Every Choice is a Renunciation

From the Daily Lectionary, 11/8/11:
Matthew 15:21-26 "(Jesus) answered, 'It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.'"

Jesus knew his call.  He was to serve the children of Israel.  He was so focused on his call that when a Canaanite woman approached him and asked him for healing for her sick daughter, Jesus told her no.  This seems harsh.  He had the power to heal the girl.  The woman's approach to Jesus and her request were consistent with other requests that Jesus granted.  But Jesus' response shows that his healing of the woman's daughter would mean that he would have to take something away from those he was sent to serve.  Every choice is a renunciation.  Every activity of life - those that are worthy like the healing of the Canaanite's daughter, and those that are less so like ________ (fill in the blank with your empty or negative distractions) - take us away from something else. Sometimes it is the 'worthy' distractions that tempt us.  It is easy to say "I shouldn't be spending so much time watching TV" or "I don't need to go to TMZ.com."  Saying no to a worthy project is harder.  Nonetheless, saying yes to that worthy project means that you won't be using that time doing something else.  What is that something else?

This story of the Canaanite woman ends with an interesting coda, which foreshadows Jesus eventual ministry to the Gentiles.  He sees the woman's faith, and heals her daughter.  Jesus' ministry, his call, was to the faithful, who turned out to be largely outside of the tribes of Israel.  He invited the Israelites to the feast first.  They had other things to do.  (Does that sound familiar?)  And because of their choosing other pursuits and renouncing Jesus, his ministry became available to everyone.

Ex Nihilo

Enjoy this video of poet Micah Bournes speaking of the creation.

Ex Nihilo - By Micah Bournes

Imagine nothing.

Not darkness since darkness is something.

Imagine no darkness.

Nothing.

No thing to look at.

No eyes to look with.

Even without eyes there was nothing to miss.

Emptiness.

Wrong. No space to be empty.

Imagine no emptiness.

Imagine no imagination.

Now imagine creation;

Materialized speech rising from the lips of He who preexists.

In the beginning God created.

With words.

Imagine the language.

Imagine the verbs.

Imagine the adjectives employed to modify earth.

Oh that ears could have heard to those majestic sentences.  

Listen as The Infinite articulates the landscapes which leave us speechless.

Speak LORD speak!

Let there be...

Light! Life! Earth! Sea!

Speak LORD speak!

Let there be…For our world is

Poetry.