CELC The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 14, 2005

Matthew 15:10-28

Do you remember the joke about having a photographic memory? I have told it before. It’s the one about the fellow who said to me, “Bob do you know you have a photographic memory?” And I answered, “No, I didn’t know that.” “Yes,” said my friend and then continued, “But you are missing the film.”

This week I heard a sequel to that joke. My friend stills says, “Bob do you know you have a photographic memory?” And when I answer, “No, I didn’t know that,” my friend says, “Yeah, and it’s too bad you are still waiting at the counter for the one-hour developing!”

As Rodney was prone to say, “No respect…”

Whether you call it a “senior moment” or just a “bad memory” we all struggle with memory issues. Young or old, you try to remember a name or a date or something else and find yourself unable to do it. Perhaps an hour or so later, if your developer works well, you remember.

Jesus forgives you a bad memory. What he is more concerned about is the purity of our hearts. It isn’t a bad memory, Jesus says, that gets us into trouble, it is a bad heart.

The context is a conversation with the crowds and his disciples, and then finally a Canaanite woman. The key to the conversations is the purity of the heart. It is, as Jesus says, not what we put in our mouths, the food we eat that makes us impure. What makes us impure is what comes out of our mouths. It is what comes out of our mouths from our hearts that leads to evil intentions, and much else according to Jesus.

And none of us is exempt. If you think you are the king or queen of remarks that can be classified as bad news, let me tell you that I would challenge you for that title. When honest, we confess our short comings in the purity of words department. Some time, some where, in some circumstances we all mutter a word or two.

So, we know that we are not pure of heart. Our response is to try and clean up our act. Our response is to try bridling our tongue so that we don’t slip up.

As hard as we work at it, we fail. There is always something, always some frustrating event and moment that press us beyond our ability to remain in control and a word slips out; a word of judgment perhaps, or a word of slander, or a word of yet something else.

When we inevitably become aware that we cannot clean up our act by ourselves, we throw ourselves on the mercy of God. It is the only path to take. As we turn to God we turn to the cross and find the forgiveness God so readily grants. At the cross we find the forgiveness and mercy that transforms us and makes us new. At the cross we leave behind the impure and are made by God disciples of great faith, like the Canaanite woman.

Yes, there are moments when we ‘backslide.’ Knowing the forgiveness of God in the cross does not mean we never sin again. It does mean, though that we can take our words into our daily life and give witness to the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ.

It is the “preseason.” My beloved Redskins are in the midst of their training camp. Last night they had their first game. In the newspaper Joe Gibbs said that coaching now is a different experience because players do so much work and training all year. Players arrive in training camp in good condition and ready to play. It used to be that players took the “off season” off. When they came back to play it took time to get back into shape and be able to play the season.

Some folks look upon discipleship like football players used to look upon the off season. There is no need to train all year long, you just become a follower of Jesus when ill health strikes or a catastrophe of some kind comes along and makes you realize you need God.

Discipleship, though, means daily use of the Word of God and prayer. The marks of a disciple is that they don’t wait until the crisis to somehow “work” back into shape a relationship with God. Disciples daily center in the Word and turn to God in prayer.

The Word of God first addresses you and then you address God. Here is the daily pattern that leads to the telling of the grace of God in Jesus that forgives and heals. Sometimes you verbally speak that truth. Sometimes you act that truth.

So, if you don’t feel articulate and still want to speak of the forgiving grace of God in the cross, do something for others. This afternoon the Shenandoah Valley Grief Center will be dedicated in Harrisonburg. It is a new ministry in our area to those who have experienced a loss and now they grieve. The Grief Center is here now to minister to those who grieve. The Grief Center needs you in many ways. They need volunteers, they need money, and they need to have people referred to them. So, let your actions speak the Word of God and join Pastor Lasher in her ministry to those who grieve. She welcomes your help.

So, it is not a perfect memory that is important. Remember that! Rather, it is the mercy and grace of your words that is important. And your words and actions may be purely given for the sake of others in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

§ Pastor Robert F. Holley