"A Lifetime of Reconciliation" August 20, 2017

Genesis 45: 1-15 Matthew 15: 1-28 20 years ago, after being in ministry for a dozen years, I was mentoring a Seminary student in preaching, writing sermons, when it occurred to me that every sermon I preached and believe I would ever preach, is about “rebuilding trust”. That seems so simple, but all of us, all humanity in all places in every time throughout the history of the world, have had relationships with our parents, siblings, loved ones, co-workers, superiors, our children, neighbors, and God: broken with anger & hurt. This, is the most basic reason for our Sacraments; that in BAPTISM you would know, every single one of us hear and are made to remember: “You are loved! Almighty God claims you saying Well Done!” In COMMUNION, that Jesus gave a new LAW to love one another, offering his life for our brokenness, to reconcile us, and to God. But as simple as that realization, Reconciliation does not happen instantly. To truly reconcile, to forgive and rebuild trust, especially when shamed, insulted, violated for generations, is something that requires a lifetime to heal. When we do not talk about differences, when we do not and cannot listen to one another, when all we can do is protest and counter-protest and riot, our brokenness festers like infected wounds, like a cancer multiplying exponentially until there is nothing healthy left in us, we are defiled by what has come from our hearts out our mouths. Last time, as this summer we have been reading the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we left off with Jacob returning to reconcile with God and with his brother Esau, In the intervening of last week, another generation has gone by. Jacob’s beloved Rachel died, and their firstborn, Joseph, did not play well in the sandbox with his brothers, so his brothers roughed him up, stripped him naked, taking away Joseph’s most prideful possessions, and threw him down an abandoned well. I have always identified with Joseph, because I had elder brothers and the only time they let me play was to suspend me upside down, then drop me through the hayloft, when they built tire-swings to be test-pilot to see if the rope would break. Joseph’s brothers then sold him into slavery, telling their father there was no point searching for him because he had been killed by a beast and could not come home; while, by his slavers, Joseph was wrongly accused and sentenced to the dungeons to live out his days. Through an Act of God, Joseph is not only released from prison, but elevated to be the most powerful and influential ruler of Egypt, under Pharaoh. When a famine, similar to what has been happening in Northeast Africa today, afflicted the land, and all nations of people came as refugees to Egypt seeking aid. Given all Joseph has endured because of his brothers’ hatred, given all the power Joseph now possesses, how do we expect Joseph to respond to his brothers? Yet he forgives. As Post-Modern Deconstruction Historians we reinterpret Joseph sold his family into slavery to Egypt, Slavery that will lead to Moses and Israel’s Exodus. But Joseph provided for his family, he kept them alive, Joseph gave his brothers food and water, gave those whom he had justification to hate: land in Goshen. For Joseph it was not simply “forgive and forget”, the most-powerful man in the world, was heard weeping, and throughout his life Joseph provided for them, claiming “God used what you planned for evil, in order to provide you blessing.” Instead of your preacher cherry-picking which passages to preach which week, I have followed the Catholic Lectionary of the Vatican rotating passages over a three year cycle. The intrigue of this is that we and those who worship at St. Mary’s and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church can talk together, sharing insights, because in all honesty, none of us have all the answers. But this week, of all possible selections, we were given by the Lectionary this passage from Matthew. Most often what has caught my attention has been Jesus exchange with this woman. First, she is Canaanite, identifying that this is a passage about RACE. Quite literally, Jesus refers to her as less than human, as a mongrel beast. Second, she is a Woman, which in the Ancient World meant that by virtue of her gender she was not equal, without rights, without being counted among the population, without freedoms we take for granted. Third, she came in need, begging for help for one: NOT A SON OF ISRAEL. To discuss Racism is not a matter of being Politically Correct. Our lack of honesty about our feelings, Refusing acknowledgement of Race, has permitted atrocities to occur throughout human history. Religious Scholars have debated why the Bible demonstrates Jesus said what he did here, whether the Messiah could be wrong and corrected. I believe, the issue of RACE is so important, that this conversation is recorded, to call attention especially in the Church that horrible wrongs have been committed and need to be discussed. Of all the things that “have come out of people speaking this last seven days,” what has excited me, has been the words of the descendants of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Jefferson Davis. Each of whom have emphatically stated their belief that their family’s Confederate Statues should no longer be displayed in Civic Parks, but should be moved to Museums, BECAUSE to many people Human Slavery was/is shaming as INHUMAN DOGS; BECAUSE in Museums there could be explanation and education about the Patriotism of these National Leaders; BUT ALSO, BECAUSE instead of riots, instead of protests, our Nation might finally sit down and talk about Race and Traditions, about Implicit Prejudices we have never admitted we owned. As much as we as a Nation take pride in being a Great Melting Pot of Diversity, in all being Created Equal, the TRADITION we are most embarrassed about, the Sin we never speak of : is Racism. Nothing will ever be done, no healing can ever take place, if we do not talk together, listen to those who differ from us, and consider the cost of forgiveness, consider our willingness for reconciliation and our desires not to do so. In his Second Inaugural Address, President Lincoln stated: “Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war might speedily pass away. Yet IF GOD WILLS this war continue, until all the wealth piled by the bondsman’s two hundred fifty years of unrequited toil be sunk, until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another’s drawn with the sword,… then as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.” Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.”