Mark 7:24-37 Friendship Baptist Church 9-10-00
Be Open to the Crumb Snatchers
Whether we want to admit it or not, we all want to be included. We want to be where the happenings are. We want people to call us and let us know what’s going on. Even if we can’t make it, just the fact somebody call me and let me know, is good enough. We don’t like to be on the outside looking in. We all want to be at the party. We want to be a part of the happenings and going ons.
However, sometimes we are not invited the party. We don’t make the cut. We are not in the “in crowd”, not on the A list. Maybe it’s because we don’t have the certain status or job, or know the right people. Maybe we don’t have the education or the wherewith all to get a RSVP invitation. Maybe we don’t attend the right social functions or in the right club. Maybe we don’t live in the right neighborhood or subdivision. Maybe it’s then that we are left out of the party.
In a country drunk off the wine of the “greatest prosperity since WWII, don’t you know that there are still a lot of people who are left out of the party? Single mothers who are trying and struggling to make ends meet, working two and sometimes three jobs, leaving them without the quality time to spend with their children, are left out of the party. Children whose faces we don’t see or neglect to see who go hungry night after night, are left out of the party. Abuse women; with no place to go and nowhere to turn are left out of the party. Men who have their manhood snatch away by governmental institutions, which are supposed to be in the business of rehabilitating people for society, are left out of the party.
The senior citizen who has to decide whether to fill their prescriptions or pay the light bill this month are left out of the party. The people who are tuck neatly away in a nursing home and the family and church members have thrown away the key to their hearts are left out of the party. People trapped in a neighborhood overrun by crime, filth, and decay are left out of the party. Children having to go to dysfuncting schools where the powers that be seem not to care, are left out of the party.
But I came to remind somebody, that God has a party! God’s giving a big banquet and we are all invited. This is a place where everybody’s having a good time. If you ever felt like you have been locked out, kicked out, thrown out, or knocked out, I got some good news for you! The God we serve, will pick you up, turn you around, and place your feet on solid ground.
The God we serve, is no respecter of persons. The God we serve, wants all people to be saved and come into the knowledge of truth. The God we serve, has promised us that we will never go hungry or thirsty. The God we serve, has all power. God will bring us out. God will bring us through. God will make a way somehow. By the power of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, we have access to God and we are all welcome to come and join the party. I don’t know about you, but I am glad that I am invited to the party where Jesus is the host!
But what happens when you feel that you are not invited to Christ’s banquet? What if you feel as if you are not qualified? What happens when you are left out the party? What happens when you feel unworthy, dirty, and unclean? What happens when you are systematically left out of the party?
This is what we have here in our text. Two different situations, one involving a woman, and the other involving a group of people. In both situations the people needed something, but due to the Jewish ecclesiology or church doctrine and beliefs, they weren’t really invited to the party.
For you see, Jesus had entered Gentile country. After preaching a serious discourse of what’s the meaning of clean and unclean, after telling the religious leaders of his day that what goes into a person doesn’t make the person unclean, but what comes out make that person unclean, Jesus now heads for “unclean” Gentile country. I can imagine the religious leaders saying, “Why is he going there? What is he doing in Gentile country? Doesn’t he know that these people are unclean?” Even his disciples had to be wondering, “Jesus, why are we here? What are you doing going here? Shouldn’t we be preaching to our own people? Why are we here far away from home?”
For you see, these Gentile people weren’t invited to the party. They weren’t fit for the theology of the day. They didn’t have the gospel. They weren’t Jews, so no one considered them important. They were locked out of the church. Israel was to be the light unto the Gentiles, but many Jewish leaders, used their status as God’s chosen people, as condemnation of others.
And my sister and brothers, let us not be guilty of locking folk out of the church. Let not our ecclesiology be stained by the residue of selective inclusion. Let’s tell a dying humanity that Jesus died for all of us. Let’s tell the people that whosoever can come. Let’s tell the people, that Jesus is a heart fixer and a mind regulator. Let’s tell the people, that Jesus is a burden bearer and a heavy load sharer. Let’s tell the people that there is hope in your hell and mercy in your mess. Let’s tell people that Jesus is the savior for all humankind. Let’s tell the people, that Jesus lives and breathes right here today at Friendship Baptist Church. Let’s tell the people, that Jesus is on the main line, tell him what you want. Let’s tell the people that greater is the One that’s within you, than the one that’s in the world.
But the prevailing theology of Jesus’ day was that people who didn’t fit, who didn’t have the right status, the right position, and in the right condition, need not come to the party. There’s nothing that God will do for you, matter of fact, the reason you are in the condition that you are in is because God has not look favorably on you.
It is a sad fact when the church’s theology keep anyone out of the party, but it’s even a sadder fact when we keep ourselves out of the party. When we feel that we are unworthy or not good enough for the Lord of hosts, we keep ourselves out of the party. When we harbor resentment for past sins, and let them torture us like a never-ending fire, we keep ourselves out of the party. When we say that God could never forgive me because I can’t forgive myself, we keep ourselves out of the party. When we think that we have to have it all together, thinking that we have to be straight, clothes on our back and money in our pockets before we approach the Lord of hosts, we keep ourselves out of the party.
And we do this until one day we wake up and we are tired of living like we have lived. We are tired of not being fully alive. We are tired of dodging our enemies and worrying about our friends. We are tired of living beneath our standards. We are so sick and tired of being sick and tired.
So we want back in the church. We want the joy of our salvation back. We want our purpose and meaning back in our lives. We want to live again. We want to be blessed and be a blessing to others.
So we turn to Jesus. Not knowing really what to expect, we just turn to Jesus. We heard that Jesus has fixed up others before. We heard that Jesus has come into so many lives and changed them around before. We have heard that Jesus has cast out demons before. Maybe, just maybe, he can do this for me. Can you heal me Jesus? Can you save me Jesus? Am I welcome to your party Jesus?
The woman’s daughter was possessed by a demon. The child was uncontrollable, probably been to every doctor and specialist in the region. But the woman heard that Jesus was coming to town. She had to see him. She had to ask, she had to see for herself what this Jesus guy was all about. But,.. she was a Gentile. Could she go up to Jesus and ask for a blessing? Could she ask for a healing? She was also a woman. In Jesus’ day, women had no rights. They weren’t even allowed in worship services. Who did she think she was going up to the Lord of hosts and asking for an invitation to come to the party?
But that didn’t stop the woman. She ran up to Jesus, bowed down to him and asked for help. I can hear her saying, “I know this isn’t protocol, I know I am not supposed to be doing this. I know I could get into trouble. I know that people think I am crazy. I tried everything that I know how. I know that I probably look bad right now, hair all over my head, no make-up on, in some old dress, but Lord I need you right now! I don’t care who sees me. I don’t care who knows about it. I don’t care what people say about me. I don’t care what might happen. Lord, I need help and I need it right now!
And what I came to remind somebody, that when you need help and you need it right now, there’s no time for protocol. No time to get yourself all fix up, styling and profiling. No time to say “thees” and “thous”. No time to make sure somebody got some holy oil. No time to make sure you have it all together. No time to run and ask for the preacher. No time to call a friend. No time to say anything to anybody, but Lord I need some help right now! Father I stretch my hand to thee, no other help do I know.
Even when Jesus tried to throw her off, and called her literally a little dog (oh I wish I had time to work with this thing) she said to him “even the dogs eat the crumbs from the master’s table.” In other words Jesus, I know your mission, I know what you were sent to do, I know that you are here for your people, I know you’ll get around to the other folk someday, but today Lord, right now Lord, my child is sick and needs a healing. My child needs to get back up. My child needs to be delivered and be set free. My child needs a touch. I don’t care what you do Lord, don’t care how you do it, don’t care anything about your mission, all I know is that my child is in need of a miracle, and I’ll take the crumbs in order for it to get done”.
And so many people all across the city, and even in this church are saying Lord, I need a miracle. Lord, I need my child back. Lord I need my family back. Lord my child is on drugs. Lord I need some help. Lord I can’t drop this habit. Lord I need to be delivered. Lord my mother needs you. Lord, my daddy needs to be saved. Lord, whatever you have to do, I need you Lord,. I know you are busy Lord but I’ll take the crumbs.
But I came with some Good News this morning. You don’t have to take the crumbs; Jesus is providing the whole meal. Welcome to the party! Because of what the woman said, she was given the whole enchilada. I hear Jesus saying, “You don’t have to eat the crumbs you can have the whole meal!”
That’s what I came to tell somebody, you don’t have to settle for the crumbs, Jesus is providing the whole meal! You can come to Jesus just as you are, and get the blessing that you are in need of. You don’t have to be a crumb snatcher, because Jesus is open to the crumb snatchers. What the woman did when she bowed down, she in actuality stood up, and opened the door for all humanity.
And that’s exactly what Jesus wanted. That’s why he came this way. That’s why the flippant remark about food and dogs didn’t stop the blessing because both Jesus and the woman were being open. And that’s why you don’t have to settle for the crumbs. Because the windows of heaven are open and the Lord is about to pour out a blessing and there will not be enough room to recieve it!
I came to remind somebody, don’t settle for the crumbs. You may not think you are worthy, but don’t settle for the crumbs. You think you shouldn’t receive a blessing, but don’t settle for the crumbs. You think your child won’t ever come around, but don’t settle for the crumbs. You may have been out of church for a while, but don’t settle for the crumbs. You think you can’t make it on your job, but don’t settle for the crumbs. You waiting on Mr. or Mrs. Right, but don’t settle for the crumbs. You waiting on that promotion, but don’t settle for the crumbs. We are all waiting on our senior pastor to come, but don’t settle for the crumbs!
Our faith teaches us that we can go boldly to the throne of grace just as we are and ask the One who gives us strength, to help us in our time of need. I Chr. 16:11- “seeks the Lord and God’s strength, seek the Lord’s face continually.” Mt. 7:7- “Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.” Listen, anytime we petition the throne of grace, earnestly seeking and inquiring of the Lord, we shall be heard and answers are given. Come as you are, and come wherever you are, don’t let any one stop you. For you too are a child of God.
But Jesus doesn’t stop there. Being opened by the woman Jesus continues to open things up. He goes on into Gentile country and sees a group of people with a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. In other words he could talk, but not clearly. Maybe he stumbled over his words or since he was deaf and couldn’t hear himself talk, maybe he couldn’t pronounce his words correctly. Whatever the reason, the people, who probably were all Gentiles, brought him to Jesus for a healing.
Many times people who have been away from the church or who think that they don’t fit in the church or the church’s theology become deaf to the Word and can not speak. They remain on the outside, not even able to come to the house of the Lord or for that matter speak with Jesus themselves. They need a little help; they need a little guidance.
But my sisters and brothers, that’s where the church comes in. We need to be the lighthouse for the world. We need to be the place where people who have lost their speech and their hearing of the Word can come and be welcome. We are call to help lead some people to Jesus. People need to see our good works. People need to see who and whose we are. People need to be able to count on the church. Many of our children are stammering over their speech and can’t hear any of our teachings. Many of our women are living beneath their means; living lives that they don’t have to live. Many of our men are struggling with their speech impediments by not living at all. Many of our institutions we have trusted in the past are deaf to the concerns of the people they should be protecting. Many of our families are stammering over what’s right and what’s wrong. Many of our politicians are deaf and dumb to the concerns of their constituents. Many of our seniors are living lives without the godly wisdom that they should have. And many of our churches are stammering over their words and deaf to the needs of the community. But if we are to be the church that Christ has built, we need to help lead many of these folks to Christ.
For you see, when Jesus heal the man he looked up into heaven and sighed. Maybe he was sighing over his disciple’s and religious leaders exclusionary beliefs. Maybe he was sighing over the fact that the otherwise healthy man had been burden by this affliction for a long time. But whatever the reason he yelled out “Eph-pha-tha which means to be open. Be open and be set free.
And that’s what our call is, to be open and help set free. Be open to the crumb snatchers of the world. There are people out there that are willing to take their blessings in crumbs, but Jesus has promised a whole meal. Sometimes we may have to sigh along with Jesus with all of the problems we will have to face, but our mandate is simple, go to the uttermost places and make disciples. Go into Gentile territory, go into the places where people are just living off the crumb blessings and tell them that they too can have abundant life. Go to the places where people don’t expect to be blessed. Go to the places where folks think that God has deserted them. Go to the places where folks have lost all hope. Go to the places where time seems to stand still and there’s no improvement anywhere. Go to the places where gangs and thug life is present. Go to the places where we wouldn’t normally go. Go to the places where we can be a light in the midst of darkness, by doing the work of Christ, helping to heal, deliver, and set free some folks who thought that they weren’t invited to the party.
For you see in being open to the crumb snatchers, being open to the people who are living off of crumb blessings. By being open to the people who are settling for the crumbs. By being open to people by helping them to understand that they too have a reservation for the eschatological banquet that we all will be invited to one day. By being open to the crumb snatchers, we remember that we too were crumb snatchers.
We remember that we too wanted to live off the crumbs. We remember that we didn’t feel worthy. We remember that we didn’t feel qualified, dignified, verified, or justified. We remember when we didn’t care about edifying, glorifying, magnifying, or testifying God’s name at all. By being open to the crumb snatchers, we realize that it wasn’t to long ago that we were down and out. It wasn’t to long ago that we felt this way. It wasn’t to long ago that we didn’t love. It wasn’t to long ago that we didn’t care. It wasn’t to long ago, that we couldn’t speak. It wasn’t to long ago that we couldn’t hear. It wasn’t to long ago that we were hooked up to the wrong power source. It wasn’t to long ago that we were just wondering around with nothing to say.
And what Jesus was trying to tell his disciples and what He is telling us today is that everybody by faith is welcome to the party. No one is left out of the party. No matter who you are, where you come from, what school you went to, what degree you hold, what part of town you live in, what your past my be, who you parents are, or what color you may be, you are all welcome to the party.
Because when you come to Jesus, when you come to the party, when you are truly set free, you realized that no one can stop you from receiving a blessing. You realize that the demons in your life have disappeared. You realize that now you can speak and hear with some clarity. You realize that Jesus is a miracle worker, that Jesus is a habit breaker. That Jesus is our all in all. That Jesus is all that we need.
And then you can sing with conviction, “Pass me not O gentle Savior, hear my humble cry, while on others thy are calling, do not pass me by!
Amen
