In a highly controversial sermon, Mark Hanson, former head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), seemingly said he was more virtuous than Christ. In his dramatic sermon, he said Jesus was mean, troubling, and racist. Online commentators were quick to pounce on the pastor for his sacrilegious sermon, with many posting replies.
“Jesus, the Canaanite woman. It was disruptive and troubling and irritating and maddening, downright maddening, because when Jesus did respond, what did Jesus do?” he added.” He said you’re an outsider. I’m not going to give you any mercy. I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus exhibited what we all too often see today we call NIMBY, not in our backyard, not in our neighborhood, not in our church, not in our nation.”
“Oh, no, we are focused on our own. We have enough to take care of, not responding to you outsiders. The other day, I overheard the two people next to me, one discussing,” the pastor added .”‘I don’t understand why Burnsville thinks it has to open up the community to people who are in poverty and all these immigrants from Somalia.'”
“Jesus wasn’t much better in his response… It gets worse because she does not quit persevering. She gets down on her knees, and she pleads with Jesus, ‘Lord, help me.'” the pastor added. “Did that get through to Jesus? Did it trigger just a little bit of empathy and compassion? Hardly, Jesus’ response was that it’s not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
“In using dogs to imply that she’s a dog was to use one of the most hurtful, despicable ways of addressing another people, another person that literally demeans their worth as a human being,” he added. “I don’t think I need to share with you examples of how many such words are being used in our culture today, toward immigrants, towards children that are transitioning towards people of color, you name it, we have despicable terms to dismiss and deny their dignity, and their humanity.”
“If I had a nickel for every time one of these hubristic preachers used the Syrophoenician woman to attack Christ, I’d have enough money to buy one of the fancy robes they always wear and then enthusiastically not wear it,” one commenter said. “My days of disrespecting the academic pedigree of the Error Laden Church in America (ELCA) are certainly coming to a middle,” another humorously added.
“Apparently, this is a Lutheran pastor preaching against Jesus. How does one find themselves here? A pastor of the bride of Christ preaching against Christ. What’s that name again for an unfaithful wife who gives herself freely to other men?” another said. “It’s because Jesus dissed this guy’s god, humanity. Mark Hanson worships himself and is a humanist not a Christian,” a commentator noticed.
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“Admittedly the weakest preaching (and even worse practice of servant leadership) that I’ve witnessed in the past several years came from the top of the ecclesiastical food chain of another Lutheran denomination, so not surprised in this instance,” another said. ” No Jesus wasn’t a NIMBY… the point I see from this passage was to prompt faith from the woman despite her identity. It’s a story of inclusion by faith, duh!”
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