WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:14.240 Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, to him who loves us and has washed us clean from our sins with his own blood, and made us to be a kingdom of priests to serve God and his Father. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:17.600 To him be all glory, honor, and dominion forever and ever. 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:18.640 Amen. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:23.760 What does it mean to be a Christian? 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:33.280 In one way, being a Christian is about confessing one's faith. 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:35.359 Just as St. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:48.000 Paul said in last week's epistle reading, he said, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:58.880 Here, to confess means to speak the truth as God has declared it to you. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:04.719 Confessing our faith is what Christians do. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:07.599 It's what Lutherans do. 00:01:09.359 --> 00:01:16.560 Every Sunday we confess what we believe with our mouths, in the words of the Creed. 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:22.879 I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. 00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:32.719 In this body of believers, you'll hear things like, This is what we believe, teach, and confess. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:43.359 Lutherans use these words to describe our teaching because Scripture demands that we use them. 00:01:44.799 --> 00:01:52.719 Because our doctrine, our teaching, is what we believe, teach, and confess that Scripture actually says. 00:01:55.519 --> 00:02:04.400 These are the same words we use in our Lutheran confessions because together the Lutheran confessions are our joint confession of faith. 00:02:04.799 --> 00:02:15.199 They say what we believe, teach, and confess together as the church, with no ambiguity. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:20.159 There are biblical words for biblical people. 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:27.360 Confessing our belief before the whole world about what God says in his word. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:36.560 So, what is it that we confess, dear saints? 00:02:37.439 --> 00:02:39.599 What is it that we believe? 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:47.759 Well, we confess Christ and Him crucified for the forgiveness of sins. 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:54.000 These are the words spoken to us by God in the Holy Scriptures. 00:02:54.319 --> 00:03:04.400 Just as a parent teaches a child what to speak, so also God teaches us what to speak, even pray in his holy word. 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:09.039 These very words are gifts from God. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:17.280 It is by God's word that we confess what we believe, that we confess our faith. 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:22.800 And this is why confessing Jesus is always a gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:36.879 As the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, speaks into our ears and into our hearts, so we in turn confess it with our mouths what we believe in our hearts, just like St. 00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:37.840 Paul says. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:45.199 So then, what are we to learn from today's gospel reading? 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:51.840 Again, none of our Lord's actions are by accident. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:04:00.560 Jesus puts himself in a region where Gentiles live, Tyre and Sidon, ancient pagan cities of Phoenicia. 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:20.560 He didn't just wander there, not knowing where he was going, but having put himself in this region, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David, my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:39.360 Now, you should know that just before this encounter in Matthew's gospel, Jesus had a discussion with the Pharisees about cleanliness and the blind leading the blind. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:53.680 He was talking with these Jews, and they neither recognized who Jesus was, nor did they believe in who he revealed himself to be. 00:04:55.920 --> 00:05:07.920 But now, in this foreign region, a Gentile woman confesses him for who he is and who he is revealed to be. 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:19.680 That is to say, this woman confesses with her mouth who she believes Jesus to be in her heart. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.920 The people that should have recognized him, the Jews, did not. 00:05:26.000 --> 00:05:30.879 And yet this Gentile woman, who shouldn't have, did. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:35.519 Listen to what happens next. 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:43.920 But Jesus did not answer her a word, and his disciples came and begged him, saying, Send her away, for she's crying out after us. 00:05:45.759 --> 00:05:50.000 Now, it appears that the disciples were just trying to get rid of her. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.480 But Jesus' response reveals something more. 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:01.600 He answered, I was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:08.480 But this is interesting because the disciples didn't just want to get rid of her. 00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:12.639 They wanted Jesus to do something to get rid of her. 00:06:12.800 --> 00:06:17.360 Kind of like, hey, Jesus, fix her problems so that she'll leave us alone. 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:22.079 But Jesus is not Miracle Max. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:28.399 He's not present there just to grant wishes or make people feel good. 00:06:29.519 --> 00:06:34.319 That's not his earthly mission, nor his heavenly one for that matter. 00:06:35.360 --> 00:06:37.519 Nor is that his mission today. 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:47.519 His mission is the payment of the sins of the world on the cross and the deliverance of that forgiveness where he gives it. 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.360 But his words sound harsh, don't they? 00:06:54.800 --> 00:06:57.199 Aren't we commanded to love our neighbor? 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:01.120 Aren't we commanded to love our enemies? 00:07:03.839 --> 00:07:10.480 But our Lord rightly says, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:12.720 Jesus doesn't lie. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:16.399 That is his earthly mission. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:20.879 He is fulfilling all that the Father has sent him to do. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:26.639 Nevertheless, the lost sheep are his concern. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:29.519 And it is the lost sheep that he seeks. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:37.279 But this begs the question: who are the lost sheep? 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:43.040 Are they only found amongst the children of Israel? 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:49.839 To answer that, let's consider St. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:51.839 John's gospel for a moment. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:08:00.399 In it, Jesus says, I have other sheep that are not of this fold. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:05.199 I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:09.680 So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:19.199 So there are sheep who must be brought into the fold of Israel, so there will be one flock and one shepherd. 00:08:19.439 --> 00:08:28.079 So then the house of Israel doesn't only include the children of Israel. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:32.799 But let's listen further. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:39.039 So the woman came and knelt before him, saying, Lord, help me. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:44.799 And he answered, It's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs. 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:49.120 Indeed, this sounds like an insult. 00:08:50.639 --> 00:08:53.039 Is our Lord calling this woman a dog? 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:57.279 And what's this bread that he's speaking about? 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:01.919 But the woman is quick to respond. 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:08.000 She says, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat crumbs that fall from the master's table. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:12.879 And it is in her response that reveals everything. 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:20.399 It's not the bread, it's not about the bread or the children. 00:09:20.960 --> 00:09:28.320 Rather, it is about her recognition of who the master of the house is. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:36.639 In this statement, the woman's previous confession of who Jesus is is solidified. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:50.080 This means she's not merely repeating what she may have heard from some Jew that Jesus was the son of David, but she confesses him to be her master and her Lord. 00:09:50.480 --> 00:09:58.080 And in this confession, Jesus affirmed her faith and recognizes her membership in the household. 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:03.519 Oh, then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:05.919 Be it done for you as you desire. 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:08.720 And her daughter was healed instantly. 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:17.840 So then today's sermon could almost be called part two from last week's sermon. 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:35.279 Last week we witnessed Jesus walking on the water, revealing to the disciples who he was in the Greek words egoemi, which means his I am, his I am statement, revealing that in fact Jesus is God in the flesh. 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:49.279 And the result of this is witnessed by the disciples confessing their faith in Jesus' true identity by worshiping him on the boat. 00:10:49.919 --> 00:10:52.720 Because one only worships God, right? 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:01.200 Last week we heard Jesus call Peter a little faith one. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:09.600 Because just for a moment, Peter doubted the source and the sustainer of his faith out on the waves. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:14.879 But in the end, returning to Jesus as the only one who could save him. 00:11:18.559 --> 00:11:23.200 In contrast, this week we hear something very different. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:30.960 We hear Jesus say to this Canaanite woman, Oh woman, great is your faith. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:39.840 So what then is the difference between Peter from last week and this woman? 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:48.320 How can the great disciple and apostle Peter be a little faith one and this woman a great faith one? 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:51.360 What's the difference? 00:11:53.120 --> 00:11:55.279 Is it the size of their faith? 00:11:56.639 --> 00:11:58.799 Is it the amount of their faith? 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:02.720 These are both wrong questions. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:12.240 If it were about the size of their faith, then Jesus couldn't say, faith the size of a mustard seed, can move mountains. 00:12:14.080 --> 00:12:17.360 So then what is the difference between them? 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.159 The difference is quite simple, really. 00:12:23.919 --> 00:12:31.679 One received the gift of faith and then doubted its authenticity just for a moment out on the waves. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:42.960 But the other, the other received the gift of faith, and in an act of desperation, she would not let go. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:53.840 The truth of who Jesus was should have been clear in the eyes of every Jew, but they were often blind. 00:12:55.200 --> 00:13:00.559 Even when they received the truth from their very own scriptures and in front of their own faces. 00:13:02.320 --> 00:13:08.080 Their culture, their belief, their trust in their bloodlines, they all got in the way. 00:13:09.759 --> 00:13:20.480 But on the contrary, this Canaanite woman who recognized Jesus for who he was, even though she was not an Israelite. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:24.080 But then nothing else mattered to her. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:34.000 She confessed Jesus for who he really is, the Messiah, the Christ, the anointed one of God, sent to save his lost sheep. 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:37.919 Notice what she called him. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:41.600 Lord, Kyrie in the Greek. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:50.159 The same word for God in the Old Testament, Yahweh, and Jesus as both God and man is the Son of David. 00:13:52.639 --> 00:14:03.679 When we hear words like, Great is your faith from Jesus, we often have desire, desire to have great faith. 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:08.320 We may even wish he could say something like that of us. 00:14:10.639 --> 00:14:15.600 We're often tempted to think that who among us doesn't want great faith? 00:14:17.679 --> 00:14:26.080 What woman in this congregation wouldn't love to hear their Lord say to her, A woman, great is your faith. 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:36.480 What man here wouldn't love Jesus to say to them, with no one in California have I seen or found such faith? 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:40.080 But then again, we know ourselves, don't we? 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:47.120 We often feel incredibly weak in our faith. 00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:49.039 We doubt like Peter. 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:55.039 We fail to believe our Lord's simplest command and promise. 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:06.799 We may even compare ourselves to Peter and the Canaanite woman and think to ourselves, I am so much more like Peter than I am this Canaanite woman. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:17.679 And the truth is, we will let the cares of this world, the devil, and even our own flesh rob us of the gift of faith in Jesus. 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:35.279 We'll even listen to the logic spewed by a scientific community that attempts to explain how God just can't be real or how every miracle is really explainable by some natural phenomenon and not performed by God. 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:50.240 We'll let our own sinful flesh turn our eyes away from Jesus, and we'll desire the things of this world over where our Lord's gifts are given, even right here. 00:15:52.879 --> 00:16:01.279 We'll let our own whims, succumbing to our own sinful desires, telling ourselves, it's okay if I just do it this once. 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:08.399 When you know God's law bears witness against all of you. 00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:15.360 Satan will whisper in your ear, just like he did Adam and Eve. 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:17.919 Did God really say? 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:22.639 Or worse yet, you can't trust God. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:27.120 He doesn't really have your best interests in mind. 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:33.200 The truth is, you can reject this gift of faith. 00:16:33.440 --> 00:16:39.279 And when it happens, you will stumble and fall, just like Peter did. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:43.600 But thanks be to God. 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:52.720 He has delivered the whole world through the bloody death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:16:53.759 --> 00:16:57.120 In him we have hope and salvation. 00:16:57.279 --> 00:16:59.679 In him all things are made new. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.240 He is always there where he has shown himself to be. 00:17:56.960 --> 00:18:07.759 Because, just as our Lord exposes all our sins and doubts with his holy law, he resurrects you to new life through his holy gospel. 00:18:10.319 --> 00:18:22.559 And as you leave here, as his new creation, you confess your faith in Christ Jesus to the whole world that he is your Savior. 00:18:24.160 --> 00:18:26.319 This is who we are as Christians. 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:29.839 This is who we are as Lutherans. 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:34.240 Where Jesus is, there is your faith. 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:39.119 You're baptized, it's always about Jesus. 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:41.599 Take heart. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:44.880 Your sins are forgiven in Christ Jesus. 00:18:45.200 --> 00:18:45.839 Amen. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:52.240 Now the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.119 Amen.