“They’re Closing In”

Sermon-8 Pentecost-Proper 11-July 22, 2012

The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Another passage from Mark-another sandwich.  Two short episodes with a big piece missing in the middle. 

Story of the man in the suit.

Sometimes the people who set up the lectionary, the weekly decision on what readings we will hear, look like the man in the suit.  Notice in the gospel for today we have five verses, then a gap of 20 verses, then 4 more?  It’s convoluted for reasons that you’ll get more of next week.  But see if you can remember 2 weeks ago.  Jesus had a bad time in his home town.  Essentially he “failed” as a prophet when he went there.  So what does he do?  He puts the disciples in teams of two and sends them out to proclaim the good news.  Remember that?

Then Mark, the gospel writer interrupts that story with the story of the death of John the Baptist.  Today’s gospel comes back in with the disciples returning after their stint as apostles:

So the disciples are back.  And they mob Jesus to tell him stories about their adventures.  And Jesus says, “listen you need to rest, and eat.  Let’s go across the lake and get away from people and get some r and r.”

Before anyone had ever heard of “compassion fatigue” Jesus is trying to take care of his tired and weary do gooders.  Taking time out to take care of ourselves is important,  Carving out room in our lives for quietness, and thoughtfulness is critical in a 24 hour world. Time for sabbath and rest are Christian values. 

But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

Then, when the crowds followed Jesus and his friends, who were trying to go off and be by themselves, the crowds were actually waiting for them when their boat landed.  And it says in verse 34 that Jesus “began to teach them many things.” 

Mark Hoffmann, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg  points out that when Jesus really wanted to show compassion to the people he “taught them many things” .  His point being that teaching can be a form of compassionate evangelism.  Hoffmann goes on t say,  “I so like this verse that when we offered an evening worship service that focused on Bible study, we set the time for it at 6:34!).But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

Or how about Mark the gospel writer being such a good Jew, that he wove  the Old Testament into every story about Jesus that he recounted.  Tim Slemmons points out that :  “the occasion for Jesus' compassion, namely, that the crowd was like sheep without a shepherd" and again, his response is to teach them (6:34; Num 27:17) was from the Old Testament book of Numbers . ¹⁶‘Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation¹⁷who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd. The second recalls the original purpose of the fringes that the Israelites wore from Numbers 15:38: "You have the fringe so that, when you see it, you will remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes. So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God" (Nu 15:39-40).

But that’s not what I want to talk about today.

The thing about listening to the Gospel of Mark, is that it makes more sense if you listen with your eyes closed and simply see the picture that is described.  Close your eyes, and listen:” ³⁰The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught.”….. ³³Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them.³⁴As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd;”… ⁵⁴When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him,⁵⁵and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was.⁵⁶And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed…”

What’s the image that you get?  People are chasing Jesus, surrounding him, pressing against him..  First his disciples “gathering around”, then the crowds.  The sick, the needy.  What does this make you think of?  The first image I had was the counselors at last week’s Day Camp.  How about the paparazzi following around a movie star?  There is this constant picture of Jesus being pursued, chased, hounded.  Canon David Lovelace once wrote:” I was recently with a group of clergy when one person observed that in Mark's Gospel it seems like people are always rushing after Jesus wanting to be made whole.” 

That’s the sense that you get in Mark-hungry, hurting, needy people constantly encircling, pressing, closing  in on Jesus.  Even the disciples are portrayed this way.

Why does Mark show the people like this ? Why is the crowd in Mark always running after Jesus? Is this passage more about the people-and how desperate they are?  Or more about Jesus-his authority, his peacefulness at the center of great needs? 

Think about your own life, your own faith for a moment.  When are you most open to faith-when things are rolling along?  Or when you are hurting?  When do you most feel the need to be in church-when you are struggling?  Or when you are feeling self-sufficient and strong? When do you most think about Jesus-when things are going well-or when they aren’t? 

Mark has collected all these stories about Jesus and put them in such away to help his own church.  The people in Mark’s church weren’t always hungry, or needy, or hurting.  But when they were, when they were facing great threats or unspeakable violence-they needed a shepherd, they wanted a leader, they hungered for someone who could show them the way out. They sought a savior, they required a calm center in the midst of the chaos of their lives.

Mark wrote this gospel-so the people of his church would know that Jesus was there.  Mark didn’t promise an end to evil.  Mark’s Jesus didn’t guarantee that justice would prevail.  Mark’s Jesus never pledged that life would be fair.  In fact, just the opposite.  Mark devoted a whole chapter to the senseless beheading of Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist-on a whim of a young girl.  The biggest part of Mark’s gospel will be the crucifixion.  Mark was a realist.  Mark stared life in the eye, and he didn’t blink.  Mark understood what his church needed, and why Jesus came.  And he showed that Jesus.  The Jesus Mark revealed was someone who made people whole especially in a broken world-and taught them not to be afraid-despite the fear and tragedy in their life.

Listen to a cousin of one of the Aurora shooting victims: "I hope this evil act ... doesn't shake people's faith in God," .  Mark would say that evil acts are what drive people to faith-not away from it. 

This is the gospel story for today, it’s a story about people who are hungry, tired, hurting, and needy who rush at Jesus looking for healing and hope. 

It can be a tough world at times.  It can be senseless, and angry, and random.  It can be overwhelming and daunting. Mark’s church knew this.  His church knew how difficult life could be.  And so when they heard Mark’s stories about Jesus-they knew that the center would hold, and that they would find wholeness-even when surrounded by brokenness.

It was a tough week.  We saw yet another example of pain and evil.  It hurts us to witness these-it hurts us as Americans, it hurts us as Christians.  Mark knew that people hearing his gospel would encounter weeks like these-and so he put down in writing the story of Jesus.  It is especially for weeks like these that we gather with one another and listen to the story of people who went looking for a shepherd.  Amen.

“Preparation for failure”

Sermon-6 Pentecost-Proper 9-July 8, 2012

The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Mark 6: 1-13
He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them." So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

There is a famous story about a 3^rd year seminarian.  He’s about to be ordained and then assigned as an assistant at a new church.  So he’s meeting with the bishop about what church he should go to.  The seminarian says, “Bishop, I am open to any church  you want to send me-except the church at New Canaan.”  The Bishop asks, “why not New Canaan?”  The seminarian says, “well, that’s where I grew up-and you know a prophet is not without honor except in his home town.”  The bishop pauses for a moment, and says, “don’t worry son, no one is going to confuse you with being a prophet.”

I have been telling you that Mark the gospel writer loves these “sandwich” stories about Jesus.  Last week was kind of a club sandwich, this week is open face.  But what Mark enjoys doing are presenting 2 stories that build on each other, connect to one another-and especially reveal each other.

If you have been married for a long time, or you have adult siblings, or if you have parents, a single word or phrase can carry a lot of meaning.  I heard a story about  a couple a million years ago who were meeting with a marriage counselor.  The husband was explaining to the therapist what the problem in the marriage was.  “When I walk in the door at night my wife says “hello, honey, how was your day?”  And I can’t take all the judgement and accusation that she means by that.”

Jesus goes to his home town, and his neighbors, the people who have known him all his life ask, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary….”

We’re so used to thinking about  Jesus as Lord, that we don’t hear all the snide references in this simple passage. “Where did ‘this man’ get all this? “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary…?”First they call him, “this man”.  A little subtle.  Then they refer to him as “the carpenter”-a little stronger-this is like saying, “this common laborer”, and then they turn nasty, “son of Mary”. This is a patriarchal society.  Calling someone by his mother’s name was akin to saying he had no father.

So, ok they have insulted and snubbed Jesus.  He couldn’t do any of his miracles there. Barbara Brown Taylor “ compares it to the experience of trying to light a match to a pile of wet sticks”. Things aren’t going well with Jesus in his home region. We’re in the 6^th chapter, earlier In the 3^rd chapter of Mark his family thought he was crazy. A few verses later in that chapter his family tried to remove him from his teaching ministry. 

Jesus has come home-and people don’t give him any respect. This isn’t what we usually expect, but here is the hard news- Jesus is failing. 

So what happens next?  He commissions his 12 friends to go out in his name and spread the good news.  This is bizarre.  Jesus is rejected so he sends out his friends in his name?  And what does he tell them?  “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."

I know I keep reminding you of this, but you have to remember the context of these stories. Mark the gospel writer has collected these stories so that his church can hear all about Jesus.  So when Mark’s church hears first that Jesus was unwanted in his home, that his disciples might be rejected when they take the good news out, and that bearers of the good news often fail-how would his church take this?  They might be discouraged (why try), they might be disappointed (why don’t people like our words), or they might be ….COMFORTED!  “SEE EVEN JESUS STRUGGLED, EVEN HIS DISCIPLES WERE PREPARED TO FAIL!”  Mark wants his church-and all who read his words about Jesus to understand that rejection, discouragement, even failure happened to Jesus and his friends-but they weren’t deterred.  They tried new strategies, they attempted new plans, they imagined new ways to take out the good news.  They believed God was with them.

Years ago we had a Weight Watchers group that met in our parish hall.  The woman who ran it was thin, svelte, beautiful.  But then over the years she put on a little weight.  Then she had a baby.  She never lost those pounds.  She wasn’t obese but she was a little overweight.  I remember asking one of our parishioners who attended the group for a long time how they felt about attending now that the leader was no longer the perfect image.  She answered “The group is more popular now than it’s ever been-everyone knows that they won’t be judged when they attend.”

I think Mark puts these two stories back to back to say to the new Christians in his church, “listen, it will be hard to convince people that what you have is good news.  It was hard for Jesus.  The first disciples found it tough.  Everyone was prepared for being rejected. “  Does that make you feel a little better about your , um, “inadequacies” as a Christian?  Do you feel a little better about what a miserable evangelist you are? 

Let me finish with a few quotes and a story about failure-just to make you feel better.

“the only thing worse than having God speak to you through your spouse is to have God speak to you through your teenage daughter.” Markquart

“Even on our worst days, we can be as effective as Michael Jordan. On his  television ad [several years ago]Jordan said: ‘I've lost over 300 games, I have been asked to take the game winning shot 26 times and missed; every time I fail I get better.’” Rev. Kirk Kubicek

Here’s the story from The Rev. Anthony Robinson.“ Not long ago I visited a once prominent church, a church that had for decades been known far and wide as the home of great preachers and a center of great social causes. Like many, however, this church had declined in recent decades.

When I arrived to give a lecture there, I was met by an officer of the church. As I was early, he asked if I would like a tour of the grand facility. As we walked he told me that twenty years ago he had feared for the future of his church. In fact, he said, "I was pretty sure than by now we would have closed our doors. You see, we were just fifty elderly people left in this great sanctuary." Then he brightened. "But something has happened. Something has changed. We're experiencing a kind of renewal, a revival."

"Really," I said, "that's wonderful." "Yes, these days we have four or five hundred people in church. We have new ministries in the community. We are seeing new people, young and old, rich and poor, gay and straight."

"How do you explain this?" I asked.

He thought for a moment, his hand on his chin. Then he said, "Well, it wasn't all our new minister, but he has made a difference."

"What's he done?"

"Well, he got us studying the Bible . . . yes, our minister gives a wonderful Bible Study. In fact, he can give you the entire message of the Bible in just six words."

Inwardly, I groaned. "Another fast operator?" I thought.

"And what might those six words be?" I asked skeptically. My host, ....grinned broadly. "The six words that summarize the entire message of the Bible? 'I am God and you're not.'" We both laughed.

"I am God and you're not."

Don’t worry about your insufficiency, your inadequacy, your success as a sharer of the gospel, Mark tells his church.  Jesus didn’t always hit a 1000,  and the disciples died thinking they had failed.  Be prepared to face opposition.  Don’t get discouraged when people shut the door in your face.  Shake the dust off and move on.  Remember, God’s in charge, and we’re not.