Mark 9:30-37 The First Will Be Last, and the Last Will Be First

What is the one human quality that drives us to success while causing all sorts of problems at the same time? It is ambition. Ambition is one of the driving forces in our lives. It propels us to excel in our jobs. It pushes us to reach our goals. It can give us a reason for living. Ambition is one of the tools that the world uses to measure success.

There is another way to measure success-one that is not of this world-and that is the topic of the Gospel reading from Mark 9:30-37. We sometimes think that we can measure success the way the world does. We mistakenly believe that if God receives glory for what we do, then it should be glorious for us also. We must remember God’s faithful servants from the Bible, and we must remember that their situations were far from easy or glamorous. For example:

·         Noah built.

·         Abraham moved.

·         Moses led.

·         Josiah restored.

·         Rahab protected.

·         David conquered.

·         Nehemiah repaired.

·         Ruth stayed.

·         Jeremiah preached.

·         The poor widow gave.

·         The Apostles went.

·         The early church persevered.

Ordinary people did extraordinary things and even though they may have thought their actions were insignificant at the time, the Lord through his word, has allowed us the opportunity to see the role these good people played in the greatest story ever told.

I read a story recently about a couple of school kids. One had gotten into some trouble and was going to have to walk a few laps at recess and wasn’t taking the news very well. Another student who wasn’t even a close friend stepped in to offer encouragement. She informed her peer that she wouldn’t have to walk alone. She’d stay by her side, cheering her on the entire time. When the teacher remarked what a wonderful thing she had just done, the student shrugged and replied, “It’s no big deal. It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Can you image a world if everyone had the same attitude? Can you imagine a church if everyone had that attitude? It’s those Kingdom-minded thinkers who change the world. Those who forgive, love, go the extra mile, and live righteously, not out of a sense of obligation, not because they’re trying to earn their salvation, not to be seen by others, but because that’s what they’re supposed to do.

The Lord might also call us to do simple, humble acts that show compassion toward other people and which display God’s character. These deeds are not done for personal gain. They are done out of an outflow of God’s love in us and for his glory.

Jesus argued that the way to be successful or get ahead in the spiritual world is to become like a child. In Jesus’ time, children and women were seen as little more than property. Little children were considered useless until they were old enough to help with housework. In other words, they were humble and lowly. The child in this passage represents all of God’s people. The greatest people in God’s kingdom are not the rich and the powerful, but the poor and the helpless; not the ones with the most servants, but those who serve others the most. Jesus argued that if we help those who are humble, lowly, poor, or oppressed we will be successful from a heavenly point of view.

The disciples did not realize this. They were still thinking of success in worldly terms. They were concerned with using earthly ambition to get ahead in heaven. Jesus knew that this was what the disciples were talking about, even though they did not answer his question. You see, Jesus knows everything about us-what we think, what we feel, what our thoughts are, etc. He knew what their problem was and he also had the solution. The disciples tried to hide their discussion, but you can’t hide anything from God.  

The disciples could not understand the true meaning of power described by Jesus because they were afraid to ask the right questions. Instead of asking how they could better understand and fulfill Jesus’ mission, their main concern was finding out how each of them could become the greatest. The disciples’ attitude was one that Jesus had to address. We have to do the same. If not, we will end up conspiring with sinners to defeat righteousness. God disciplines his children by speaking the truth to power and offering correction. We and the disciples need to learn that the true heavenly power that Jesus inaugurated is in the form of service to others.

It can be difficult for us to let go of our desire to succeed in earthly ways. It is part of our human nature for us to be in control. We want to be independent. We want to be in control of our lives and our goals, and this includes the desire to succeed. We need to let go and let God control our destiny and successes if we want to be first in his eyes. We need to let go of our desire to get ahead and replace it with a desire to serve others, especially the less fortunate.

A good example of this type of success is Franklin Graham. He is the president of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization. He got involved with that organization in the 1970s when he was asked by the organization’s founder, Dr. Bob Pierce, to accompany him on relief missions throughout the world. Franklin Graham rose from humble servant to the organization’s president by following God’s path to success. Along the way he became a born-again Christian. Later, he became an associate evangelist with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and eventually President of the Association when his father, The Rev. Billy Graham, stepped down. Franklin Graham once said that God called him to the ditches of the world and his father to the stadiums of the world.

Billy Graham is another example of God’s definition of success. He humbly answered God’s call as a young man and became one of the world’s greatest evangelists, leading untold thousands to Christ while at the same time running the Association and his team of associates in a humble, moral manner. Even though he is no longer holding crusades because of old age-after all, he will turn 94 in November-he is still serving God’s people through his newspaper column and writing. In fact, he is preparing to release another book this fall.

If Billy Graham and Franklin Graham are examples of God’s definition of success, there is another member of the Graham family who best represents the lowly and suffering people whom God calls us to serve. In her book “In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart”, Billy Graham’s youngest daughter Ruth shares the story of her struggles with two divorces as well as her children’s problems with drugs, rebelliousness, eating disorders and teenage pregnancy. She also shares how all of them were helped by God’s love as shown by concerned friends and family members who were ready, willing and able to help her and her children.  

Jesus constantly challenges us to be a servant, to think of others instead of ourselves. If we feel unhappy and unfulfilled in our lives, perhaps it is time to take a long hard look at our lives. We have to ask ourselves if we are I-centered or others-centered, because our decision will affect our eternal destiny. The child in this Gospel passage represents the new birth or new start necessary for real leadership and real life. The road to happiness is the road of service. The way to greatness is not possible without a servant heart, a servant hand, a humble heart and a humble hand. Jesus himself is a good example of the greatness of service and humility. He came to earth as a servant. He humbled himself to the point of death on a cross, and thereby became highly exalted by God.

Some of us might think that serving someone is beneath us or that somehow the act of serving others diminishes us. On the contrary, those who serve the most are the greatest people on earth—and in heaven. Jesus asks us to embrace those who are in need. We are to show concern for the less fortunate. To welcome a child is to welcome one of low status who might not tell anyone else of the welcome or mention the name of the host to others.

Those who would be first must be last. This is the opposite of our ambitious ways, but we have to admit that Jesus was right. Our ambitions are compulsive, suspicious, obsessive, jealous, resentful and full of revenge. The only ambition that truly gives life is the ambition to serve others. In God’s eyes what is important is not what we have to offer, or what we do not have to offer, but who we are. It means relying on God’s strength instead of our own. As God said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”.

There is an interpretation of Exodus that teaches that Moses not only put the tablets of the law that he received on Mount Sinai into the Ark of the Covenant, but also was commanded by God to add the broken pieces of the first tablets that he broke in anger after seeing the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. The broken and the whole were together in the same ark. Likewise, the broken and the whole are together in the embrace of a loving God. The image of God is upon all of us. If we want to be successful in God’s eyes, we must show the image of a serving, humble God.

Faith is not about a church doctrine or power or privilege. It is about service to others-service to the point of sacrifice. It can be expressed equally through individual actions and experiences as it can be in churchwide attitudes, actions and public declarations. Each and every day we will have the opportunity to show how Christ’s love can bring healing to our hurting world. The only way we can do this clearly is with the greatest humility-just as Jesus did when he set the little child among the disciples.

Bibliography

      1.      Stanley, C.F., The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2009)

2.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

3.      ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

4.      Notes from Peter Anthony’s Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark.

5.      Graham, Franklin:  Rebel With a Cause: Finally Comfortable Being Graham (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1995)

6.      Graham, Billy: Just As I Am (Toronto, ON: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd.; 1997)

7.      The Rev. Stephen Lewis, “Insignificant Greatness”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

8.      Graham, Ruth: In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Inc.; 2004)

9.      Jim Burns, “The Road to Happiness”. Retrieved from Crosswwalk@crosswalkmail.com

10.  Pastor Bob Coy, “Down is up”. Retrieved from www.activeword.org

11.  T.M. Moore, “Truth in Everyday Relationships”. Retrieved from www.colsoncenter.org

12.  Berni Dymet, ‘The Guillotine”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

13.  Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 23th Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

14.  McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25; Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc; 1982)

15.  MacArthur, J.: MacArthur Study Bible NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.: 2006;2008)

16.  Carl L. Schenck, “Ambition”. Retrieved from www.ministrymatters.com/all/article/entry/3075/ambition

17.  Alyce M. McKenzie, “Commentary on Mark 9:30-37”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_Print.aspx?commentary_id=393

18.  The Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “The Kid from Capernaum”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

19.  Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “The Greatest of the Kingdom”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

20.  Rabbi Marc Gellman, “The Broken and the Whole: God Knows and Loves Us All”. Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/religionandspirituality/godsquad/s-1198200

21.  John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B, Season After Pentecost, Proper 20 Ordinary 25. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-20-ordinary-25.html

22.  Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

23.  Jamieson-Fawcett-Brown Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible software package.

24.  Paula Harrington, “The Big Deal”. Retrieved from http://forthright.net/2012/09/12/the-big-deal/

Mark 9:30-37 Being First Means Being Last

Good morning boys and girls! :) It’s been a long time since I’ve seen most of you! How was your summer? Did you do lots of fun stuff?

Did you play lots of sports? How many of you won or were on a team that won? It’s fun to win, isn’t it? Now, who actually lost or was on a team that lost? That wasn’t fun, was it? Everyone likes winning or being first, but no one likes being last or losing.

The disciples felt the same way at times. For example, in Mark 9:30-37, they argued about which one of them would be first in God’s Kingdom. Jesus said that anyone who wants to be first in God’s Kingdom must be last on earth by serving everyone, including the less fortunate. In a moment I’m going to read you a story that shows what he means, but before I do I’m going to ask you a question. Do any of you know what an obstacle race is? Well, for those of you who don’t, it’s a race course where at points along the way you have to do things like walk across a log, climb a rope, climb over a wall or run like this through a set of tires.

Here's the story:

 

One day at a church Bible Club party, the teacher announced, "Next we'll have an obstacle race. Let's go outside, and I'll give you the instructions."

 "Cool!" exclaimed Andy. He bolted for the door. "I'm going to win!"

Drew frowned. "Andy always wins," he muttered. "I never do."

When everyone was at the starting point, the teacher explained that they all would be following the same course, and they would have to overcome the same obstacles. "At some of them, you'll find directions that you must follow before you can move on," the teacher said. Then he blew his whistle, and the kids dashed off.

"I hate crawling," moaned Drew when he reached a tunnel.

"Me, too," agreed Tamara. "Guess we'll be last together."

"Whoa!" yelled Drew a little later as he slipped off a rail that had to be crossed. "Don't wait for me. I'm used to being last alone," he joked.

Drew finally puffed up to the last obstacle--a wall. "Why is everyone just standing here?" he asked when he saw everyone waiting. "What's the problem?"

Andy frowned and pointed to the directions. "I got here first and have to help everyone over the wall in the opposite order that they got here. You're the last one, so that means you get to go over the wall first," he said.

When Andy finally dropped over the wall, all the other kids had already crossed the finish line. He frowned at the teacher. "It's not fair," Andy complained. "I was winning, but now I'm last!"

"Hey, Andy, look what I got for coming in first," said Drew, holding up a trophy. He read aloud the inscription on it. "Many who are first will be last, and the last first." He grinned. "Thanks for helping me win, Andy."

The teacher smiled. "You did very well, Andy," he said, pulling another trophy from a box and handing it to Andy. "This is for your great job at the wall."

After the kids applauded, Andy read out loud the inscription on his trophy. "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." Andy looked at the teacher. Then he grinned at Drew. "Thanks for helping me win, too, Drew!"

So you see, boys and girls, by helping the other kids during the obstacle race, Andy was a true winner. Jesus would be very proud of him.

Let us bow our heads and close our eyes for a moment of prayer.

Dear God, thank you for reminding us that in your eyes, we are first if we help those who need our help. Open our eyes for chances to help other people and show them the love you have for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

 Bibliography

1.      “No Losers”. Retrieved from keys@lists.cbhministries.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke 10:25-37 Love One Another

A man approached the gates of heaven and asked to be allowed to enter. Saint Peter asked, "Tell me one good thing you did in your life." The man said, "Well, I saw a group of punks harassing an elderly lady, so I ran up and kicked their leader in the shins." Peter asked, "When did this happen?" The man replied, "About 40 seconds ago."

I'm sure that at least a few of you were fans of the Seinfeld show. If so, you may remember the episode that aired at the end of the 1998 TV season. It received a lot of flak for being disappointing. Perhaps the reason so many were disappointed in the show is because it wasn't funny-in fact, it was self-deprecating. All of the characters receive a one year jail sentence for failing to help someone in need.

That episode could have been taking right out of Luke's Gospel reading for this morning. The story of the Good Samaritan is really a parable about the Mosaic Law and how it is to be understood and lived. We know God's Law-love God and our neighbor. The problem is, we sometimes want to debate the law and justify our lifestyles. We sometimes do not want to be confronted with the task of keeping the law. Acts of kindness which a man is bound to perform for his neighbor when in distress, he should perform for any person, of whatever nation, religion or kindred whom he finds in necessity.

The priest and the Levite were the most obliged to perform works of mercy and from whom a person in distress had a right to expect immediate help and comfort. Their conduct here was a breach of Mosaic Law. They were obligated to help because of the nature of their offices. Law is the knowledge of sin, NOT the cure. By comparing ourselves to the law, we see our own defects and are thus prepared to welcome a better righteousness than our own-that of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The lawyer in this Gospel reading wanted to show that he had kept the law. The Pharisees believed that only Jews were to be regarded as their neighbors-not the Gentiles. Christ says we are to treat EVERYONE as our neighbor. At the time of Luke's Gospel, the Samaritans and the Jews were enemies. The Samaritans were Jews who, after Israel had been defeated by the Babylonians, stayed behind and intermarried with the Assyrians, who were an abomination in the sight of the Jews. They even built their own temple on Mount Gerizim and refused to worship in Jerusalem. If you really wanted to insult a person 2,000 years ago, all you had to do was call him a Samaritan. That's why the Pharisee said to Jesus in John 8:48, "Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

If we are listening and surrender ourselves to the parable, chances are we will learn something new about God, ourselves...and our neighbor. What the Samaritan did in this parable shows us what we are to do friends and foes when they are in distress. This parable disarmed prejudice, fixed the attention, took the mind gently yet irresistibly, and prevented the possibility of objection.

Law-oriented faith has two flaws:

1. We can't keep God's law and win our way into heaven. The spiritual application here is that religion can't do a thing in the world for you. All religion can do is take you through a ceremony, take you through forms and formality.

2. Jesus shows us that a legalistic concept of religion leaves no room at all for other people, at least for treating them as our neighbors.

When we love others and show that love through our deeds, we show God's love.

Christ is a metaphor for the Samaritan in this parable. The phrase "as he journeyed" means putting himself in man's place and bearing the punishment for our sins. "Had compassion" refers to redemption accomplished through the love and compassion of Christ. "Went to him" means that Christ first seeks the sinner. "Bound his wounds" means that He gives us comfort. "Pouring in oil" refers to his pardoning mercy. Jesus, as the Samaritan, pays the bill and promises to come again. "Paying the bill" is a metaphor for Christ's death on the cross for our sins. "Promises to come again" refers to the Second Coming of Christ. The inn represents the church, where believers are cared for. "Two pence" refers to the sacraments of baptism and communion. True religion teaches us to regard everyone as our neighbor, prompts us to be good, to forget all national or sectional distinctions, and to help all those who are in circumstances of want and poverty. It preaches the need for tolerance

Jesus WAS the Samaritan. He was an outcast who was willing to seek and save people who were perishing. He was opposed to the religious establishment of his time, especially their strict interpretation of Mosaic Law. The theme of Jesus' going to those who needed Him became more and more evident. He was and is the ultimate neighbor whose compassion contrasted with Jewish religious leaders who had no compassion for those who suffered. He taught that a person should be a neighbor to anyone he meets who is in need. (Pause).

The victim in this parable represents a lost sinner who is dead spiritually and left on the road of life. The priest and Levite represent the law and its sacrifices, neither of which can save anyone. Mankind was dead in trespasses and sin-this man who had fallen among thieves was half dead. The thieves are a picture of the Devil, who according to John 8:44 was a murderer from the beginning. WE were like the poor, distressed traveler, because Satan has robbed us and wounded us. The Samaritan's deeds help us to understand what it means to have mercy, and it also illustrates the ministry of Jesus Christ. The Samaritan identified with the needs of the stranger and had compassion for him.

The lawyer is similar in nature to Simon the Pharisee in Luke 8:36-50. He wanted to define the term "neighbor" in a general way, but Jesus forced him to consider a specific man in need. To Jesus, a neighbor is anyone that needs our love and compassion. The word of Jesus went straight to the lawyer's heart, and it goes straight to our hearts also. Jesus also forces us to consider specific people in need today. We also try to define or otherwise limit who our neighbours are. We want them to be part of the church, but only on our own terms. We can discuss things like poverty and job opportunities and yet never personally help a hungry family or help someone find a job. We can talk about helping someone in need but never personally help someone. Reaching out will cost us time, money, scheduling, calloused hands, sore backs-and maybe even a little dignity. God tells us that no act of loving service in Christ's name is ever lost .

Have you ever noticed how when we are confronted with our real need we often react in denial? We are often like the man who was worried by the newspaper articles showing the relationship between smoking and lung cancer. He became so upset with the articles that he knew he had to do something about it. He canceled his newspaper subscription.

All of our readings this morning are designed to break into the complacency of our lives. The writers ask us to take a look to see if we are living up to God's standards. The world today is like the man that feel among thieves and needs our help. There is danger and trouble everywhere. Danger rides alongside us on the expressways and highways. Danger meets us in parking lots and shopping centers. If you don't believe me, call our former Priest-in-Charge Father Art Nash and ask him about the time he and his wife went shopping in the Bayers Lake Industrial Park and had the tires on their car slashed while they were in a store. It is sorry to observe how selfishness governs society, how many excuses men will make to avoid trouble or expense in relieving the suffering of others. A true Christian has the law of love written on his heart. The spirit of Christ dwells in him, and Christ's image is renewed in his soul.

The message goes even further and deeper. It is a subtle indictment of the institutional church. The church is to be a compassionate traveler on the road of life. In other words, it is to be the Good Samaritan. The message cautions those of us in the organized church about institutional quicksand-subtle entrapment in the details of our local church or the generalities of broader church involvement-a quicksand in which we can find ourselves removed from the specific individual in his moment of need. It is a further caution against judging those around us on the basis of what they do for a living, how often they go to church, or how much sunlight their skin color reflects. At such a moment we may be judging a true neighbor in the sight of God-someone who stopped and helped in a fellow traveler's darkest hour. In the words of a popular saying, "Judge not lest ye be judged".

We are living in a society that has become dehumanized and we have a generation of people who have been brought up to believe that human life is not worth a very great deal. So, they look on other people not as people to be loved and helped, but rather as things to be used and abused. God has given us both things and people. God has given us things to use and people to love. When we begin to love things and use people, we become thieves.

The Greatest Commandment is to love one another. This is contrary to the non-involvement attitude in society today-specifically in this community. If there is to be justice in this world, humans must be part of it. A sign of our justice is the way we treat others. Justice is a way of doing. The rich are to give to the poor, and all are to be treated equally according to God's justice. Not only are we to love our neighbors and God, we also need to listen carefully and either understand or accept others. We have an obligation to try to be transparent to those who are having difficulty understanding or accepting us.

When God touches people, he takes the nearest willing hand and uses it. He arranges the circumstances of people's lives to get people who have needs in contact with people who can meet those needs. This is a basic outgrowth of the Christian faith. When we forget this, some dire consequences result. One such consequence is that we fail to see the hand of God at all. Often when we need help, we find it among the outcast, the unknown and the unqualified.There are lots of people who give themselves to help others. In fact, many of them are in our own parish. We are to help those in need, regardless of their age, social status, race, religion or nationality. God is blind to these man-made barriers, and so should we. The most rewarding thing is to be real. What matters is loving and being loved for a long time. We love our neighbor because Christ loved us (Pause).

We often fulfill all of the roles in this parable. Sometimes God lifts us out of the ditch directly, and sometimes He uses other people. Sometimes we may be the innkeeper, and sometimes we may be either the priest or the Levite. We are often the man who is lying in the ditch. Christ has rescued us. We are charged with passing the oil of grace and kindness on to others. There are no limits as to who our neighbor is. We are to love even our enemies. Our love must have no limits.

Christ calls us to fulfill the role of the Good Samaritan and help ANYONE who is in need, regardless of societal barriers. This parable is an attack on non-involvement toward people in need. Time, money, inconvenience or fear of being sued are used as excuses. We are invited to have hearts of love for anybody who is hurting on any of the Jerico Roads of life. Jesus invites us to have a heart that overflows with love. Love knows no boundaries, and love demands no repayment.

The way the beaten man is treated shows three of life's philosophies:

1. What's yours is mine-represented by the robbers.

2. What's mine is mine-represented by the priest and Levite.

3. What's yours is mine-represented by the Samaritan.

What Jesus asks may disturb our world. In this parable, very pious, "holier than thou" folks have to wrestle with the possibility that the core of their spirituality or their livelihood will be ruined by one act of mercy. The Samaritan steps over that question with his stooping down and picking up. How willing are we to have our world turned upside-down? How willing are we to be disturbed or challenged? Do we so badly want to hear what Jesus says that we are willing to be changed dramatically? How often do we write people off because they are pale, or because of where they live, what they do or even how they relate to us? We will never understand who our neighbour is until we are willing to touch the untouchable one and speak the unspeakable name. We, like the lawyer, often feel unjustified and unholy, not really loving as we thought we were at first. We are called to live differently, think differently and do differently.

Mother Teresa once put it like this. "The biggest disease today is not leprosy, or cancer. It's the feeling of being uncared for or unwanted, of being deserted and alone. The greatest evil is the lack of love and charity, and an indifference toward one's neighbour who may be the victim of poverty or disease or exploited and at the end of his life, left at a roadside". God loves us whole. He makes us whole and enables us to love others whole. It doesn't matter where love comes from-only that love is done. Even the meanest person has the capacity to love and give selflessly.

Simply knowing in our minds what the right thing to do is does not mean we can do it. If we are going to be Good Samaritans, then this will mean more than a change of mind. It will take a change of heart. And that's what this parable is about-a change of heart.

On June 1, 1998, the Los Angeles Times newspaper ran a story of a 50-year-old man who suffered a heart attack while writing the state bar exam. Two of the other students stopped to help the man by administering CPR until the paramedics arrived, then they resumed taking the exam. Citing policy, the test supervisor refused to allow the two helpers additional time to make up for the 40 minutes they spent helping the victim. The state bar's senior executive for admissions backed the decision stating, "If these two want to be lawyers, they should learn a lesson about priorities."

UNBELIEVABLE! Talk about legalism and how like the Pharisees of Jesus' day. They loved their stupid man-made rules more than they loved people. No wonder Jesus blasted them!

We are the same way. We often love our own man-made rules more than we love people. Perhaps Jesus should come back to earth and give us a blasting! We need it as much as the Pharisees and the people at the California State Bar Association. When we act like a neighbour to others, they become our neighbors. Love is a compassion that feels. Love is a care that helps. Love is a commitment that endures.

The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of Jesus' most familiar stories, and the way we usually hear that parable is as Jesus' way of getting us to ask ourselves, "Am I willing, when the circumstances arise, to be a Good Samaritan to other people?" Do you have compassion? Does it mean pity? Does it mean a few tears? The answer is NO-it means compassion to the extent that we roll up our sleeves, take off our coats, get dirty and try to make a difference ourselves. Who is my neighbour? Any one in need.

 

Luke 10:1-11,16-20 Go Forth Into the World

There is a story about two missionaries who were going door to door. They knocked on the door of one woman who was not happy to see them. She told them in no uncertain terms that she did not want to hear their message and slammed the door in their faces. To her surprise, however, the door did not close and, in fact, almost magically bounced back open. She tried again, really putting her back into it and slammed the door again with the same amazing results-the door bounced back open. Convinced that one of the missionaries was sticking their foot in the door, she reared back to give it a third slam. She felt this would really teach them a lesson. But before she could act, one of them stopped her and politely said, "Ma'am, before you do that again, you really should move your cat".

We don't see many door-to-door sales people anymore, do we? Why not? First of all, nobody's home any more, are they? At least, not in the daytime. And at night, with so much to do, and after husband and wife have worked all day, most people don't want to be bothered with strangers at the door. So, at least in one respect, we live in a world that is different than the one in which Jesus appointed seventy emissaries and told them to go out two-by-two into the towns and villages from house to house and heal the sick and to tell everyone who would listen that the Kingdom of God is near.

Jesus and politicians have a lot in common. Both struggle to get their message out. Both send out advance men to prepare the way and to excite the people for their arrival and their messages. The seventy disciples represented the universal mission to all nations-including the Gentiles and the Samaritans. Their discipleship had a multiplying effect because people wanted to hear the message-just like people want to hear the message today. The seventy were delegated to discover new opportunities that were there to bring the message to the people and the people into the kingdom.

Why did Jesus send 70? Some scholars believe that the seventy missionaries represented the 70 nations of the world that were listed in Genesis 10. By appointing seventy, Jesus was announcing God's intention to take the news to the entire world. They were sent in pairs because their work was difficult, even with helpers. These men were sent into a vast field with very few workers to help them. They were to pray for more labourers to join them-just like we have to pray for more helpers today when we fulfill the same mission. The seventy were successful in their first attempt at spreading the Gospel. They conquered their fears and did what they were told.

Sometimes we in the church are not willing to follow some of Christ's directions most of the time. Are they too difficult? Do we do only what is the easiest? What we fail to do most often is to not really ask something in Jesus' name and expect it to come true. We only respond in partial faith, or we try to make our desires God's desires. The task Christ gives us is not easy, but He helps us and supports us. Nothing is impossible with Christ.

The 70 disciples were totally defenseless. They were totally dependent on Christ and the reception of the people they met. We can be sure today that God is there with us. It is no secret that our world has a lot of problems such as violence, war, crime and famine. Around the world today, the collapse of civil societies sobers us. We are descending toward individualisms that block our responsibilities for each other, including those who are poor. When it comes to our ways of living, some of us may think that we can escape the consequences of our wasteful lifestyles, deliberate ignorance of others' poverty, and reluctance to combat injustice. We act as if we don't have to pay for what we've done. The only way we can escape our problem-filled world is through peace-the peace that only Christ provides. We are to proclaim that peace, which is the arrival of God’s kingdom and ushered in by Jesus.

The church must also look at its own checkered past. All we have to do is to look at the residential schools issue, especially the issue of how native students were treated. We must ask ourselves is we are converts or Christ’s disciples.

By God's grace, and because of the Holy Spirit, the consequences of our living on earth can lead towards wonderful things that don't break any law-such as helping one another and doing good deeds. We must go out into the world because there are people in great need. We must go out as caring people who identify with them in their hurt and their need. We must go out with the hope and realization that when we minister to the least and the lowest, we encounter Christ. When we feed the hungry or visit the sick or prisoners, we obey Christ. We can be so at one with Christ that Christ will live and act through us. He calls us to identify with those he came to save. The worst thing we can do is to make a person who is in need or in the middle of a crisis feel rejected or inferior. Sometimes those we minister to will do more for us than we will do for them.

When Jesus said, "I am sending you like lambs among wolves", he was acknowledging the ferocity of the opposition that true followers of Christ would encounter. The image of the lamb is an image of self-sacrifice-the Pascal Lamb, who is slain to redeem His people. Any follower of Christ must also be an imitator of Christ. If we are to be like Christ, we can expect the same treatment he received. The image of the lamb is also a reminder that the kingdom of God will be marked by peace and reconciliation. We must confront the attitudes and behaviours that do not reflect God's intentions. The word “lambs” implies that religious commitment can’t be compelled by force. This sets Christianity apart from other religions, especially the radical elements of Islam.

Jesus knew the seventy would stand out and was counting on it because they had a message to share-a message so vital and life-changing that everyone needed to hear it. People still need to hear it today. When we are changed by our encounter with Christ, we have the authority and responsibility to tell everyone, by our words and by our lifestyle, that the Kingdom of God has come near them. It defeats the powers of darkness and evil, and brings the Kingdom of God among those who are lost and hurting. Jesus told the 70 to proclaim the rule and reign of God in people’s hearts, and he tells us to proclaim the same message today. We do this by respecting one another, live in loving relationships, working to bring about social justice, and reflecting the image of God in our works and deeds. As we pass through the various stages of our lives and the changes they bring, we are still disciples who have been sent to proclaim the Good News. God has sent us along with his presence in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Satan’s power and authority over people has been broken not only by Jesus, but also by the faithful people who follow the Great Commission. When we stand against evil in any form, we are protesting evil. The protest is reflected by Christ's instruction to the seventy to shake the dust off of their shoes when they encountered a town where the people did not want to hear the message. Judgment will be certain. God will deal with those who reject us. When they reject us, they reject Him. We have a choice-accept Him or reject Him.

A preacher was speaking at an open-air crusade in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada one time. Billy Graham was to speak the following night, but he arrived a day early. He came unannounced and sat on the grass with the crowd. In front of him sat an elderly gentleman who seemed to be listening attentively to the preaching. When the call came for people to come forward and make a commitment to the Lord, the gentleman did not move. Dr. Graham tapped the man on the shoulder and asked, "Would you like to accept Christ? I'll be glad to walk down with you if you want to." The old man looked him up and down, shook his head and said, "No, I think I'll just wait until the big gun shows up tomorrow night". In the thinking of this man and in the thinking of many people, winning souls for Christ is something that should be reserved for the "big guns". Today's gospel story, however, shows us that mission is for everyone, big guns and little shots alike, the clergy as well as the laity. We are all called to be missionaries for Christ.

People of all ages still follow Jesus today. That includes taking the good news to all people all over the world, in spite of opposition from other faiths, governments that try to suppress the message, and the influence of the secular world. Those who follow Christ are the forerunners of the coming kingdom. We pray for the grace to be good representatives of what we proclaim, proficient in our witness, and to assume a personal ownership in the ultimate victory. Christ seeks us not in the temple courts of the sacred and the sanctified, but in the scandalous, secular and sinful world. When He seeks and saves us, it means our eternal destiny has been decided. Salvation rests in God's care and keeping.

The only way to understand the Christian life is to live it. It can only be understood if we follow Christ’s example in the homeless shelter, at the local food bank, at a hospital bed, or with a friend or neighbour who has just lost a loved one. We do this as ordinary, fragile human beings. We need to give witness to God with our whole lives, especially since we don't know when we will have an opportunity to show God's love. Jesus calls us to go to everyone we know and touch them with the ministry of God's love. We are called to be faithful witnesses of our Lord. All we have to do is tell people about the love of Jesus, and say that he died for all. We are not to do this alone. He has given us our church communities as support networks that we can share our journey with.

 

We are called to travel light on the road of faith. Too much stuff can be a problem. The more we accumulate, the more our freedom is restricted. The more attached we are to our stuff, the harder it is to hear the call of Jesus. Churches are also called to be in mission, to be about the business of evangelism, to hear Jesus' instructions, and to travel light. They are often so bogged down with business and concern for facilities and so many other details that they can miss the voice of the Lord-just like busy people can.

The Great Commission was possible because of Christ's authority, power and dominion over heaven and earth. Spiritual authority is a vertical chain of command with Jesus at the top. He gives us a vision of what we can be and of what God can do in us and for us as we make our way to Him and spread the Good News. Jesus has shown us that the light is there-the light of hope and faith. We have to hold on to faith and to hope in what He has shown us and to keep on going. We cannot be diverted from our mission. We are not to give in to false promises. The most effective form of evangelism is the way we live our lives and the example we set as Christians. The best forms of evangelism come in small ways with random acts of kindness. That's how we can defeat evil in the world. Our mission is the same one that was given to the seventy. There is a deep hunger for God, the truth, and sincere witnesses to Christ. We need to learn to work within that authority, to step out and claim it, and use it in ministry.

A young hospital chaplain was serving his internship in a large teaching hospital. While on call one night, he was summoned to the room of a woman whose baby had been stillborn a few hours earlier. “We want our baby baptized,” the young woman said, cradling her lifeless daughter, her husband at her side. “Her name is Nicole”.

The intern didn’t know what to do. He asked the young parents to wait a few minutes and then come to the chapel. Meanwhile, he tried to find a more experienced chaplain to take over. He was not successful. What was he to do? What was he to say? Baptize a stillborn? This situation had not been covered in   either his theological training or his training in pastoral care. He tried to think of what he could say to minister to this couple in their grief.

But when they arrived at the chapel, the words he had hoped to say did not come. Instead, and almost without realizing what he was doing, he took a tissue, wiped at the tears in the eyes of the parents, then wiped his own tears and touched the tissue to the baby’s head and said, “Nicole, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit”.

He said nothing else---the tears were more eloquent than words could have been.

We must always be willing to discover new opportunities for doing God’s work in our world. The old ways of doing things may not always work in our modern society. After all, if Jesus was here on earth today, he would likely use the Internet, social networks, cellular phone applications and other modern tools to proclaim His message and do His work in our world.

We must also be persistent, especially when we face barriers to seeking the kingdom of God.  Persistence does indeed pay off. Remember the parable of the persistent widow who constantly pestered the judge to hear her case until he finally gave in. If people don’t respond to our message about the Good News, we must move on to others who do respond. If they refuse an invitation to come to church, we must move on to those who are willing to accept the invitation. Resistance is a sign of vitality and an occasion for ministry.

Our chief goal must be salvation and faithfulness. We must point people to Christ, and not to ourselves. We have to offer Christ’s love and compassion. We are to witness to people and rejoice by being faithful. When I say that we must witness to people, I do not mean that we have to go door to door like the Mormons or the Jehovah’s Witnesses do. We can witness to people by the way we lead our lives; by donating food, money or time to  the local food bank; by visiting with a sick person at home or in the hospital; or by offering sympathy and comfort to a friend or neighbour who has just lost a loved one. We are to minister to people by getting to know them and being genuinely concerned about their needs. Unless we love people, we will hinder God’s work here on earth in some way. We are forerunners of the coming Kingdom, just like the 70 disciples were “advance men” for Jesus. We must always pray for the grace to be good representatives of what we proclaim. In other words, we must practice what we preach.

If we stand firm in our mission, Satan will fail in his mission. Satan will fall when we trust Jesus with our lives. Satan will fall when we stand firm against all forces of evil, just like the Axis powers in World War II fell when they faced the determination and unity of the Allies. Satan will fall when we exercise the power of Christ obediently in faith and belief. Satan will fall when we are so at one with Christ that Christ lives and acts through us.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.      ESV Study Bible, part of Wordsearch Bible software package

2.      Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New American Standard Bible version

3.      Matthew Henry Concise Commentary, part of Wordsearch Bible software program

4.      Barnes’ Commentary on the New Testament, part of Wordsearch Bible software package.

5.      Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions: 14^th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

6.      Rev. Christopher Henry, “The Nearness of the Kingdom”. Retrieved from www.day1.orgh

7.      Rev. Dr. James D. Kegel, “A Guide for Ministers”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

8.      Rev. Charles Hoffacker, “Do Not Be Afraid”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

9.      Pastor Vince Gerhardy, “Words and Deeds”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.org

10.  Abingdon Commentary. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

11.  W. Robert McClelland, “A Seeking Savior”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

12.  Leonard Sweet, “Get a Peace of the Rock”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

13.  Maurice Fenerty, “How to Get the Job Done”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

14.  David Cartwright, “Ministering When You Are Not Welcome”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

15.  Leonard Sweet, “The Kingdom of God has Come Close”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

16.  Maxie Dunnam, “I Saw Satan Fall”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

17.  King Duncan, “Nobody Wants to Make House Calls”. Retrieved from www. esermons.com

 

18.  Caroly R. Gibson, “Travel Light”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com

19.  Adrian Rogers, “Understanding Kingdom Authority”. Retrieved from www.lwf.org

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 The Old and the New

We all have certain core traditions and beliefs that are important to us. They make us who we are, they define our own behaviours and the way we think other people should behave. That is what lies behind the Gospel passage from Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

As usual, the Pharisees and Jesus were having a difference of opinion. The Pharisees were upset because Jesus and his disciples did not take part in the Jewish hand-washing ritual before they ate. To the Pharisees, Jesus and his disciples committed a “sin”.

The Pharisees were not the only people who get upset when traditions are not followed. We get upset when people do not follow our “traditions”. We sometimes have to part with our traditions, and that is not always easy for us to accept. That is one reason why in recent years some congregations have left the Anglican Church of Canada. They were not able to accept changes such as the introduction of the Book of Alternative Services or the blessing of same-sex unions. To them, the status quo is the only way to go.

I know how hard it can be to depart from tradition or the old way of doing things. For example, many of you know that I work part-time as the bookkeeper for the local Roman Catholic Church. That church has recently received a new priest, and with him has come a new and different way of doing things, just like it was for our own parish when our rector arrived in 2008 with his way of doing things.

Another example is the tradition that people who go to church have to wear their very best clothes. I can tell you that it is BUNK! Just look around at the people sitting next to you. Some are dressed up, but some are wearing casual, everyday clothes. Some also believe that ministers have to wear clerical suits and collars all of the time, even under their robes on Sunday morning. Well folks, I hate to disappoint you, but I know a lot of ministers who don’t even wear a suit and tie, let alone a clerical suit and collar. Even I don’t wear my “Sunday Best’ clothes under my robes all of the time, especially during the warm summer weather. 

We must not think that the Pharisees are completely bad. They were dedicated to obeying and pleasing God, and that desire led to distinctive practices such as kosher food and circumcision. These practices helped them to keep their identity as God’s chosen people in a pagan world. Their traditions grew out of a need to keep their identity.

Even though the Jewish law was quite detailed, it left room for interpretation in many cases. The Pharisees used their desire to obey God to create rules to clarify the law in these situations. Over time these rules became so hard and fast that they became a surrogate law that the Jewish leaders regarded as being equal to Scripture. They lost sight of the difference between God’s law and their opinion. Jesus said that this was their sin. Jesus did not condemn all tradition. He only condemned those traditions that were elevated to sacred status. The church is responsible for preserving tradition, but it must make a clear distinction between essential scriptural teachings and non-essential traditions.

When he responded to the Pharisees’ question, Jesus went right to the heart of the issue. The Pharisees wanted to hold on to human tradition at all costs when they should have been more concerned with teaching God’s deeper requirements of love, compassion and justice. God is more concerned with a spiritual cleansing and purifying. If our hearts have been purified, our prayer and behaviour will be in line with what God wants. If we act out of good hearts we will know how to behave even if we don’t know the exact rule for a particular situation.

While a sense of tradition is desirable and necessary at times, a problem occurs when tradition is substituted for true worship or true faith. When the actions associated with our traditions become more important than the meaning of the traditions, we can get sidetracked. The Pharisees were more concerned with strict observance of Jewish laws than they were about true faith in God. The Pharisees were concerned about keeping God’s people distinct and keeping them from becoming assimilated with the larger culture. This effort to be distinct included rigid observance of rules, but the observance of rules covered up their lack of inward love and devotion. They were concerned about not letting germs and pollution go into their bodies, but Jesus said that they and we should be more concerned about the filth that comes out of our mouths-lying, cheating, etc. The Pharisees were concerned about the letter of the law including their rules and regulations, but Jesus emphasized the spirit of the law. We must beware of Christian leaders who appear to be very religious by their actions, but who are really glorifying themselves instead of glorifying God. We should never honour anyone above God. Only he is truly worthy of our praise.  

Each and every one of us has a heart problem, and not just a physical one. The heart is a fountain out of which much that affects our lives flows. If the heart is affected by sin, it becomes deceitful and wicked. Therefore, the heart is a source of most of the evil that defiles man. The world is enticing, but for its pull to work, we have to want what it is offering. We do the stupid stuff that we do because it is our human nature. We have to be aware of our sinful nature. When we give in to temptation, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

What we eat and drink can’t hurt and defile us. Only what comes out of us-ungodly words and actions-can defile us. Jesus wants us and his disciples to see that the core issue always comes down to what is in the heart. Ritual external purity is not necessarily the same as genuine interior piety. We are being hypocrites if we vainly honour God with our lips while our hearts are estranged from him. The source of defilement is more internal than external. It is more about who we are than foods or filth we avoid. Jesus defined true piety as a commitment from the heart totally dedicated to loving service of God and for others. Listening and doing are two different things.

Some people who attend church are like that. They carry their Bibles, they bring their offering, they sing every hymn and they listen to every word the preacher says, but it doesn’t change anything in their hearts. They look good on the outside, but their goodness is only skin deep. Their worship is for appearance only and is not from the heart.

That does mean that we cannot be hurt by what comes into our bodies. The obvious sources are smoke, pollution and poor diet, but we can also be defiled from the outside by the environment that we live in. I’m reminded of the example our former Rector gave in one of his sermons a few years ago. He was talking about a discussion he had with his sons one day about how the choices they make can affect their lives. He said, “You are who you associate with” and that is true. For example, if you live in an area with a high rate of crime, chances are that you will either be seen as criminal or become a criminal if you are not careful.  

When God looks at us, the first thing he sees is the state of our heart. God doesn’t care about what we look like on the outside. He’s more concerned about what’s on the inside. He has more sympathy and compassion for a poor beggar in rags who has true faith than he does for rich rulers who wear fine clothes but have rotten hearts and souls. If we don’t take time to have our hearts purified by God once in awhile, we won’t be able to receive his blessings.

Jesus argued that the observance of purity was not needed because the kingdom of God is for everyone-Jews, Gentiles, those who would observe the purity laws and those who could not keep them. Everyone is equal before God.

Those who are ‘holier than thou’ often have the belief that they can judge others. When that attitude is observed from afar, it is not pretty. It reeks of a superficial, survivalistic and hateful attitude. These people are often the same people who on the surface observe sacred rituals. They have no inward disposition towards God-hence Jesus’ reference to the filth that comes from the inside.

Jesus sets us free to look at ourselves and see our internal, sinful nature. We are free to accept the grace to choose God’s mercy, but we can’t admit that we need outside help. We need outside help to take in goodness and bear good fruit. If our hearts belong to God, nothing else matters.  

When people equate tradition with the Law, problems come up. The Pharisees have made the Law more important than God’s rules, just like many of us have made our traditions more important than true faith in God. The Protestant reformation was fuelled in part by the desire to break free from corrupt Roman Catholic traditions and rules and get back to true worship of God. Jesus argued that not all of the Pharisees’ rules had to be obeyed. All we have to do is love God with our hearts, not our heads.

We have to ask ourselves what are the interests of God, and what does God think about the way we live our lives. Does the way we live our lives reflect a way of life that is in sync with God and his plan for our lives? While our Christianity should shape our behaviour, it runs deeper than our behaviour. It has implications for how we live our lives, but it is also mysticism before it is morality, faith before it is action, the seed of a new life before it is the fruit of that new life.

Those who would serve the interests of God can do so by giving expression to joy in their lives. Those who feel God’s love have much to offer the hurting and disconnected in our world.

 

Bibliography

1.      Stanley, C.F, The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc; 2009)

2.      Bayless Conley, “Clean and Committed”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

3.      Les Lamborn, “Lip Service”. Retrieved from www.rbc.org

4.      Mark D. Roberts “Defiled from the Inside Out”. Retrieved from www.TheHighCalling.org

5.      Greg Laurie, “Frenemies”. Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

6.      Exegesis for Mark 7:10-8, 14-15, 21-23. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com

7.      Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 22^nd Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

8.      Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.

9.      McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25:Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)

10.  The Very Rev. Samuel G. Candler, “Why Don’t You Wash Your Hands?” Retrieved from www.day1.org

11.  The Rev. D. Francis Wade, “What Matters to God?” Retrieved from www.day1.org

12.  Matt Skinner, “Commentary on Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1381

13.  The Rev. Beth Quick, “Lectionary Notes-Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost” Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/pentecost13bnotes.htm

14.  The Rev. Beth Quick, “Being 7 Doing’. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon8-31-03.htm

15.  John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Year B, Season after Pentecost, Proper 17 Ordinary 22. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod,org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-17-ordinary-22.html

16.  Daniel B. Clendenin, PhD, “Religious Faith” Worthless or Faultless?” Retrieved from http://www.journeywithjesus.net/index.shtml?view=print

17.  “’Skin Deep’ or from the Heart?” Retrieved from http://sermons4kids.com/skin_deep_print.html