- God's grace, even in "crumbs," is sufficient for all who believe, regardless of their background or perceived deservingness. Matthew Chapter 14-16a
Questions for the Week: Kingdom Way: Crumbs
Have you ever felt like you deserved something good to happen to you because you had been "good" or followed the rules? How does this sermon challenge that way of thinking, and how does it relate to the idea of grace?
Read Matthew 15. Jesus interacts with the Pharisees and then the Canaanite woman. How do these two encounters contrast in terms of who they were and how they approached Jesus? What does this teach us about true faith?
Jesus initially seems harsh to the Canaanite woman, even comparing her to a dog. Why might Jesus have responded this way? What does her response ("even the dogs eat the crumbs") tell us about her faith and humility?
Reflecting on Matthew 14-16, what are some other examples of people's faith (or lack thereof) that we see in these chapters? How do these stories, including the Canaanite women's, help us understand the gift of Jesus’ true faith?
This sermon could just as easily be titled YHWH I AM EGO EIMI. Today we are going to take a journey to the Land of Holiness. When we get there, we will still be here.. Yes, that is a paradox. No, we are not going to leave this sanctuary. This is a journey of the heart, of the soul. Once we know where holiness lives, it will come alive in us.