Once a man in his twenties appeared at the door of a parish house asking for money. He didn’t look ill, disabled or handicapped in any way. But because I’m a good and helpful man I wanted to know something about his needs. I don’t remember his story but I do remember it sounded like a made up one. He asked me for money to pay for one night in a nearby B&B. When I offered to go with him and pay from my pocket he suddenly had to go and fetch his wife. He would be back in a minute; but I was completely sure he would never return. And I was right. A few days later I was going to a local train station to pick up my mum. Dressed casually I didn’t look like a priest. Suddenly I was approached by a young man in his twenties asking for money. As you rightly guess that was the same one. He didn’t recognise me but I did him (photographic memory). This time he honestly admitted he was collecting money for alcohol. Despite his honesty I politely refused.
Since the 1840’s European countries have been introducing elements of social welfare following the pattern of Germany governed by Otto von Bismarck. The idea behind it was making people’s lives easier and more bearable in difficult times of sickness, unemployment or old age. Help from the state was only a support. But we get used to the easy life very quickly. Living on benefits became for some people a lifestyle. Last week a Highland councillor was sentenced to jail because he’d been receiving undeserved benefits. Fraudsters don’t care about anyone else; they live with their hand in our pockets.
On the other hand the welfare state’s idea is a highly evangelic one. Helping people in need is a test of the true faith according to Saint John: ‘You can’t love the invisible God if you don’t love your brother that you can see’. But loving people doesn’t mean giving money and goods away without concern. That’s very romantic but a completely impractical way of helping. Actually in many cases this is the simplest way to make people dependant on aid. Last week in the news I saw a report about a refugee camp in Africa where people have lived for over 20 years based mainly on international aid. Although that’s a very important and noble thing to do it’s made people practically unable to live on their own.
In today’s gospel there is a woman looking for help from Jesus. Her life has been a nightmare because of the mental problems of her daughter. She is shouting after Jesus making his disciples so embarrassed that they ask him to ‘give her what she wants’. They are not generous and sympathetic – they are irritated. The woman is a troublemaker, turning their lives into a nightmare. She’s desperate to seize the chance to change her life; the disciples are desperate to get rid of her. There isn’t a real interaction between them and the woman. Jesus’ reply is not encouraging: ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel’, while she is a pagan. In these words I feel there’s irony. Many Jewish people despised other nations and looked down on them. Many believed the Messiah would be sent only to the Jews. And now those proud Jewish disciples ask their Messiah to cope with a woman and a pagan. What a shame!
Meanwhile the woman comes up and Jesus starts talking with her. He tries to recognize her problem, her motives and her approach to it. The difference between the disciples and their Master is that he meets a woman and is looking for the best possible solution. He wants her to stand on her own feet and look after her own life. And this is what real help is about: to support people in taking on again responsibility for their lives.