The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost | 16. August 2026 | Matthew 14:22-33 |  Timothy Eichler |

Matthew 15:[10-20] 21-28 English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters‘ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

Let us get to the heart of the matter. “… what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,” (Matthew 15:18). The heart of living as followers of Jesus Christ in a lost and troubled word comes from the heart.

In hearing our gospel this morning you may be reminded as I am of the words of the prophet Jeremiah “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people,” (Jeremiah 31:33). We annually hear these when we remember the Reformation on or about the Sunday nearest October thirty-first. The heart of the matter is written upon one’s heart.

The heart of the matter is the LORD’s — Yahweh’s Law. This morning’s gospel reading speaks to the heart of the matter as it proceeds through one’s mouth.

Our gospel reading from St. Matthew includes seemingly two very different unrelated illustrations of the heart of the matter of living in a lost and troubled world. The illustrations identify the heart of matter is not one’s culture, one’s society, but one’s way of life: the heart of the individual. What is written upon one’s heart?

How we think about the heart? There are five ways I have found in which people think about the heart of a person. The first, is the heart encompasses thoughts, reason, desire, and the will of the individual. It is the spiritual and moral essence from which all words, choices, and actions flow. Second, the heart is the center of the intellect where thinking, understanding, remembering, and reasoning take place. It is where truth and error are processed. A third way, is the heart is the seat of desires and passions as it holds what a person loves, longs for, treasures, and values. Fourth, the heart can be thought of as the engine of the will and volition dictating the choices we make, our commitments, and our moral resolve to obey or rebel. Finally, the heart is the source of life’s output — the wellspring of life; what fills the inner core which eventually manifests itself in behavior.

Each of these ways or a combination of them reveal the heart of the matter is in the words that pass out of one’s mouth. For the words spoken reveal the intent of one’s behavior towards self and towards others. Revealed is the way of life.

Another way to reflect upon the words that proceed from the heart through one’s mouth as revealing one’s way of life is the geography where Jesus presents these two illustrations.

Geographically speaking the way of life revealed by Jesus in Matthew is done in a region of the plain of Gennesaret, which is located between  the villages of Tiberias and Capernaum. This is a very fertile area that allowed for the growth of a variety of plants including walnut, palm-trees, figs, and olives. At the southern end is the new capital city of Tiberias founded by Herod Antipas. Herod Antipas, you may remember is the one John the Baptist criticized for his relationship with Herodias, his sister-in-law. John the Baptist’s tells him that it is unlawful for you to have her. Because of Herod Antipas’ evil thoughts, adultery, and sexual immorality he beheaded John the Baptist — murdered him. In other words, the very things that Jesus says defile or makes a person unclean or contrary to God’s way of life is what Heord Antipas is doing. To the north is Capernaum which means the village of comfort. The village of comfort appears frequently in the gospels because it is Jesus’ adopted home city or operating base during his ministry in Galilee where he performs many miracles.

Is one’s heart of the matter located in Tiberias or in Capernaum?

Where do you find yourself? What is written upon your heart? What are the words that proceed out of your mouth?

The lost and troubled world we live in is vastly different in many ways to the world Jesus lived in, however, the heart of the matter has not changed. The heart of the matter is lived out in much the same manner today as it was then in the first century. Are we living in our hearts in Tiberias or in Capernaum?

Are evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander proceeding out of our mouth? Or the grace, mercy, and peace?

To answer these questions we find Jesus on the road traveling to the coastal cities of Tyre and Sidon. Here we have Jesus entering into Canaanite territory. Territory that is not necessarily friendly to those of Jewish decent. Jesus is approached by a Canaanite woman seeking help for her daughter who is demon possessed. Who has had written upon her heart in one way or another we do not know behavior that is destructive to her. What we do know is that her mother does not like her destructive behavior. Behavior that is comprised of evil thoughts.

At the heart of the matter is the Canaanite woman’s faith. Faith seeking the healing touch of Jesus of Nazareth. She does not care that Jesus is Jewish or that she is not of the house of Israel. What she cares about is the elimination of the demons … evil thoughts that have taken up residence in her daughter’s heart.

There is a brief conversation between Jesus the the woman about her daughter’s condition. What is Jesus’ response to her request? “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.”

Let the heart of the matter that resides in you, professed through the words passing through your lips, be realized as you desire. The heart of the matter for the Canaanite woman on the surface is her daughter. This is what her words would tell us. However, deeper in her heart is her confession and trust in Jesus. Her faith in Him is the heart of the matter.

Like the Canaanite woman we live in a world that may not includes us as it she was not included in the house of Israel along the shores of the Mediterranean in Tyre and Sidon. We live in the world of Tiberias filled with evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. All one needs to do in read or listen to the news. Predominately what one hears are evil thoughts regardless of the political bent of the speaker. It is hard to find the truth in the words that are spoken for in seeking the truth we all have our own desires wrapped upon in what we hear. We listen for that which supports our position right or wrong as long as it supports our heart’s desire.

However, we do not have to live as the world lives. To live contrary to the world is to live the way of life of Jesus in Capernaum. To live a way of life in the village of comfort of grace, mercy, and peace. To live faithfully as the Canaanite Woman who has God’s law written upon her heart.

Which way of life is written on your heart?
Tiberias?
Capernaum?
The faith of the Canaanite woman?

In reflecting upon these questions this week do so with the words of Jesus in your heart:
“… great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire.”

To God be the glory now and forever. Amen

Pastor Timothy Richard Eichler, STS
pastoreichler@gmail.com
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Coronado, CA, USA