We gather week by week, in this place, in order to break things. We break the bread so that we may share in the body of Christ. We break open the scriptures, which come to us from a time and a place so different than our own. And sustained by word and sacrament, we seek to break open our imaginations so that we might walk through life as Christ’s ambassadors. To be a disciple of Christ is to be transformed by God’s grace so that we might in turn work with the Spirit to transform the world, so that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Today’s reading from Matthew, at first glance, seems to be three unrelated incidents from Jesus’ work in the Galilee. This morning, I’d like to briefly reflect on each one but then ask what theme, what learning, comes from them.
The first story is the call to Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector. The title here is misleading, a better description would be “toll collector”. Those who did this work bid for the job and paid Rome the tax upfront and then sought to recoup their money and hopefully make a profit. The toll was levied on crossings--goods entering, leaving or being transported across a district. Those using bridges, entering through gates or using a boat landing. If you were using a cart to carry goods, the toll collector would tax you for how many wheels were on your wagon.
The tax man was considered to be a sinner because the money collected facilitated the Roman occupation of the Jewish homeland.
And yet, here we see Jesus sharing table fellowship with Matthew and other toll collectors and with “sinners”, which meant the peasants who were lax in observing the minutiae of Jewish law. And so the Pharisees bitterly criticize Rabbi Jesus. To share a meal with those outside the law was to be identified with them and thus be unclean yourself.
In response, Jesus quotes a proverb “Those who are well have no need of a physician but those who are sick” and then from Hosea 6:6: “God desires mercy not sacrifice.”
Now to be clear, the rabbis of Jesus’ time would not criticize people for caring for the poor, the outcasts and sinners. But they welcomed repentant sinners.
The significance of this story is that Jesus seeks out those who were considered lost. We are reminded of the story of the shepherd who leaves 99 of his sheep safely in the sheepfold and goes seeking the one who was lost and rejoicing, carries it home to safety.
The second story is of a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding disorder for 12 years. Considered ritually unclean- the flow of blood had to be ended for 8 days in order for her to take the Mikveh, the ritual bath, she approached Jesus from the rear. She thought if I could but touch the fringes on his cloak- the blue tassels Jews sewed on their garments to remind themselves of the commandments- if I could but touch his fringes I could be made well.
We are reminded of Paul’s letter to the Hebrews. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Her faith had made her well.
The third story is the raising of Jairus’ daughter. Matthew has changed Mark’s story. In Mark, Jairus says “My daughter is at the point of death”. Matthew is more dramatic: she is already dead. For a Rabbi to be in the presence of a corpse was shocking. And yet, Jesus goes; even though he would be himself naturally unclean for 7 days.
In Hebrew mythology, when someone dies, the soul lingers near the body for three days, hoping to be reunited with the body. In the Lazarus story, Lazarus has been dead for 4 days. His reanimation is no resuscitation, right? The Lazarus story only appears in John’s gospel; so we can say that the raising of Jairus’ daughter is Matthew’s Lazarus story.
What all three of these stories tell is a story of restoration. Tax collectors, bleeding women and sick people were separated from their communities as family and tribe feared contamination through associations with those who were unclean.
Glenn is a cross dresser. His adopted name is Millie. The back story is that Glenn acted in his son’s High School play- Millicent the Magnificent- in which the dads dressed in women’s clothing. For Glenn, soon to be Millie, something fell into place. Years later, she joined a support group at St. Augustine’s called “Androgyny” and at some point, the conversation turned to religion. Someone told her that she would be welcomed at St. Augustine’s. She responded “You don’t get it. I’ve been kicked out of more churches than I care to admit.” That person responded, “No Millie, you don’t get it. They really want you here.”
I came on the scene in 1997; long after this event. Millie would come to the church office on Fridays to assemble the Sunday bulletins. It was her way of giving to the church because she was living in deep poverty. She and I would have thoughtful conversations about the scriptures. I looked forward each week to the inquiry she’d bring.
Months later, my first Lent. I didn’t recognize Millie in church. The reason was this: her Lenten fast was to forego dresses and make-up and come to church in men’s clothing. While others gave up chocolates or potato chips; Millie was sacrificing something precious to her sense of self. The whole congregation rejoiced on Easter Sunday when Millie walked down the aisle in her best Laura Ashley and sporting a beautiful Easter bonnet.
My favorite Millie story is this: on Shrove Tuesday, we’d have a Mardi Gras party, which required extensive decorating of the parish hall. Our hospitality chairwoman, Jennifer, told me this story weeks afterwards. After setting up, Jennifer went into the Ladies room to change into her costume. And while she was putting on-or taking off, I can’t remember which- her pantyhose, she fell into a delightful conversation with Millie, who had been helping with the set up. Jennifer told me that later that night, after supper and as we were cleaning up, that she briefly thought: “Wait a minute. Millie is a guy.” But immediately, the realization, “Oh, it’s only Millie.”
Millie found complete acceptance in a community that loved her for who she is, not in spite of who she is.
When a columbarium was established at the church, the vestry voted unanimously to reserve a free niche for Millie. That even in death she would be surrounded by those who love her.
These are perilous times. All across our nation, hundreds of laws are being passed to inflict unnecessary pain on trans kids and their parents; cynical strategy by politicians to raise money and get votes. To inflict unnecessary anguish on parents who are trying to do their best for their child in a fraught situation is shameful. That some of our brother and sister Christians cheer these actions is tragic.
We break bread to share Christ’s body. We break open the Scriptures to hear Jesus’ call for compassion to literally feel the pain of others.
Can we not but open our imaginations to both welcome and defend the vulnerable, with no exceptions, and labor to bring hope and healing to this broken land.
Amen