Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." How do you approach religion? How do you approach God? I run into some people who feel that Jesus owes them something...

I run into others who see Jesus, not as the center of their life...but as an accessory who can give them something when they ask.

And still others feel that Jesus is a tool, an aide to help them only in certain situations...and otherwise they don't want much to do with Him.

People ignore Jesus, try to use Him to their advantage...or see Him as some sort of magic trick, only to be used when regular means have been exhausted.

So they approach Jesus in righteousness, feeling their life is complete and whole with or without Jesus.

Do you approach Jesus in righteousness...or in humility?

It is a question worth asking.  It seems in our own day and time there is a trend...or there is the notion that we can approach religion...that we can approach God on our terms instead of the other way round.

And one must ask the question...what are the consequences of that?

I have found it to be true that generally when people come to God on their terms, and not on His, things don't work out to well...I know that's true in my own life.

The times that I have come to God with preconceived notions, or preconceived ideas...feeling myself whole and complete without Jesus, I have ended up broken.

And the times I have come to God in complete humility, begging for mercy as it were, knowing I am not complete, not whole, I have ended up blessed and grace filled...ended up under the mercy of God.

Take this morning's Gospel.  The Canaanite women...a woman in a man's world...a woman who is a Gentile and not a Jew, comes to Jesus and begs for mercy. 

She begs Jesus, Son of David, to have mercy on her daughter, who is tormented by a demon.  

To her begging, Jesus replies- "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But she continues begging for help.

Jesus' reply- "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

And still, she begs for mercy, saying- "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."

In the end, she ends up as an example of faithfulness that is second to none in the Gospel of Matthew- she is the only person in the Gospel of Matthew being recorded as having ‘a great faith'. 

At what cost did she earn the reward of having her daughter healed and being trumpeted as one who had such a great faith?

The woman came to Jesus in complete humility, she met Jesus completely on His terms.  She came with no pride...she came with no contempt...with no cultural biases, no ill will, no pre-conceived notions- save that of trusting with all her heart that Jesus was the Son of God and could heal her daughter.

She was willing to forego everything for Jesus...she was willing to be publically humiliated...willing to be ridiculed by the crowd,  and for that matter, she was willing to be ostracized by her own people...all for the chance that she might receive mercy.

The Canaanite woman met Jesus on His terms, and not on hers...and her reward was mercy and health for her family.

Another Biblical example that takes a slightly different turn is the Good Friday story of Jesus and Pontius Pilot. 

It is obvious from a reading of the Gospel narrative that Pilot is interested in Jesus...is curious...and seems to hold Our Lord in some esteem.

But yet, Pilot refuses to meet Jesus on His terms...refuses to approach Him with humility.

The most telling point in their story is when Jesus speaks of Truth...and Pilot responds with the famous question, Que Veritas.... "What is the truth?"

Pilot believes himself to be a wise and learned man...and he also believes that truth is relative...and so while he is interested in Jesus...Pilot refuses to give into his pride and pre-conceived notions-

Sacred legend holds that Pilot ended up taking his own life latter on...and many point to this encounter as the reason.  He met Jesus on His terms and not on Jesus'.

And while this comparison might seem harsh or crass- it is worth thinking about none-the-less.

It points to the results we can expect in the manners we approach the Almighty.

If we leave our pre-conceived notions behind...if we meet Jesus in humility, knowing he is the bearer of mercy and of grace...we end up blessed.  If we come to Jesus, refusing to give up preconceptions, refusing to admit brokenness...well...we end up in a place devoid of mercy and Grace.

One of the great prayers of the Anglican tradition captures the Gospel this morning.

It is known as the Prayer of Humble Access, and it is a part of the Rite I liturgy:

It reads:

 

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy: Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.

 

This prayer, loved by many, making many uncomfortable, is a powerful reminder and edict that we should come to the Lord's table, not trusting in our own righteousness, but rather come to the Lord's table trusting in His great mercy.

And that humble attitude should extend past our worship...it should extend into every pore and crevasse of our lives. 

For if we approach the Lord in humility...trusting in nothing else but His mercy...we will be blessed. 

To approach the Lord otherwise is really not to approach the Lord at all. 

The story of the Canaanite woman is a difficult story...it is hard to digest fully.  It seems so harsh...and Jesus can seem so uncaring...

But the end result is where energy and reflection needs to be focused.  The end result is healing and mercy...is living into the righteousness of the Lord.

Do you come to the Lord in humility...do you trust in His righteousness alone...

Or, do you approach the Lord in righteousness, expecting Him to bend to your will?

The answer is the difference between Grace and Mercy and brokenness and despair.