Demons

Jews will not replace us!

A chant in the darkness from torch-bearing militant marchers.

Just down the road in Charlottesville.

An alternating chant with, You will not replace us!

Both chants expressing white supremacist hate and fear.

Fear that Jews and other groups will replace them.

Surpass them in America's power/privilege rankings.

A privilege they feel entitled to, simply because of their whiteness.

And it's not just a matter of skin color, it's Northern European origins.

These folks would face a rude shock if they took a DNA ancestry test.

For many of them, their arbitrary whiteness is crucially important.

They seem to see it as the only plus they have going for themselves.

They’re possessed by a force that counters their virtue,

Their character, even their intelligence.

So, they try to draw everyone into their us versus them struggle.

A divisiveness that has plagued mankind from its beginning.

When it comes to us versus them and Jews will not replace us,

They should take a look at today's Scripture passages.

(Many of them consider themselves to be Bible-guided Christians.)

Jesus is, of course, a Jew.

As were Abraham and Moses, Mary and Joseph, John the Baptist,

All of the apostles, and many of the early saints of the Church.

And today we hear Jesus say that he came

Only to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

It was only the persistence of that non-Jewish Canaanite woman

That led him to reach beyond his calling to the Jews.

His ultimate mission may have been to all of mankind.

But in his plan or his understanding, at least at that instant,

He was here only to save the Jews.

That woman is one of my favorite Gospel characters.

She's not only persistent, but bold and clever.

Who among us would stand up to Jesus if he gave us a firm No.

Keep after him if he hit us with a stinging rebuke.

Calling the Jews his children, and us the dogs.

That was an us and them situation where we were the clear losers.

But the spunky Canaanite woman hung in there.

Throwing Jesus's analogy right back at him.

Cleverly, and humbly, pointing out that even the dogs get some scraps.

And she moved Jesus so much that he made an exception.

Moved him to change the plan, or at least the plan's timing.

Somewhat like when Mary moved him at the wedding feast in Cana.

When she asked him to do something about the wine.

And he at first refused, saying his time had not yet come.

But he listened, and he relented at her repeated request.

So, it was we Gentiles who cut in on the privilege held by the Jews.

A privilege far more precious than any other.

Our readings from Isaiah, Psalms, Romans and Matthew all confirm,

God first favored the Jews, but then opened his kingdom to all of us.

Jews might have been moved to chant, You will not replace us!

And we didn't.

But Jesus listened to us and took us in—along with the Jews.

Gave us a place among his children.

Welcomed us to follow the God of Israel.

When asked to grant mercy, Jesus would not refuse.

Even when it didn’t quite fit the scripted plan.

There are many lessons in today’s Scripture passages.

Two are: God listens, and Mercy triumphs.

Jesus told us many times that we should be persistent in prayer.

Today he shows us that he responds to our persistence.

God listens and responds to us.

He may not give us exactly what we ask for.

But he’ll give us what he, in his infinite wisdom, knows we need.

And he’ll shower us with his love and mercy.

When we see incidents like Charlottesville

We see that we have a lot of work to do.

We’ve seen that Jesus doesn't withhold mercy when we ask for it.

We shouldn't withhold it from others.

We’ve seen that God takes us in when we ask.

We shouldn't exclude others.

As with the Canaanite woman’s daughter,

There are still demons within our brothers and sisters, and within us.

Demons that need to be driven out.

If we persist in our prayers and our voices and our example,

God will listen and take notice.

And, in his mercy, he’ll respond and drive them out.

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Mt 15:21-28   Read this Scripture @usccb.org