As we come together on this night, we gather to celebrate what the heart of God is all about. We come to celebrate God’s heart of love for the entire world.  It is all about God’s desire to reach deep into this world, deep into humanity, into our very flesh, touch our hearts, and change them. Christmas is all about God’s love for us. And, quite frankly, love is messy.  Sometimes I think the choice to love others and the work of love could be described and labelled as “Outreach in a state of mess,” because love can be difficult, hard, messy work.  Christmas is about God reaching into the messiness of our lives, into our very flesh, to say, “You are loved. Have a heart of love!”

Why heart? Because God knows that logic and reason and might only go so far. If logic, reason and might were all that is necessary, there would be no hatred, no poverty, no violence, no racism, no sexism, no xenophobia, no war, no greed, no selfishness. And with our great military might, we would have everything necessary to enable this world to live in peace, to have a “silent night…” and to truly “…sleep in heavenly peace.” But we don’t, and we can’t because logic, reason and might have definite limits. So, tonight we celebrate the amazing, overwhelming risk God has taken on this world and on us, the great risk God has taken just to know us, just to know you. God knows that our default position, like King Herod, is to ostracize or kill the things and the people who unsettle us. So, Christmas is about God’s great risk, attempting to maybe, just maybe, reach past our often hard, well defended, heavily fortressed selves, to reach down deep and through our commitment to hostility and willful ignorance, to get through all of those securely protected walls, get through our fear, and reach right into the flesh of our lives and the depth of our hearts.

As we look at the story of this night, the good news of Christmas comes first to the vulnerable, to those ready to receive love, to people gathered in a dirty, messy barn, to the poor people living outdoors. Maybe the good news of this baby comes first to flocks of sheep and shepherds, not the corridors of power, because power corrodes hearts. Maybe this baby comes to the field first and not the temple because those people at the temple had more religion than heart. At Christmas, through Mary’s baby boy, we see God reaching out from God's heart, first to the most vulnerable, and through the most vulnerable, to the heart of all humanity. We see God keeping God's heart open to us, even as we reject God and harm one another.

On a night like this, I find the arts often enable me to better express God’s message to us.  So, I am going to reference an unexpected work of art through which we can garner some wisdom. I am going to ask you to remember the movie A Charlie Brown Christmas!  I am sure all of you have seen this movie at least once in your life and you know the story. Lucy suggests that Charlie Brown should direct a Christmas play. But Charlie Brown, with all his insecurities, wants something more than the status quo, something more than a performance of seasonal sentiments. And, as often happens, we watch him get frustrated and, yes, depressed. He’s almost ready to give in and forsake what his heart yearns for. Then, in walks Linus, Lucy’s brother. You remember Linus, right? Linus ALWAYS has his security blanket in hand. He is NEVER without that blanket. And, in this Christmas movie, you really must watch carefully as Linus speaks, or you’ll miss what happens. As Linus begins to recite the Christmas story, the music stops and the spotlight focuses on him. We hear him recite:

“And there were in that same country, shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, fear not…”

 

And, that’s when you really need to push the pause button on your remote or you just might miss what happens. Right when the angel says, “fear not,” an astonishing thing happens: Linus throws down his blanket. Now, I am sure many of you have seen that movie dozens of times, and I also am sure many of you have never noticed that gesture. In all other movies or cartoons, Linus hardly ever lets go of that blanket. After all, it’s his security. But now, in this movie when the angel says, “fear not,” Linus’s blanket has been replaced – replaced by the Christmas story. The very thing Linus relied on, that essential blanket, was cast aside for something else. Something better. Someone better. Linus goes on to finish the story. His hands are up, and his face is now smiling because of a joy that is released by the story. Linus is not just reciting words, Linus is showing something of incarnation, something of the change that happens when God enters the scene, when God enters our lives. In that moment, Linus’s insecurities and fears are gone, and he is transformed. 

Linus continues telling the story, saying:     

“Fear not, for I bring you good news of glad tidings that shall be for all people. And this shall be a sign for you, you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and good will to all people.”

 

On this night, Linus can teach us something about the Christmas message and the heart of God.  Linus experiences the contagious, even invasive, love of the heart of God, and he is transformed, so much so that he let’s go of his insecurities as he lets go of his blanket. 

When we understand the message of Christmas, we discover that we can let go of fear and hatred, of partisanship and bigotry, let go of racism, sexism, and xenophobia, let go of our need to control and our desire for power and violence, let go of all that divides us as people, and all that we do that is harmful to others. Christmas calls us to open our hearts to the love of God, the love God has for the whole world. Christmas is about God reaching into our hearts and inviting us to change, to be made new, to see one another as brother and sister, to work for justice and mercy in this broken world, to give up our weapons and guns and work for peace. The heart of God is inviting us to open our hearts and let go of all that hardens our hearts. Christmas is all about God’s heart touching our hearts, and our hearts touching one another, and that is what this world needs more than anything!

So, on this night of nights, leave your false securities and your fear behind, and open your hearts, make room in your hearts, give the God of love more square footage in the depth of your being, and welcome the Christ child.  And, do not just welcome the Christ child, but nurture the child, and give the child room to grow.  Because this God of love is going to love you into newness, love you into wholeness, and give you more heart, a bigger heart.  In fact, this God of love will not only grow, but will burst the boundaries of your hearts. 

Tonight, we celebrate a God who has laid bare God’s very heart because of love for you. So, open your heart to the love that has entered this world.  And, what is so amazing is that you will discover this God who has laid bare God’s very heart for you, has always been holding you in love, loving you just as you are, and loving you with an everlasting love, a love that will never, ever let you go.

It is good to be back with you, even though we gather online. Last week, Pastor John compared the circumstances in which we presently live to a wilderness experience. I will be honest with you, I deeply feel that wilderness experience, and so I need to hear the word God gives us on this day because I have been discouraged. I have been discouraged by living with four weeks of illness, by struggling with Covid-19, by the cavalier and careless attitude people are taking toward this deadly virus, and by the lack of respect, love, and care for neighbor exhibited by far too many. I have also been deeply distraught by the horrific killing that took place at Oxford High School less than two weeks ago. And then, when only days later, some elected leaders posted Christmas messages with pictures showing each member of their family, some children, holding a gun, we saw how deeply the idolatry of gun worship is infecting our culture. Our nation’s worship of guns is dangerous and wrong! Yes, I desperately need to hear the word God gives us on this day.

Richard Rohr writes, “The word of God confronts, converts, and consoles us – in that order.” In today’s readings, God’s word comes to us and does just that, it confronts, converts, and consoles. From the prophet Zephaniah, we hear: “Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” However, prior to today’s passage, Zephaniah has just confronted and condemned Israelite idolatry and society’s oppression of the poor. Zephaniah told the people that God has commanded obedience to the covenant, and God will punish offenders. Then, after that confrontation and call for conversion, a call for people to change their ways, the prophet consolingly sings about God’s promised salvation. Zephaniah says that as people return to the covenant, God stands inside the city, enlivens it, and rejoices over God’s people. Oh yes, I need to hear this word from God right now on this third Sunday of Advent.

In today’s gospel reading, we hear of John the Baptist and, quite honestly, he seems to be quite crabby. I understand his mood because I have been feeling rather crabby. In his unique way, John is confronting the people and calling them to convert, to turn around and change their behavior. And, like the people in his time, we need to hear the words of John the Baptist, words of one who will speak prophetically and clearly in this wilderness in which we are presently living. We need a John the Baptist who will warn us that judgement is at hand, that God will not tolerate the violence that seems to have become normal, everyday violence in our culture. We need a John the Baptist who will tell us, “The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” We need one who will name the sins that pervade our relationships and our communities, and name the injustices that permeate our broken world. And, we need a John the Baptist who calls us to change, one who points us to the path God has set before us.

As the crowds hear John speak, they wonder how they should respond. So, John tells them what worthy response looks like. He speaks of the fruit that comes from a changed heart. He tells them to love their neighbors! Give them your coat, your food. He calls them to live out acts of grace, mercy, and love. An encounter with the grace, mercy and love of God brings consolation and comfort into our lives. And, a changed life then lives out the grace and mercy one has received as one shares that grace and mercy with others who are in pain. It is interesting that even the despicable tax collectors want to change their ways. They come asking the question, “What should we do?” We might expect John to instruct these servants of Roman power to get new jobs helping those in need, to stop serving their imperial masters and instead love the neighbors they previously had taken advantage of. No, instead, John calls them to be good tax collectors, to collect only that which is required of them. And, then the soldiers come asking, “What should we do?” We might expect John to instruct these soldiers to lay aside their instruments of violence and embrace a way of peace. Instead, John tells them to not use their position of power to steal life or livelihood from anyone. Be good soldiers, he demands of them. He calls them to live lives of grace and mercy.

So, what might John the Baptist say to each one of us today, in the wake of the shooting at Oxford High School, in the wake of the violence and hatred that seems to permeate our daily lives? Quite honestly, I don’t think he would show any restraint. He would name what is wrong and harmful. He would name the way we are idolizing guns and violence. He would name the way we are damaging God’s good creation. He would name the racism, sexism and xenophobia that is so present in our society. He would name our lack of care and love for neighbor. He would say, “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” He would say we are being judged by a God whose heart yearns for justice and mercy. He would call us to change, to convert, to turn around, and he would call us back to the way of God’s love, mercy, grace, and peace. He would then give us words of consolation and comfort as he would call us to live out love and care for our neighbor and live out ordinary acts of grace, mercy, and love. He would call us to give away some of what we have. And, he would call us to the radical idea that our ordinary lives can be filled and permeated with the extraordinary Spirit of God that transforms the world.

True and lasting change, the change John calls us to make, engages both interior awareness and exterior action; it harmonizes inner change of heart and outer change which creates right relationships. John challenges us to act with more compassion. You see, changing our patterns of conduct can lead us to discover our blind spots, our idolatry, our prejudices, and our self-defeating thinking. While this may make us feel vulnerable, it also enables our hearts, our state of mind, our body, and our spirit to be open to the Holy Spirit. When God’s Spirit shows up in us, we find a new openness to others, new generosity, and new life-giving energy. The Spirit of God changes our hearts so we can then be more compassionate and truly love others. These are the fruits John calls changed people to bear.

Paul also speaks to the fruits we bear when our hearts and lives become changed. He writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again: Rejoice!” In other writings he says, “Let your fairness, your kindness, your gentleness, your unselfishness, your inner peace – let these qualities be known to all human beings.” Paul, like John, is clear about who is the source and the power behind any genuine transformation. But, unlike John’s vision of fire that brings judgment and destruction, Paul sees the fire of the Holy Spirit as the spiritual energy that inspires people toward greater generosity and the passion to persevere. Paul’s words temper John’s somewhat crabby way of speaking when he says, “Rejoice and bear fruits worthy of a transformed heart because Christ is near.” This is the path to the divine peace that surpasses all human awareness; the peace that keeps watch over our hearts and minds. Paul’s guidance to not worry does not mean for us to be superficially cheerful or to pretend that nothing disturbs us. Distress and concerns and grief will continue to be part of our human experience. Paul is reminding us that God is always present to us. He calls us to connect the nearness of God, to everything that we experience – everything that frustrates, or saddens, or discourages us; everything that delights us or astonishes us; everything that puzzles or embarrasses us, lifts us up or makes us impatient. We can practice giving all our life experiences to God in prayer simply because God is so near to us. In all things, the nearness of the God of hope and peace enables us to become aware that we are always bathed in God’s loving presence. Inspired, changed, consoled, and comforted by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do what John calls us to, things like loving our neighbor, or sharing with someone who has less or none of what we have. We can use our gifts to work for justice and mercy for all people. So, on this day, hear God’s Word – be confronted, be converted, be consoled. Bear the good fruit of a changed life, live out God’s love. And, rejoice because God is truly near!

Notes for Sermon on the Second Sunday of Advent at Faith, Okemos, December 5, 2021 based on Luke 3:1-6

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius…the word of God came to John. 

And in this first year of Joseph Biden’s presidency….when Gretchen Whitmer is governor, Elissa Slotkin, our district 8 congressional representative, Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, our senators, Craig Satterlee, our synod bishop, and Elizabeth Eaton, our presiding bishop, the word of God still comes to us:  comes to me, to Deb, to Bruce, to Chris, to Phylis here in this worship space and to all worshiping with us online. 

To us now in this still beautiful, but lately too often also dangerous wilderness, in a country deeply divided over masks and vaccinations, in a violent world – filled with tragedies like that at Oxford High School, with unsettling threats of violence from a student at Holt Junior High, in a world infected by a wily, ever mutating virus, in a nation embroiled in heightened tensions over the fate of Roe v.Wade… to us in this violent, tension-fraught wilderness, the word of God still comes...  It is a voice crying in the wilderness:  Prepare the way of the Lord….

It is a voice I so want my children to hear.  I can see in the faces of our three children  a pervasive weariness, both physical and psychological. I see and read and hear over and over  the wide spread anxiety of a  world  more and more characterized by meanness and hardness of heart,

But to us the word of God has come, still comes, “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”  The word of God calls us to an immersion, a deep and daily washing away of our sins and of the sins of the world…calls us to a baptism, acknowledging our need and earnest desire for a stirring in our hearts, for the mercy of God to save us, for God to save the people of Okemos, of Michigan, of the United States, of South Africa, of Namibia, to Syria, of Afghanistan, of Ukraine, of Germany, of Russia.

The word of God has come and is still coming to me, to Ellen, to Deb, to Bruce,  to Phylis, and to you  online.  The word of God is calling us to a deliberate, repeated turning (the meaning of repentance) toward the mercy and kindness of God who is both our judge and our savior.

It is the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins that can raise us from this deep valley of darkness.  It has the power to make tunnels through the otherwise insurmountable mountains of hatred and exploitation, of shame and disgrace.  The gift of repentance for the forgiveness of sins has the power to make the crooked straight and the rough ways smooth.

This word of God proclaiming the baptism of repentance spoken with fierce love can open the doors of our hearts to the presence of Christ like nothing else. And it is Christ Jesus who then works within us to eradicate, to burn away our hatreds and prejudices.  It is then Jesus who through his own suffering and death and resurrection transforms our rigid. hardened hearts with God’s forgiveness, God’s compassion and mercy and kindness,

Our daily immersion in the waters of baptism, of repentance and forgiveness enables us to keep our eyes on the future, on the coming dawn that will follow a dark night, a day when all will see the salvation of God.

But know this:  God’s way to this future for us and for the whole world is the way of the cross. With Jesus we will suffer misunderstandings, yes, recurring hatred and rejection and abandonment along this way toward a more peaceful, harmonious, loving world…  Yet though it is hard and painful, we will never walk this path alone.  With Jesus, the valleys of death and darkness will be filled, the mountains brought low, the crooked paths made straight, the rough roads made smooth.  With Jesus healing and wholeness will in God’s time supplant hardened hearts and shattered relationships.

To be clear, we are not Jesus, that is, we are not the Savior of the world, let alone of our own selves.  But when the word of God comes to us, we can be John the Baptist. 

John’s dad, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit after the birth of his son, spoke these words to his son:  “…..you child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

By the grace and power of God we can be John the Baptists.  Because the word of God still comes to us, we can with bold love proclaim to our neighbors near and far God’s tender compassion and mercy for them.  In this wilderness of darkness, of division and disease, we can proclaim God’s salvation for them, God’s forgiveness for them, experienced over and over through the baptism of repentance, of turning their lives and hearts toward this most gracious and loving God.  We can proclaim to them that God will guide their feet into the way of peace.  Amen.                                                       JDS                                                                                                  

This is a special musical presentation of Listen Here, Listen Here by soloist Chris Lewis at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Over the past week and a half, while struggling to get well after being quite ill, I became increasingly aware of the way we are living in a time of tension between the quarantine lockdown of 2020 and a hopeful future time when we might, just might move beyond Covid-19. This present time is fraught with disease, danger, and chaos. And, what is blatantly and manifestly clear is that full recovery and a return to normal will not come to fruition until more people get vaccinated. So, we indefinitely live in what might be called “in-between times.”

Today marks the beginning of a new church year and, on this first Sunday of the new year, we are reminded of the way we live within the tension of yet another form of in-between times. As Christians, we live between the “Already” and “the Not yet” … that is, between “the Kingdom that has come” and the “Kingdom that is yet to fully come.” We live in “in-between times.” As we begin the season of Advent, we are invited to look in two directions – to look back to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, and to look forward to Jesus' return when he will bring God's kingdom on earth to fulfillment at the end of time. Therefore, Advent begins with a reading that looks toward Jesus' return. In other words, we begin this season by looking deep into the future – to the end of time. And, today, as we begin traveling through the gospel of Luke, we are given a cosmic picture, one that reaches out in time, incorporating the end of history. We are given words that remind us to be watchful, to be alert and be ready, not for the coming of a baby, but for the second coming of Christ. These are words about the end of time as we know it and, yes, there will be an end, whether it is the end of our lives, or the ultimate end of the world.

          This section of Jesus’ speech from the temple in Jerusalem is full of frightening images, confusing metaphors, and shocking admonitions. As we begin our journey to the manger, we do not encounter the sweet baby Jesus people wait for during this season. Instead, we encounter a stern, adult Jesus, picturing the whole universe being shaken and turned upside down. Quite honestly, it is not a passage most preachers are thrilled to explore, especially at a time when faith communities are full of people who cannot understand why the church “cannot just get on to Christmas already!”

Luke’s gospel was written around 80 CE and the people to whom Luke was writing had already seen the destruction of the Jerusalem temple. They had waited and waited for Jesus’ promised return, but they had not seen it happen. Life for them was difficult and chaotic as Christians were facing persecution. They were truly struggling with “the when” of Jesus’ promised return. Luke addresses this, but he does not give the specific time when Jesus will return. Rather, Luke stretches out that time indefinitely. In today’s reading, Jesus’ words provide assurance that there will be chaos – chaos in the heavens above and chaos in the sea below. Luke’s Jesus tells us the powers of the world will be shaken. The Greek word used for “world” is oikoumene, a word that specifically means the political and economic realm. This is a word that intentionally addresses the powers of the empire, the political and economic powers of the nations. And, he tells the people to look up and raise their heads because an end will come and there will be redemption, liberation and freedom. 

          Today, as we begin a new church year, our world is plagued and overwhelmed by Covid-19. The world is beset by warring factions. Political parties are increasingly divided, and bitterness towards others spews out of people’s mouths like venom. We have seen violent, gun carrying, homegrown terrorists violently attacking innocent people in our streets and even at our nation’s capital, while at the same time, attempting to create fear. Rampant greed has and continues to create growing economic disparity. Mass shootings have become routine, everyday experiences. Systemic racism is a driving factor in the function of every structure and system. Climate change is upon us. The fear in people’s lives is palpable as we face an uncertain future. Oh, yes, how we long and yearn for God’s presence, how we yearn for a different way. Oh, how we long for “justice and righteousness in the land.”  And, as we wait and yearn for an end to evil and sorrow, we wonder how are we to live? Jesus says to us, “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Just what do Jesus’ words mean for us as we wait for Christ to come, for Christ’s advent among us? Well, the truth is, if Advent is anything, it is a season of painful waiting in the world while not becoming detached from the world. It is a season of darkness before the light comes; a season about a future that is not yet, but a future in which redemption is "drawing near.”  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “Advent is like sitting in a prison cell. One cannot do anything except hope, pray and wait; deliverance must come from the outside.” 

For Christians, we live our lives reminding each other to not cower in fear but to stand up and raise our heads, for our redemption has already drawn near in Jesus. As Christians, we are called to boldly stand up and raise our heads. Yes, stand and do not fear! Do not fear because fear is more dangerous than violence. Do not fear because fear causes us to forget our identity as named and claimed children of God. Do not fear because fear causes us to see people in need as the enemy. Do not fear because fear causes us to place our safety and comfort above the needs of those who suffer. Do not fear because fear leads us to betray our most cherished values. Do not fear because, today, Jesus reminds us that he is the Lord of history, and he is the one who will bring all things to a good end.

In this in-between time, a time fraught with chaos, foreboding events, and tensions of all kinds, we wait also knowing this time is infused with hope and courage because we already know the end of the story! While not yet here, the end has already been written by the resurrected Christ and God has this. God’s redemption will come!

Yes, as we live during these “in between times” and as we continue to wait, we stand with courage, sharing and living out the compassion and love of Christ. We stand with courage as we treat all persons with the love of God because we have known and continue to know God’s love. We stand and raise our heads because, as we live together within the context of Christian community, we can be a place of light in the darkness. We can be a place of hope, courage and confidence because God’s presence shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome God’s presence.  We courageously stand together, affirming time itself as God’s home and workplace, not a calendar of accumulating years but as a movement toward the fulfillment of God’s dream for all people. We stand together as a community, affirming our trust in God’s promises, past, present, and future.

As we live during these in-between times, Jesus’ words to us today are all about the faithfulness of God. They are not words of terror. They are words of hope and promise. And, the promise is, “Yes. There will be an end. God is coming! The future reign of God is definitely coming. Justice, hope, and love are on the way. But, in the meantime, God is at work and very present, in the chaos, in spite of all appearances to the contrary.  Be watchful, be alert, and be ready. For no one knows the time or when, but there will be an end and the reign of Christ is coming!” 

This is a special musical presentation of Praise to the Lord, the Almighty by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This has been an interesting week in our household

 

My two boys are enrolled in One Wild Life Learning Community for school

 

They began this school group last year and continue this year

 

This week their two teachers have been home recovering from covid

 

All of the kids have remained healthy, and I’ve had an up-close opportunity to observe their learning this week

 

One Wild Life promotes student-led

 

And place-based modes of learning

 

One Wild Life uplifts and respects the kids’ ideas

 

One Wild Life focuses on discovering and cultivating one’s passion

 

This week I’ve had seven kids age 9 – 14 continuing their learning in my basement

 

They connect with their teachers on zoom a few times per day

 

But mostly, amazingly, they are the drivers of their learning

 

I’ve served as the adult upstairs if I’m needed,

 

But I’m not

 

Except as a privileged witness to this incredible community

 

Little gems drift up from the basement throughout my day

 

Celebrations like “We’re so smart!”

 

Support like “Oh, here, I can help with that!”

 

And words of encouragement like “Don’t worry, you got this!”

 

Warm my heart

 

I’m stunned by the silence of these kids working diligently on the next step along their learning path

 

As I continue my own learning in my Masters of Divinity program upstairs

 

I’m in awe of the parallel between their self-driven learning and mine

 

They are young

 

They are so very capable

 

They can do hard things

 

They are empowered to learn…  and grow…  and thrive…

 

Outside of the traditional systems and structures of authority      \         \

 

It’s within this heartwarming week that I reflect on today’s Gospel encounter between Jesus and Pilate

 

This encounter is all about

 

Authority    \         \         Identity       \         \         and Power \                   \

 

Brene Brown deeply explores dynamics of power in Dare to Lead

 

She distinguishes between

 

Power over – which is quite a traditional hierarchical top-down power dynamic

 

And Power with – which is collective power, power that is empathy-driven and shared

 

Power-with is collaborative

 

Power-with leadership looks like service to others

 

One Wild Life Learning Community is an in-my-face example of power-with this week

 

This empowerment didn’t occur just on Monday as the kids gathered independently

 

This empowerment has been cultivated throughout their time together,

 

with the teachers creating space and releasing control to the kids

 

growing their confidence in their ability to drive their own learning        \         \

 

As I engage the Gospel and consider Jesus Christ the King

 

I observe that God is a power-with God

 

God refuses to participate in power-over dynamics

 

God denies that power is finite, and promotes power shared with all

 

God will not use fear as a tool to exercise power-over others

 

God refuses violence to achieve power

 

Let’s explore the context of this Gospel reading and identify how power is used

 

This encounter occurs in the time just preceding the Jewish Passover

 

The Jewish leaders, specifically the high priestly authorities Annas and Caiaphas,

 

have Jesus arrested and questioned about his teaching – exerting power over Jesus

 

Jesus responds that he’s done everything in public,

 

And questions the intent behind this arrest and interrogation – an attempt to balance power between them

 

The nearby police strike him in the face – reinforcing the power-over dynamic between the high priest and Jesus

 

Jesus is then taken from the high priests to Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea

 

Pilate’s there, in Jerusalem, to keep Roman order during the time of Jewish Passover

 

Pilate is not Jewish, but a gentile

 

This collaboration between the Jewish authorities and the Roman governor builds power over Jesus

 

This next interaction is fascinating

 

There has been much cultural tension between the Jewish authorities and the gentile Roman rulers as they vie for power over one another

 

Pilate initially responds that the Jewish authorities should take care of their own business

 

and judge Jesus according to Jewish law, however,

 

Roman rulers didn’t allow Jewish authorities to carry out death penalties

 

And so the Jewish authorities submit to Roman rule by requesting Pilate’s support

 

This seems to further Roman leadership’s power-over Jewish leadership as they acknowledge Pilate’s authority

 

Through Pilate’s dealing with Jesus, the Jews recognize the Roman emperor as their king

 

Can you feel the tension within this power struggle?

 

This brings us to the scene we hear about today where Pilate questions Jesus

 

The hierarchy of power-over kingship is interwoven throughout this entire story,

 

From the arrest of Jesus by the Jewish authorities

 

Through the questioning by the high priest

 

To turning Jesus over to the governor, Pilate

 

And now Pilate’s questioning of Jesus

 

The Roman rulers didn’t necessarily think of Jesus as a threat as he compassionately went around healing and preaching throughout the region.

 

But now the leaders within Jesus own religious group are alarmed

 

They find his behavior – and perhaps his power – out of the ordinary

 

This alarms the Roman empire because they’re afraid of the Jewish God

 

Jesus was perceived as a threat by the empire because

 

his ministry served as a sign of God’s inbreaking kingdom

 

God’s action within the world had a reputation,

 

and God’s kingdom didn’t side with power-over empire dynamics

 

God’s power is with the marginalized and strangers of the land who are oppressed by the system

 

Remember what happened with Pharoah and Moses in Egypt?

 

So King Herod and Governor Pilate worried about the thinness of their thread of power-over the people

 

They worried about the end of their ability to oppress and exploit people within their kingdom

 

They feared a time when the nobodies could rise up in power against them

 

This is the context of Pilate’s question:  “Are you the King of the Jews?”

 

And Jesus the Christ’s response:

 

“If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews.” (Jn 18:36)

 

Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world

 

Jesus followers don’t, and will not, fight

 

What kind of a king is this?

 

Jesus embodies the power of God that refuses power-over others

 

even others like Pilate, Herod and the high priests

 

Jesus the Christ is the kind of king that ushers in a different power dynamic

 

A power dynamic that is out of this world

 

A power that is with and for abundant life for all

 

“For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.” (Jn 18:37)

 

Jesus indicates that the incarnation is about to culminate within this time and space

 

The next question that Pilate asks is the question that remains for us:

 

“What is truth?” (Jn 18:38)

 

The truth is:

 

The power of God’s presence within humankind is about to be revealed through Jesus the Christ

 

This is a collaborative power that flows within and through all of God’s creation

 

The truth is

 

Within creation God designed humankind to not be alone

 

The truth is

 

God breathes power into creation through the Holy Spirit to co-create with God

 

The truth is

 

We worship God who chose to be enfleshed in human skin

 

As Jesus is headed toward crucifixion

 

The truth is

 

that the God we worship takes all of this authoritarian power

 

From the Jewish authorities

 

From the Roman empire

 

Into God’s self

 

God transforms and re-creates this power-over

 

Through the resurrection

 

Into power-with

 

The truth is

 

that Jesus the Christ, resurrected and made new

 

breathes into us, God’s followers,

 

This collaborative power of the Holy Spirit        \         \

 

And sometimes the truth is too much to grasp

 

Sometimes the truth overwhelms

 

Sometimes the truth is diminished by the reality that we continue to live within a power-over society

 

Sometimes we forget the power we have

 

And I think back to the precious words that have drifted up from my basement this week

 

From these kids living One Wild Life

 

“Oh, here, I can help with that!”

 

“We’re so smart!”

 

“Don’t worry, you got this!”

 

And I am encouraged…

 

With Jesus as our teacher we are empowered

 

We are so very capable

 

We can do hard things

 

The Holy Spirit is with us as we learn…  and grow…  and thrive…

 

As we participate in, work toward, and even demand power-with systems

 

This is our inheritance,

 

This is our call

 

Amen.

Today’s gospel reading from Mark is guaranteed to raise one’s heart rate a bit as Jesus begins to tell the disciples about signs of the end of the age. This entire chapter in Mark's gospel is called the little apocalypse because it falls into the genre of apocalyptic writing. Apocalyptic literature was a special kind of writing that was very popular during Jesus’ lifetime and in the early church. What “apocalyptic” means is to pull back the veil, to reveal what one might call the underbelly of reality. It uses hyperbolic images like stars falling from the sky, the moon turning to blood, and violent future earthquakes. The closest comparable literature in contemporary 21st century writing would possibly be science fiction, where suddenly you’re placed in an utterly different world, where what you used to call “normal” doesn’t apply anymore. So, as you listen to today’s gospel reading you need to understand it is meant to shock. It is also very important to note, the purpose of apocalyptic literature is not to foretell the future as some fundamentalists would have you believe. No, the purpose of apocalyptic literature is to encourage faithfulness and patience in the present time, in present challenges. In fact, one commentator, when talking about apocalyptic literature, writes, "The premium of discipleship is placed not on predicting the future but on faithfulness in the present, especially in trials, adversity, and suffering."  This is precisely what the thirteenth chapter of Mark is about. It is also important to look at the last words of today’s reading. After Jesus mentions frightening things that will take place, he says, “This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.”  Birth pangs bring forth new life. Apocalypse is for the sake of birth, not death. Yet most of us have heard this reading as a threat. It is not a threat. Apocalyptic writing is about hope. It is writing that suggests falling apart is for the sake of renewal, not punishment.

Apocalyptic writing reframes reality in a radical way by flipping our imagination. I love the way Richard Rohr talks about apocalyptic writing. He says:

We would have done history a great favor if we would have understood apocalyptic literature. It’s not meant to strike fear in us as much as a radical rearrangement. It’s not the end of the world. It’s the end of worlds—our worlds [including our little individual worlds] that we have created. In the book of Revelation (also called the Apocalypse, or Revelation to John), John is trying to describe what it feels like when everything falls apart. It’s not a threat. It’s an invitation to depth. It’s what it takes to wake people up to the real, to the lasting, to what matters.

 

So, with that in mind, let’s look at our reading from Mark. The

disciple's comment about the greatness or size of the temple is quite ironic because it comes right after Jesus praises a widow who gave the smallest of coins to the temple. Right there we can discover that what is great and what is small in God's kingdom are probably not the same as in our kingdoms. Then, leaving the Temple for the last time, Jesus takes the disciples to the Mount of Olives which is opposite from the Temple. Perhaps the separation of Jesus and his disciples from the temple can also symbolize that the "place where God dwells" is now in Jesus and his Word rather than in the building. He then proceeds to share apocalyptic words, the words we see in today’s gospel reading. And, he shares these words as everything truly is about to fall apart for the disciples, as he himself faces betrayal, trial, and crucifixion within a matter of days.

Responding to a comment on how magnificent the Temple was, Jesus looks past the building to a time when the Temple would be destroyed. Indeed, the Temple was to be destroyed within a generation of Jesus speaking these words. And, by the time Mark wrote these words which are part of the first written gospel, the Jewish revolt had taken place and the Temple had been destroyed. Anyway, Jesus takes the disciples on a verbal journey to the end times, the end of worlds that are always before us. He focuses on symbols and events that will show the end time is about to happen. But the reason Jesus tells the disciples these things is not so they could pinpoint a date. It is not to give them a head start so they can get their affairs in order. The point Jesus was making was to watch out, be awake, be prepared, and persevere during the struggles that are to come.

Now, quite honestly, the early Christians truly believed that the end was near. Yet, within a decade or two, nearly all the twelve disciples would be dead, most of them having died as martyrs. Within a generation, persecution would seek to destroy the Church, even as the Temple was destroyed. The end of the world didn't come but threats to bring about the end of faith and the end of the Church were certainly on the horizon. The key was to be alert, be prepared, and persevere. Believers would have to dig deep to continue to be enthusiastic and energetic about a faith that could cost them their lives. Things were not easy for anyone who followed Jesus. Their own end could come at any time. And, quite honestly, it is the same for us.

Jesus was telling the disciples they would have to live on the edge as things seemed like they were falling apart. They would face danger and that danger would create an edginess in their lives. Their faith would have to persevere in times when it would be a lot easier to give up and give in to the pressures that opposed God. After the resurrection, in those early days of Christianity, as many in the first-generation Church did believe that Christ would return before they died, they lived in expectation. They lived on the edge, an edge that came from listening to Jesus' words as he told them to keep watch, be alert, persevere, and keep the faith.

As we look at our lives and think about Jesus’ message, I am deeply aware of the way we seek comfort and security. But, quite frankly, seeking and attaining comfort and security can be very hard on faith. We can find our faith and our lives become too comfortable, too protected. Faith needs to have an element of edginess to it. Faith and trust in God during challenging times, at times when things seem to be falling apart, does require an edginess and enthusiasm as we face uncertainty. A comfortable faith in a comfortable Church leading to a comfortable life trying to make sure that our part of the world remains comfortable isn't what Jesus had in mind for 1st century Christians or 21st century Christians. I suspect that the world will not end for a long time, probably many, many generations from now. But no one can say, as an individual, that tomorrow is promised to them. The end of our world might be just around the corner. This is something we have learned anew throughout this Covid-19 pandemic.

Living out our faith while aware that our world could end tomorrow, can make an incredible difference in the way we serve God. It can make an incredible difference in the way we see others. It can make an incredible difference in the way we live our daily lives. Living on that edge, remembering our world could end tomorrow, reminds us how to truly live! One day the great buildings and structures of our life will fall. Things will seem like they are falling apart. The very things that we often trust and rely upon to give identity, meaning, purpose, and security will crumble. This is not a prediction of the future or a forecast of doom and gloom. It is just a statement of reality. Life changes, loved ones die, institutions fail, people disappoint, relationships break up, bodies get sick. In those moments the great stones of our temples are all thrown down. Faith in Christ helps us let go of illusions and pretenses so we can be more and more present to what is. That’s why, just a few verses later, Jesus says, “Be awake.” God puts us in a world of passing things where everything changes, and nothing remains the same. The only thing that doesn’t change is change itself. It’s a hard lesson to learn. It helps us appreciate that everything is a gift. We didn’t create it. We don’t deserve it. It will not last, but while we breathe it in, we can enjoy it, and know that it is another moment of God, another moment of life. We can live, pulling back the veil to see the underbelly of reality, to see what is, what is already here. And, what is already here, is God’s presence to us, Immanuel – God with us! That is what truly matters and what is lasting. And, this God of grace and love, who holds us and carries us through all the challenges and changes and chaos of life, calls us to live awake in the NOW, allowing the promises of God about the future to infuse our every present moment.

This is a special musical presentation of City Called Heaven by the Faith Chorale and a solo by Victoria Waler at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Throughout this pandemic, I feel as though we have been living what one theologian calls “the Saturdays of our lives.”  The Saturdays of our lives represent those despairing places in life between the crucifixion of Good Friday and the resurrection of Sunday morning. They represent the stench of death we have experienced and felt throughout this pandemic. They represent the emptiness and longing we may feel in the wilderness of despair. They represent those places in life where what is crystal clear is the suffering and the pain and the agony and the chaos, and where the resurrection of Sunday and the promise of new life seem like a fantasy or fairytale that is certainly nowhere in sight. Living in the Saturdays of our lives is a difficult place to live. And, that place of death and despair is the context for all our readings on this day, readings that are truly life-giving.

It is important to note that, when the Bible speaks of death, it does so in terms of the future. Using poetic writings and visions, the Bible speaks words of hope and promise, and words of a future that is before us but not yet here. They are words we need to hear in the Saturdays of our lives. In our first reading, Isaiah was speaking to displaced people in the 8th century BCE. The Assyrians had swept in and captured the Israelites and forced them to scatter throughout the empire. It was, in essence, yet another wilderness experience and the people were asking THE big despairing question, “Where is God?”  Many had lost their faith and it was there, in the anguish, that God came to the people of Israel. God met them right where they were, made God’s presence known to them through the prophet Isaiah, and gave them desperately needed words of hope. God gave them words of hope and promise that ring down through the centuries to provide the words we so desperately need to hear in the Saturdays of our lives.

Isaiah speaks to the people of Israel and to us, and he beautifully describes a future day when God will throw a massive, gigantic party, when the “Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food.”  God will destroy “the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations.”  With poetic words that describe the most hope-filled future, we hear that God will swallow up death forever, wipe away the tears from all faces, and God will take away the disgrace of God’s people, wiping it away from all the earth! Oh, these are hope-filled words we so desperately need to hear in the Saturdays of our lives. 

In our reading from the Book of Revelation, speaking words to despairing people facing persecution, we are gifted with another vision of the future as the writer describes a whole new heaven and new earth.  And, what is so interesting about this vision is that it is about the future of everything, the future of ALL things.  It is about an amazing future that God is creating where the chaos, pain and destruction of this present time will be no more!  Oh, we need to hear the promise of this future as we experience our present challenges and the Saturdays of our lives!

But, wait.  There is yet another story of hope and promise!  On this day, we are also told of the raising of Lazarus when the very shroud of Lazarus is cast off.  Oh, we need to hear these words because the stench of death and the roiling chaos have been swirling all around us for too long.

Lazarus, Jesus’ close friend, has died.  Mary and Martha knew their brother, Lazarus, would not have died had Jesus been present.  They are living and experiencing the Saturdays of their lives. And, like us, we discover Mary using the “if only” phrase as she kneels at Jesus feet saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  Then, as Jesus responds to Mary’s weeping, we are confronted with the harsh but ultimately comforting truth of the situation.  In this moment of darkness, this moment that renders God’s very Word silent, we find that Jesus himself weeps. It is in this moment that we discover the incarnate God who weeps with us as Jesus reveals the passion and love of a powerless yet seemingly almighty God. When Jesus experienced Mary and Martha weeping for their dead brother Lazarus, he was "deeply moved in spirit and troubled."  As we look at this piece of the story, theologian N.T. Wright is insistent as he says:

When we look at Jesus, not least when we look at Jesus in tears, we are seeing not just a flesh-and-blood human being, but the Word made flesh. The Word, through whom the worlds were made, weeps like a baby at the grave of his friend. Only when we stop and ponder this will we understand the full mystery of John’s gospel. Only when we put away our high-and-dry pictures of who God is and replace them with pictures in which the Word who is God can cry with the world’s crying will we discover what the word “God” really means.

 

The God we worship is not a remote and aloof "sky god" somewhere out there. No, God is a tender God who is deeply moved, even grieved, by anything and everything that threatens our human well-being. In this moment, we discover Immanuel – God with us, a God who even weeps with us. And, oh my, as we experience the Saturdays of our lives, we need to hear these words!

But, wait!  The story does not end there.  Jesus commands those present to take away the stone blocking the entrance to the tomb.  Now, there is nothing pretty about death.  Death brings decay, rotting and stench.  Oils and spices applied to a dead body would have held unpleasant odors at bay for a while, but after four days the stench would have been overpowering.  And, so it was with Lazarus.  Martha becomes the realist as she says, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.”  However, Jesus responds by saying, “Take away the stone,” and with those words we cannot help but be reminded of Jesus’ own coming resurrection. Oh, yes, we need to hear these words in the Saturdays of our lives.

When Jesus cries out with a loud voice saying, “Lazarus, come out!” he heralds a stunning new possibility as the stench of death meets the fragrance of the resurrecting power of God’s Son. Jesus’ shout brings life to Lazarus! Lazarus, the dead man, emerges from his tomb, bound from head to foot in burial wrappings.  Jesus then commands that these burial wrappings, that shroud, the last remnants of death, be removed as he says, “Unbind him, and let him go.”  The shroud, that death sheet that had been spread over Lazarus’ body, is removed and the stench of death is gone.  Oh yes, we need to hear these words in the Saturdays of our lives.

People, Lazarus is us.  Bound by death in our current lives, we are called to life by Jesus who is the Light and the Life of the world. And, it is from the light of Easter dawn that we confront the darkness of death.  Jesus stands at the edge of the Saturdays of our lives, at the edge of our tomb, even the tomb of Covid-19 and the many tombs in which we presently exist as we shrink from being fully alive.  Jesus stands shouting, “Come out!”  He calls us to come out and walk into the light of day, pulling free of our grave clothes as we go.  From the other side of Christ’s resurrection, we gain the courage, not to deny death, but to be honest about its ability to cripple us. And, crippled we have been! We gain the courage to not let the fear of death distort our lives, but to walk through it and figure out ways to integrate it into our lives. As we do this, we walk placing our faith in the Risen Christ who has promised us that death does not have the last word. And, knowing that death is not the last word, we are free to live, truly live. We can stare death and darkness in the face and even embrace its reality as a part of earthly living – even in our grief, and even in our pain. Oh, yes, we need to hear these words on this day!

Theologian, Frederick Buechner, says, “Resurrection means the worst thing is never the last thing.” Friends, we are Lazarus, and the good news is that, in Holy Baptism, we have been joined to Christ’s death and resurrection! We have been promised not only life eternal but also abundant life right here and right now. We are called to live as though the Eternal were now because God is, and because God is present to us here and now. We are called to live as though we belong to God, in life and in death. We can let go of all that holds us in the Saturdays of our lives because the future God holds out before us is not dominated by death. It is one of life and God is calling us into life! Come forth and live!! Oh, yes, we so desperately need to hear these words in the Saturdays of our lives!

This is a special musical presentation of This Little Light of Mine by the Faith Chorale and a Tamborine solo by Rich Weingartner at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

It often seems as though we are presently living in a post-truth culture.  Michiko Kakutani is a writer and former chief book critic for The New York Times.  In 2018, she wrote an excellent article titled “The death of truth: how we gave up on facts.”  In that article, Kakutani eloquently describes the disease of “truth decay” and the way it is permeating and dismantling our culture and our society.  Commenting on our present perilous relationship to truth and facts, she writes:

The term “truth decay” has joined the post-truth lexicon that includes such now familiar phrases as “fake news” and “alternative facts”. And it’s not just fake news either: it’s also fake science (manufactured by climate change deniers and anti-vaxxers, who oppose vaccination), fake history (promoted by Holocaust revisionists and white supremacists), fake Americans on Facebook (created by Russian trolls), and fake followers and “likes” on social media (generated by bots).

 

Her article is quite helpful as she articulates the way “truth decay” is infecting our perception of truth, our understanding of freedom, and the way this disease characterizes the deep brokenness in our culture.  And, while Kakutani wrote this article in 2018, her words are even more poignant today as we think about what has happened over the past three years. Truth decay just continues to grow wider and deeper.  Quite honestly, we may even ask the question, “What is truth, what is really true?”  So, it is fitting that today, we are reminded of Jesus’ perspective on the meaning of truth. Jesus is speaking to us about truth and freedom, and Jesus’ words could not be more different from the way these concepts are discussed in the news and in present culture.

Today’s passage from John takes place within the context of a dialogue between Jesus and his opponents.  Jesus’ opponents are trapped in their sin, trapped in a dead-end life, and they do not believe in him.  They do not believe Jesus is the new revelation of God, the one who is truth.  The focus of the dialogue is all about Jesus’ identity, it is all about who Jesus is.  It is a dialogue of faith that centers around two words – truth and freedom.  Jesus says, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  The truth Jesus is talking about is himself.  This truth is not just some concept; it is not an abstract idea, and it is not the opposite of falsehood.  This truth is a real, living person – the person of Jesus, himself, the person who reveals to us the truth of what God is really like, the truth that God is a God of love.  And, to connect to Jesus and live in his truth that God is love and holds each one of us in love, is to be set free from unfaith. Knowing God loves us truly sets us free in so many ways.

Today, we are celebrating the Reformation, a change that took place within the church when Martin Luther discovered something about the truth of Jesus 504 years ago.  Luther was a man who knew intense inner struggle.  Luther was tormented because of his own sinfulness, and he knew the depths of depression.  Then, one day as he was studying the passage we heard today in our reading from Romans, he made a discovery that transformed not only his life, but also the life of the church and, ultimately, our understanding of the gospel.  Luther heard the following words as if for the first time and they transformed his entire being.  Listen again to these words. “For there is NO distinction, since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift!”  Did you hear those words?  Justified by his grace AS GIFT!   And, who receives that gift?  The writer of Romans says, “There is NO distinction – ALL have sinned, and ALL ARE JUSTIFIED BY HIS GRACE AS GIFT!”  The Gospel is quite clear.  ALL receive the gift!  When Martin Luther read those words and truly heard what they were saying, they changed his life, and his new understanding and insight brought transformation and change to the church. 

It was when Luther made this great discovery about justification by God’s grace as gift, all gift, that he finally began to understand the truth of Jesus’ identity.  He understood that Jesus is the truth, and Jesus reveals to us the truth about God.  Luther knew his own captivity to sin, and he was very aware of the church’s captivity to sin.  Luther also knew he was not able to free himself from bondage to sin.  His freedom could only come through Christ.  He was set free when he finally came to understand God’s grace is so encompassing that this God of love accepted him as he was.

Becoming truly free is never easy.   Luther found out that grace and truth are not cheap.  Knowing the truth of Jesus and living in that truth always means facing the cross.  And, the cross always means death, death to self, death to systems, death to systems of oppression, death to ideologies, and even death to religious practices and understandings when they are not faithful to God’s living Word.

When we face the truth, we ultimately must look at ourselves.  We cannot become free from the chains that bind us unless we can honestly face all that holds us in bondage, and unless we die to self.

There are all sorts of ways we live in bondage.  Not one of us is totally free.  We live in bondage to addictions of all kinds, to competition, to work, to consumerism, to ideologies, to political perspectives, to fear, to anxiety, to our desire to control, and to so much more.  And, quite often the things that hold us captive become a way of running from our fears and running from the pain of life. 

Friends, the one truth that will set us free from all our fears of living and of dying has eluded most people. The absolute truth that liberated Luther and liberates all who believe it is the truth of Jesus as he tells us God deeply loves us and bathes us in grace and mercy.  God loves and accepts us as we are!  Now, quite frankly, this ultimate and awesome reality doesn't keep us from the fires and trials of our life journey; rather, it strengthens and carries us safely through them and beyond them.  That is what Luther experienced and that is what we experience. The good news for you and for me is that when we finally come to realize that we stand in the presence of God and are embraced by the gracious loving arms of Jesus, we become able to face the cross.  And, when we continue in the Word and become faithful disciples, only then are we able to live into the freedom of the Son.

The Reformation that began with Martin Luther is ongoing.  As Lutherans, we are a reforming church.  We are continually being made new.  God continually calls each of us to change and become new beings.  God continually calls the church to participate in a dialogue of faith and engage in the process of being re-formed as we live into the in-breaking reign of God.  And, I am really looking forward to see where that dialogue takes us as we move beyond Covid-19, because the church is becoming changed and WILL again be re-formed and transformed.

So, hear this truth and live in this truth.  It is the truth that really matters. Jesus is saying to each of us, “[Come, let go of your issues and get to know me.  Live in my love and live in my Word.] If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure.  Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you….[because] if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.”  (The Message)

This is a special musical presentation of Amazing Grace by the Faith Chorale and a solo by Bob Nelson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

The trajectory of Mark’s gospel is so very interesting. The central section of Mark’s gospel focuses on Jesus’ teaching about discipleship, and it is book-ended by two stories of Jesus healing persons who are blind. Today’s story of blind Bartimaeus, is the second of the bookend stories and it marks the end of the discipleship section. It also presents one of the key points in Mark's gospel. This story unlocks the gates to Jerusalem and what is to come as Mark continues the Jesus story.  This book end story of Mark’s discipleship section is the gateway into the last week of Jesus’ life and, the question we are being asked is, “Do you really want to see?”

 Jesus asks Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”  Some commentators say this is a rhetorical question because Bartimaeus is blind and what he wants is obvious. However, it’s not that simple. Jesus is essentially asking Bartimaeus and each one of us, “Do you really want to see?” This passage needs to be read on two levels:  yes, it’s about physical blindness, but it’s also about spiritual blindness.  And when it comes to spiritual blindness, I’m not so sure that we really want to see because, once we do see, we cannot unsee, and our lives become forever changed.

In his book, The Naked Now, Richard Rohr describes three ways of seeing and viewing reality.  He tells of three different men who stood by the ocean, all looking at the same sunset. One man saw the immense physical beauty and enjoyed the event in and of itself. This man was the "sensate" type who, like 80 percent of the world, deals with what he can see, feel, touch, move, and fix. This was enough reality for him, for he had little if any interest in larger ideas, intuitions, or the grand scheme of things. He saw with his first eye, which was ok, and it was good.

A second man saw the sunset and he enjoyed all the beauty that the first man did. However, like all lovers of coherent thought, technology, and science, the second man also enjoyed his power to make sense of the universe and explain what he discovered. He saw with a second eye, he saw more than the sunset.  He thought about the cyclical rotations of planets and stars. Through imagination, intuition, and reason, he saw with his second eye, which was even better.

Finally, the third man saw the sunset, knowing and enjoying everything both the first and the second man did. But, in his ability to progress from seeing to explaining, to what some might even call "tasting" or absorbing, this third man saw so much more.  He remained in awe before an underlying mystery, coherence, and spaciousness that connected him with everything else.  He saw with real depth.  Rohr says, “He used his third eye, which is the full goal of all seeing and all knowing. This was the best way of seeing.”

“Third eye seeing” is seeing at a deeper level.  It’s seeing spiritually, it’s seeing with the eyes of Christ.  Describing people who see at this level, Rohr writes the following:

They do not reject the first eye; the senses matter to them.  Nor do they reject the second eye, but they know not to confuse knowledge with depth.  They know not to confuse mere correct information with transformation of the consciousness itself.  This deeper seeing builds upon the first two eyes but it goes further.  It happens whenever by some wondrous “coincidence” our heart space, our mind space, and our body awareness are all simultaneously open and non-resistant.  It’s a moment of deep inner connection.  It pulls you, intensely satisfied, into the presence of God.  It involves both profound joy and profound sadness.  When it happens, you either want to write poetry, pray, or be utterly silent.

 

The first eye was the eye of the flesh and of the senses, the second eye was the eye of reason, and the third eye was the eye of true, deep understanding, connecting all that exists.

When Jesus asks, “What can I do for you?  Do you want to see?” this is what he’s asking:  Do you want to see at this deeper level?  Do you want to see spiritually?  My guess is that you’re all saying, “Of course we do!  Why are you asking such a stupid question?  Who doesn’t want to see a sunset in all its fullness?”  But, it’s not that simple.  Seeing in this way involves more than sunsets….

To see at this deeper level requires seeing everything, not only the beauty and wonder, but also the suffering and pain.  Remember, looking at today’s gospel, from this point on we move toward Jesus’ death.  And, one of the deep truths of life is this – you can only appreciate how precious life is to the extent that you know the reality of death. To see at this level is to see with the eyes of Christ. It’s to see not only the good things about our history as a country, but also the tragedy and sin of slavery and the way the sin of racism is still present in every system and structure. It’s to see not only the gift and blessing of vaccines, but also the deaths of over 730,000 people in this country alone whose lives have been lost to Covid 19, and the families that have been forever changed by that loss.  It’s to see not only the beauty of our world, but also the harrowing fires and hurricanes, and the complicit role we have played and are playing in climate change.  It’s to see the way racism, Covid-19, and climate change affect the most vulnerable, and then realize we must face these issues and address them.

Jesus pushes seeing to the social edge, to the places where we see those who are most vulnerable.  Richard Rohr puts it this way – “Can you see the image of Christ in the least of your brothers and sisters?”  In fact, Jesus uses that as his ONLY description of the final judgment: nothing about commandments or accomplishments.  It’s simply a matter of our ability to see: “Can we see Christ in the least of our brothers and sisters?”  They smell. They’re a nuisance. They’re on welfare.  They’re a drain on our tax money, my tax money.  We say these kinds of things far too often.  Rohr concludes, “When we can see the image of God where we don’t want to see the image of God, then we’re seeing spiritually.”

So many of the problems in the world are due to our short sightedness as people.  From individuals to governments, without deeper seeing it is difficult to move beyond ego, beyond the desire for control, and beyond public posturing.  Everything gets divided into liberal versus conservative, Democrat versus Republican, us-versus-them.  It’s not an exaggeration to say that the “us-versus-them” way of seeing, and the divisiveness that results, is the cause of most of the discontent and violence in this world.  Without an ability to see more deeply, we have no big picture to guide us for the long term.

Bartimaeus teaches us the only way to see at a deeper level involves risk, it involves becoming vulnerable.  When Bartimaeus throws off his cloak, he risks everything.  He bets everything on God.  One commentator puts it like this: “Leaving his cloak on the ground is like leaving your car running in a crowd in some inner city while you duck into a shop.”  To throw his cloak on the ground is to give up the only security he’s ever known.  His cloak was his bed at night, his protection from the rain and cold. To throw off his cloak is to throw off all that kept him safe.  It means throwing off his old life so he can receive the new life that awaits him.  To throw off his cloak is to become vulnerable so that God can restore his vision.

New vision sounds wonderful but is it worth the risk?  Is it worth the risk of allowing ourselves to be vulnerable by giving up the ways we protect ourselves? To throw off our cloaks is to make the ultimate statement of faith.  It’s to give up an old way of seeing things, trusting that God will give us the ability to see in a new way.  Not a way that’s easier, but a way that’s clearer and truer and more faithful, a way that leads us to wholeness.

Someone once asked Helen Keller, “Isn’t it terrible to be blind?”  She replied, “It’s more terrible to have eyes and sight, and not see.”  To see means to look beyond appearances into the depths of the way things really are.  It means to recognize God: God before us, God beside us, God inside of us, and the God who calls us into a journey toward wholeness.  It means to be free, free like Bartimaeus.  Free to follow God wherever God leads.

Jesus asks us “What can I do for you.  Do you want to see?”  May we have the faith to say, “Yes, help us to see deeply, open the eyes of our hearts!” Then, may we go out to share what we see, to share God’s healing love for the sake of our children, for the sake of our broken, hurting world.

This is a special musical presentation of When Morning Gilds the Skies by the Faith Bells at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

I have had the opportunity of traveling to Washington DC numerous times in my life.  And, each time, as I get closer to the city, I feel a certain excitement rise within me as I approach the seat of power in this country.  I feel a sense of reverence as I remember our country’s history.  And, as I see all the monuments, the Capital building, and the White House, I feel and sense the presence of power and authority embodied in that great city. 

As I studied today’s reading from Mark’s gospel, I thought of these experiences.  You see, today we find Jesus and the disciples on their way to Jerusalem.  They are nearing the end of their journey to that city which for them represents the ultimate place of power and authority.  Jesus has been attempting to prepare the disciples for what lies ahead.  However, they still seem clueless.  They know Jesus keeps talking about a kingdom.  They know Jesus is bringing change to their world through his proclamation that the kingdom of God is at hand.  So, one can almost sense the excitement and energy escalating as they get closer to Jerusalem.  After all, they are headed to the most important city in the world, at least the most important metropolis for any good Jewish man or woman.  Jerusalem is the city where the Temple stands – it is where the seat of religious authority exists, and the disciples think this is finally going to be the time!  You see, they think the time is about to unfold when Jesus will claim his power and authority and take his place as the long-awaited Messiah.   They are thinking Jesus will finally lead the Jewish people in a revolt that will free them from Roman rule. 

I sort of understand James and John’s desires.  As they begin to approach Jerusalem, they know something monumental is about to take place and they want to share in that experience.  They want to sit beside Jesus and hold places of power as change happens.  So, they boldly say to Jesus, “Arrange it so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your government – one of us on your right, the other on your left.”  They want the most important cabinet positions.  You can almost hear the sigh and sadness in the depths of Jesus’ heart as he listens to their request.  You can feel Jesus’ sadness as he says to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I will drink, or be immersed in the same bath that I will be immersed in?” Jesus was trying to bring them back to reality, the reality he was living.  Yet, his response to them must have been confusing.  Then Jesus said, “Come to think of it, you will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized in my baptism.  But as to awarding places of honor, that’s not my business.  There are other arrangements.”  

Jesus has just spoken about the change that is coming, but it is nothing like the change the disciples are expecting and anticipating.  Jesus knows those who wield power in the world will do all they can to protect themselves and their prerogatives.  And, James and John have no clue that, because of their leader’s boundary-breaking ministry, rejection and death will be the inevitable baptism or bath Jesus will be “plunged into!”  They have no idea they, too, will share in the same baptism as they live into this coming reign of God.

The events James and John were about to see were going to be both life shattering and transforming.  Yes, there will be a shift of power and authority.  Yes, there will be an enthronement as Jesus assumes “kingship.”  However, the enthronement of Jesus will be claimed when he is lifted high on a cross and dies as an utterly despised and powerless “king.”  And, the two people who will share in this enthronement as Jesus fully enters into solidarity with the world, the two who will be positioned one on his right and one on his left, will be two common criminals! 

Anyway, James and John desired positions of power and authority.  And, when the other disciples saw this, they lost their tempers.  When the ten other disciples get angry, Jesus again tries to teach them about power, the power of God’s kingdom.  Jesus says, “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads.”  Jesus knows that power corrupts as it is wielded to maintain and protect those who hold positions of authority.  He describes sociopolitical authorities who rely on coercion, on lies, and on deception to control and maintain dominance.  Then, in absolute contrast to such power, he says, “It’s not going to be that way with you.  Whoever wants to be great must become a servant.  Whoever wants to be first among you must be slave of all.”  Jesus tells them the greatness and power they will know will be measured by their ability to live as servants and slaves.  This kind of greatness means suffering oppression at the hands of those who wield power!  

The disciples’ shock must have made them speechless!  Who in their right mind chooses to become a slave?  Jesus then goes on to say, “This exemplary servitude is what the Son of Man has done.  He came to serve, not to be served – he came to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”  Well, the disciples must have thought Jesus was a bit crazy.  After all, why would someone become a slave as a way of freeing those who are held hostage? 

Jesus has been trying to tell the twelve his death will be an example of the violence and resistance to his teaching and ministry, a violence produced by those who hold and wield power over society.  His death, this cup and baptism he is talking about, will be a radical renunciation of corrupt authority and privilege.  And his death will do something.  His death will be a ransom for many! 

The Greek word used for “ransom” means liberation or freedom.  What Jesus is really saying is that, through his death, God will free people from oppression and captivity to ungodly powers.  God will restore people to membership in the community that is the kingdom of God.  He makes all of this quite clear.  And yet, the disciples simply do not grasp such servitude and, quite frankly, neither do we!

Power is such a subtle thing.   The accumulation of power slowly turns what was once abundance and “more than enough” into necessity as we focus on trying to protect all that we have accumulated.  Power turns us from living lives of service into people who want to be served.  However, today, we again hear that Jesus offered the world a new pattern of power and leadership.  Jesus calls us to live differently as he empowers us with his presence and a power that is not to be maintained and kept.  It is a power that is to be poured out.  Our power is the presence of this one whose life is broken and poured into ours.  And, Jesus draws us into his love so our lives can then be spun out, poured out again into the dark places where tyrants rule and are consuming all things for their own benefit. 

When we follow Jesus, we give ourselves in service to Christ and in service to others, so that the vulnerable will be cared for and lifted up.  As we do this, Jesus sends us to resist the ungodly powers, patterns, policies, and rhythms of this world, rhythms that intentionally let others go hungry, poor, and oppressed for the sake of our perceived safety, rhythms that are not a mark of faithfulness but a mark of our blindness and desire to control.  Instead, we are new creatures in Christ no longer ruled by the rhythms of an unredeemed world.  We have been freed from our captivity to ungodly powers.  Hear Jesus’ words to us today as he calls us to live the patterns and holy rhythms of God’s kingdom, to live a new song where our very lives are extensions of God’s grace and love for this broken world.

As Rich just reminded us this morning, we have come to that time of year when we intentionally place a focus on Stewardship. So, it is fitting that we are given a gospel reading that speaks about wealth, money and all the “stuff” we think we must possess.  I realize money, and the multiple issues, challenges, and questions concerning money, are not going away anytime soon. And, many of these issues center around what we do, and what we need to do, to access our money and our privilege.  Many of these issues center around our captivity to our possessions, and the good life most of us enjoy. However, Jesus offers us the possibility to see past some these issues and challenges, especially when it comes to the things that matter most in life.  As we meet up with Jesus today, we find him telling a young landowner there is freedom in leaving possessions and “stuff” behind.

Today, a rich young man kneels before Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The focus of this man’s mindset significantly contradicts Jesus’ teaching.  This rich young man is a person of privilege, his mindset is one of entitlement, and his question is quite insightful as it tells us a great deal about him.  Rather than receiving the kingdom in complete dependence as a little child, something Jesus just shared with us last week, this rich man wants to know what he must do to inherit eternal life.  The words “do” and “inherit” are of prime importance in this reading.  Just think about it – as we think about inheritance, one can rarely do anything to receive an inheritance because, by definition, an inheritance is something a person can only be given.  Anyway, a certain tension starts to arise in this conversation.

That tension rises higher as the man states he has done as scripture commands and has kept all the commandments since he was a youth.  When he says this, it is interesting to look at what Jesus does.  To get his point across, Jesus gives this man more to do.  We are told Jesus loves this rich man, and he does not view the man as intentionally evil.  Rather than condemning the “sin” of the rich man, Jesus confronts the man with his weakness, his captivity to possessions that prevents him from living into the full life of the kingdom of God.  Jesus says to him, “Sell what you own, and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come follow me.”  As Jesus says this, he names the “power” that holds the man captive and invites the man to step into freedom.  Well, the man is shocked and goes away grieving. 

It is interesting that, in Mark’s gospel, we are never really told definitively what the kingdom of God is.  But, at this point, Mark does make clear to us what the kingdom of God is not as Jesus offers a lyrical but rather frightening triplet of wisdom.  And, his point is sharpened by the razor’s edge of ridiculous, absurdist humor.  Jesus says to his disciples: 

How difficult it will be for those with riches to enter the kingdom of God!

…Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God!

It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God! (10:23-25)

Well, from this we can gather that whatever else the kingdom of God may be, it is plainly where the rich are not.  And, yes, Jesus’ words are harsh as a razor’s edge for each one of us.  Today we North American Christians, who can only be defined as rich, relative to the global distribution of wealth and power, would do well to reflect at length on Jesus’ rather frightening triplet. For it remains as dissonant to our ears today as it was to his disciples in the story, and it provokes the same kind of astonishment.  In fact, throughout the ages, the church has tried to explain away what Jesus is talking about.  And, Christians have been so anxious that Jesus might be leveling a critique of the rich here that we have missed the fact that this triplet is not in fact a statement about the rich, but about the nature of God’s Kingdom. These reiterations – all in the indicative mood – insist that the kingdom of God is simply that time and place in which there are no rich and no poor.  So, by definition, the rich cannot enter – not, that is, with their affluenza intact.

To understand this story better, let‘s dive more deeply into this whole episode.  The rich man asks about inheriting eternal life.  When he says this, he is referencing the fact that landowners often became wealthy by exploiting the nearby poor landowners. When the poor couldn’t pay back loans to the wealthy, the rich could simply take the poor person’s property. It was the way to “inherit” without being a next of kin. This process was the reason for the vast socio-economic inequality that characterized the time of Jesus.  This is almost certainly the way this man ended up with “many properties.” Mark has given us a succinct portrait of the ideology of entitlement.  So, as this rich man comes to Jesus, he comes from this entitlement perspective and, he doesn’t just want to earn his way into eternal life, he wants to buy his way in.  How is Jesus supposed to respond to a question that is so off key?

Knowing this man isn’t ready to hear the truth right away, Jesus eases him in by talking through the commandments. Notice, Jesus never directly states that following the commandments is a prerequisite into eternal life. But the commandments are a way to become closer to God. By following God’s law, this rich man is closer to accepting the good news Jesus proclaims.  Yet, there is one more step!  Clearly, this rich man is relying on his wealth and the power that wealth has given him instead of relying on God to get him through life. So, Jesus tells him to sell his possessions and give the money to those in need. That would enable this man to take his focus off himself and put it on another. Well, this is not good news for the rich man, so he goes away grieving.

The reality is that, for this man, a power greater than himself holds him captive – the law of money.   Likewise, we are held captive to our wealth and the law of money.  Jacques Ellul, in his book Violence: Reflections from a Christian Perspective, has noted that the only way to live free from money is to give it away.  He writes:

How do we overcome the spiritual “power” of money?  Not by accumulating more money, not by using money for good purposes, not by being just and fair in our dealings.  The law of money is the law of accumulation, of buying and selling.  That is why the only way to overcome the spiritual “power” of money is to give our money away, thus desacralizing it and freeing ourselves from its control….To give away money is to win a victory over the spiritual power that oppresses us. (p. 166)

Out of love, Jesus speaks harsh words to the rich man and, out

of love, he speaks harsh words to us because he wants us to be free.  Yet, the depth of our captivity makes freedom difficult, if not impossible.  So where is the good news?

Jesus says, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”(v. 27) One of the deepest truths that we find so difficult to understand is that there is nothing that we can do to earn our way into the kingdom of God, or inherit eternal life.  Absolutely nothing.  Eternal life is beyond our reach on our own. The good news is that God gifts us with eternal life. God, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, brings us into eternal life.  No amount of money, brownie points, or prerequisites can get us there. Only God can get us there and it is something we have already been given.  There is nothing we can do to earn it.  It is all gift!  So, what shall we do?  We simply receive it, live into it, cheerfully give thanks, and with gratitude for all God has given us, give back for this amazing gift. 

This is a special musical presentation of Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus and sung by Bob Nelson at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

One of the things I just love about scripture is that the stories we read and hear are truly our stories.  They are about us and tell us so much about our identity as human beings.  And, today’s reading is so very enlightening. 

In our first reading from Numbers, we find that Moses is truly overwhelmed and weary as he tries to lead this throng of Israelites through the desert.  And, as he complains to God about his heavy workload, we find that God is sympathetic to Moses.  God graciously responds with a proposal that will take some of the burden off Moses by having others share the load.  Wow!  What a concept!  Well, this is a great idea, but when God takes some of the spirit that was on Moses and places it on seventy chosen elders, some of that spirit spills over on two other men, Eldad and Medad.  Then, when these two other men begin to prophesy – oh my! Envy, self-ambition, and jealousy break out among Joshua and the rest of the seventy because these other two men were not part of that chosen inner circle of seventy.  And, what is so fascinating is that, rather than stop these two other men, Moses says with certainty that he wishes all God’s people would be filled with such a spirit. 

Then, in today’s Gospel reading, we hear a story that is very similar.  John comes rushing up to Jesus in a panic, all out of breath.  He proclaims, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to stop him – because he’s not one of us.”   Again, oh my!   Eldad, Medad, John and the other disciples are so much like us!  People are in crisis, there is so much to be done and help is needed.  Yet, when help comes, people complain because the help is not “the right help!”  You know – they are not people we know and trust; they are not properly authorized, credentialed people who look and act like us.  You see, the problem is that the Spirit has broken out and now it cannot be controlled!  Those in the “inner circle,” the “club,” or the “clique,” are put out because someone outside that circle is also able to use God’s gifts, and that person is using them without the “proper” credentials. 

The writer of Mark’s gospel tells us the disciples are upset because this other guy who isn’t one of the twelve is casting out demons, they can’t control him, and he must be stopped. So, Jesus, never one to be impressed with titles or credentials, says in effect, “Look, leave him alone, we need all the help we can get.  I don’t care if he is a part of our little group or not. Look at what he is doing, not at the color of his skin, the language he is speaking, his sexual preference, or his politics.  Is he doing good?  Is he living a kind, helpful life of love?  That’s all I want.  We need more people like that. Whoever is not against me is for me.  If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally.”  Jesus then talks about stumbling blocks and, in a manner of speaking, tells the disciples and each one of us to look at the stumbling blocks we place in front of ourselves and others.  He is telling us to look at the perverse pleasure we take in excluding people who live, believe, worship, serve, and practice their faith differently than we do.  Look at how smug and superior we often feel when our brothers and sisters fail.  Look at how insecure and tenuous our own faith must be, if its survival depends on our dismantling someone else’s.

In this present age, Jesus’ response is very helpful because if ever the Church needs more Eldads and Medads and outsiders, it is now!  Quite honestly, those of us clinging to “the way things have always been done,” and those who cling to rules and rubrics that exclude regarding worship leadership, or any other aspect of church and ministry, are killing the Church.  We have far too often become the stumbling block of which Jesus speaks.  Far too often, we tend to think that whoever is not for us is against us.  It is so much easier that way.  Far too often, we smugly think “I am not like one of them.”  We so readily draw circles around ourselves and others so we can better distinguish ourselves versus all others and thereby justify who we are and who we are not.  You know, I am not one of those Republicans or I am not one of those Democrats.  I am not one of those conservatives or I am not one of those liberals.  I am not one of those Baptists, or one of those Episcopalians, or one of those Catholics, or one of those fundamentalists, or one of those Muslims.  I am not one of those whom I believe is not saved.  Oh, yes, we do draw our circles.  But, we really should understand that wherever we draw that circle, Jesus is going to be standing outside the circle with a great number of people who we might well think are not for Jesus at all.

          Quite frankly, at the heart of our human struggle, as we live in relationship to others, is our need to define ourselves as who we are not.  And, keeping categories of “them” and “us” means we do not have to leave what is familiar and comfortable, we do not have to go to a place that is scary.  As we think about our life in this present culture, life that is bursting at the seams with division, differences, and even hatred as we place people in categories of us versus them, the many problems we face are so complex.  However, the starting point as we work for healing means going beyond our circles, moving beyond the categories of “us” and “them.”   These categories are truly stumbling blocks. The starting point is that place where we begin entering into relationship with others, loving others as they are, and living in such a way that we truly care for our neighbors.

          So, I ask you this.  What would it be like if the children of God truly helped each other succeed?  Just imagine what it would be like if Pentecostal Christians began removing the stumbling blocks for the liturgical Christians, and Lutherans began removing stumbling blocks for charismatic Christians, and Christians began removing the stumbling blocks for Muslims. Just imagine what it would be like if liberals began clearing paths for the conservatives and conservatives began clearing paths for liberals, and the difference that would make in people’s daily lives.  Just imagine what the world would be like if the insiders befriended the outsiders.  Just what would happen if we expanded the circle, lengthened the table, and decided to simply feast together?  We would be path clearers and stumbling block removers!  We would be healers and exorcists and no little one would ever lose her way again because of us.

          Living in relationship with all types of people we would consider “other” was a constant starting point for Jesus.  When the disciples came complaining about this “other” person casting out evil spirits in Jesus’ name, Jesus said, “Don’t stop them!  Whoever is not against us is for us.”  You see, for Christians, the starting point is never about who we are not.  It is always about who we are, and who we are is the baptized, broken, but graciously and abundantly loved body of Christ.  There is no need to justify who we are because we have been named and claimed by a God of love.  We have been given a place, a status, and a home within that gracious, unending, all-encompassing love of God.  And, the Jesus we know died not only for us but for the entire world.  We have already been raised to new life that is not simply about us but life for the entire world.  And, in that love there is no distinction, no “us” and no “them.”  So, I say, “Gracious God, break into our lives.  Bring into our lives those we consider ‘other.’  Bring others into our lives and take us into the lives of others.  Help us to let go of our fear and move beyond our self-imposed circles and categories.”  Yes, this will take us to places where we will feel uncomfortable and unsettled.  And, this will take us to places that will likely make life messier than we might like because we will have to give up our need to control.  But, it is truly the deeper place where we will find all are embraced and held in God’s love.     

This is a special musical presentation of 10,000 Reasons sung by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir.

St. Thomas Aquinas once said, “Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take over within us, it drives compassion right out of our hearts.”  Change, transition, uncertainty, chaos and earth-shattering news all create within us a sense of fear.  Fear has plagued our culture and the world throughout this pandemic, and we have seen how it drives compassion right out of people’s hearts.  So, it is fitting that today’s gospel reading helps us look at this very human emotion. 

In today’s gospel passage, Jesus continues to teach the twelve about discipleship.  He again gives them earth-shattering, mind-blowing information, and they are bewildered and afraid!  Today, we hear Jesus again tell the disciples he is going to be killed.  It is the second time he tells them he will soon be betrayed, murdered, and after three days rise from the dead!  Jesus’ words are so explosive the disciples simply cannot wrap their minds around what he says.  They cannot comprehend this news and they are afraid.

Throughout the gospel of Mark, the disciples are portrayed as a motley group of knuckleheads who just don’t get it and, in today’s reading, they again live up to their reputation.  You see, they are still thinking Jesus will be the one who will provide the Jewish people political deliverance from Rome.  The prospect of Jesus being killed simply does not compute.  This Jesus whom they believe is the promised Messiah is telling them that redemption of Israel will take place through suffering!  Who could possibly imagine that?  How could anyone believe that an all-powerful God would conquer enemies and provide deliverance through suffering and death?

The disciples are bewildered. So, what do they do?  Well, at first they stay silent and they do not ask Jesus to clarify what he is saying.  They do not ask Jesus to answer the many questions swirling about in their confused minds.  No.  Why do they not ask?  Mark simply says it is because they were afraid.  And, we are left to wonder, why are they afraid?  Do they fear they might appear to be confused?   Do they fear they might appear uninformed, clueless, or stupid, yet again?  Do they fear they might appear unfaithful?  Or, do they fear they might get answers they do not want to hear and are not ready to hear?

The disciples’ failure to understand and ask questions seems rather annoying.  But, how often do we act in precisely the same manner?  How often are we afraid to ask a question because we think we should already know the answer?  How often are we simply afraid to show our ignorance?  In a world where we work so hard, striving to succeed, how can we possibly let ourselves appear so vulnerable?  And, how often are we possibly afraid of the answer we will get?  Are we afraid of being a follower and living the truth of Jesus’ passion?  As a congregation, what are our fears as a community of faith?  Do we fear the decisions we make may cause us to lose members?  Or, do we fail to make decisions because we fear the development of conflict?  As we look at another calendar year, and the beginning of our annual stewardship drive, does our anxiety create a fear that we will not make the budget? 

Quite frankly, fear is the opposite of faith.  Fear has the power to paralyze us, to distort our thinking and drive us into despair.  As we think about the disciples’ fear, it is interesting to note their reaction.  Rather than asking questions and facing their fears, they are first silent, then they begin to argue.  And, what is so very interesting is that they are not even arguing about what Jesus said.  They begin to fight about which one of them is the greatest! 

Again, the disciples are not much different from each one of us.  How often have we seen this happen in the church, within our own communities and even within our own families?  Some incident, event, experience, or person upsets the system.  Then, fear raises its ugly head.  Dr. Emlyn Ott, one of my seminary professors who teaches classes on congregational leadership from the perspective of systems theory, always says that when a system, whether it is a family system, a congregational system, or any kind of system gets challenged in some way, the knee-jerk reaction from those within the system is fight or flight.  People start to argue, or they flee and disconnect.   And, we see the disciples reacting as Dr. Ott would predict.  Challenged by Jesus’ words, they start to fight, to argue.

Yes, the disciples are so much like us.  Or, rather, we are so much like the disciples.   When Jesus asks the disciples what they are arguing about, again, there is silence, and it is deafening.  And, I think most of us can relate to such a silence.  Anyway, Jesus knows what they have been fighting about.  So, he again teaches them about discipleship saying, “So you want first place?  So, you want to be at the top?  Then, take the last place.  Be servant of all.”  To help them understand, he places a curious, vulnerable child in their midst.  Now, to understand what is really happening here, we must understand that children were thought of very differently in this ancient culture than they are in our culture.  Nadia Boz Weber succinctly articulates the difference between the way children were regarded then as opposed to the manner in which we treat our children today.  She says:

These children didn’t exactly take bubble baths every night before being tucked into their Sesame Street bed sheets and read Goodnight Moon.  There was no sentimentality about childhood because childhood was actually a time of terror.  Children in those days only really had value as replacement adults but until then they were more like mongrel dogs than they were beloved members of a family.  And they weren’t even really housebroken.  They just kind of leaked everywhere and they died like, all the time.  Children were dirty and useless and often unwanted and to teach his disciples about greatness and hospitality, Jesus puts not a chubby-faced angel, but THIS kind of child in the center, folds THIS kind of child into his arms and says when you welcome the likes of THIS child you welcome me.

In a culture where children were of no consequence, given no value and considered socially invisible, Jesus cradles a dirty, smelly, rejected little child in his arms and says, “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me – God who sent me.”

Wow!   What a lesson in discipleship!  Not only has Jesus hit the disciples with earth-shattering news, he again turns their thinking, and ours, inside out and upside down. 

My friends, fear has the power to blind us to what God is doing here among us as we live together in community.  Fear has the power to blind us to what God is up to in this world.  Fear has the power to blind us from recognizing God’s kingdom at work as it is breaking in upon us.  Fear has the power to blind us from recognizing those we consider “other” as children of God.  Fear prevents us from seeing Jesus in a different way and that is challenging because, if we see Jesus in a different way, we begin to see each other in a different way.  And, you can count on the fact that when Jesus breaks into our lives with overwhelming grace he is always going to challenge us, challenge our assumptions, change our world and change us as we are called to travel and move more deeply into a life of discipleship.

Jesus continues to teach what real discipleship is all about by telling us that greatness in the kingdom of God means becoming a servant.  And, oh my, in doing so he turns our thinking and understanding of success upside down!  Discipleship means taking the last place and not being on top.  It is so hard to do this because we want to be in control and we are so fearful of letting go and letting God take control.  Jesus says that discipleship Jesus’ style means welcoming the child, welcoming those who are socially invisible, welcoming those whom the rest of society excludes, and welcoming those the world does not value, those whom we tend to fear.  Discipleship, Jesus’ style, means welcoming those who do nothing but are simply welcomed and embraced.  In reality, the vulnerable, dirty child who fearlessly comes with questions is where discipleship begins.  The truth of the matter is, discipleship begins as we become the vulnerable child on Jesus’ lap.

This is a special musical presentation of Precious Jesus sung by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir.

This pandemic has presented anyone in a leadership position with multiple challenges that were unforeseen. There’s no “playbook” for leadership when the stakes are high, and there’s certainly no playbook for what to do in the face of a 21st Century pandemic.  Many of you are leaders in your profession and you have no doubt discovered these challenges.

As we look at the various leadership positions many of you hold in the world of education, the world of business, or the life of the church, I know good leadership is something all of us highly value within our community and our culture.  We work hard to develop leadership abilities within our kids because we want them to be leaders. We need good leaders in every aspect of society.  We give awards to people who demonstrate strong leadership ability.  Higher education is a place where we intently focus on developing leaders.  However, the obscure, unspoken message communicated by this emphasis on leadership is that being a follower is for losers.  We do not often encourage our children to be followers.  We do not give out awards for being followers.  As a matter of fact, in today’s culture the only place where one is really encouraged to be a follower is probably on Twitter!  And, if we really take an honest look at our inability to follow public health guidelines during this pandemic, we discover how challenged we are to be followers, even if people’s lives literally depend on it. Yet, followership is the other side of leadership.

Well, Jesus’ words to us today cut right through our perceptions of leadership and followership as we hear him teach about the kind of leadership he calls for and especially what it means to follow.  And I have to say, his words are rather hard to hear.  The question of “Who is willing to follow Jesus Christ?” is really THE big defining question of Christianity, and Jesus places it front and center as we hear today’s gospel reading.

Today, Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” In response, impetuous Peter gets all excited and professes that Jesus is indeed the long-promised Messiah.  Jesus then begins to explain things to his disciples saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.”  As soon as Peter hears this, he immediately backs away and rebukes Jesus.  Jesus’ words shatter the glamor of following this long-expected Messiah.  This is certainly not the kind of life Peter wants to undertake.  While Jesus seems to be the Messiah, the Jewish people had never expected a leader who must suffer and die.  That was simply ludicrous and irrational.  Who in their right mind chooses to “proceed to an ordeal of suffering” as Jesus says he is doing?  And, who in their right mind wants to follow a leader who is on his way to die? 

Lest we judge Peter too quickly, we need to take a serious look at ourselves.  Most of us choose religion and come to believe important things deeply because we feel they are good for us.  And, we like to participate in a religion that makes us feel good.  We like a faith that fits our comfortable, recreational lifestyles but does not demand too much from us.  We want to follow a strong God who “heals our illnesses, provides ample prosperity, guarantees security, urges our sports teams onto victory, and generally keeps us happy, healthy and wise.”  (David Lose)

However, the things of God involve an honest confrontation with pain and the suffering of the world.  The things of God always involve love and when you truly love, there will be pain and suffering.  Suffering is not appealing.  If anyone of us is offered a life of suffering versus a life free from suffering, you can be your bottom dollar we are going to go for the one that is pain free!  Yet, this is where we must get very honest about the Christian life.  Christianity is not about living an easier life or believing in a God we can turn to as our personal Santa Claus to help solve life’s problems and give us all we want.  Quite frankly, following Jesus is often going to make our lives more complicated and challenging.  Following Jesus does bring a certain amount of suffering because it requires that we truly love others.  Following Jesus demands we care for the common good, it demands we love and care for others as we love ourselves!  It requires that we let go of self, and it’s really hard to let go of the self.  We cannot escape this reality as we live through this pandemic, as we face the pain and as we love others.  And, as my dear friend, Bill Uetricht says:

The things of God involve an honest confrontation with pain.  The things of God involve recognizing that not everybody is going to like you, that indeed you might be rejected, that love sometimes will take you to the hard places.  The mission and ministry of love is not easy.

 

Quaker theologian and philosopher, Elton Trueblood, clearly understood this when he wrote, “In many areas, the gospel, instead of taking away people’s burdens, actually adds to them.  Occasionally we talk of our Christianity as something that solves problems, and there is a sense in which it does.  Long before it does so, however, it increases both the number and the intensity of problems.” 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus continues to teach his disciples about what following him is really going to mean.  He says, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.  You’re not in the driver’s seat, I am.  Don’t run from suffering, embrace it.  If any of you want to follow me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Follow me and I’ll show you how.  Self-help is no help at all.  Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.  What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?  What could you ever trade your soul for?” 

The point at which Jesus says this to his disciples is a pivot point in Mark’s telling of the Jesus story.  From this point on in Mark’s gospel, Jesus begins to show us how to die.  We have been given life and Jesus now demonstrates how we are to give it up, give it away, truly let go of self.  I think for most of us, this is an idea that runs counter to all that we want to believe.  It really does seem irrational.  This was not what Peter wanted to hear and it is not what we want to hear.  Yet, Jesus makes it absolutely clear that God does not care about giving us all of the things that make for creature comforts.  What God does care about are matters of the heart.  Jesus makes it clear that if you want to have meaningful life that truly matters, you are going to have to hand over your petty obsessions, your mistaken priorities, and yes, this malignant focus on individualism that is permeating our culture.  You are going to have to think more about loving than being loved, more about working to understand than being understood, and more about forgiving than being forgiven. 

The life that has been packaged and sold to us in this culture is not real life and we need to die to those illusions if we want to live into the abundant life God wants for us.  But the things of God are not something we can buy or earn.  Like love and grace, the things of God, the very life of God, are all gift and can only be given away.  Only when you give your life away for the sake of others do you really discover it.

 As Jesus begins his relentless march to the cross, he challenges each one of us to follow.  Today, Isaac Webb makes affirmation of his faith in Christ and recommits himself as a follower of Jesus.  Today, we as a community of Faith, celebrate sixty-five years of being a presence in this community, sixty-five years of being a community that follows the way of Christ, the way of the cross.  Today, we recommit ourselves to continue to be the kind of presence and witness in this world that truly cares for others and loves others as we love ourselves, taking and bearing Christ’s creative and redeeming Word into this greater community.  As we live into our sixty-sixth year of life together in this place, it is time to follow.  It is time to follow the leader who will gift us with life that truly matters.  And, the paradox is that when we follow this one called Jesus, the one who leads us to the cross, it is in that place where we find out what true leadership is really all about.

This is a special musical presentation of Sing Out To God sung by the Faith Lutheran Chancel Choir.