Boundaries, Borders, and Fences

Sr. Rosemarie Greco, DW, will preach at the Milton Congregational Church in Litchfield, Connecticut, this weekend (8/20/23) and graciously shared an adapted version of her homily with us.

Boundaries, Borders, and Fences

Isaiah 56: 1, 6-8 | Psalm 67 | Matthew 15 (10-20), 21-28

"Something there is that doesn't love a wall…." wrote New England poet Robert Frost in his poem Mending Wall. He said the stone walls break apart in winter, and in the Spring, it's time to mend them. He refers to a neighbor in the poem who is convinced that "Good fences make good neighbors." But is that true? Do we know who we are walling in or walling out? Even though Robert Frost tries to convince his neighbor about the needlessness of many walls, the neighbor still sticks with what his father taught him: "Good fences make good neighbors."

We who live in Connecticut know about stone walls and fences. Landscape geologists estimate that in 1850 there were over 240,000 miles of stone walls in New England. Have they made us better neighbors?

Walls, fences, boundaries, and borders seem to be a focus of today's Gospel. The Gospel writer, Matthew, asks us to consider borders of many types: borders of geography, traditions, ritual purity, cultural, economic, physical, and spiritual boundaries, and much more. 

Borders set boundaries and determine who is in and who is out. We are certainly familiar with borders and their issues from our contemporary national and international world – and possibly too, the cosmological world.

In today's scripture, the disciples of Jesus come into conflict with borders set by the Pharisees and scribes. These Jewish leaders have questioned Jesus as to why his disciples do not observe the purity rituals of the law. They don't wash their hands, and they are unclean. They break the boundaries of the law and Jewish traditions.

Jesus responds that now the cleanliness and purity of the heart are important. What comes from a person's mouth can be a defilement or a blessing. One can observe the law and still be unclean. Jesus makes his point and crosses a border.

Physical border crossing continues, and Jesus and his disciples cross from Genesareth into the known pagan territory of Tyre and Sidon. The Israelites intensely hate this area. At this time, Borders were considered to be set by God, and they pointed out who was right or wrong. The pagan territory was definitely understood as a place where God did not exist. God was absent there. Why then would Jesus leave Genesareth and go with his disciples into Tyre and Sidon, Canaanite territory? It is unclear at the outset, but conflict follows as boundaries are disregarded.

Even though Jesus, in a sense, does not "belong" in Tyre and Sidon, he breaks another boundary. Being approached by a Canaanite woman, Jesus' first response is rather rude. He says he has come for the lost sheep of the House of Israel – not for her kind. To minister to her would be like throwing food to the dogs; what a surprising insult coming from Jesus. 

The woman knows Jesus's healing powers, and despite his response's insensitivity, she asks for a cure for her daughter. Her faith is so great, and her love for her daughter is so strong that she says she will be grateful even for the crumbs he would give from the table of healing.

A boundary has been broken again. Jesus grows in wisdom and a new consciousness. He heals the woman's daughter because of her great faith, love, and persistence.

No longer is there a boundary between the righteous religious people and the pagan who is considered an outsider. Even though it takes some time, Jesus realizes that traditions and traditionalism must be questioned, especially when they dismiss and devalue persons.

Even the Canaanite woman grows in confidence as she persists. Her traditional boundaries included being an outsider to Israel and its covenant with God and being a woman in a society where she has no standing. Therefore, she must rethink the boundaries that have kept her in bondage.

Can we see ourselves in these stories? Have we allowed past teachings and traditions to keep us captive from exploring the freedom that God holds out for us? Have we been satisfied to keep select fences and boundaries around us for the safety and disengagement they provide? Maybe we have to face the fact that we might prefer to be walled in.

Let us hear Jesus say to us – Great is your faith. Have the courage to surpass boundaries so that God's love and dynamic energies might flow through you. Let us check out who we are walling in and walling out. 

So – "Do good fences make good neighbors?" It seems like Jesus doesn't think so. May God give us the courage to follow his example and his way.

Sr. Rosemarie Greco, DW