Sermons

Sermon August 16^th 2026 - Matthew 15: 1-28

Pray

In her book Radical Candor, author and Silicon Valley Corporate Coach, Kim Scott shares this story. Kim had just gotten a new dog, a golden retriever, a puppy named Belvedere. She was living in New York City at the time and liked to take Belvedere for walks, only problem was her puppy acted like a puppy. She was standing at a street corner waiting for the light to change. She was struggling with the leash as her dog showed no fear of the traffic whizzing by. When a stranger approached and said, “I can tell you really love your dog. But you’re going to kill that dog if you don’t teach it to sit.” The stranger bent down and said, “sit.” Belvedere promptly sat and just before leaving the stranger said. “It’s not mean, it’s clear.”

Kim says this story is an example of radical candor, a management philosophy that involves caring personally and challenging directly when change is needed. Have you ever had to deliver challenging but needed feedback? Have you ever had someone confront you with the truth spoken with love?

This morning’s Gospel reading has several challenges issued. The first is not an example of radical candor. The Pharisees and scribes, religious elite who benefit from and want maintain the status quo, ask Jesus, “why don’t your followers, follow the rules?”. Jesus has no time or tolerance for their passive aggressive remarks and proclaims they are hypocrites. The Scribes and Pharisees make demonstrations of faith but they fail to live with faith in their hearts.

Jesus shifts his attention to the crowd and uses this as an opportunity to teach about what really defiles or makes a person unclean. Important background it’s said that there are 613 Laws in the Hebrew Scriptures or what we call the Old Testament. Many around food preparation, washing, and what one can or cannot eat. Jesus is challenging these traditions and those in power by saying God cares more about what comes out than what goes in. Inviting us to wonder are we more focused on rules and correct practices or are we more concerned with loving God and Neighbor?

What happens next is one of the most confounding stories in all of the Gospels and an example of radical candor but not by who we would expect. Jesus travels to the far north of ancient Palestine and encounters a Canaanite Woman. She is not an Israelite, a foreign outsider, and because of her gender she should not be approaching a teacher in the ancient world. She shouts, “Have Mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” She is clearly naming her problem but in a respectful manner. Lord/ Son of David she is recognizing who Jesus is, ironically right after religious leaders did not. Here comes the uncomfortable part, the disciples want to shoo her away. Jesus says I am not here for you but only for the people of Israel. “Lord, help me.” Clear and kind. To which Jesus says “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Again, Jesus is saying I am I need to focus on my people and my mission.

“Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat crumbs that fall from the table.” She’s not mean she is clear even when some might interpret Jesus as having called her a dog in his reply. Jesus receives this challenge and exclaims “Women great is your faith” and her daughter is healed. For two thousand years people of faith have wondered, what just happened? Did Jesus have his mind changed? Is that possible for God? Was Jesus just testing her? That would be really unkind to do to a grieving worried parent. What do you think just happened?

Many scholars say this was not a test but invitation. Jesus is invited to have his mission widened. No longer is Jesus just for ancient Jews, his ministry of radical love is indeed for everyone. Who instigated this widening? Who is identified as having faith in the story? Who might we even say is lifted up as the Hero? It’s not the religious elite. Not the rich and powerful who make sure to follow the laws and traditions. The one lifted up as an example to follow, is not just Jesus in this story. Today we look to the one who practiced radical candor, a foreigner, a mother, someone who should have been on the outside, whom scripture leaves unnamed, is acknowledged as an instigator of love.

Church where might we need to practice some radical candor? What groups of people might need us to be as determined of advocates as the unnamed mother? Where might we need to be called out on our own hypocrisy? 

In this moment in history, I think of migrants that are all too often demonized. I think of churches that still diminish the role of women and LGBTQ folks. Or of congregations where folks would rather offer empty platitudes like All are Welcome without making changes to put the words into practice. The truth is bold change and transformation begins here in our hearts. Perhaps, we might begin with radical candor in the form of a new rule.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran Pastor and Scholar ministering as the Nazis rose to power in the 1930’s. As many fled and as many churches added Nazi flags in their Sanctuaries as a form of placation or even outright cooperation. Bonhoeffer actively resisted in ways that eventually led the Nazi regime to execute him at a concentration camp three weeks before the allies liberated the region. Before his death, as a part of his defiance he founded an anti-Nazi seminary, a place for Pastors to be trained. He was as bold in faith as the unnamed women.  His boldness leads him to institute a rule for the health of the community. You could not talk about another person unless they were in the room with you. No gossip, no spilling the tea, no complaining behind someone’s back. Only radical candor. How might our families, our churches, our politics, our group text messages, change with such a rule?

The good news this morning is that God has given us more than Radical Candor. The Creator sent a Son whose life, death, and resurrection have given us radical love that sets us free. This love shapes not just how we train our dogs, what goes in and out of our mouths, but invites and instigates transformation of our entire lives. Transformation not from being perfect rule followers, not even from boldly practicing radical candor. New Life as a gift from the one who did not back down even in the face of death. It’s not just clear. It’s not just kind. It’s Amazing Grace. Amen.