Listen to Your Own Words
Our gospel reading for today is disjointed. That is because verse ten through verse nineteen is part of Jesus’ response to the Pharisees and scribes who complained that his disciples did not follow Jewish custom and wash their hands before eating. Jesus responds by pointing out that washing hands before eating is not in the law but that they are greater offenders of the law by giving a loop-hole in the law so that a son can keep the money he is supposed to share with his parents. Jesus then turns to the crowd and explains something that we all know. It is not what sustains us that makes us unclean it is what we say.
After Jesus explains this to the disciples he withdrew to Tyre and Sidon. Is he again looking for some time to himself? If he was he did not to find it. He is approached by a Canaanite woman who asks that her daughter be healed. Jesus, at first, does not even acknowledge her. After the disciples complain about her insistence he explains that he only came to the “lost house of Israel,” and refuses her request because she is a gentile. This woman has great faith and, unlike many of the Jews we previously have seen, knows who Jesus is. That is why she is able to approach him, ask him to heal her daughter, and even to chide him.
We find this account of the woman in Matthew and Mark only. As is Matthew’s style he altered this story to say something different than Mark’s account. Matthew adds the region of Sidon, leaves out that Jesus entered a house, calls the woman a Canaanite instead of “a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,” and changes the reason Jesus heals her, because of what she said to her faith. Matthew seems to be worried that Mark’s account suggested that this woman taught Jesus a lesson which could be why the Luke and John did not include this story in their gospels. Matthew’s main emphasize is that Jesus came to proclaim salvation to the Jews. It was only after they rejected him that the gospel was shared with the Gentiles.
By combining these two accounts from Matthew we are reminded about our words. What we say and how we say it is important in the life of a Christian. We are to be careful that our words do not offend but also we need to make sure that we correct those who are wrong – even those in authority as Jesus shows by correcting the Pharisees and the woman by correcting Jesus. The hard part of the command is to decide what words we are to speak. We know the basics. We are to proclaim Jesus as Lord, we are to speak truth, and proclaim our faith. But the exact words we do not always know. But if we speak in love we will always speak the words we should. When we do not, we will be given another chance.
Speak the words of love. Speak them clearly and loudly so that the world will hear. Speak so that others will know that you are a disciple of Jesus and learn where truth and love comes from. Speak so that others hear and help heal the world.