"A Lesson In Grace" - Mark 7:24-30 - September 10, 2000

There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her fifth grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise. Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed, how pretty the bracelet was. She put it on and dabbed some of the perfume on her wrist.

Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.

Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her pets. A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life. Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer. The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met a girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.

Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together. They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

This story is a lesson in grace. Grace because Mrs. Thompson’s life was fulfilled since she put aside her rose colored glasses and saw a human being rather than a poor, messy little boy named Teddy. It’s the same lesson we learn in the story of the Syrophoenician Woman who confronted Jesus. What happens here is highly unusual. The woman makes a strong argument "that even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs." She already knew in her heart what Mrs. Thompson had to learn from reading the comments from Teddy’s teachers. Teddy was a human being, who needed to be loved like everyone else.

There are actually several lessons we can learn about grace from these two stories. First, grace is restrained until people are confronted about their prejudices. Some people will never change because they continue to label and pigeon-hole people because of their race, nationality or gender. Mrs. Thompson had to do her homework. The Syrophoenician woman, on the other hand, accepted the lowest of persons as an equal.

Secondly, grace is not always an unconditional gift. Sometimes we have to challenge the inequalities, the prejudices and the injustice we observe in our society or things will never change for the good. The woman’s faith challenged God. She confronted Jesus with his saying that "children should be fed first." She insisted that God’s net of grace was just a bit wider than Jesus had alluded to. And Jesus acknowledged that she was correct.

Grace occurs from our willingness to be persistent and not give up, like Jacob, who wrestled all night with God. Like the widow, who nagged the judge until he relented. Or, like Teddy, who hung in there in spite of personal setbacks and the loss of both his parents.

But, the greatest lesson to be learned from our gospel story this morning is the grace of Jesus. Yes, he was confronted as the woman who argued vehemently. But, rather than take issue with her, he accepted her position, affirming her as a woman of faith.

How difficult it is for us to hear the viewpoint of people who are different than us. Like Democrats and Republicans who spend most of their energy explaining how they are not like the other. There’s the boss who won’t accept the idea of a worker just because he/she is a worker and not in a position of authority. There’s the teacher who is always right, just because they sit in a position of power and influence. There is the parent, who says to their adolescent, "this is the way it is because I’m your father/mother and you are the child."

Grace happens when we are willing to reach across the barriers that separate us. When we acknowledge that God loves someone who is different from us just as much. When we validate the opinion of someone we oppose. When we are willing to see that God’s world is much greater than our own and has room for anyone, regardless of position, race, nationality, gender or age.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio