Jesus will never ever unfollow you! (Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time)
Isaiah 56:1,
Isaiah 56:6-7,
Romans 11:13-15,
Romans 11:29-32,
Matthew 15:21-28.
Reflection
Dear sisters and brothers,
Let me start the reflection for this Sunday quoting from an article.
“One case of a tragic extrajudicial killing, which occurred in Teknaf, still saddens many people in Bangladesh.
On May 27, 2018, RAB forces detained and shot dead in crossfire Ekramul Haque, a councilor of Teknaf municipality and a ruling Awami League politician, after accusing him of being a top drug trader, which his family and relatives denied.
His wife Ayesha Begum circulated four audio clips to journalists that recorded Haque’s final mobile conversations with her and one of their two young daughters. The clips also recorded the sound of gunfire and the groans of the dying man. Ayesha and her daughter screamed and begged for his life.
The tragic cry of his daughter, “Abbu tumi kantechho je?" (Daddy, why are you crying?), was not enough to melt the hearts of government high-ups to order a proper probe and justice for Haque. The killing sparked a media and social media outcry, but justice is still a long way from being delivered.
In addition, there have been more than 500 cases of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh, according to rights groups.
While the government attempts to justify extralegal killings and disappearances to hide the failure to ensure proper justice and punishment, wider society seems to have accepted the menace of so-called summary justice.
That is the tragic part of the story, and it can be degenerating for ordinary people. In 2019, about 50 people were brutally killed in mob beatings in Bangladesh due to rumours over child kidnapping. The phenomenon was nothing but “reproduction of brutalities committed by the state” for years, a critic noted.” (Taken from the article written by Rock Ronald Rozario at ucanews)
Rock Ronald Rozario further mentions that it is the same in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
We live with this kind of social injustice. Justice is murdered in the day light day-by-day. What do we to eradicate evils from society as a Church? How do we respond to the challenges that are faced by the Church today? Are we only interested in the problems that are faced by our church and her members? Are we not interested in whole humanity?
Discrimination and division make us sick and ill-grown church. Today, Jesus the saviour of the humanity, invites each one of us to involve ourselves wherever humanity suffers.
How?
Let us listen to the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 15:21-28):
“Then Jesus went from that place
and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came
and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
But he did not say a word in answer to her.
His disciples came
and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
And her daughter was healed from that hour.”
Jesus came from a place of hypocrites. They argued with Jesus about the traditions. Jesus, on the other hand, had a human approach to the reality or the problem.
Having a new approach to the issues and problems, Jesus came to the region to prove that his human approach mixed with divine nature, can address whole humanity without any discrimination and inequality.
Why do I say?
The text is misunderstood many times saying that Jesus has come to a particular community, not for all. If it is so, we deny what St. Paul would say (Romans 11:13-15, Romans 11:29-32):
“Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.
In as much then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles,
I glory in my ministry
in order to make my race jealous
and thus, save some of them.
For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world,
what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.
Triumph of God’s Mercy.
Just as you once disobeyed God
but have now received mercy because of their disobedience,
so, they have now disobeyed in order that,
by virtue of the mercy shown to you,
they too may [now] receive mercy.
For God delivered all to disobedience,
that he might have mercy upon all.”
Jesus is love itself. Jesus is mercy. Jesus is compassionate. He cannot address a woman, who is a gentile, in a rude way.
How can I prove that Jesus was not rude towards the gentile woman?
Will Jesus unfollow us because I love a gentile (not belong to the Church), I show mercy to a gentile (not a member in the Church) and I am compassionate towards other religious, culture, region, language and so on?
The sequence of the text would explain that Jesus will never ever unfollow us.
Firstly,
A gentile woman approached Jesus as if she was just waiting for Jesus to come to her region.
She said, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David.”
She addressed Jesus as the ‘Lord’ and as the ‘Son of David’.
Even though, she was a gentile and a woman, she knew about Jesus as Lord, Son of David, not Pharisees and Sadducees.
Secondly,
She did not approach Jesus for herself but for her daughter: ‘my daughter is tormented by a demon’.
And for this purpose, she was ready to undergo any kind of insults, discrimination, and criticism.
The text further explains that…
It was the disciples, who were annoyed with this gentile woman.
They were irritated with this gentile woman.
Jesus was not annoyed or irritated.
The disciples came to Jesus and said, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
Then, Jesus addressed this gentile woman after his disciples asked him to intervene.
The disciples had their own bias, discriminatory approach to a gentile woman.
Because, the disciples were Jews.
They believed that Jesus was sent only for the Jews community.
Jesus watched how this gentile woman was treated by his disciples.
He confirmed the belief of disciples saying, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
What did the gentile woman do?
She paid him homage and said, “Lord, help me.”
She accepted what Jesus said. Without any contradiction, she did what she felt in her heart.
Jesus wanted to teach the disciples the purpose with which he has come to the world.
Therefore, Jesus said knowing and fully aware what he said to a gentile woman: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
I wondered how Jesus could say such a discriminating statement.
Such an insulting statement degraded her faith in Jesus.
I am quite sure the disciples could have felt very happy when Jesus said those words to this humble gentile woman.
The disciples’ belief was confirmed but this gentile woman’s faith was not scattered. Instead she became humbler in her approach and that humble approach made her faith even stronger.
That is the reason, she said to Jesus, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Jesus was awe filled and wondered at what this gentile woman replied.
Immediately, Jesus said in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
The text for this Sunday, gives us a powerful message how we the disciples of Jesus Christ, turned our eyes and focus only towards our own people rather than focusing on whole creation including human beings in the world.
We turn away from doing good as a follower of Jesus to eradicate evil from the world.
We cannot say that you do not belong to Christian community so I cannot help you.
Having belief in Jesus, is sufficient. At the same time, we go to the people who do not believe in Jesus with our good works as we read in Isaiah (Isaiah 55:1, Isaiah 55:6-7):
“Thus, says the LORD:
Observe what is right, do what is just,
for my salvation is about to come,
my justice, about to be revealed.
And foreigners who join themselves to the LORD,
to minister to him,
To love the name of the LORD,
to become his servants—
All who keep the sabbath without profaning it
and hold fast to my covenant,
Them I will bring to my holy mountain
and make them joyful in my house of prayer;
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices
will be acceptable on my altar,
For my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.”
There are so many missionaries who went to far off countries and regions without knowing the culture, language and traditions.
They could achieve to bring the people to Jesus with love.
Saint Joseph Fernademitz, a Chinese missionary, would say, “Love is the only language that everyone understands.”
Dear sisters and brothers, they have achieved in their missionary work. We too can in our lives.
What do we learn from the gentile woman in the text for our lives?
First and foremost, we learn to change individual-self.
How did the gentile woman change herself before she approached Jesus?
Here, change can be of two kinds. a. Change-out, and b. Change-in.
a. Change-out:
Change-out is outer-self. It is outer appearance of a person. It is temporary. It is artificial.
She did not change her attires. She remained as a Canaanite Woman, as a gentile woman. She knew that it was not going to make any difference.
b. Change-in:
Change-in is inner-self. It is inner challenge that urge us to change from hate to love, from revenge to forgiveness, from complain to gratitude, from criticism to appreciation. It is permanent. It is an original core change in oneself. It changes our lives to be more joyful.
She changed her inner-self. This inner-self gave her a calm disposition to approach Jesus.
Once, the change-in happened, she became not self-oriented but other-oriented.
Yes, when the change-in happens, I become we, me become us, mine become ours, and myself become ourselves.
These personal changes made her to be courageous, focused, non-violent, not giving up, and not being afraid.
Now, let us reflect the five lessons for our missionary life.
1. Courage:
She was courageous to approach Jesus as a gentile woman. We know that women were suppressed community during that time. She broke those suppression. She freed herself from a bandage of patriarchy.
We need to have courage to approach the issues of the world. We should suppress our inner spirit to reach out to the other. It does not mean I do not mind my own congregation. But my missionary work includes everyone, every creation.
2. Focus:
The Canaanite woman focused on her purpose. It was not selfish, but for her daughter.
Our missionary life is focused on Jesus. Our purpose is to proclaim his love. We should not be selfish but generous in our approach to how Jesus loves them.
3. Non-violence:
The gentile woman was insulted, not treated with dignity. Still, she was very gentle and nonviolent in her approach. She did not shout back. She did not have any ill-feeling with what happened there.
Our missionary journey is not very smooth and happy. When we involve ourselves with social issues, problems people persecute us, criticise us, accuse us with falsehood, accuse us with conversion. Are we ready to accept and be calm for the sake of Christ Jesus? Are we ready to be non-violent in our heart and mind, in our actions? The Church is built on the martyrs. Violence will never convey the message of Jesus Christ.
4. Not Giving up:
She did not give up until she achieved what she came for. Nothing could stop her in her purpose.
Our missionary journey is not goal oriented but love oriented. God has called us for his purpose. Sometimes, we may be disappointed with our failures in our missions. But God is with us. She believed that Jesus could heal her daughter. We need to believe strongly as she did.
5. Be not Afraid:
She challenged the tradition. She challenged the patriarchy system. She challenged that only Jews could be benefited. She became a gentile missionary to take the message of Jesus that he has come to this world for entire humanity. Just believing in Jesus is what we need to experience his love.
Be not afraid to challenge prejudice and falsity even in high places as a missionary of Jesus. The least among us can be a vehicle that God can use to bring justice and healing to all of God’s disadvantaged daughters and sons all over the world.
Following Jesus is never easy if we engage to work with the poor, needy, marginalised, migrant, tribal people.
Jesus will never ever unfollow us and He will be with us, if we have the missionary courage to proclaim his word, focus on his Kingdom, being non-violent in our approach, never giving up on our good work that God has called us for, and not to be afraid of those who kill our body.
May the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen…
