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Even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs
SERMON – 10.15am, Emmanuel Church, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Sunday 6th September 2009
Revd. Canon David Pickering
In this morning's gospel reading, it's very easy to get carried away with the seemingly cruel banter between Jesus and the Gentile woman from Syrophoencia.
She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, 'Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.' But she answered him, 'Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'
Then he said to her, 'For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.'
But another aspect of our reading shows Jesus on his travels.
24 He set out and went to the region of Tyre. 31. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the sea of Galilee.
Yes Jesus is on his travels, not by plane, train, coach of car, but on his own two feet.
If you want to reflect on the cruel banter with the woman from Syrophoencia you'll have to look at the 9.00 sermon when it gets on to the web site.
As most of us have been on our Summer Holiday Travels let's stay with Jesus and his travels.
Where have we been?
List as many as possible
How did we travel?
Compare with Jesus' travels.
Today we start another journey as we come back to continue our life here at Emmanuel.
It is a new beginning.
So let's do something new
Strip the altar and explain what all the things mean and represent.
Children return them at the offertory and remain at the altar unto the end of the Lord's Prayer.
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