16th Sunday after Pentecost
September 9, 2018
Proverbs 22:1a; Mark 7:24-37
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other
name would smell as sweet,” laments Juliet to her Romeo. Names can sometimes
seem quite arbitrary, is what Juliet seems to be saying. A rose is still a rose
whether you call it that or not. The issue for Shakespeare’s star-crossed
lovers is that they are from rival families, Juliet is a Capulet and Romeo is a
Montague. So, if Romeo had a different family name, there wouldn’t be a
problem. Juliet asks Romeo to forsake his name and his family so that they can
be together, and he does. He tells her “I take thee at thy word. Call me but
love, and I’ll be new baptiz’d; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” Shakespeare
knew about the importance of names; otherwise there would have been no tragedy
for Romeo and Juliet. He may have even been familiar with the first proverb we
read today, “A good name is more desirable than great riches,”
or in his contemporary King James, “A good name is rather to be chosen than
great riches.” Romeo and Juliet say, in effect, “What’s in a name? Who cares
about a name? It’s more important that we are together than what our names
are.” Yet this proverb makes a different comparison, a good name is more
important than money. And it’s not talking about simply your name, like John or
Jane, it’s talking about your reputation. Some newer translations don’t even
use the word ‘name,’ they say “a good reputation is better than wealth.”
Your good name, your good reputation, is more important than your financial
status. A good name, a good reputation takes years to build up, and to earn. “It
implies integrity, honesty, and responsibility. It cannot be bought.”
That’s why it’s more important than money. A good name is more important. Why?
Names play a significant role in our
world. There’s the obvious, in things
like language and society, where we have to agree to call this perennial shrub
that has large, showy flowers and prickly thorns on its stems a rose. If we
don’t have agreed on names for things, however are we going to be able to
communicate? That’s part of why we have a common vocabulary, and why you can
get confused in other parts of the country. For example, in the Midwest soda is
called pop, and if you go to a potluck in Minnesota or the Dakota’s, you’re
going to get a hot dish, which is to say, a casserole. Names can change on you.
Or names don’t change, and you’re the one who’s new. When we moved to Asheboro,
North Carolina my freshman year of high school, I was in the marching band and
we were supposed to meet in the Old Belks parking lot to line up for a parade.
The Belks department store had closed years before, but that was still what
everyone called the parking lot. After that the band teacher started including
a map or an address so that even those of us who didn’t know the local names
could still find where we were supposed to go.
Names
can also show respect, or a lack thereof. I grew up calling adults Mr. and Mrs.
and it was a process in my early 20s to even start feeling comfortable calling
adults by their first name. I think that’s why I picked up on the southern
custom of calling elders Mr. and Ms. with their first name, so that I feel like
I’m still showing respect to the generations that came before me, and I make
sure my children do the same. Names can also show a lack of respect, and there
are some that are more subtle than outright name-calling. I served as a pastor
in North Carolina before moving to Maryland and I remember one of the first
Conference meetings I went to. The Bishop called out the names of each of the District
Superintendents. At the time there were 12 total, 9 white men, 2
African-American men, and 1 white woman. The Bishop began, “Brother Smith,
Brother Jones,” and so on, until then he called a brother by his first name. It
caught my attention and I looked up and it was one of the African-American
superintendents. The Bishop went back to using last names until the next
African-American superintendent, whom he called by his first name. And he
called the one female superintendent by her first name. I don’t think the
Bishop recognized that he was doing it; I don’t think it was on purpose, but he
was not consistent in using all last names or all first names. Using last names
is more formal than the familiarity of using someone’s first name. It shows
more respect. In the names this Bishop used, he did not show as much respect for
his superintendents who were African-American or female. It was subtle. I don’t
know if anyone else even picked up on it. But that’s part of why names matter
and the role that names can play in society.
For
another example, take a look at our Gospel reading for this morning. Here, a disrespectful name is transformed.
Jesus is taking a break from teaching the crowds and has entered a house, where
he tries to keep his presence on the down low, or for another generation, on
the Q T. But, a Gentile woman finds out, and because her daughter is possessed
by a demon and suffering terribly, she flings herself at Jesus’ feet and on her
knees, begs for Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus says, “Let the children be
fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the
dogs.”
This story is also found in Matthew’s Gospel, and there Jesus is a little
clearer. He says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel… It is not right
to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
Jesus was a Jew, born a Jew, died a Jew. Other than living in Egypt when he was
little, he did not travel widely. He was sent to Israel. Paul was the one who
took on the mantle, the apostle to the Gentiles, and the message spread from
there among non-Jewish peoples. So Jesus tells this woman, “Let the children of
Israel be fed first. It’s not fair to take the children’s bread and toss it to
the dogs.” There is no getting around that he calls her a dog. Some
commentaries try to downplay it, some try to explain it away, but it’s still
there, in every translation. Jesus says she’s not even human, she’s sub-human,
lower than people. It’s why that name that rhymes with witch is so horrible,
because it says the other person isn’t a person but a dog, a female dog.
Martin
Luther wrote that this is precisely how God helps us, by killing us to give us
life, that the YES is hidden in the NO, which has to come first. God has to
break open our false self in order for us to actually hear the YES.
My seminary professor wondered if this woman pulled out from Jesus something
even he wasn’t fully aware of because some texts say here that Jesus was
surprised by her answer. Does this Gentile woman reveal the truth that Jesus
was waiting for, that Jesus will save the Gentiles, too? Because you know what
this woman does, she doesn’t argue or get upset with Jesus over the name he
called her, she just points out the role of dogs. They eat the food that falls
from the table, and children are messy eaters. Our dogs always hang out by my children’s chairs during mealtime, not
near me. This Gentile woman takes Jesus’ name for her and transforms it to
describe her place in the world. Yes, Jesus is Jewish and sent to Israel, but even
Gentiles need this bread, too, and Jesus is the only one who has it. This is
just like a couple weeks ago, those wonderful words of life, and Simon Peter
asking, “Lord, where else would we go? You are the only one who has the words
of eternal life.” This
woman feels the same way. And Jesus tells her, “For such a reply, you may go;
the demon has left your daughter.”
Or, in Matthew’s Gospel, the other place this story is found, Jesus says, “Woman,
you have great faith! Your request is granted.”
She gave her name new meaning. Instead of changing names, like going from
Montague to Capulet, names can also be transformed and take on new meaning. That’s
part of how you build and earn that good reputation, that good name.
For we who are Christians the most important
name we take on is that which happens in our baptism. In Romeo’s line, “Call me but love, and I’ll be new
baptiz’d,” Shakespeare showed that he knew what happens in baptism, which is that
we’re named, or christened, named in Christ. Baptism also invokes God’s name.
The minister says, “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.” We’re baptized in God’s name, God’s full name, you
could say, the holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a name
that is earned or built up or transformed, but a name that is freely given to
each of us. When Jesus was baptized, God said “You are my beloved son.” God
says the same thing about each of us, “You are my beloved child.” Being
baptized, being part of God’s family, it’s as if we all have the same last name
of Christian. Christian means little Christ, as Christ molds us and makes us
like him. Christian means we’re part of God’s family. It means we live life
differently, because we belong to God.
Names
are important, what you call yourself and what you call others. Names can make
a difference, both in how you treat the other person and how they respond to
you. When my oldest was an infant and would wake up at 3 in the morning
screaming her head off, I’d call her beautiful. She didn’t look it, but I
intentionally called her beautiful to remind me that she was. Names, like all words, have the power to build up.
And they have the power to tear down. Pay attention this week to the names you
use, both for yourself and for others. See what names need to be transformed.
Gently correct someone if the name they use for you is disrespectful. And, make
a list from the sermon title. Fill in the blanks. If it’s more helpful, instead
of starting with “My name is…”, try heading the list, “I am…” and go from
there. If you’re willing to share, send me a copy of your list. I’d love to see
it, the names you call yourself, the names others call you, who you say you are. A good name is more
important than riches. Perhaps that was the Capulet’s and the Montague’s
problem, they were so caught up in their rivalry that both their names were
dragged down, which is why Romeo and Juliet didn’t even care about their names anymore.
Take care with your name. Take care with your reputation. And take care with
others’, too. In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.
