This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations, other relevant scriptures, or meditations on similar principles. Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him. Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do. Text in red describes what God wants us to avoid. Commentary is in blue.
Reading 1
Thus says the LORD: Observe what is right,do what is just; for my salvation is about to come, my justice, about to be revealed. The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants—all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be acceptable on my altar, for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
Righteousness trumps nationality/social acceptance; God embraces ALL who sincerely serve Him. See Acts 2:5-12, Romans 10:11-13, Galatians 3:28-29, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13,Colossians 3:10-11. See also John 4:1-42.
Although some sincere believers may seem like “foreigners” to others, they are not foreigners in the Kingdom of God.
The fact that God welcomes all who seek Him, regardless of ethnic/national backgrounds, is likely one of the reasons that He repeatedly tells us to treat well folks from different backgrounds. Many of the scriptures commanding that are collected in Wisdom Principles: Caring for the Weak & Vulnerable
Responsorial Psalm
R. (4) O God, let all the nations praise you!
May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.
May God have pity on us and bless us; may he let his face shine upon us.
So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you!
May God bless us, and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
R. O God, let all the nations praise you!
Reading 2
I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
At that time, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But Jesus did not say a word in answer to her.
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But the woman came and did Jesus homage, saying, “Lord, help me.”
He said in reply, “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.”
She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And the woman’s daughter was healed from that hour.
We can come to Jesus even though we are “outsiders.”
We can come to Jesus even though other believers object to the fact that we do so or the way in which we do so.
We should not look down on/get in the way of other folks approaching Jesus.
- We should not presume that ours is the only way to approach Jesus.
- That kind of presumption hinders the flow of God’s love/mercy. If these disciples had had their way here the woman and her daughter would not have received Jesus’ mercy.
In contrast, we provide a conduit for Jesus’ love/mercy when we are open and welcoming to folks of different backgrounds/traditions.
We should also beware of shutting people off from Jesus because they are difficult/we don’t want to deal with them, aside from their ethnic or other differences. That too hinders the flow of God’s love/mercy.
We should keep pursuing Jesus/His mercies when we do not receive them at our first, or later, requests. This instance seems to be an example of the persistence in prayer Jesus taught in Luke 11:1-13 and Luke 18:1-8. This dynamic is further explored in the consideration of this and related scriptures in Readings for August 5, 2020 annotated, lectionary 409.
The foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, ministering to him, loving the name of the LORD, and becoming his servants—all who keep the sabbath free from profanation and hold to my covenant, them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer
my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation
you rule the peoples in equity;
all the ends of the earth fear him!
I am speaking to you Gentiles
the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable
he might have mercy upon all.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the kingdom and cured every disease among the people
a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!
great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”
Observe what is right
do what is just
join themselves to the LORD
ministering to him
loving the name of the LORD
becoming his servants
let all the nations praise you!
let all the nations praise you!
May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity;
May the nations be glad and exult because you rule the peoples in equity;
let all the nations praise you!
may all the peoples praise you!
let all the nations praise you!
may all the peoples praise you!
let all the nations praise you!
called out, “Have pity on me, Lord
the woman came and did Jesus homage
saying, “Lord, help me.” great is your faith!
Jesus’ disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”
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