JESUS AND THE MARGINALIZED
TEXT: Mark 7:24-30
A Methodist Theologian, at a recent event, made the statement that today’s United
Methodist Church exists because our predecessor denominations held three critically
important functions in common: missional service, evangelism and social justice. In
other words, we hold core values of caring for others, inviting all people into a lifechanging, life-fulfilling relationship with God in Jesus Christ, and improving the
conditions for all people wherever and whenever we can. A gentleman came up to him at
the conclusion of the event and asked, “Why are you promoting this Socialist bullshit?
The only thing that matters is personal salvation!” The speaker’s knee-jerk response was
anything but patient or helpful. He sputtered, “What Bible are you reading?”
Our Methodist Book of Discipline states: “Under the discipline of the Holy
Spirit, the church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and
the redemption of the world”. We cannot view these as three distinct activities, but as
three aspects of a single purpose. Using the analogy of juggling: you cannot just juggle
two balls and ignore the third, but all must be in motion in relationship to the others.
There is no “two out of three ain’t bad” thinking allowed. We engage all three or we fail
to fulfill our purpose. In other words, we are all responsible for each other and we have a
special responsibility to the poor, the marginalized, the less educated and those who are
handicapped by physical, social and cultural oppression. Now, perhaps that is Socialism,
but in reality it is the gospel of Jesus Christ. And these things are central to our doctrine
and polity in the United Methodist Church.
In the story we just heard from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is taught a lesson from
the Syrophoenician woman. She was being treated as an outcast by Jesus, of all people,
but from her persistence – and logic – he took her from the margins of society into the
mainstream and cared for her needs.
1
There were many who were marginalized in the world Jesus inhabited. Anyone
who had a physical deformity of infirmity was cast aside. Anyone who was part of an
“unclean” or foreign ancestry could not be included in the society of the “pure”. Women,
foreigners, those disabled either physically or mentally, those of other political or
religious beliefs, anyone who was “different” was subject to being marginalized by those
who could wield power over them.
So, what do we mean by “marginalized”? How do we define those who have
been pushed to the edge of society? In a general sense, these are the people whom
society does not allow a place within it. They are those whom society labels as outside
the norm – weird, scary, hateful, or useless. Native or aboriginal groups often end up in
this position, as do people who are poor, disabled, elderly, or who in other ways we see
as not quite fitting in. To be marginalized is to be in a powerless position just outside
society.
If you walked around Palestine in the days of Jesus you would meet many
different types of people. We are familiar with the names of some types – Pharisees,
Sadducees, scribes, priest – you know, the religious people. Jesus sometimes had dinner
with a few of these folks – some Jesus may not have liked but he was popular and
therefore good for a dinner party guest.
Then you have the majority of the Jews, the hard working “Jewish middle class”
so to speak. This group was made up of people who often surrounded Jesus. They were
the common people, the hard workers like the fishermen, farmers, craftsmen, housewives
and most people you would find around Galilee and Judea. Many of these people
followed Jesus and some even claimed to be disciples, but would leave him when the
teachings of Jesus got tough.
But then there were the “outcasts”: The Hebrew word “anawim” originally meant
materially poor, but over time that word encompassed the idea of the “downtrodden, the
2
outcast, the voiceless people who had no influence”. It is the group of people who were
marginalized. Like many, they felt alone, uncared for, unwanted.
Our reading from the Gospel of Mark this morning centers around one of these
marginalized people. This nameless woman was a member of the condemned Canaanites
who were to be offered to the Lord as a whole burnt offering of purification of the land to
God. You can’t get more marginalized than that!
The Gospels are full of the stories of how Jesus treated those who were
marginalized in the society of that time. Matthew, the hated tax collector; Zacchaeus,
small in stature with people intentionally keeping him from participating in life; the
adulteress about to be stoned; the Samaritan who stopped to help the injured traveler.
There are many more examples, but you get the idea.
When Jesus ate with Matthew at his home, the religious leaders questioned the
other disciples about what Jesus was doing. Did you catch that? They didn’t come to
Jesus, they sought to divide. They wanted the disciples to look down on Jesus for what
he was doing with the sinful people of that day. But when Jesus heard their comments he
got in their face, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but only the sick”.
That was said with sarcasm, by the way. The Pharisees thought only they were “well”.
Jesus saw them differently. But then he tells them: “Go and learn what this means. I
desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners”.
Now, fast forward a couple of thousand years. What are the marginalized groups
in today’s society? Who are the outcasts, the uncared for, the unwanted?
The news these days is full of rhetoric about immigrants – both legal and illegal –
people who have managed to escape oppressive governments looking for a better way of
life for themselves and their families. They are marginalized by the fear of being
imprisoned or deported back to countries where they know that death awaits them. They
3
are stigmatized here as they are lumped together as drug dealers, rapists, killers. Most are
trying to protect themselves and their families and start a new life.
It is not just here in America that the world sees the tragedies. Photographs of a
lifeless little boy, dressed in a red shirt and dark shorts, lying face down on a beach, and
then, minutes later, cradled in the arms of a police officer, have taken the world by storm.
These heartbreaking images of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned when the rubber
dinghy that was to carry him and his Syrian family to safety in Greece capsized off the
coast of Turkey last Wednesday, have succeeded, finally, in bringing home the terrible
human cost of Europe’s failure to deal with a surging refugee crisis. Thousands are
arriving daily from Hungary, coming to Germany and Austria as they flee the Syrian
Civil War.
In 1883 Emma Lazarus wrote the famous words: “Give me your tired, your poor,
your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming
shores. Send these, the homeless, tempest tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden
door.” And Jesus said: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Our Civil War ended over 150 years ago, but it left our country with a legacy of
marginalization for people of color. Although officially “emancipated”, they remain on
the margins of society. They comprise about 14% of the population of our country, but
account for 29% of the arrests, 38% of prisoners in state and federal facilities, 32% of
death penalty cases, and 37% of executions. 37% of the homeless in America are black.
The unemployment rate for African Americans with a four-year college degree is 8
percent, almost double the unemployment rate for similarly educated whites (4.5
percent).
Paul said “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is
Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him”, and Jesus said “You are to love
your neighbor as yourself”.
4
Among the marginalized in our society today are those in the LGBTQ
community. For centuries, these children of God have been cast aside by society as being
“perverted”, experiencing intolerance, discrimination, harassment and the threat of
violence due to their sexual orientation. In some countries, homosexuality is illegal and
punishable by fines, imprisonment, and even the death penalty. Although the Supreme
Court of our country has declared legal equality in marriage for everyone, we still find
those with authority to carry out this provision of justice for all using their personal brand
of religion to deny even the civil rights of others. A sign recently posted outside a
Lutheran Church noted “If you hate anyone because of your faith, you’re doing it
wrong”. Jesus said: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is
like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” He included no exceptions.
I’m a great fan of the cartoon “Peanuts” and always appreciate the great
philosophical thinking of Lucy. In a recent post, she tells Linus: “American should get
back to biblical Christian principles!” Linus replies: “So we should feed and shelter the
poor?” “No,” she replies, “I’m not paying for a lazy person”. “We should visit and
comfort prisoners?” Linus asks. “No, they don’t deserve that.” “We should pay our
taxes without complaining?” “No, that’s MY money and I want it.” “We should show
love and mercy freely?” “No, that has to be earned.” “We should avoid violence?” “No,
we have to take out the bad guys.” “We should be gracious to foreigners?” “No, they
shouldn’t be here.” “We should seek to end social injustice throughout the world?” “No,
that’s not our problem.” Finally, Linus asks Lucy “Then what principles are you talking
about?” “Her reply: “Opposing gay marriage.”
Founder of Methodism John Wesley said: “I am sick of opinions. Give me a
humble, gentle lover of God and man, a man full of mercy and good fruits, without
partiality or hypocrisy. Bigotry is too strong an attachment to our own creed or opinion.
How unwilling men are to allow anything good in those who do not agree with them in
all things. We must not narrow the cause of God to our own beliefs, but rejoice in
goodness wherever it appears.”
5
Pope Francis told his Cardinals: “For Jesus, what matters above all is reaching out
to save those far off, healing the wounds of the sick, restoring everyone to God’s family!
And this is scandalous to some people! In fact, Jesus is not afraid of this kind of scandal!
He does not think of the closed-minded who are scandalized even by a work of healing,
scandalized before any kind of openness, by any action outside of their mental and
spiritual boxes, by any caress or sign of tenderness which does not fit into their usual
thinking and their ritual purity. He wanted to reinstate the outcast, to save those outside
the camp.”
Jesus said: “Love God, love your neighbor as yourself, forgive 70 x 7, whoever is
without sin cast the first stone, treat others the way you want to be treated, feed the
hungry, don’t return evil for evil, visit those in prison, clothe the naked, house the
homeless, welcome the foreigner, don’t judge, care for the sick, love one another as I
have loved you”.
As United Methodists, we have always carried a passion for missionary service to
the needs of people around the globe. Ours is a faith-based justice for all, moving us to
act on behalf of those who cannot act on their own, and to defend the weak, the
powerless, and the oppressed. We have been entrusted as stewards of the good news of
Jesus Christ to share this message with everyone we meet. We come together to worship,
as the Body of Christ, always growing in relationship with one another, giving our
corporate thanks and praise to God. We learn, we grow, we discern, we discover, we
develop and we give. And by our shared faith and witness, God transforms the world
with and through us. This is who we are.
The Syrophoenician lady’s daughter is the ultimate outlier. She is literally off
stage. She does not appear in the flesh in this story at all. She is so much an outlier, she
is not even there. She is demon-possessed, which is New Testament language for
sickness and mental illness. She is a female, her only advocate being her mother, which
pushed her to the edge in that culture. She is a Gentile dog. Her only help is from a
6
Jewish healer. But just when she needed him most, Jesus was there, providing mercy to
her and to all of us.
We are going to close our service today by singing “In Christ there is no east or
west, in Him no south or north, but one great fellowship of love throughout the whole
wide earth”. This is the story of God’s mercy. God’s mercy endures forever and endures
everywhere for everyone. God’s mercy shows up as Jesus shows us perfectly the
comforting presence, the mercy of God, in the flesh. May we do the same. Amen
7