This sermon, based on James 2:1-10; 14-17, was preached by Rev. Marissa Galván-Valle on September 8, 2024 (Proper 18). It is part of a sermon series on the book of James called: “Reflecting Christ in Times of Challenge.”
The Daughter of the Syrophoenician Woman
What do you see in this picture? You likely connect it to the children’s story about Jesus and the bold woman. This painting by Peter Koenig draws inspiration from the biblical account found in Matthew 15:21–28 and Mark 7:24–30. In these passages, a woman begs Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter. At first, Jesus seems reluctant, referring to his mission to the people of Israel. But the woman’s persistence and humility lead Jesus to commend her faith and grant her request, healing her daughter.
Why would Jesus seem reluctant, or, as the children’s story puts it, respond harshly to the woman? After all, Jesus is love, and we have a hard time imagining him answering anyone with disdain or rejection. There are various interpretations of this story.
Some scholars believe that Jesus' initial reluctance was a test of the woman’s faith and persistence. By responding with the metaphor about children and dogs, Jesus might have been testing whether the woman would respond with humility and faith.
Others think this encounter may symbolize the expansion of Jesus’ mission beyond the boundaries of Israel. Jesus' initial reluctance could reflect the prevailing belief that his mission was focused on the Jews. But through this interaction, his compassion for all people, regardless of ethnicity, becomes clear. It foreshadows the broader mission to the Gentiles after his resurrection.
Still others believe that Jesus’ reluctance may have been a teaching moment for his disciples. The disciples initially wanted to send the woman away, but through this encounter, Jesus teaches them about the power of faith, regardless of one's ethnic or religious background.
Another interpretation—and this is the one I want you to think about today—is that the woman is a Canaanite or Syrophoenician. She is an outsider to the Jewish people. At that time, Jews and Canaanites had a long history of animosity, and the Jewish people were seen as God's chosen people. Jesus' mission, at that stage, was understood as being primarily focused on Israel. He says, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” The statement is less clear in Mark’s version of the story, but it carries the same connotation. The children are the people of Israel. The reference to dogs is often seen as harsh because it refers to Gentiles, who were considered outside the covenant community. In the cultural context of the time, Jews regarded Gentiles as ritually unclean, and this metaphor reflects the broader Jewish-Gentile divide.
We typically look at Jesus as the divine Son of God. But in this story, he behaves like a true Jewish man of his time, with all their prejudices and biases. But, the important part of this story to me is that he changes his mind. His initial response reflects the boundaries his society and his religion had established between Jews and Gentiles. However, after witnessing the woman’s faith and persistence, Jesus changes his approach. Even though the passage does not explicitly say that Jesus had a change of heart in the human sense, his actions shift in response to her faith. This suggests to the reader that God’s mercy is not confined by human boundaries such as ethnicity or religion. And we can learn from this story that if Jesus, as a human being, can change his perspective, so can we. In that change, he teaches his disciples—even when they don’t want to hear—that everyone is deserving of God’s love, compassion, and healing.
How Do We Live Out This Faith That Jesus Left Us?
If you remember, the Book of James was likely written to Jewish Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. The letter addresses a community facing challenges, both internally and externally. People were struggling with economic inequality, internal divisions, persecution, and moral challenges. They were trying to reconcile their faith in Jesus with the social realities of the Roman world and the teachings of the Law of Moses that they had grown up with. Their faith in Jesus was constantly challenged by economic disparity, by persecutions from the Jewish authorities and the Roman Empire, and by misunderstandings of Jesus’ teachings—misunderstandings that kept them from living their faith in concrete ways. Any resemblance to our reality is purely coincidental.
This is why James writes his letter. He is concerned about these challenges and their impact on the community of believers. In this passage, he expresses two main concerns: the issue of partiality within the Christian community and the necessity of having a faith that is demonstrated through works. These concerns are deeply interrelated and speak to the ethical and practical implications of living a life of genuine faith.
James says, My brothers and sisters, do not claim the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory while showing partiality. The partiality described here is very specific. The text discusses economic discrimination.
A rich man enters the assembly wearing gold rings and fine clothes. Then a poor man enters in shabby clothes. The rich man is given a seat of honor, while the poor man is marginalized. This is nothing new. We pass automatic and unintentional judgments on people all the time. Think about how we all go through life depending on first impression! These judgments are sometimes called unconscious or implicit biases.
Implicit Biases
Mahzarin Banaji, a renowned psychologist and one of the leading researchers in the field of implicit bias, has conducted extensive work on how unconscious biases shape human behavior and decision-making. She states that:
Unconscious bias is widespread and unavoidable: Biases are shaped by societal influences, cultural conditioning, and personal experiences. Even well-intentioned individuals who consciously oppose discrimination can harbor unconscious biases that influence their decisions and actions.
Implicit bias vs. explicit bias: Explicit bias is conscious, deliberate prejudice or discrimination. Implicit bias, on the other hand, involves unconscious attitudes and stereotypes. For example, someone may consciously endorse equality but still unconsciously associate certain negative traits with a particular race or gender. Implicit bias is more pervasive and insidious than explicit bias because it operates without the individual’s awareness. This means it can influence decision-making in ways the person may not intend or realize.
Bias is learned over time: Biases are not innate but are learned from the surrounding environment. From an early age, people absorb stereotypes and societal norms from the media, education, family, and broader culture. These influences shape the associations and assumptions stored in the brain, even if we are not aware of them.
Bias affects decision-making in everyday life: Unconscious biases can affect everyday decision-making in a wide variety of contexts, including education, employment, healthcare, and law enforcement.
The brain is plastic, and biases can change: Despite the deep-seated nature of unconscious bias, Banaji maintains that biases are not fixed and can be changed. The brain is plastic, meaning it has the capacity to adapt and rewire itself over time. By exposing ourselves to different perspectives and being deliberate about inclusive behavior, we can reduce the impact of biases.
Moral responsibility to address bias: Banaji believes that people have a moral responsibility to confront and address their unconscious biases, especially when these biases contribute to unfairness and inequality.
James and Favoritism
Although James does not have access to this information about biases, he understands that the favoritism shown to the rich man over the poor man is incompatible with our faith in Christ and is a violation of God’s law of loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
First, James argues that believers in Jesus, who embodies perfect mercy and justice, cannot hold on to favoritism. Showing partiality reveals a misunderstanding of the gospel message, which is based on love, mercy, and inclusion—especially for the marginalized.
Second, James argues that showing favoritism violates the commandment given by Jesus and therefore makes one a transgressor of the entire law of Moses. His concern is that believers are not living out the core ethical command of loving their neighbor, especially those who are poor and marginalized.
Interestingly, James points out that the rich, to whom people extend such courtesy, are the very ones who exploit them. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into courts? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?
In Spanish, we have a saying when someone shows excessive admiration or submission toward a person, ideology, or power. We say we are rindiendo culto y pleitesía (paying homage and reverence) to someone undeserving of such respect. We look like Vice Principal Gupta in the Princess Diaries, with her exaggerated curtsies and imitations!
But the point is that living out our Christianity—following Jesus’ commandments of loving God and loving one another—looks nothing like paying homage and reverence to anyone other than God. God is the only one deserving of worship. Others around us, not matter who they are or what they look like, are deserving of our love.
Key Questions for Our Lives
In Margaret Aymer’s commentary on this passage, a few questions emerge that I want to leave with you today:
How does our faith call us to treat all people equally, especially those who are from a different social class, skin color, or country than us?
In what ways might we be showing favoritism, whether consciously or unconsciously, that contradicts the gospel message of love for all?
How do we as a community of faith address issues of wealth and poverty? Are we complicit in systems that oppress the poor, or are we actively working toward justice? How does our faith push us to confront these economic disparities?
How do we live out the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves in tangible, practical ways?
What does it look like for our faith to be alive and active? How can we move from words to deeds, from belief to action, and embody the mercy and love of God in the world?
This passage calls us to embody a faith that is not merely theoretical or verbal. Remember, you can quote the whole Bible, but if you don’t live it out, your faith is dead. A living, impartial faith is seen in how we treat others, especially those who are abused, marginalized, rejected, and minoritized. It calls for self-examination, repentance, and a deep commitment to justice, mercy, and action. And also remember: if Jesus could have a moment of human self-examination when he says to the woman in response to her challenge, For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter, it is possible for us to have a change of heart as well. May God help us to do so. Amen.
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