Sermon – August 16, 2026

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost: Year A

Sermon by Lay Preacher, Ginnie Glassman

When I read the first paragraph of our Gospel for today, my thought was “Jesus, tell us what you really think!” He does not mince words about those who are offended by what he is saying, they are blind guides leading others into a pit. One lay preacher I know described Jesus as a “disrupter” because he came to reform the social structure and ideas of the people of his time. Today’s Gospel certainly shows that.

To understand that Jesus is not just having a bad day or feeling grouchy, we need to look at the part of the chapter that precedes this encounter:

Jesus had just crossed the Sea of Galilee into Gennesaret. The people there recognized him. They gathered the sick from all over the region and brought them to Jesus who healed them all – by touching the hem of his robe.

The teachers of the law then approach Jesus while he is with the people. Their intent is to trap him with trick questions. They accuse the disciples of breaking the law by not performing the proper ritual cleansing of the hands.

Jesus points out that those teachers have devised rules that allow a much  more significant law to be broken, that of honoring their mother and father by supporting them as they age. The practice of Corban, that had been devised by the Pharisees, allowed a son to dedicate some of his money to God through an offering to the priests, then he could keep the rest for himself. At that time, there was no Social Security, 401K or pension funds for the parents so they were dependent on their children. This clearly is self serving and leaves the parents with no support.

Jesus condemns this practice and other self-serving teachings that they have created, speaking words from Isaiah:

These people, says God, honor me with their words, but their heart is really far away from me. It is no use for them to worship me, because they teach man-made rules as though they were my laws! (Isaiah 29:13)

Jesus then calls the crowds to him to clarify the intent of these laws. He says that it is not what they eat or how they eat it (that is with unclean hands) that breaks the law. Rather the words of our mouth come from our heart and speak of who we are and our intentions. As Paul writes in Romans, “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved”. (Romans 10:10)

What is the meaning and purpose of the laws? In Judaism, there are 613 commandments, called mitzvot. There are prayers to be said for every activity that could occur in their everyday. These prayers and laws were created for a constant mindfulness of God in their daily lives, and to provide a guide for moral and just behavior. Many people had come to believe that following the laws and saying the prayers by rote was all they needed to do to be right with God. After that, they could do anything else. But they had lost the part that connects them to God and keeps them aware of God’s involvement in every part of their every day life.

Think of our traffic laws, which I daresay many of us have broken. They are designed for our protection and safety. When we are in a hurry or distracted, we often break them. If we keep the safety of ourselves and others in mind, we will follow them because they are critical. If we are only doing what we have to do so we don’t get caught, we have lost sight of the purpose of the laws. The mindfulness of the reason we have them should keep us compliant…at least most of the time!

Jesus’ disciples say that the Pharisees were offended by what Jesus said. Jesus is unfazed by this and quite adamant in his response: “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.” Those who create human devised laws as well as those who blindly follow them are not of God and will be taken away.

Peter’s responds “Explain this parable to us.” Not surprisingly they, like us, are not sure of the meaning of the parable. Jesus, letting us glimpse his human side, responds in frustration with “Are you also still without understanding?” He then explains that it is not what people put in their mouth that offends but that which comes out of their mouths and hearts which is the problem. He lists some of the sins (murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander) that will defile a person. He makes it clear that these are much bigger concerns than eating with unwashed hands (despite what your mom may have told you!).

Jesus then does what I do when I need to work off frustration. He takes a long walk to the region of Tyre and Sidon, a distance of 35 to 50 miles or an 11 to 12 hour walk. (More walking than I could handle!) On the way, a Canaanite woman approaches them, shouting “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.”

This woman is a Gentile, a Syro-Phoenician, who is looked down on by the Israelite community as were the Samaritans, because they weren’t “one of us”. By approaching Jesus and asking for his help, she is breaking all the rules!  A woman was not allowed to approach a man, much less a Gentile woman approaching a Jewish man. She was shouting at Jesus and his disciples. And a Gentile asking for help from Jesus. Even though she is a Gentile, she calls him “Lord, Son of David”. She recognizes Jesus as divine and having the power to heal her daughter.

Jesus does not treat her well and in fact does not answer her at all at first. But he also does not turn his back on her either. The disciples advise him to send her away. Jesus responds that he was only sent to save “the lost sheep of Israel”. Did Jesus, being human, have a learning curve to discover the extent of the mission he was sent to accomplish? Or was he testing the strength of the woman’s faith? Or even testing his disciples to see how well they understood his message and mission?

In any case, the woman persists, kneeling before Jesus with a simple prayer: “Lord, help me.” Jesus replies that it is not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. By children, he is referring to the people of Israel thus implying that she is one of the dogs because she is a Gentile. Her response is that even the dogs under the table get to eat the crumbs that fall. That she and her daughter were just as worthy as any other believer to be healed. That she had faith in Jesus. That a crumb of his mercy would be powerful enough to fight demons and heal her daughter.

What incredible faith this woman had even in the face of denial. Jesus recognizes it and says “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”  But she was arguing with Jesus and still he admires her faith. Maybe it is ok to argue or give God some pushback when seeking answers?

She approaches Jesus with the simplest of prayers “Lord, help me”. She puts herself and her daughter into Jesus’ hands. She does not tell Jesus how to accomplish the outcome she would like nor talk about why they deserve this gift. She simply tells him she needs his help and trusts him to know what to do.

Let me share an experience I had. I used to go a nursing home one Sunday a month to offer Morning Prayer including a brief reflection. I never wrote it out but just spoke about the readings. One Sunday, I arrived with a migraine headache. Feeling like my head was about to burst, I just prayed “Lord, I can’t do this without you. Help me please or we will have nothing.” As I stood up to speak, my head stopped hurting and I spoke clearly about the reading. To this day, I have no memory of what I said but was told it was quite well done. As soon as I sat down, the pain returned but for that short block of time, God took over and gave me what I needed. What a blessing!

I asked to have “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” as our closing hymn today because it reminds us why we pray and how ready God is to listen.

From the first verse: Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer.

Prayer and seeking God’s help is often our last resort rather than our first thought. Jesus shows us in today’s Gospel that even when we break all the “rules”, if we have faith, our prayers can be answered. Jesus was a rule breaker, he understands and his Father hears him. This week, instead of struggling to resolve our problems on our own, let’s see what happens when we make God our go-to for problem solving.

As our Psalm for today prays for all people:

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.…

may God, our own God, give us his blessing…

May God give us his blessing, and may all the ends of the earth

stand in awe of him. (Psalm 67:3, 6b, 7)

Amen

Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 56:1,6-8

Thus says the Lord: Maintain justice, and do what is right,

for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed.

And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,
to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants,

all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant–

these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;

their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar;

for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel,

I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.

Psalm 67

1 May God be merciful to us and bless us, show us the light of his countenance and come to us.

2 Let your ways be known upon earth, your saving health among all nations.

3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.

5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.

6 The earth has brought forth her increase; may God, our own God, give us his blessing.

7 May God give us his blessing, and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.

Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.

Matthew 15:10-28

Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “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.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet 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.