We can certainly hear themes of reconciliation, forgiveness, a coming together –wide,   inclusive community for all God’s people in today’s readings.   Joseph -- no longer the bratty little brother -- Joseph is able to forgive his older brothers who had sold him into slavery.  He’s in a position to save them, and his father, from starvation and does so.  Paul speaks of God’s love and mercy for Jew and Gentile alike.  His logic may seem a little strange, or at least it does to me, but he makes the point that God our creator offers salvation to all humankind.  In our Gospel reading from Matthew for today Jesus speaks, and acts, to remove social and religious barriers between people actually living not that far apart physically.  We sense God’s preference for unity and wholeness of life for all in today’s readings. 

Before continuing, about the Gospel mainly, I want to encourage you, if you haven’t already done so, to read sometime the whole Joseph story in one sitting.   It is a well written story, very cohesive.  It takes up just 13 chapters in the book of Genesis, starting with chapter 37, skipping over chapter 38 and then going to the end of Genesis.  We get just two passages from the Joseph story in our Sunday Lectionary.  There’s lots more to appreciate in this very human drama with admirable growth and change in the characters. 

Last spring I attended a performance of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the McPherson.  That’s the musical more or less based on this Genesis story.  Colleen’s son Neal impressively sang and danced in the production as one of the 12 brothers.  I sat next to a woman who was also alone.  We got to talking during the intermission.  She said she knew all of the songs.  She could even sing them all.  This was her favorite musical.   

I muttered something about how it was a fun show and it was interesting to see what was used from the Bible story.  She then said she had never read the Bible story, knew nothing about it.    I was surprised, saddened really, but grateful that at least the gist (“jest”) of this  ancient story was being kept alive by the musical.   

At first glance it might seem strange that the two distinct parts of our Gospel reading are read together for a Sunday.  Or at least it seemed strange to me.  The first is about ritual, specifically hand washing before eating.  In the second part Jesus performs a healing.  Why the two together?  Well, it turns out they are not unrelated.  Both are dealing with inclusion, wide inclusive community for all God’s people.          

A little before the passage we hear from Matthew this morning, the Pharisees have criticized Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands before eating.  How can Jesus be a faithful rabbi if his followers disregard this ancient practice, ritual really?  Jesus responds with a teaching on what is really important: not what goes into one’s mouth (maybe a little soil on one’s hands?) but what comes out.  Even though this teaching is clear, we know the early Jewish and gentile Christians had challenges with worshipping and eating together.  Rituals, behavioral expectations, just how things are to be done – these can be powerful dividers of people, dividers not of God. 

We are certainly not immune to such pitfalls in our day.  I may have told this story before.            When I was serving in Gold River, in the late nineties, one Sunday morning a young boy about the age of 9 or 10 came into the church alone and sat down, about a third of the way back.  The service was just about to start.  I delayed a minute to welcome him, made sure he had a bulletin and then got on with my responsibilities.  

I realized during the offertory that the boy was no longer with us.  After the service I asked if anyone knew him and maybe why he left.   A member of Parish Council spoke up, said she had asked him to take off his ball cap, that it wasn’t right for men to wear hats in church.   The boy didn’t want to, so he left.   We never saw him again.

 Just how things are always done.  Established patterns of behaviour.  These can be so divisive for those not a part of the “in” group.  There’s another story about how the pies were to be cut for the church supper.  A new volunteer started cutting them into six pieces each, only to be criticized by a long time church member with the words: “Here we cut pies into eighths.”   

In our gospel reading, after giving his instruction on what is really important, Jesus moves on to Tyre and Sidon.  This area was north of Galilee, in what is today Lebanon.  Jesus wouldn’t necessarily go there for a rest.  We know a large Jewish population was there and Jesus’ mission is, as he says, to the “lost sheep of the House of Israel.”   But there is an upset. A Canaanite woman desperate for the health of her daughter finds Jesus, no doubt with a reputation as a healer by now, and begs him mercy for her daughter. 

Ancient Jews were not to associate with Canaanites.  Actually, Jews despised them.   So here we have clearly an outsider not only begging Jesus for mercy but calling him “Lord, Son of David.”  At first Jesus tries to ignore her.  That doesn’t work.  His disciples urge him to send this pest away.  He then tells her, in so many words, that he is not responsible for her welfare.   

The woman does not give up.  And then Jesus comes out with words that we find harsh, even problematic.  “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”  Biblical interpreters have struggled in all kinds of ways over these words.  Are they authentic?  Was Jesus just being a Jewish man of his day?  We can’t know and it is best instead to focus on the main point of the passage. 

The Canaanite woman has approached Jesus in all humility, having total faith in the power of God.  She will not give up.  Crumbs from the floor are enough.  Jesus then answers, “Woman, great is your faith.  Let it be done for you as you wish.”  We readers of the Gospel witness God’s kingdom embracing someone who had once been an outsider.  The mission to the gentiles continued to grow, eventually reaching you and me.

 During the first week of August I attended a Diocesan study retreat on Salt Spring Island.   Bishop Anna and Christine Conkin, Rector of St. George’s Cadboro Bay, were the leaders.  It was titled “You Are the Salt of the Earth” and was about being that salt while living in an Empire.   We have a heightened awareness of empire today with what is happening south of our border.  Of course that is not the only empire in our time. 

Empires have been around for a long time.  They can do good things.  In our Old Testament reading for today Joseph is a powerful man in the Egyptian empire.  He has been able to amass huge stores of grain to feed not only the Egyptians but also surrounding populations during years of drought.             .  .   .   .   Empires can also do bad things.  The Roman Empire crucified our Lord.

Here in Canada we live with vestiges or remains of the British Empire.  Empires always have insiders and outsiders.  Empires always benefit some and exploit many others.  It is hard for those on the inside to see and understand what is really going on.  Has our Christianity been manipulated for Empire?  During the study retreat we spent not a little time on this question, including a look at Vancouver Island during the last about 300 years.        

We are called to live as God intends, with wholeness of life for all.  If we are on the inside, we are to reach out to the oppressed and marginalized.  If we are on the outside, we are to know that God walks with the oppressed and unfairly treated.   Thanks be to God.   Amen.

           

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