Sermon 16th August 2020 – 11th Sunday after Pentecost
Text Matthew 15: 21-28 – Irrevocable promises
of God
In the past week I have been
reflecting quite deeply about last week’s Gospel reading. If you recall it was
the account of the disciples being in a boat that was being tossed about by the
wind and the waves when a ferocious storm hit them. They were fearing for their lives when a
mysterious figure appears walking on the water. They presume it is a ghost that
has come from the deep waters that were the home of the evil spirits.
Then comes the comforting words of
Jesus – don’t be afraid – it is me – or as I explained – his actual words were
- don’t be afraid – I AM God. Peter, seeing Jesus walking on the water asked
for permission to do likewise. Jesus says “come” and he walks on the water
until he sees again the wind and the waves and begins to sink. He cries out –
Jesus save me – which of course he does. He extends his hands – places him back
in the boat and says – you of little faith – why did you doubt?
And it’s that last phrase by Jesus
that has been ringing in my ears all week – all month – almost all year – you
of little faith – why are you doubting? I have to admit, doubt is my biggest
concern. Because as soon as I doubt I fear – like Peter. Doubt can face even
the strongest of Christians. I don’t believe doubt is a sin – no it’s more serious.
Doubt is how Satan attacks our faith in God and it can affect anyone. Listen to
what Matthew says about the 11 disciples- those closest to Jesus – the ones in
the boat last week who said – truly this is the Son of God. Matthew 28 says: the eleven disciples went to
Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him,
they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Satan’s weapon against Christians is
to cause doubt in God’s ability to help them and directs them to their own
strength. Think back to where our problems with God all started – in the Garden
of Eden – when Satan cast doubts in the mind of Eve – did God really say you
must not eat from any tree in the garden. And then when Eve responded that they
would die if they did – Satan casts further doubt – surely you won’t die. It
was similar doubt that he cast in Jesus mind when he tempted him in the
wilderness – If you are the Son of God – turn these rocks into bread –if you
are the Son of God “if” – doubts. Trying to turn Jesus to trust his own
strength rather than trusting God – if you’re hungry, turn these rocks into
bread. Feed yourself if you’re hungry.
So Jesus concern for Peter was that
he could see Satan attacking Peter by creating doubt. And that for me becomes a
stumbling block – doubting God in all this that we are going through. Is God
really in control here?
And I began to doubt that he was and
I began to fear for the future – the future of the church – my future as a
Pastor – the future of people I love and their financial security. Those doubts
create fear- fear creates further doubts in God and we are suddenly spiralling
downward – sinking – and unable to regain our security and faith in God.
And that’s what we are seeing
answered in our Bible readings today – particularly our 2 readings from the New
Testament – Paul’s letter to the Romans and Matthews Gospel. Paul asks a
question: I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! Paul never
doubted God’s love for his people. And even though he is specifically referring
to his Jewish brothers and sisters here we can confidently include all people
because Jesus says that God loved the entire world so much that he sent his one
and only Son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but receive
eternal life.
What a wonderful and comforting
promise made to us all that we can cling to like a life preserver, which is
what God’s promises are – life preservers. And then Paul speaks about God’s
promises when he says - the gifts and
the calling of God are irrevocable. God cannot and will not revoke his promises
to us.
Now let’s give Peter credit where
credit is due. When he began to doubt and began to sink he immediately called
out to Jesus – Lord, save me. He didn’t turn to his own strength and try to
swim back to the boat or struggle against the wind and waves – he turned to
Jesus again and cries out to him – Lord, save me. Doubts are going to happen. Storms
are going to happen in our lives. It will feel like God is not in control, like
it did to Peter. But that’s when we remember God’s promise to us – I am with
you always – and we cry out to him – Lord, save me. And the promise – everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Let’s now look at our Gospel reading
where, again, we see faith at work in extraordinary circumstances. We have here
a mother who is definitely not an Israelite. She is a Canaanite. Jesus himself
acknowledges that: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is
not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. So again, like
Peter, almost identical words – Lord, help me – Lord, save me. And even though
Jesus seemingly rejects her request because she was not of the Israelite
children of God – she falls back, not onto a family heritage – but on the
promise of God that is irrevocable. Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs
that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is
your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed
instantly.
The world is holding out for a
vaccine to be produced by the scientific world for comfort. Until that day what
do we do? Do we live in fear? What if a vaccine is years away? What if there’s
not enough to go around?
Remember, it only took a perceived
shortage of toilet paper to send people into a frenzy – even violence. But we
as Christians have a far greater assurance – the promise of God who promised
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Whether healing for our world, our
nation, our state comes from a vaccine or from the miraculous healing of God’s
hands – it is through prayer to our loving heavenly Father and his assurance
that he will never leave us or forsake us because his promises are irrevocable.
And that’s where we find our comfort. That means God can never go back on his
promise to us. His promise to be with us always. His promise to assure our
salvation.
His promise to love us
unconditionally.
Yes there are times when I doubt this
world and what is happening. That’s natural. But we must never doubt God’s
almighty power and that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth. And that nothing can
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. The
Canaanite woman did not give up her faith in Jesus even though the disciples
kept urging Jesus to “Send her away” And it was these same disciples that said
the very same thing to Jesus about the hungry crowds when they felt that their
worldly provisions were not enough to feed them – “send them away”. They kept
looking to their own strength which was not enough for the problems they faced.
But God sends no one away. And even though it might seem like we are in a
hopeless situation, nothing is impossible with God because hope does not
disappoint us when our hope is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So let us keep
persevering like this Canaanite woman urging Jesus to help us and trust that he
is in control and is always in control and if God is on our side, who can be
against us.
No comments:
Post a Comment