Pushy Faith
ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Isaiah 56:1, 6-8
Psalm 67
Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32
Matthew 15:21-28
Prayer of the Day: God of all peoples, your arms reach out to embrace all those who call upon you. Teach us as disciples of your Son to love the world with compassion and constancy, that your name may be known throughout the earth, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
I have to be honest. I don’t much like the way Jesus treats this woman. His response to her desperate plea for him to heal her ailing daughter sounds like the same disappointing comments I have heard from church people all my life. “Hey Pastor, how come we are sending missionaries, food and medicine overseas to people in other lands when we have hungry and sick people right here in our own country?” I always answer, “Jesus said ‘Go into all the world and make disciples of every nation. So what parts of ‘all’ and ‘every’ do you not understand?” Of course, these days, too, we keep hearing, “How come our church is so involved in trying to resettle refugees in this country? We can’t afford to take on all these outsiders and their problems.” And I always reply, “Don’t sweat it. We work for Jesus-you know, the guy who fed five thousand people with a few loaves of bread and some fish? He’s got it covered.” As tiring as it is having to keep on answering these same old, tired objections, it is even more exasperating hearing them in the very mouth of Jesus. “I was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It isn’t right to take the bread of the children and throw it to the dogs.” To the mother of a suffering child-that’s cold.
I don’t know what was happening with Jesus that day. Read more
Love your teachings
Thank you
An excellent sermon.
Thanks!
Thank you
Thank you Cindy.
I’m new to your blog. I like what your doing. The combination of spirituality, satire, humor and literature is great. I look forward to reading more.
Best wishes,
James
Welcome aboard, James.
Rare is the Christian anymore who seeks to uphold Jesus’ teaching, the Beatitudes. Instead, they rattle sabers and clamor for war “in God’s name.” It’s why religion, especially Christianity, is losing numbers steadily and, likely soon, exponentially.
We are not as rare as you might think. We just aren’t as good at self promotion and grabbing the limelight.
I am new to your blog. I found your recent post to be interesting. I do not believe that religion and politics belong together. What a unique idea that you can hear what anyone is saying if everyone is shouting and calling names.
Welcome and thanks for your comment.
You should be on your knee s big difference between Christian and a child of GOD 🙏
Trust me, I am. Thanks for your comments.
I just found your letter to frank, what a great job in expressing what everyday Christian’s feel. Preaching war in jesus name is not why I gave my email or donations to any television church. Thank you for writing a letter that represents why we choice to attend church and read the teachings of Christ Jesus.
Thanks for your comments, Wil.
Hello God bless you