In 1896, there was a fiction book that came out called In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? It became very popular and reprinted several times because the original author and publisher neglected to get the proper copyright.

At Wartburg Seminary, one of my professors brought this book up in class one day. What he said really made me rethink the question "What would Jesus do?" He said, "Finally we don't know what Jesus would do." We can speculate what he might have done or might do, but we really don't know what he would do. The question should be rather, "What Did Jesus Do?"

Today's Gospel challenges us to ponder the question, What Did Jesus Do? In two encounters between a Gentile woman, a Deaf Mute and Jesus. And how does what he says and does challenge some of our own traditions and beliefs when dealing with people who are 180 degrees different than us?

As Christians, we believe that Jesus is the perfect revelation of God and that he reveals God's dream for the world and all its creatures. Jesus came to earth as a baby, growing up with friends and family, he knew suffering and pain, he knew of broken relationships, he knows everything about us and was still willing to go to the cross for us. After his baptism and temptation he began his public ministry, teaching of a new kingdom that honored people like the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, the meek, and the persecuted. These people were not the ones who were considered blessed in the world. In fact, they were the left out ones. His message was one of love for God and neighbor. He loved and shared table with sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, his enemies, and people who disagreed with him. The religious establishment saw Jesus as a threat because he didn't follow their rules and traditions.

And as the ELCA struggles on how to make sense of the "the vote" on including brothers and sisters in Christ who are gay and lesbian, bi-sexual, or transgendered, in committed, monogamous, life-long relationships (Jim Wilson left that part out in his editorial) on our clergy roles, a member of the church asked me through another person who came and talked to me, "Where does Jesus stand on this issue?" I don't know the direct answer to that question, nor do I claim to believe that Jesus is on one side or the other. All I can say is What did Jesus do?

I believe that in any conversation we have about any moral issue, Jesus must be at the center of the conversation. He is the litmus test whenever we use scripture to argue our point. What scriptures are relevant in the sexuality conversation? "All of them." As Christians, we are disciples of Jesus Christ. That means we are his students and he is our teacher. The scriptures say that Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, he is the word made flesh. On the mount of transfiguration with Moses and Elijah a voice came from heaven to the disciples, "This is my son, the beloved, listen to him." Moses and Elijah disappear and we are left solely with Jesus. We ought to listen more and be slow to speak as James says so eloquently in our second lesson.

The beginning of the book of Hebrews says it best, "Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, who he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word."

In our Gospel for today, what did Jesus do? In the previous passage Jesus declared all foods clean, bucking the tradition of the elders. In these stories that we read today Jesus declares all persons clean.

We meet two people who are marginalized by Jewish religious and societal standards. A Syrophoenecian Woman and a deaf mute. The woman was a Gentile or non-Jew. She was a foreigner, a Greek to be specific, a natural enemy to Jews. Being in her presence would defile Jesus according to Jewish tradition. The emphasis is clearly on her differences according to Mark. The deaf mute would also be marginalized. He is in a territory called the Decapolis. This was a Gentile pagan city.

One question that comes to mind for me in these stories is what was Jesus doing there? Is it a coincidence or is his mission expanding to include all people?

The Syrophoenecian Woman had a daughter who had a demon. She was desperate. And in this text Jesus was trying to get away for some Sabbath time. And this woman found him, prostrated herself, and begged Jesus repeatedly to heal her daughter. Jesus dismisses her request at first saying a weird saying to our modern ears, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." In other words, woman, I understand my mission to be to the Children of the house of Israel first and not the dogs a slang term for Gentiles in Jesus time. According to commentaries, Jesus insulted her by calling her a dog, which were scavengers. But he didn't cut her off. He listened to her comeback.

She is clever and persistent, in fact so clever that she is the only one to win an argument with Jesus in Mark's Gospel. She responds, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." The woman's response allows that priority of the children to stand but persistently asks for attention to Gentiles also. Jesus granting of her request approves the woman's attitude. The early church used this encounter to warrant its mission to the Gentiles by grounding that mission in what Jesus did himself. What did Jesus do?

As we discuss the impact of this decision for ourselves and our church, I invite you to consider, what did Jesus do whenever he encountered an outsider? In the story with the woman, he listened and ultimately didn't judge her by her differences. He broke down walls instead of building them.

The Good news is that we gather under a cross that covers all of us and all of the areas where we can't seem to agree. We all fall short of the Glory of God. And today we have a meal hosted by Jesus where grace abounds for all people regardless of gender, social status, race, culture, sexual orientation, and any other differences we have with others. It is a meal that reconciles. It is a meal that calls us to love one another as Jesus loved us.

Come let us be one in the midst of our differences.

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