16th Sunday After Pentecost, Year B: What Creation Already Knows

*Lauren Sanders*

Human beings need relationships, learnings, and accountability to understand what creation already knows: all that God created is good. The goodness of creation maintains the divine spark of the Creator through relationships with all that God created and with the Creator. These relationships are originally sustainable ecosystems. We are called to be in balance and in harmony with all of creation. While balance and harmony are natural, many generations of humans have created systems of oppression that seem insurmountable and endless. The work of justice is to be accountable to all of creation and to maintain balance and harmony. The work of justice is ours to pursue since time immemorial. For systems of oppression (i.e. racism and colonization and genocide) warp and poison, ultimately hurting ourselves and destroying what God called good. The scripture passages for this Sunday are focused on justice, our work for justice, and what it means to be accountable.

Commentary

For convenience, maybe because congregants do not want to be lectured as a part of scripture readings 🤭, this Sunday’s reading in Proverbs is shortened to some salient points. These highlights partner with the James reading well. Using the JPS, 1985 translation in Sefaria.org (or the app) for Proverbs shows character and grace as life’s wealth rather than monetary wealth because the Holy One made life. Shall we not strive for what God values? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr echoed Proverbs 22:8, 22-23 when he said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. Proverbs 22 also reminds us that accountability is always certain. In verse 23, milachmo (his bread) reminds us how important eating together is, and this verse may be the jumping-off point into the Gospel passage.
Psalms 120-134 are songs of ascent, meaning people chanted or sang or recited them as they traveled the uphill climb to the temple in Jerusalem, since Jerusalem sits on a hill. These songs of ascent are communally performed at the Feast of Booths, which reminds God’s people of God’s care during the exodus wilderness journey. Like Proverbs 22:8, 22-23, Psalm 125 describes the balance and harmony with creation that is always present. The psalmist implores the Holy One to “do good… to the good” while also calling hearers to “do good” so that we may have lisharim (righteousness, what is right) in our hearts. Verse 4 brings to mind the Syrophoenician woman’s imploring Jesus to do what is right.
The letter of James is an ethical debate that we only hear one side of, though we can clearly imagine the other side. The letter as a whole has three main, direct, and assertive points: Don’t blame God for stupidity of our own making; most struggles we experience, we can learn from; and God uplifts the humble and brings down the rich so we should do similarly. These three major themes are within our pericope and can be read as a challenge to Paul’s teachings (Rom 3:28; 4:1-9).
Like a good debater, James asks questions which they already know the answer to, starting with “Do you actually believe in the same Jesus as me who said, ‘it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God,’ when we are placating and pandering to the rich?” Favouring monetary wealth and materialism is wrong. Anything less than loving our neighbours as ourselves is wrong. If we have a faith of love, of balance and harmony, and don’t show it through our actions and our words, our faith is dead, we’ve been lying to ourselves, and we are wrong and ridiculous. If you want a softer approach for your congregation, the Letter of James might not be preferred. The writer of James is quite clear, and his ethical stance is character-based. James broaches no nonsense.
These two Mark passages have Jesus again (3:8) leaving predominantly Jewish-centric lands and entering predominantly Gentile area of the Mediterranean coast. Tyre (7:24) was a “bitter enemy of the Jews” (Josephus, Ag. Ap. 1.70), the resource-rich coastal city northwest of Galilee. The Ten Cities/Decapolis (Mk 7:31) was a region southeast of the Sea of Galilee, east of the Jordan River. Although the Ten Cities was Gentile territory, many Jews lived there.
The crafting and ordering of the stories of Jesus is a thing of beauty in the Gospel of Mark. To better understanding what the writer of Mark is crafting with these two stories (Syrophoenician woman and deaf man), we need to understand what bread means. Back in 6:30 is one of the stories of the feeding of the multitude. Bread and fish in abundance for God’s people, the Jews, have leftovers filling twelve baskets. Then Jesus sends the disciples off, because maybe his patience was low for their lack of understanding. Whatever Jesus thought, after sending off the disciples, Jesus goes up the mountain to “fill up” through prayer. Jesus then rejoins his disciples, but not before scaring them sillier than they were previously. The disciples can’t recognize their own Messiah. Later (7:1) some culturally religious leaders and their communication staff (the Pharisees and the scribes) are appalled that the disciples are eating without washing their hands in the ritually pure way that people of certain means can do on a regular basis. The Greek word we translate as “eating” literally means “eating the loaves.” Jesus asserts eating bread with unclean hands does not make a person impure. Jesus speaks similarly to the debate-writer of James, the psalmist, and our proverbs lecturer: what’s in our heart is shown in what we do, and if what we do is rancid, then our heart is rancid.
Mark 7:24-30 is unlike any other story of Jesus. From a Facebook survey of my peers, the story of the Syrophoenician woman is a challenging passage for many preachers. This woman who is very Gentile (in Tyre, is Greek, Syrophoenician parents) found a hidden Jesus, bowed down at his feet and begged on behalf of her very sick daughter. Jesus’ reply is rancid: “The children have to be fed first. It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Jesus asserts his ministry is for the Jews first, and this desperate mother acknowledges that this is the prevailing philosophy in her response. It was considered a given that any Messiah would be with the Jews first and foremost, and her response illustrates that she knew this.
The most problematic sentence for our faith in Jesus the Christ is his next words: I’m not about to steal goodness and a gift of life from my people and throw it away to those who I don’t even acknowledge are people, lesser beings, really. The dogs Jesus references embody unclean, ritual impureness as scavengers and lickers of blood. (Ex 22:31; 1Sam 17:43, 24:14; 1Kgs 21:19,23,24; Prov 26:11) This is not “love your neighbour as yourself.” Jesus’ words are a clear insult. Any commentary who writes differently is wrong. As uncomfortable as it may be to believe Jesus can be wrong, I suggest remembering that our creeds affirm Jesus being fully human.
As a woman and mother who is Black and Indigenous, in my life, Christianity has been a weapon: a clumsy destroyer in the hands of those who are culturally Christian and a skilled sniper in the hands of those who should know better and therefore do better. Jesus in this passage was a skilled sniper. His turn of phrase was a weapon of mass destruction that the Pharisees would’ve been proud of, and Jesus’ response lacked goofy ignorance, hallmarks of the disciples.
And with the Syrophoenician mother’s words, I find a role model for my faith. She immediately understands what Jesus is saying, unlike the disciples. (8:21) Her words echo the creation story - all that the Creator made is good - while understanding the cultural context. The leftovers from the miracle of feeding the Jewish multitude is all she’s requesting, like the woman with the hemorrhage. (5:25-34) The leftovers from Jesus’ and the disciples’ interrupted-by-Pharisees meal are all she’s asking for. In the Syrophoenician woman, I find my calling, my voice, and my example of faith, all for justice. I find myself wanting to be like her and simultaneously becoming more like myself.
Unlike Luke, there are fewer women in Mark. Only three of the women in Mark have their words recorded. The first is the hemorrhaging woman: “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” (5:28) The Syrophoenician woman is the second. The last isn’t ascribed to a specific woman by name but it’s definitely Mary Magdalene, Mary – mother of James, Salome or some combination of them saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (16:3) The significance of the voice of the Syrophoenician woman is amplified: “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” (7:28) Added to this, there are many miraculous encounters in Mark where Jesus says, “Don’t tell anybody.” With this courageous woman, who found a hidden Jesus in a random house in Tyre, when she gets her miracle, the scripture does not recount Jesus telling her to keep his presence a secret nor does scripture recount her telling anyone. She seems to have a deep understanding of the socio-political boundaries that were crossed, the dangers that Jesus’ ministry faced, and in return, Jesus trusts her faith.
The way that the writer of Mark crafts Jesus’ journey through Gentile lands has a domino effect. If the Syrophoenician mother had not stood up for herself and her daughter, would Jesus have gone to heal the deaf man? Jesus’ message to Gentiles changed because he was held accountable for his oppressive beliefs. “Jews first and only” changed to a sigh and “Ephphatha,” a breathy word, meaning “Be Open”, giving voice to a Gentile. In line with a reoccurring theme of Mark, Jesus orders folks to not tell anyone, but you just can’t give someone a voice and expect them not to use it.
As a bookend to feeding the Jewish multitude, Jesus and the disciples feed the Gentile multitude (8:1-10), ending with seven baskets of leftovers. Upon entering Dalmanutha, Jesus and his disciples encounter more Pharisees who want a sign. Exasperated, Jesus leaves them and warns the disciples about the folly of the Pharisees as well as “the yeast of Herod.” (8:15) Like the comedic relief in a Shakespearean play, unlike the quick wit of the Syrophoenician woman, the disciples can’t understand what Jesus is saying, even after feeding two multitudes with barely anything.

Teaching and Preaching Ideas

Gourmet Food at an Exclusive Table
First United (firstunited.ca) has three particular values: Belonging, Dignity, and Justice. We try to remind everyone: you belong to a healthy and sustainable community; you have dignity and we respect that right to dignity; and we work to make sure that community is healthy and sustainable and respects your rights to dignity. We have a fundraiser called Shelter Gala. Donors pay for a plate of gourmet food at an exclusive table. Sounds like some kind of Met Gala type thing, except donors are not invited to the gala. Donors pay for a plate that they don’t receive or eat. The plate is for our shelter residents. Staff decorate the shelter’s meal room. A well-known chef prepares the menu and, with our staff cooks, they make a gourmet meal and dessert. Staff serve shelter residents. This fundraiser is our effort to not “show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes” while saying to the poor “sit on the floor by my feet”. (James 2:3) How can we be good financial stewards of our mission work and climate justice without catering to the rich? How can we show through our actions that our mission work and climate justice is important? How does our work for climate justice show that we love our neighbours as ourselves?

The Audacity
There will be times when our justice work is impeded by someone we all thought was “on our side”. May we all have the audacity of the Syrophoenician woman. May we all understand how racism and colonization impact our climate justice work. May we brazenly step out in more faith than even Jesus showed and just as much as the Syrophoenician mother. On the other hand, we all have said and done the absolute wrong thing, even in pursuit of justice. May we be inspired by those who, in love, hold us accountable. May we change our message from narrowness, one-right-way, and scarcity of thought to incorporate the breath of God, God’s spirit, and be open.

To Understand the Way Creation Lives
I’ve been learning Potawatomi, one of my Indigenous languages. None of my family speaks it, other than a few random words, because of boarding schools (the U.S.’s version of residential schools) and colonization’s policies and practices. I’m learning that Potawatomi makes new words either based on the English (like kopi for coffee) or based on naming the components (like piapkos kiktowen [pronounced pē ăp kōs kēk tow win] for phone, literally meaning wires we talk on). Though I am Prairie Band Potawatomi in Kansas, my Potawatomi cousins who are Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi created a word: nsetwadzewen to mean “inclusivity”. The literal meaning is nset: understanding with respect; wadze: the way beings live; wen changes this word from verb to noun. Therefore, nsetwadzëwen (pronounced [soft/barely audible “n”] süt wăd zhü win) means an inclusivity that respectfully does the work to understand the way creation lives and reaches understanding. I wonder if “ephphatha” and “nsetwadzëwen” are cousins.

Sources and Resources

https://www.sefaria.org/texts

Allen, R. J., Andrews, D. P., & Wilhelm, D. O. (2011). Preaching God’s transforming justice: A Lectionary Commentary, Year B. Westminster John Knox Press.

Harrelson, W. J. (2003). The new Interpreter’s Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha.

Green, J. B. (2018). The CEB Study Bible with Apocrypha Hardcover.

For our neighbours in the United Church of Canada, beginning with the Sunday after Labour Day until Thanksgiving Sunday are the five (sometimes six) Sundays of Creation Time during the season of Pentecost. September 8, 2024 is Creation Time 1 in the Season of Pentecost, where Creation cries out: Love me! The website has sermon starters, suggested readings, hymns, worship sparks, children’s time ideas, etc https://united-church.ca/worship-liturgical-season/creation-time-1

Season of Creation 2024 Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes https://newcreationliturgies.org/seasonofcreation/

Contributor bio
Bozho jayek. niťtena kinwa? Anwesėśhėna. Lauren nŤėshnēkas. Ote ke xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) eťtēŤayan. Éhé neshnabe nŤew. Mshkodani bodéwadmi mine kiikaapoa nŤēbenŤagwïs.

I’m Rev. Lauren Sanders. I am the Indigenous Spiritual Care Chaplain at First United. I'm a multifaith trauma-informed spiritual care provider who is Indigenous and offers care from an Indigenous perspective, with a specialty in mental health chaplaincy. I listen to all people's life stories and experiences, and I remind them that every person deserves to have their spirit cared for. The people I'm a chaplain for are four ever evolving groups: staff and board of First United, the people who access our services (community members), the neighborhood we work in (the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver- DTES), and the larger Christian Church. I get to do justice work. I get to do bereavement work. I get to do art. I get to teach. I get to learn about Indigeneity in the Pacific Northwest Coast. I get to learn and share about my Indigenous communities too.

Does your faith community want to get involved with the work at First United? Consider sponsoring a meal (https://firstunited.ca/how-you-help/sponsor-a-meal) or volunteering (https://firstunited.ca/how-you-help/volunteer).

Also, please consider educating your congregation about housing issues in BC: