Who Am I That God Should Include Me?
21 Jesus left that place and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 There a Canaanite woman from that territory came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! A demon is severely tormenting my daughter!”
23 But he did not answer her a word.
His disciples came and pleaded, “Send her away, because she keeps crying out after us.”
24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 But she came and knelt in front of him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
26 He answered her, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to their little dogs.”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet their little dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, your faith is great! It will be done for you, just as you desire.” And her daughter was healed at that very hour.
I felt excluded and alone. I was about five or six years old, and the older kids were playing Monopoly without me. To make everything worse, they told me that I couldn't play because I was "too young."
But later on that day, my Dad ended up playing Monopoly with me. He could tell that I really wanted to play. He could tell that I felt left out.
I felt unworthy of playing with my Dad because he was even older than the other kids. And yet he took special time to play with me. Sometimes it can feel that way with God. God also wants to make sure that we're included. He wants us to know that we're also part of His heavenly kingdom. As I was reading this text, I wondered: "Why should He include anyone?" "Why did He include the Canaanite woman?" and "Why does He include even me?"
In our sermon text, Jesus explains that He "Was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." These words seem very harsh and exclusive. Martin Luther even said "Christ nowhere in all the gospels is painted as being so hard as here."
I don't think that the Canaanite woman felt included by Jesus' words. These words make it sound like unless we're part of the house of Israel, we're not to be included in salvation. So what exactly is Jesus saying? What is He getting at? There's two things.
First, do you think that even the Israelites really deserved salvation? The Israelites of the Old Testament were God's chosen people. But they didn't deserve God's mercy. King David even said in psalm fifty one verse five: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Another name for this is original sin. It is the total corruption of our whole human nature, which we have inherited from Adam and Eve. You and I are evil. We're unwilling. We're incapable of doing what God commands. And the sad result of original sin is that we're all going to die. In Romans chapter six we hear: "The wages of sin is death." We are all sick to the point of death. Not only the Israelites, but we all are undeserving of salvation.
Every day we sin because of our evil hearts. Jesus said "... out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." The Israelites sinned, as well as the Canaanite woman and the disciples. I sin as well, and I know this because one day, I'm going to die. We're sinners. We don't deserve to be included in God's forgiveness.
Jesus came to save the Jewish nation from their sin. God said that He would send the Savior to the house of Israel. So the whole history of Israel comes down to the promise of the Savior. Paul states in Acts chapter thirteen: "... of (David's) offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised." God chose the Israelites so that He could save the world.
Jesus was entering a place called Tyre and Sidon, where there weren't any Jews. And so He made a point that He was sent to save His people, the Israelites. It sounds harsh. But keep in mind that Jesus was sent first to the house of Israel, not because they were special, but because He had to be sent somewhere first.
God gave salvation to the whole world by bringing Jesus to the house of Israel. As John three sixteen clearly says: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." What appears to be exclusive from a "first glance," turns out to really be the most inclusive. Salvation was brought to all by Jesus' atoning sacrifice upon the cross. God sent Jesus to pay for the sins of the world. That's what salvation is. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the entire world and received God's wrath and punishment for them. You now have forgiveness and peace with God. This was for the Israelites, this was for every nation and people, including you and me.
So why did Jesus include the Canaanite woman? In New Testament times, Israelites would not have listened to and respected her. She was also a Canaanite. The Israelites looked down upon Canaanites as enemies and heathens. Why would any Jew want to pay attention to her?
The woman said this to Jesus: "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! A demon is severely tormenting my daughter!" Her actions showed faith in Christ. She knew who Jesus was. He was and is the "Son of David." God had told King David that He would raise up offspring after him "who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever." This Canaanite woman knew that the Son of David is Jesus.
After her statement of faith, nothing happens. I think that a lot of people would have given up at this point. Things didn't look very promising after the disciples wanted her to leave, as well as Jesus' words about the house of Israel. But despite all of this, she persisted. In great faith, she knelt down and said: "Lord, help me."
Jesus then says to her: "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to their little dogs." In saying this, He is explaining that she is not on the same level as the Israelites. By calling her a "dog," however, Jesus is implying that she is still included. The word for "dog" Jesus used means a "little dog." Like a house pet. House pets are beloved members of the family.
By faith the woman replies: "Yes, Lord... yet their little dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." Jesus is still the master of little dogs, like her. It's unfortunate, but the Jews had grown weary of Christ and the promise. But this Gentile woman outshines them all with faith in Christ. Jesus is then merciful to her and heals her daughter.
Jesus saved all nations. Paul declares: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." God the Father has declared the whole world forgiven through Christ. By faith in Christ all are part of the one true church, regardless of whether they are male, female, or any nationality. Even if they are a Canaanite woman, looked down upon by others.
Jesus' harsh words might have us wondering if we're included in salvation. There is nothing good, righteous, or holy in us. We deserve death. And if we're really honest, there are people that we don't think belong in church. Maybe it's those who struggle with some sort of sin that we don’t. Or those we don't agree with politically. Or those people we just don't like as much. The disciples who wanted the Canaanite woman to be sent away are like us. It's so easy for us to think that we're the "true Christians," who are better than anyone else. We truly do have sinful thoughts. And many of them. So with all of your sinful thoughts, does Jesus even include you?
Remember that Jesus has lived a perfect life in every way that you and I have not. He showed compassion to everyone, not only the Israelites. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the Israelites, the Canaanite woman, and also yours. Jesus' payment for sins includes you, even you.
By Jesus' death upon the cross, God declares the whole world forgiven. In the Word and Baptism the Holy Spirit creates faith in us. In faith, we kneel before Jesus at the foot of the cross and say, along with the Canaanite woman, "Lord, help me."
As "little dogs," we're happy with the scapes of grace. They're more than enough. We are also included in salvation. It is through His Word and baptism, that Jesus includes even you in His forgiveness.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we can think up many reasons why God would exclude us from the salvation He won for Israel. We are certain we are included, however, because we are baptized. Just like a parent taking time to include his child with a game of Monopoly, Jesus personally takes time to care for us and bring us forgiveness in the Word and Sacraments, as He does this morning. Jesus assures us that we are included in His forgiveness because He says, "I forgive you all your sins! Receive my holy body and blood. You matter to me. You are included at my heavenly table." May God encourage us with the knowledge that we are His and He is ours. Amen.
Pastor Johnson
8/27/23