Sermon Gen 43:26-34, Matt 15:21-28 Strangers at the Table

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Gen 43:26-34, Matt 15:21-28 Strangers at the Table

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

August 17, 2008

Last Sunday I had the privilege of vacationing at the home of the Reverend Nancy Moore at Lake Arrowhead while she was preaching here in Eagle Rock. Nancy has a beautiful home in the woods where we saw blue jays, squirrels, and even a coyote. It was a very relaxing time for Grace and me and Grace’s sister’s family who joined us. Last Sunday I prepared breakfast with French toast, bacon, orange juice and coffee, and we used knives, forks and spoons. My sister in law prepared a Korean lunch of things I can’t pronounce and we used chopsticks. For several years now I have had one foot in one culture and another foot in another culture. And most of the distinctions between those cultures center on what my mother would call table manners. We are going to look at table manners from a biblical perspective this morning. But first will you pray with me?

“O God, who is the hope of all the ends of the earth, the God of the spirits of all flesh: We beseech Thee to hear our humble intercession for all kindred and races of humanity that thou wilt turn all hearts unto Thyself. Remove from our minds hatred, prejudice, and contempt for those who are not of our own race or color, class or creed; that, departing from everything that estranges and divides, we may by Thee be brought into unity of spirit, in the bond of peace. Let the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.”[1]

Genesis 43:26-34 ²⁶ When Joseph came home, they brought him the present that they had carried into the house, and bowed to the ground before him. ²⁷ He inquired about their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" ²⁸ They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and did obeisance. ²⁹ Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!" ³⁰ With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there. ³¹ Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, "Serve the meal." ³² They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. ³³ When they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, the men looked at one another in amazement. ³⁴ Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

Joseph had become very successful. After his brothers sold him into slavery and then told his father, Jacob, that he was dead, Joseph, with God’s help became a famous dream interpreter and correctly predicted the seven years of plenty and the seven year of famine which Egypt and the surrounding countries were then experiencing. Joseph wisely, had the Egyptians store up extra food during the years of plenty so that there would be enough in the years of famine. Jacob and his family experienced this famine and his sons were sent to Egypt for food. There they were recognized by Joseph who had already forgiven his brothers for what they had done to him because he knew that God had used their evil actions for good. So when his eleven brothers arrived Joseph honored them with a great feast.

Eating together is how we celebrate important times in our lives. I can remember the great feasts my mother would prepare on holidays and when the grand parents visited, roast beef, turkey, or meat loaf with the all the trimmings. I can remember pot luck dinners when families would gather in church to sample dishes from each other; my mother’s scalloped potatoes were always in demand. A couple of years ago I invited my family and friends from back east to enjoy of wedding feast of Korean food, as my multicultural life got started.

Once I was eating in a Thai restaurant with a mixed group of Americans and Koreans. Although Thais do not use chopsticks some were provide for the benefit of the Koreans who do. The waitress bought out plates of food which were served American style; they were passed from person to person who scooped out what they wanted on their own individual plates. We then ate from our own plates refilling them as desired. Near the end of the dinner I saw a singe shrimp sitting on a serving dish across the table. So using chopsticks I reach across the table, grabbed the shrimp, and ate it. Immediately I was scolded by an American women sitting across from me who yelled “Jeff, what are you doing?” I explained that in Korean culture food is placed in shared bowls all over the table and you use chopsticks to eat whatever you want directly from the shared bowls; these is no need for a plate. A Korean man sitting next to her was amused that an American man was getting into the same kind of trouble that he experienced as a new immigrant. These are the kinds of multicultural experiences I have had in the three and a half years that I have known Grace.

In Genesis we see how the Egyptians handled multicultural experiences at dinner; they were avoided. No Egyptian would ever eat at the same table as a Hebrew. So the Egyptians ate at a table by themselves. The Hebrew ate at a table by themselves. And Joseph who had one foot in each culture ate all by himself. The rule was that strangers were not welcome at the table. And this brings us to an unusual and somewhat disturbing story about strangers at the table in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 15:21-28 ²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² 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." ²³ 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." ²⁴ He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." ²⁶ He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." ²⁷ She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Many of us are disturbed by the words of Jesus. Why, we ask would Jesus not talk to the Canaanite women who came to Jesus to heal her daughter? Why would Jesus call her a “dog”. This does not square with our picture of a loving Jesus who welcomes everyone to the table.

To understand this passage we must first understand Jesus’ teaching style. Jesus was a rabbi or teacher and had way a teaching that was unusual and showed his authority. Matthew often condensed stories about Jesus’ teaching so much that some information about the way is lost. But I think that we can piece enough of this story together to see what Jesus is really trying to say.

Jesus usually began teaching by referring to the Law of Moses. Here the Law of Moses clearly states that a Hebrew man should not speak with a Canaanite woman. The reason was simple, according to Moses when the people of God entered into the Promised Land the Hebrew men were not to marry Canaanite women because those women would take their children not to God’s tabernacle but to pagan shrines. To prevent this, Hebrew men were told to marry good Hebrew women. This Mosaic Law was what Jesus was referring to when he refused to speak with the Canaanite woman.

But after two millennia the laws of Moses had been perverted. A once sensible law that encouraged men to ensure that their children would worship Yahweh had been twisted into a rational for racist hatred against the Canaanites. It was this racism that Jesus referred to when he said when he said that sharing food with a Canaanite was like giving it to the dogs. This was a mean spirited perversion of the Mosaic Law which Jesus had come to condemn. Jesus was not going to tolerate racist attitudes against anyone and would not allow the Law of Moses to be twisted for that purpose.

Jesus then speaking from the position of authority as the Son of God told his followers that no longer would race, ethnicity, nationality, or language, be used in deciding who would gather at his table. Everyone who places their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is welcome to share in his fellowship. That is why the experiment we are trying here are Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is so important. We live in a society where monoethnic churches are the norm, Caucasians go to Caucasian churches, Koreans go to Korean churches, African Americans go to African American churches, the wealthy gather in wealthy churches, and the poor gather in poor churches. But here we are building a multicultural church where everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, or economic level is welcome into our fellowship. Our only requirement is that you have faith in Jesus Christ.

Let me tell you a story that happened this week. A homeless man living on the streets of Eagle Rock has been attending our evening services. I thought I recognized him somehow but I didn’t know when or where. This past Thursday as Grace and I were walking to church for morning prayers we saw him sitting in front of our cross on Eagle Rock Blvd. So we invited him into prayers. After the prayer service we all went over to Burger King for breakfast. It was there that Joseph, the man we met, pulled out a sketch pad and showed us some drawings. That is when I remembered when and where I had met him before. Ten years ago I participated in a ministry serving lunch to homeless men in Washington DC at the Church of the Pilgrims. Joseph was coming for lunch each Sunday and I remember looking at his beautiful drawings. He eventually got a job and we didn’t see him for lunch anymore. But I have thought about him all these years. Last month he took a bus from Washington DC and now attends our church. Joseph is welcomed here at Christ’s table.

I believe that a church that welcomes into its doors people from all ethnic groups and economic levels will be richly blessed by God. A church the welcomes everyone even the poorest, even the most despised, is a church that will be blessed with new members and increased giving. God is just waiting for the church of Jesus Christ to wake up and realize that its separate ways must end and all must come together around one table. When the people of all nations, ethnic groups, and economic classes come together around the Lord’s Table then truly the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.

I urge you to come to our Sunday evening worship. There you will see what it means to welcome everyone to the table. There you will meet young Koreans trying to learn English and American ways. You will also meet the desperately poor who live on the streets and depend of the hospitality of churches to survive. You will meet all types of people whose faith brings them to worship in this sanctuary and who are then fed at our Lord’s tables in Montgomery Hall. At dinner no one is excluded or called a “dog”. Rather, everyone with faith in Jesus Christ is welcome. As you eat dinner with us you will experience the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us; unto Him be glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

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[1] Adapted from the Book of Common Worship 1946.