re told--- compassion, wisdom, and love can come from all sorts and conditions of people so be slow to judge and quick to welcome, for there are angels all around us, eager to teach us exactly what it is we need to learn, even –especially- when we don’t know we need to learn it!
Just like Jesus.
Amen.