“Christ among us, showing faith”
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Mark 8:31-38
(February 25, 2024)
40 days is one of those biblical phrases that’s meant to convey a long period of time! 40 days it rained when the earth was flooded in the time of Noah. 40 years the people wandered in the wilderness in the time of Moses. 40 days Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan.
And so we have our 40 days of Lent, which can drag on for a long time. Will we ever get to Easter? Well I say, “Have a little faith. God will lead us on our journey.”
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Waiting can be hard. Sometimes we want to hurry things up. Like children in the back seat of a car. “When are we going to be there? Can’t we go any faster?”
Or like someone I know, returning recently from vacation in a warm sunny place. They arrived in Toronto, ready to board their connecting flight to Saskatoon, and then were told there was a problem. Their flight had been cancelled. They would have to spend the night.
Flying isn’t the fun, exciting thing it used to be. That whole experience of being herded through lines and scanners and holding areas, cancellations and delays, luggage and people jammed in tiny spaces …
“We’re not sticking around here!” they said. They decided to book another flight for the next morning. Only to find that flight too was delayed. On the plane. Off the plane ….
Two days later, they finally made it to Saskatoon, exhausted, just in time to prepare for work the following day! The choices we make don’t always get us where we want. Sometimes what we think is best can actually make things worse.
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Abram and Sarai had been waiting a long time. I’m talking 25 years since God called them to go to the land that God would show them.
Along the way there were promises made. Covenants, we call them. These covenants are of God’s instigation, not ours. We’ll be hearing about them each week throughout this Lenten season.
God brought Abram out of his house one night and pointed to the sky. “Count the stars, if you are able,” said God. “So shall your descendants be.”
But over time God’s promises can become a painful thing – when nothing seems to happen. And years go by. And the gap between heavenly promise and earthly reality grows ever larger. So you begin to wonder if you’re going to get there at all.
It’s hard to believe God’s promises. When things don’t seem to be going in the right direction. Darkness closes in.
Can you think of those times when you’ve pinned your hopes on something good? But there’s no sign of it coming to fruition. You’ve invested time and energy, maybe even money. You’ve set your sight on a certain outcome. But time is dragging on. And now you wonder if you’ll live long enough to see it?
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That’s when we are tempted to find our own solution. Force the outcome. Find a shortcut that will bring in the kingdom of God – just the way we want it! The emphasis here is on “we”. What we want.
You know the scheme that Abram and Sarai cooked up, when there was no sign of children on the horizon and they became impatient. Sarai gave Abram her slave-girl, Hagar. So they had a child, and called it their own. But it was never what God intended.
Our bending, twisting and manipulating of circumstances and people around us rarely are. For those who like to be in control, it’s hard to step back and wait for what God will do. We want a good outcome and quick success. Success – as we define it.
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Our Gospel reading today shows us another person who mirrors this tendency in ourselves. I’m talking about Peter.
When Jesus started speaking about his suffering, rejection and death, Peter began to panic. “No Lord, you can’t mean that!”
So he took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him. That’s right, Peter rebuking Jesus! The disciple thinks he knows more than the master.
Not two minutes before he’d blurted out his profession of faith: “You, Jesus, are the Messiah!” Meaning, you are the one who will deliver us, defeating our enemies, bringing in the Reign of God. Isn’t that right? “So now what’s all this talk of suffering? Surely you will not die! Not you! There must be another way.”
I picture him putting his arm around Jesus, rather condescendingly. Explaining a more successful plan, one that will bring God’s kingdom right here and now. No messiness. No cross. “Come on, Jesus. We can do it. Just listen to me.”
But Jesus doesn’t listen to Peter. Or any of those disciples who’ve been constructing their own plans for power and self-promotion, seats of honour at his right hand. Jesus looks at all of them. And says to Peter, in particular, “Get behind me Satan! You’re setting your mind on human things, not on God’s.”
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So now who’s rebuking whom? Calling Peter, the leader of the group, calling him Satan! That’s such a startling thing to say! And it must have hurt like blazes – Peter, for sure, and maybe Jesus too.
“Get behind me Satan.” Jesus will have no part of Peter’s plan.
We met Satan just last Sunday. Do you remember? After his baptism, the Spirit of God cast Jesus into the wilderness where he was tempted. We noted that Satan means Adversary. One who stands in opposition to God.
Satan tried to seduce Jesus with certain promises of success. “Hey Jesus, why don’t we do it this way? I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the world!”
And now here’s Peter too, trying to convince Jesus he can have it all. He doesn’t have to die. We can have the kingdom, have it now, have it our way.
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I find it disturbing that Peter is the one who becomes the Adversary in this passage. And this week, as I’ve pondered that accusation from the lips of Jesus, it’s made me ask a hard question:
“Can I be a Satan?” I mean, if Peter could, what’s to stop me from trying to steer Jesus in my own direction? Redirecting God’s way of being in the world . Promoting the things that I desire. If Jesus called his good friend, Peter, the Adversary – what would he call me?
Lent is a time for us to examine our lives. Recognizing that our purpose is not always well aligned with God’s. Jesus’ way and our way can be two very different things. And half the time we don’t even realize it. We’re so clued out! So ill-tuned to the melody of God’s kingdom and the voice of God’s Holy Spirit.
I wonder … how are we not listening to things that Jesus has taught us? What don’t we get? How might we be bending him to our purpose – our politics, our plans, our practice of faith? How might even our good intentions be standing in the way, putting up road-blocks, and preventing others from the path we’re meant to follow.
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There are no short-cuts to the kingdom. The road is not meant to be easy. Jesus tells us to take up our crosses and follow him. He tells us to deny ourselves. He says we have to give up our lives if we want to save them.
The part of us that has to die is self-centred. It’s impatient. It doesn’t want to wait, it wants to get there now.
It doesn’t want to do the hard work of peace-making or reconciliation, which never happens quickly. It opts for quick solutions, just to get us out of these uncomfortable seats, eliminate the agony of waiting.
And maybe also the disappointment of a kingdom that has not yet come! “Why is there still so much darkness in the world? Come on, Jesus, can’t we just snap our fingers and make it right?”
We’re like kids in the back seat of a car. We are not a very patient people, are we?
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It was Martin Luther King Jr. who said, “When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.
“Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Kings vision of a world where all people would live together in harmony, with equality and justice for all, would not come without a monumental struggle. It’s still going on!
But God is in that journey. Christ is with us on our way. The Spirit is leading us toward an end that God can see.
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Our sermon title for this morning is “Jesus among us, showing us faith.” And so we see him following God’s plan for his life. He refuses to be diverted from it.
He puts his trust in God. Faith and trust are two sides of the same coin, you know. To believe in God, is to put your trust in God.
There comes a time in all our lives when we can no longer control circumstances or things around us. Maybe once we thought we could. But now we see how foolish that idea was.
Like Abraham and Sarah, coming to the end of their lives, with no hope of bearing children on their own, the only thing they can do is trust. Trust that the promise of God is real. Trust that God is dependable. Trust that the covenant God made all those years ago will be fulfilled!
It’s God’s doing, not our own. So we must go forward believing there is more to this old world than we can see. And that no plan of ours alone is ever going to fix it. And that God is with us!
Come to think of it, that’s kind of what a Christian is, isn’t it? Someone who believes there’s more to life than meets the eye. Someone who takes a stance on what most of the world around us may think of as ridiculous. So much so that we are willing to stake our lives on it. Trusting that the one who made us and called us and gives us life, will be there to welcome us at the end of our journey.
To live well in this present time is so much easier when we have faith. We believe in God. Even when the way is hard. And even when the way is long. God is trustworthy and God’s promises are true. Thanks be to God!
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“Miracle and message”
Mark 1:29-39 (February 4, 2024)
These last couple of weeks we’ve been hearing stories from the Gospel of Mark about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry: First he called some disciples by the sea. Then he entered the synagogue at Capernaum, teaching with authority and casting out an unclean spirit.
In today’s passage, Jesus leaves the synagogue and enters the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law is also there. She’s in bed with a fever, which could indicate a serious infection. The family was worried enough that they brought it to Jesus’ attention.
What follows is a story of healing which, I would like to propose, is a model for our healing.
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But before we get to that, let me say that, with Jesus, miracle and message go together. They are not two separate things. We may be prone to split them apart. We think about verbal witness, with a focus on the spoken word. And then we think about acts of loving service, caring for our neighbours. And if we’re not careful, we can fall into one camp or the other, prioritizing either evangelism or social action. As if they can be separated!
In Jesus’ life, they are not. Jesus proclaims the Good News that the Kingdom, or Reign, of God has come near. And he acts in ways that demonstrate that Reign. He casts out unclean spirits. He heals the sick. And these actions are major features of his Gospel proclamation.
Some people follow Jesus because they are drawn to miracles. But they’re not so keen on his call to repentance and discipleship. “Just give me the gift certificate, Pastor, and hold the sermon please!” But what if the gift certificate is the sermon? In every healing story there is a message of Good News. Healings are enacted messages. They are demonstrations of God’s Reign.
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So here we have Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, sick in bed with a fever. The disciples tell Jesus about it, and right away he goes to her.
“He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.” There is so much in this one simple sentence! Each of these actions tells us something about who Jesus is, and the healing he brings to our lives.
The disciples shared their concern with Jesus. And, without any further hesitation, he responded. “He came.”
That speaks volumes to me! Jesus cares about us. Here is one single person, somebody’s mother-in-law he’s never met before. We may think it’s not worth mentioning these matters to God. Why would God care about me? And the answer is: simply because God made you and loves you, and will always love you!
“Jesus came to her.” The whole Gospel message is about God loving the world that God has made, and coming to our rescue. Coming to bring healing and hope and new life. In Jesus, God comes to us!
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And now, look how he comes. He “took her by the hand.” What a powerfully human, physical thing for Jesus to do!
I was with someone not long ago. And at the end of our visit I asked if we could prayer, and they agreed. Instinctively, both of us reached out and grabbed each other’s hand. It was the most natural thing in the world. But when I think about what that represents, it’s astounding.
It is, most importantly, a way of connecting. A way for us to be together, in solidarity with each other, as we bow before God in prayer.
Holding hands is always about relationship. Whether it’s shaking hands with a person you never met before. Or grasping the hand of a little child. Or holding the hand of a person who’s frail to steady them. Or sitting next to the one you love, giving their hand a gentle squeeze.
Hand-holding can be full of support, tenderness, comfort, or strength. Even romance. Holding hands with someone overcomes the distance of isolation. It creates connection with another human being.
“Lend me a hand,” we say whenever we need a bit of help. And that’s what Jesus was there to do. He takes her hand and helps her up. She will no longer languish in that place, burning with fever, unable to participate in activities and be with the family she loves.
“Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand, I am tired, I am weak, I am worn.” How many of us have prayed for Jesus to take our hand?
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“He took her by the hand and lifted her up.” The language here is striking. It’s not just “lifted her,” it’s “raised her.”
It’s the same word given at the end of Mark’s gospel when three women go to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus. But his body isn’t there. Instead they find a young man, dressed in white, who tells them, “he has been raised.” (Mk. 16:6)
Simon’s mother-in-law is being raised. Just as Jesus himself will be raised by the power of God. What we have here is a foretaste of resurrection.
The powers that take life away from us, that diminish us, that hold us down, that make us unhealthy and unwell – these powers are challenged when the reign of God comes near. Jesus, the light of the world, walks into the room and darkness recedes.
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Now let me pause here and say that as long as we remain in this earthly life, sickness will be part of what we experience. Just because Simon’s mother-in-law was healed doesn’t mean we have a free ticket to health, wealth and prosperity. Jesus himself was not exempt from suffering. And neither are we.
But Jesus embodies the Reign of God. Which means darkness – and ultimately even death itself – will not triumph, not in the end. And even now we have the comfort of his presence. He is always with us. We are not alone.
We pray to him for healing. And we know that he will give it. Though maybe not in the time or way that we might wish. Whatever happens, we hold on to the Easter truth that the power of life and love will triumph over sin and death.
Even now, we are invited to allow God’s grace to heal us. To be renewed and rejuvenated and restored. To be lifted up whenever we are down. To be part of God’s kingdom even as we live in this world.
In baptism every believer dies to what is old and rises to what is new. We anticipate God’s new world. We receive new life by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
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And what does this new life look like? Well let me show you!
“He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”
Restored to life in her community, Simon’s mother-in-law began to serve. Once again, the word is significant: “diakoneō.” Does that have a familiar ring? It’s the same word we use for Deacons – people set apart for specific forms of service within the church.
It’s the same word Jesus used to describe his life and ministry, “The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve,” he said. (Mark 10:45) A leader among you must be as one who serves. (Luke 22:26)
A few verses earlier, Mark has told us that angels “waited” on Jesus in the wilderness. They ministered to him in his hour of need. They served him. Again, it’s the same word.
So now Simon’s mother-in-law will rise from her bed of sickness. But it’s not like she’s going to sit around and do nothing. No, she’s been raised for a purpose. And that purpose is to participate in God’s ministry to the world.
Like all of Jesus’ followers we’ve been healed for a reason. We’ve been called to serve.
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Our service can take many forms. The apostle Paul writes: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services [there it is, that word again], but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them for everyone.” (1 Cor. 12:4-6)
Service and ministry take many different forms. For Simon’s mother-in-law it seems to mean preparing food and offering hospitality to visitors. What does this look like in your life?
What have you been saved for? Does your service find expression here in the church? Singing, welcoming, organizing, repairing?
Does your service find expression in your home – caring for others, praying for them, holding their hand sometimes, giving encouragement, simply cooking a meal?
Does your service mean working for God’s peace and justice in the world? Making God’s kingdom real, living for God’s reign? Bearing witness to what Jesus has done for us in both word and deed? They do go together, you know! These are not two separate things.
Miracle and message belong together. Sharing good news pushes back the darkness of our world. Healing others bears witness that the kingdom of God has come near.
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“He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.”
Look what happens when Jesus comes into our lives! It’s not just Simon’s mother-in-law, you see. This is us: He comes to us. He takes our hand. He lifts us up. He heals us and calls us to serve.
See what God has done? And this is what God is doing in your life too! May it be so. Amen.
“Teaching with authority”
Mark 1:21-28 (January 28, 2024)
I want to begin this morning by acknowledging the difficulty I have with our Gospel reading. Because, unfortunately, I am a scribe, or at least the equivalent of a scribe. I’m professionally trained and educated. I occupy a position of leadership in the religious community. I study scripture. And I interpret scripture to others, like I’m doing here today.
In Jesus’ time, scribes were part of the religious elite. Not only did they transcribe written texts by hand, (remember, there was no way of printing them back then), but they also determined the application of those texts in day to day life.
Some prominent scribes even had their own disciples. So you can imagine how it must have felt to these skilled religious experts when Jesus and his motley crew of simple, untrained, ordinary fishermen showed up at the Capernaum synagogue. On the sabbath.
There, in that sea-side village – hometown of Peter, Andrew, James and John – Jesus began to teach. And how impressive that teaching was! Mark tells us that the congregation was astounded. “For Jesus taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”
Not as this scribes! Ouch! You do know that some scribes welcomed Jesus, even became his followers. So please don’t paint all of us with the same “unbelieving” brush.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Capernaum_synagogue_by_David_Shankbone.jpg " width="228" height="42" />Who is this Jesus, anyway? What credentials does he bring? What gives him the right to teach? By whose authority does he speak? Last week I said there was a kind of “magnetism” to Jesus, a charisma, a power that draws us to him. There’s no way any old scribe can compete with that!
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“He taught them as one having authority.” In our world authority is a tricky thing. Especially in this time and place, in our society, when it seems that almost every authority we can imagine is being challenged. Oscar Wilde wrote, “Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is [also] a man who resists authority.”[1]
What authorities might we resist? Government? Oh yes, it’s not an easy time to hold public office. We are so critical! Just mention these positions, and the personalities associated with them, and you may get a hostile response.
We don’t easily trust authority figures of any kind. Politicians … police, the judicial system. Scientists, scholars, “experts” in any field. The medical establishment, mainstream news media. Even organized religion. Maybe especially organized religion.
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It may actually be healthy for us to question authority. After all, we cherish our freedom, and want to think for ourselves, make our own decisions … And yet this kind of deep-seated mistrust of one another threatens to unravel our society. We can’t function without trusting somebody, can we?
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If you were there, in Capernaum, in the synagogue, listening to Jesus teach, would you recognize his authority?
For us, authority may be tied up with integrity. Words and actions that go together. Teaching that’s consistent with a certain way of life. If I tell you something, then do the opposite, it’s not going to be convincing, is it? You’ll say, “He’s just another one of those hypocrites! Whenever there’s a scandal in the church, it results in disillusionment and even more distrust. “Why should I believe a word they say?”
So, yes, integrity is important. And Jesus had that in spades. In him, words and actions were one. Authority in the language of the NT means literally “out of one’s being.” Out of the very essence of who you are.
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What else gave Jesus authority?
Was it the work of the Holy Spirit? When Jesus was baptized, the Spirit of God descended on him. And from that day forward, the Spirit was with him, directing and empowering his ministry. Did the folks gathered in the synagogue sense God’s Spirit moving in that place? Did they sense it particularly in the teaching of Jesus?
To speak of the Spirit is to speak of something intangible, invisible. Kind of like the wind, said Jesus in another place. You cannot see the Spirit. But you can hear the sound of its voice. And you can see the effects of its movement.
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Speaking of effects …
There was a man in that synagogue with an “unclean spirit” which caused him to cry out: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”
What we have here is a clash of spiritual powers: God’s Holy Spirit confronting an unclean spirit. Jesus, preaching the reign of God, meets a power that would diminish God’s gift of abundant life and love.
“I know who you are,” says the unclean spirit. “Yes, you do know,” says Jesus. “Now be silent, and come out of him!
Look at this! “A new teaching - with authority!” gasp the congregants, stunned with amazement. “He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
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So now we get to the heart of the matter. What authority does Jesus have for you? In this time when every traditional authority we can imagine is being called into question … You’ve got to trust someone, don’t you? So who do you trust?
On the internet these days we have many so-called “influencers.” People who set trends, telling you how to live, what clothes you should wear, what food you should eat, what products you should buy.
Oh yes, and who you should vote for. There are so many folk willing to stir up hostility, anger. Nurturing grievance, targeting people, or groups of people. Trying to get us on their side, recruit us to their cause. No wonder mistrust and division rule supreme.
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All of it is diametrically opposed to the way of Jesus and his kingdom of justice, love and peace! When Jesus proclaims the reign of God, he’s inviting us to enter a new way of life. “Leave that other stuff behind. Come and follow me. Let me be ruler of your life.”
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord” writes the apostle Paul, “and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) And “no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1Corinthians 12:3)
Do you know the earliest Christian confession of faith? This is it: “Jesus is Lord.” It predates all other creeds and theological formulations, every historical accretion and denominational distinctive. It’s simple and to the point: “Jesus is Lord.”
He does not force this confession upon us. Rather, we freely say to ourselves, to God Almighty, and to anyone else who may be listening, that from now on, Jesus will be the one who directs our living. He will be the authority in our lives. Jesus, not Caesar, nor any other personality or power, influencer or opinion-maker.
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Even that unclean spirit must recognize a greater one who stands before him: “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? … I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”
Here in this place, even now, stands One who reigns Supreme.
“They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, ‘What is this? … He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.”
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So here am I, a mere scribe. I can’t compete with this teacher. Nor should I.
But if I stand here today and point you toward him, then perhaps I’ll have accomplished what is faithful. Maybe that’s what every scribe is called to do. Just point the way to Jesus. Then, step aside, and listen with the whole congregation. What new teaching, with authority, will he have for us today?
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
[1] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/75354-wherever-there-is-a-man-who-exercises-authority-there-is, Accessed January 27, 2024.
