Do You Know…?

Matthew 15:10-28

Jesus] called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand:¹¹it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” ¹²Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” ¹³He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” ¹⁵But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” ¹⁶Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”]

 ²¹Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” ²³But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” ²⁴He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ²⁸Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Do You Know…?

Greetings, Beloved!

My name is Tim Brown, I’m a pastor in the ELCA having served churches in both Chicago and next door here in Raleigh.  Currently I now work for the Presiding Bishop as the Director of Congregational Stewardship for the ELCA, but still live in Raleigh with my wife, Rhonda, and my two sons Findley and Alistair who are wonderfully holy terrors in their own right…

Thanks for inviting me today.

“Do you know…” is the phrase that sticks out to me today, that phrase that the disciples say to Jesus after he tells those gathered around him that what comes out of their mouths is sharper than most any sword.  “Do you know…” rings in my head and it may partly be because it’s so often repeated in my house. 

My son Finn, all of 10 years old, loves facts.  Random facts. Facts that take up mighty precious space in my brain the minute he says them to me, and get lodged in there, displacing other, more important things that I continually forget.

Facts like most people cannot lick their elbow.

Facts like alligators can’t stick out their tongues.

Facts like horses sleep while standing, though they can also sleep laying down, so never assume a horse is dead.

Facts like sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins, and that ladybugs normally have seven spots, and that mosquitos are attracted to the color blue…

After this morning, should you take nothing from the sermon, most of you will remember that last one I bet.

“Do you know…” is a forceful way to start a sentence because it’s less of a question and more of a statement that says, well, I’m about to impart some knowledge on you whether you like it or not, knowledge that will likely take up space in your brain rent free.

And maybe that’s the other reason why this small, short line sticks out to me in this very generous reading from Matthew’s Gospel, maybe it’s because people have sometimes said this to me much the same way that the disciples are saying it to Jesus.

“Do you know you made people angry today with what you said?” I heard that one after a good number of sermons, Beloved.  Might even hear it today. Who knows.

“Do you know so-and-so is saying such-and-such about you?”

“Do you know how disappointed I am in you?”

My gut response to these kinds of “Do you know…” statements is something like, “And do you know that I don’t care?!”

But I do care.

I do care, and I know I care because these kind of “Do you know…” statements, much like those useless facts, also takes up precious space in my crowded brain and I hear them more loudly than I do other statements like, “Do you know how nice you are? Do you know how loved you are? Do you know you’re a precious child of God above all the other things people call you?”

Do you know?

The other “do you know” in today’s Gospel happens at the end where the woman asks for mercy and Jesus says, “Do you know we are not like one another?” and she rightly responds, “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help me. Do you know I am also a beloved of God?”

I have no idea if Jesus had a twinkle in his eye or really was taught a lesson by this woman, my gut tells me he may have learned something, but regardless the mercy of God was extended that day in new ways.

The virtue of our love, Beloved, outweighs the virtue of any dogma, any rule, any social norm or barrier in this world.

Do you know that?

I have to be reminded of it all the time.

I wonder, Beloved, what takes up space in your brain, in your heart, rent free today?

Is it some “do you know…” statement intended to bring you hurt or harm? Is it some random useless thing that you’ve taken as fact for years like that your not worthy of love?

not worthy of God’s affection or attention?

or that some people are worthy of love and respect, and some aren’t?

Is it that you’re no good without your partner and now that you’re divorced you’ve got nothing to live for?

Is it that you’ve wrecked your life? Your relationships?

What lives rent free in your brain?

Is it that there’s no future here?

Is it that one political party is always right and the other one is always wrong?

What “do you know” statements have taken up space in your brain, in your heart, displacing the important ones?

What comes out of mouths can ruin things, Beloved, especially corners of our brains reserved for life-giving things.  Like spoiled milk those life-giving “do you knows” can be soured by others.

But from the mouth of God we hear something different.

Do you know that this is my child, in whom I’m well pleased?

Do you know that you are called Beloved?

Do you know that you are forgiven?

Do you know that I love you for Christ’s sake, and will not let you go?

I don’t know, Beloved, maybe it’s just me, but I’d like to offer those “do you know” statements a chance to live in my head, my heart, rent free.

Because we are loved, by God, and like the woman today are worthy of mercy, imperfect as we are. And God’s tent is bigger than we can ever imagine, and God’s grace is deeper than any cavern or well we’ve discovered, and though I may not a lot of useless facts, that’s one that is useful and not intended to hurt and comes from the very Divine heart of God and is one that I need to cling to more, right?

I mean, do you know?