Last Post

So the last sermon I preached (see the previous post) created a bit of controversy in the church. Some of the congregation members didn't like how I presented Jesus in the sermon - but it's the post. They tried to present alternative ways that I could have preached the text including:

-> Jesus said what he said to teach the disciples a lesson.
Okay this is a possibility, but at what cost? Is it okay for Jesus to speak to the woman seeking mercy from him in that way in order to teach the disciples? What lesson would that give them and us - that we can humiliate people or speak to them in way that denies their humanity in order to teach a lesson?
-> TD Jakes preached a sermon based on this text that Jesus's point was that "the kingdom is going to the dogs".
In a way I can agree with this statement, but once again at what cost to the woman who I'm sure didn't appreciate being compared to a dog, which was not and still is not a term of endearment.

The problem with this text is that Jesus isn't the way that we want Jesus to be. Jesus doesn't fit into the image of the son of God that we have constructed in our heads. So when we preach that truth or read this text we feel the need to defend Jesus. But we are still left with the question of what this text means to us (and in a way that honors the text).

And at the end of the day - we aren't going to like or agree with every sermon we hear, especially ones that challenge us. I'm okay with that - are you?



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