I am deeply humbled and honoured to be called as the Coordinating Minister at West Point Grey United Church. I am thrilled to be part of this well-established intercultural faith community in our denomination, not only in this region but across the country. I am thankful to the past ministers who guided this community with their leadership, but most importantly, I am grateful to you for your faithfulness, hope and resilience. 

Starting today, I am on board to join you on our journey together to fulfill God’s dream. We gather as an extended family that shares the same vision of becoming an intercultural faith community. No matter who you are and where you come from, we are united as one despite our differences because we are one family. We’re journeying together as one team, one family, and I am excited about the journey ahead.

Today, I want to begin my reflection with a story – a story of a great teacher from Asia long ago. The teacher had many students who were eager to learn from him. One day, as usual, many young students gathered to hear from their teacher. When he saw the young people gathered before him, he brought out a cup filled with water and asked them to add more water. Of course, it was impossible because the cup was already full. 

Then, the teacher emptied the cup and asked them to fill it with new water, which they did. He then taught this lesson: “If your mind is too full, you cannot learn new things because there is no room for them. So, make some space in your mind to allow new learning.”

This may sound simple, but it carries profound meaning. Here, the water in the cup symbolizes the worldview each of us holds, much like the pair of glasses we wear when we observe and interpret the world. The issue arises when the water remains stagnant, or we fail to change the prescription of our glasses as our vision evolves. Similarly, when we become preoccupied with our own narrow thoughts or biases about someone or something, it becomes impossible to be balanced, fair, or just. Such a mindset can lead to misguided conclusions, judgmental attitudes, and discriminatory actions.  

I am sure we’ve all encountered countless examples of this in our lives – whether big or small, personal or public. No one is entirely free from it, not a single person. We are far from perfect. I am not perfect, either. We make mistakes, and I make mistakes as well. We have our own biases, and I, too, have mine. Prejudices fill our minds because we don’t live in a vacuum; we can’t fully escape the influence of our own cultures and norms. Indeed, our perspectives are shaped by context, and our theology is contextual too. 

With this in mind, let’s turn to today’s scripture passages. Jesus travels to a town outside of Israel called Tyre, which is now part of Lebanon. Jesus is exhausted, having just had a conflict with the Pharisees and scribes over the tradition of washing hands before meals. Seeking rest, he retreats to a house for peace. However, his plan is interrupted by a Gentile woman of Syrophoenician origin. This woman is considered unclean because she lives outside the land of Israel and is not bound by the law of Moses. 

Moreover, she is a woman! In Jewish tradition, women were forbidden from speaking with unfamiliar men in public spaces. She is fully aware of all these norms and restrictions. Yet, despite knowing them, she chooses to break these rules for a reason: her little girl is sick. Out of desperation, this mother knocks persistently on the door of the house where Jesus is staying.  As soon as the door opens, she rushes inside, pleading with him to heal her child. 

But Jesus shakes his head and says, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” In this context, ‘children’ referred to the children of God, Jesus’ own people, the Israelites – while ‘dogs’ symbolized the dishonour of all other impure people. Jesus rejects her request and calls her a ‘dog’ because she is a Gentile. 

I don’t know about you, but coming from Korea, I know that calling someone a dog is one of the most offensive insults you can use. It sounds really, really harsh. If I had to choose my least favourite scripture passage, this would be it. Jesus comes across as a racist, discriminating against the woman simply because she is a Gentile. This Jesus feels far from the compassionate Jesus we know. So what can we make of his apparent harshness and reluctance to help?     

The woman remains humble and continues to plead with persistence. She does not fall silent in response to Jesus’ insult; instead, she speaks up. She challenges Jesus, saying: “If I am a dog, then treat me as a dog and give me the crumbs from your table.” She reminds Jesus that Gentiles, too, are deserving of God’s grace –the healing grace that extends to her sick daughter.  The Syrophoenician woman pushes Jesus to reconsider, expanding his vision of God’s grace and makes it clear to him in an unexpected way that there is room in God’s kin-dom for all: Jew and Gentile, male and female, slave and free, insider and outsider – even dogs like her and her daughter.  

Jesus usually wins debates with others, but this time, he allows the woman to speak and listens because he recognizes she is right. He realizes that he has been clinging to tradition and nearly fails to understand what is in her heart. He acknowledges that he has been viewing things through the lenses of his own cultural and theological context, which can lead to injustice and discrimination. 

He now realizes that his view of God is narrower than the woman’s and that God’s grace is not limited to a specific group of people. Instead, God’s grace is open to all, beyond ethnic, political, and social boundaries. Undoubtedly, Jesus has much room to learn new things. He accepts the woman’s challenge, changes his perspective, and opens himself to her teaching. In today’s passages, Jesus is portrayed as a true human being who acknowledges his own limitations and humbly overcomes them. Just as a cup cannot hold new water unless it is first emptied, we cannot grow in faith until we let go of our prejudices and assumptions. 

Only when we make room for God and others can we truly grow. When we let go of our narrow perspectives and embrace others, even the enemy, just as Jesus does in today’s passages, we can build an authentic intercultural community. Let us open our hearts, step into this new phase, and thrive together in the new possibilities that lie ahead at West Point Grey United Church. Thanks be to God for the wisdom of the Syrophoenician woman. Praise be to Jesus, who inspires and awakens us. Amen.