God calls us to welcome all people and provide help, security, and love. In the Isaiah reading God declares to the people to maintain justice and do what is right; a big part of that is to welcome the foreigners. God will gather those outside of Israel to Godself and bring them to the holy mountain and God’s house of prayer. In Matthew, Jesus attempts to educate the people about what truly defiles a person, and creates division, is what comes out of the mouth, not what goes in. He is taking the focus away from what is ingested and placing it on people’s actions instead. Afterward, Jesus is approached by a Canaanite woman seeking healing for her daughter. Jesus tells her that he was sent for the lost sheep of Israel, which would not include her. She persists anyway as her faith is great. Jesus recognizes this incredible faith from someone outside of Israel, commends her for it where those around him can hear, and her daughter is healed. God wants us to extend welcome to all people, not just those who look like us, act like us, and worship like us. For righteousness and peace to kiss each other a radical love of neighbor must be shown; welcome consistently extended to the “other”.