Joseph Patty, Associate Director of Student Ministries

Matthew 15:1-9, 18, 22-28
Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’”

18 […] the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart […]

22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Reflection:
I love this version of Jesus. He’s like Rambo-Jesus. The Pharisees come up to Jesus to challenge him because his disciples are breaking tradition, and Jesus swiftly dismantles their argument. Without hesitation he responds, “Why do you break God’s commandment in order to keep your tradition?” He sends them away with their tails between their legs. Jesus’ response comes back to the same idea of all his teachings. Instead of getting caught up in the minutia of rule-following, let your life be defined by the heart of the law—loving God with every ounce of your being and loving your neighbor as yourself. 

As he dismantles the Pharisees’ argument, Jesus says that the things that come out of a person’s mouth reveal what is in their heart. The Pharisees’ question has revealed the sin in their hearts. Jesus points out how they have covered up their own sin in the name of religion. They emphasize devoting material things to God over taking care of people, and in doing so, they cause families to go in need. Jesus calls all of us to take a step back from our religious pretenses and ask ourselves, “What is the condition of my heart?” “Where has sin taken root and caused me to miss what God is really after in my life?” Put in John Wesley’s words, “How’s your soul?”

Immediately after this scene, Jesus walks in foreign lands, and a woman comes up to him and begs him to heal her daughter. The contrast between her response to Jesus and the Pharisees is remarkable. She gets down on her knees (Greek, proskuneó) and says, “Lord, help me!” Proskuneó sees several translations. On its basic level, it means to prostrate yourself or to kiss the dirt. Several translations use the word “worshipped.” She worships him by putting her face in the dirt and cries out, “Lord help me.” Her actions reveal her heart. Worship isn’t always laced with beautiful language. Often, it’s better set in the context of snot, tears, and desperation. She knows that Jesus is her only hope, and so she lays it all out on the floor. Even when Jesus resists at first, saying his mission is to Israel, she responds with chutzpah, “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table!” Can you hear her voice quivering? Jesus is astounded by her faith and by the condition of her heart. Even though she is outside the imaginary line, she is relentless. With desperation, she refuses to let go of the God she knows is her only hope. Her words and her body posture are a picture of her heart. Hers is a heart at worship. 

I wonder when was the last time you or I cried out to God in desperation? When was the last time we prostrated ourselves, placing our faces in the dirt as an act of worship? Out of the condition of the heart, the mouth speaks. So, I challenge us to search ourselves and ask, “How’s my soul?” Maybe then we can realize how desperate we really are and finally find ourselves in true worship.

Prayer:
God, I need you. I confess I have covered up my deep need with “I’m fine,” “I’m busy,” and “look at all these churchy things I’ve been doing.” Wake me up to the condition of my heart. Make me desperate for you because I know I desperately need you. You alone can save me, heal me, and transform me. Come Holy Spirit. Amen.