8/15/99
Points of Grace - Matthew 15:21-28, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Genesis 45:1-15
(view lectionary notes for this text)
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now, am found, was blind, but now I see. Tis grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Tis grace that brought me safe, thus far, and grace will lead me home.
In our faith journey and relationship with God, their is truly nothing more amazing we can encounter than God's grace. Unconditional love is a hard concept for us to accept, because as humans we are so infrequently able to offer it ourselves, even when we wish we could. So, hesitantly, skeptically, we try to accept God's grace toward us. We find God to be faithful to the promise - and we are relieved - grace if for us - for you - for me. But now what - where do we go? What do we do? Often we forget that like most things in life, grace is a process, not an event. We have received grace, but is it a one-time deal? Can we receive it again? The initial step of allowing God's grace to be a part of our lives is a hard one, but often, it seems that allowing God's grace to take root and work in our lives is often the more difficult task. God's gift of grace in our life is not a thing but an action, an action which has no ending, no boundaries, no measure of fullness or completeness. As the hymn says, 'grace has brought me safe thus far, grace will lead me home'. We understand the 'thus far' - now we need to get ready to go home. Our scripture passages today remind us that God showers us with grace even after our initial connection with God. At all points in life, grace can be seen in the events and happenings around us, reminding us that God is ever-present. Listen to the stories of those, who, like us, were surprised to be recipients of God's grace, again and again.
In literary terms, the story of Joseph's life makes for excellent reading material. He starts out as his father's favorite son, first born of his father's favorite wife. He has fantastic dreams about being greater than his eleven brothers. Not surprisingly, they feel worthless and grow angry, but they go too far. They sell Joseph to be a slave while telling their father that Joseph has been killed. Meanwhile, Joseph starts to gain some ground as servant to Potiphar, and Egyptian captain. Things are looking up for Joseph. That is, until Potiphar's wife steps into the picture. She tries to seduce Joseph, and when he refuse, she pretends that he approached her. Joseph is tossed into jail. There he meets some servants of Pharaoh and interprets their dreams regarding their future, and one of the servants returns to work as Joseph predicts. Joseph has a glimmer of hope, thinking that perhaps the servant will remember Joseph now that he's free. But alas, the servant forgets about Joseph as soon as he's out of jail...until Pharaoh starts having some dreams too. Finally Joseph is fetched from jail and get a good break at last. Joseph foretells Egypt's future, and Pharaoh makes him his right-hand man. Everything has turned out great for Joseph...Enter the brothers. They wind up in Egypt, asking Joseph for help, but they don't recognize who he is. Here, at the climax of the story, what could be more exciting and fulfilling than the long-awaited revenge. With one wave of the hand, Joseph could send them packing, or send them to jail, or probably even send them to their death.
But the unexpected happens. At this pivotal point, Joseph doesn't really even think twice about what to do. In face, if truth be told, Joseph never even really sees that he has a choice in how to behave. Joseph is, as always, a man of God. Joseph chooses to follow God, and he could not change that now even if he wanted to try. God's grace has been with Joseph. God's grace will be with Joseph's brothers. As Joseph well knows, it is God's purpose at stake here. God is the point of grace, and Joseph is just God's servant. Listen to Joseph's words: ' God sent me before you to preserve life. God sent me before you to preserve a remnant on earth. It was not you who sent me here, but God. God has made me lord of all Egypt'. God's grace is present and at work continually. Joseph is the example of what grace can do - transform a curse into a blessing. But more importantly, Joseph reminds us that we are not the ones who give or withhold grace. We might not like it. We might try to make it different, but God's grace is for both the honest and the deceitful. For Joseph and his brothers. And grace is God's to give.
***
In our passage from Romans, Paul has another point of grace to make with us. As Christianity is spreading among the Gentiles, the question arises - has God rejected the Israelites? Are they no longer the chosen people? Paul answers emphatically - by no means has God rejected Israel. 'For the gifts and call of God are irrevocable'. Paul points out that if God has called Israel in the past, then with certainty Israel is called in the present and future. No matter what the Israelites do, God remains constant. Any other conclusion about the Israelites would conclude that God can't be counted on, or is faithless. Has God's word failed? No! God's grace given at one point is never taken away at another, else God can have no meaning for us.
Like the work of God is Joseph's life, Paul then moves on to show that the Israelite's rejection of Jesus as messiah is actually a way for God to work for good in the lives of the Gentiles, and eventually for the Israelites again as well. The Israelites' failure to embrace Christianity led the early missionaries to bring the word to the Gentiles. Though perhaps unwittingly, the Jews have played a role in the mission to the Gentiles. Now, things will come full circle as the Gentiles work for mission to the Jews. Paul emphasizes the commonalities between Gentile and Jew here, as always. Despite differences, both have disobeyed God, and God will act with grace to redeem both. As surely as a human being rebels against God, so surely will God show mercy to all through Christ Jesus. The point of grace is universal. It is not given because of our goodness or obedience. It is not given only to those who repent or call God's name. As Paul shows, it is given as a gift, to Gentile and Jew alike because of our humanity. God's grace reaches all.
***
The story of Jesus and the Canaanite woman has long been troubling to readers. We see a woman in need begging to be healed, and we watch Jesus be seemingly reluctantly persuaded to respond and heal. What do we make of this story? How is this a point of grace?
To understand this story, it is necessary to put it in context first. The Israelites have been God's chosen people since the beginnings, and for a long time they have been waiting for the promised messiah. The hope of a messiah who would set the Jews free from oppression was a distinctive hope specific to the Jewish people only. It is hardly surprising then, that Jesus was Jewish, that the twelve apostles were Jewish, or that Jesus' ministry was directed at the Jews. The Jews were expecting a messiah, so of course Jesus must struggle to convince them that he was this man - the son of God. In this light, it is a little easier to see what Jesus meant when he told the woman, 'I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.' At this point, in his physical life, Jesus' mission was primarily for the Jews. This incident is but a glimpse of the Christ to come - the ministry of the resurrected Christ. Here, it is the woman's turn to minister to Jesus, in his humanity, to remind him of the point of grace to come - the point of the universal mission. Matthew's gospel is full of these hints of the ministry to come: the Gentile women in Jesus' genealogy, the magi from the East, the Gentile centurion...and here, the Canaanite woman. They slowly build momentum to the resurrected Christ who declares the opening of the mission. Jesus' mission as a human being primarily aimed at God's chosen Israel. Now, the doors open fully as Jesus, Christ resurrected, completes the plans to extend grace to the world. 'Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.' The Canaanite woman reminds Jesus, and Jesus does not fail to hear her, and heal her - because the point of grace is universal. Only Israel was waiting for a messiah, but amazing grace brought the messiah to the unexpecting. The point of grace for Joseph and for his brothers. The point of grace for the Gentile and the Jew. The point of grace for the woman of great faith, and for Jesus, man and God in one. The point of grace for me, and for you.
Let us pray: Amazing God, let us receive your gift of grace anew each day, with humble hearts, and open arms. Let us be carriers of your grace, to the universal waiting, waiting for love, waiting for hope, waiting for a point of grace. Amen.