Job’s Repenting
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on October 25, 2009.
Year B, Proper 25
Scripture passages: Job 42:1-6, 10-17; Hebrews 7:23-28
Before we grab the bait, we would be wise to look carefully for the hook. When I go fishing, I don’t do much catching. My explanation is that there are a lot of fish down there that have the ability to see my hooks. For some reason they do not see other fishermen’s hooks, but they are able to see mine – unless of course the fish are only about 4 inches long.
When we read some portions of scripture, it is tempting to take the bait to oversimplify without considering all the steps which help us put all of scripture into proper perspective. For example, the story has been told many times of the man who was looking for God’s guidance, opened the Bible and (with his eyes closed) thrust his index finger upon the page and was horrified to discover the passage about Judas, “and he went out and hanged himself.” This is an extreme example of how NOT to use and interpret the Bible. One obscure and ambivalent passage is found in I Corinthians 15:29:
Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them?
Some have used this passage to build a tenet of religious practice in which believers submit to baptism for presumably unsaved and/or unbaptized friends, relatives and ancestors – in order to secure their salvation. Proper consideration of scripture as a whole would clearly lead us to different conclusion. As far as I know, this is the one, isolated passage that references this bizarre practice. There are many passages in scripture which must be considered carefully in order to avoid improper conclusions.
Our lection passage for today, defies easy explanations and seems to dangle some tempting morsels which threaten to unravel what we have learned thus far from the book of Job.
Let us recall a few simple rules for understanding and interpreting the Bible, which is called the study of hermeneutics.
If one is to gain a fuller understanding of a passage of scripture, the student is to consider the sentence, the paragraph, the immediate context, the context of the book, the style of the material (for example is it a parable, a prophesy, a story, or poetry). In addition, one must consider the grammatical, historical-cultural, and overall theological contexts. And finally, there are some that say that the Gospels (more specifically the words of Jesus) are more important that the letters of the New Testament. Others believe Paul’s letters, for example, help to explain the Gospels. And using a wider lens, many Christian theologians assert that the New Testament helps us to understand the Old Testament.
Where does this leave us? Well, we must be cautious about how we interpret scripture and how we attempt to apply it to our lives. One more example before we move on directly to our text. Paul stated on one occasion that he does not allow women to speak in the church. The Brethren Church, from early in its history, has held that women are certainly permitted to speak in church and even pastor congregations. The Brethren Church considered the context from which Paul spoke along with the large number of scripture passages which spoke differently about this issue. They arrived at a conclusion that scripture as a whole spoke favorably about the role of women in the leadership of the church.
Here is the question I would like to address today. To what is Job referring to when he says in 42:6 “Therefore do I loathe [it], And I have repented on dust and ashes.” (Young’s Literal Translation)?
What is Job repenting of?
Is he repenting of claiming to have been subjected to injustice?
Is he repenting of asserting that God was not just?
Is he repenting of yelling at God?
Is he repenting of asserting that he was righteous?
So, what is Job repenting of?
One option is to say that Job is repenting of expressing his anger and frustration to God – implying that it is sinful to do so. Perhaps that might make sense if we only looked at the book of Job. But what about scripture as a whole? If we were to say that Job was repenting of having spoken freely of his anger and frustration toward God, then how are we to make sense of the Psalms in which David or other psalmists are at least as frustrated and angry as Job is? Are we to suggest that God does not accept our vitriol directed at him? If there is one thing that the Psalms teach us, it is that God is big enough to accept our anger, direct, raw and unfiltered.
Another option for trying to understand Job's Repenting, is that Job's friends were correct in their admonitions to Job, that Job was harboring some grievous sin, which was why God had so inflicted Job with all kinds of suffering. So, what if we were to suggest that Job’s friends were right all along and that Job was a really bad sinner, in need of repentance – that his repentance in 42:6 was because of his sin? In between the paragraphs read by Mark, God chastises Job’s friends “because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” God then instructs these three friends (through Eliphaz) to “take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly.” This is certainly an indictment against these three friends for what they said. We are therefore not able to say that Job had some grievous sin he was repenting of. Furthermore, we are also reminded that in the very first verse of this book, Job was identified as “blameless and upright.” I am convinced there is no way that this phrase could ever apply to me, and I dare say any in my hearing would be brave enough to place themselves in the same company as Job. So again, Job was not repenting for some grievous, hidden sin.
Let us examine the context to see if there are any clues to understanding Job's repentance.
After all the suffering of Job and the conjecture of his friends, God appears to Job in the whirlwind. Consider Job 40:1-7
The LORD said to Job:
Job 40:2 “Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!”
Job 40:3 Then Job answered the LORD:
Job 40:4 “I am unworthy —how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.
Job 40:5 I spoke once, but I have no answer —twice, but I will say no more.”
Job 40:6 Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:
Job 40:7 “Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.
And now, consider Job 42:1-6
"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. [You said,] 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. [You said,] 'Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you declare to me.' I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
Notice that there are a few subtle differences between what God has said and Job's assessment of himself.
1.God indicated that Job had misrepresented God by speaking about God, without having a personal point of reference for actually knowing God.
2.God indicated that Job was trying to contend with God, correct God, and even accused God of injustice.
3.To this Job replied that he was not worthy.
4.On the other hand, God specifically implies that Job spoke about God in a “right” manner.
Do you catch the dissonance? How can Job, on the one hand speak properly about God, and on the other hand, speak without knowledge?
In order to gain more understanding about this puzzle, let's consider what happened to another person who had an encounter with God. Perhaps another example from scripture as a whole can shed some light for our understanding.
In Isaiah 6, the Lord presented himself to Isaiah, seated on a throne, the train of his robe filling the temple. Above him were seraphs, each with 6 wings. The sound of their praises shook the doorposts and the thresholds of the temple, which was filled with smoke. What was Isaiah's response? “Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips.” You see, even though Isaiah had already prophesied as a servant of the Lord, when he was brought into the presence of the Lord, he was undone. The glory and majesty of God was so overwhelming and so far beyond himself that he became aware of how small he was in comparison. He thought he would be consumed, that he was finished. Perhaps it would be helpful to add that we know of no grievous sin, hidden or not, that Isaiah had committed. And yet, when both Job and Isaiah were brought before the presence of the Lord, Almighty God, they were both undone.
For me, one of the keys to understanding Job's repentance is found in 42:5. It is the statement that he had previously only heard about God with his ears. He had been given the book-knowledge. He had done all the reading. He had talked with the elders. He had worshiped God. He sacrificed to God. He did all the things that godly people do, in order to show his honor and respect for God. He was also an obedient follower of God. He was well-respected in his community. Job knew a lot about God.
But something dramatic happened when God revealed himself to Job. Job's eye's were opened – WIDE. This opening brought into clear view the awesomeness of God and the smallness of Job. I hasten to add that becoming aware of his smallness is in no way related to his significance. In other words, smallness does not equal insignificance. But the DISTANCE between God's awesomeness and Job's smallness is so incredibly large as to make Job feel so small.
The other side of the same coin is that once Job saw the unbelievable awesomeness of God, all of a sudden, Job's own words became completely inadequate.
How many of you have seen the Grand Canyon? How many of you have been to Europe? Tell me about one of the places that you have been to that took your breath away.
One of the mistakes that I made right before Beth and I were married is that I traveled with the Ashland College Choir to Europe for 3 weeks in the spring of 1975. We flew from JFK to Iceland to Luxembourg and then hopped on a bus which took us to various sites in mostly western Europe. We went to Paris and saw the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Champs Elysee. We visited Lucerne Switzerland and walked across the picturesque wooden bridges with murals painted on the archways. That's where I bought my wedding gift for Beth, a cuckoo clock. I saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the ruins of Rome and St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. I stood at the bottom of the ski jump in Innsbruck, saw the man-made hills near Munich under which was all the debris from WWII, and watched the famous clock in Prague. I took a bunch of pictures. I had a great time.
However, when I got back and tried to share that experience with Beth, I found myself unable to put into words anything that would resemble my own reality. Because Beth was not there with me, she was not able to completely join me in my joy, my sense of wonder and the moments of discovery.
Let me put it another way. Prior to going to the Grand Canyon, I had seen pictures. I had seen movies. I had read about it some. I imagine that I may have even had conversations about the Grand Canyon. So, I had an intellectual understanding of the Grand Canyon. I had pictures in my mind. And yet, when I walked up to the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, despite being in the middle of clinical depression at that time, I became aware that what I was experiencing at that time was greater than any picture I had ever seen. It was more than any essay could have ever described. It was more than could be seen in an IMAX theater. It was like I just wanted to stay there and look. I just wanted to allow my eyes to enjoy a feast of majesty. I could not express it adequately. I cannot satisfactorily share that experience with you today.
So, it is right and it is acceptable and it honors God to speak of God, to praise and worship him. And yet, when such time comes that we encounter God directly in his presence, face to face, our past words and attempts to explain him seem so weak, inadequate and flimsy. Indeed, when I shall see God someday, these words comparing him to my Europe trip or the Grand Canyon will surely seem silly, like the words of a child or an infant.
When Job repented, he was repenting because his current experience of being in God's presence made every past thought, feeling, argument, and accusation of injustice seem completely anemic, decrepit, and powerless. Indeed, with Job's new awareness, what he had said before seemed to be referring to something completely different from what he was currently experiencing in the presence of Almighty God.
Job was repenting because he had previously thought of himself as big, important, entitled. But now, in the presence of Almighty God, Job was reminded just how small he is – there is no comparison. Job is small, but is nonetheless very important to God. Job was important enough to God to address individually. Job was important to God.
Unfortunately, we are a lot like Job – prior to being brought into the presence of the Lord. We discuss what God is like. We discuss whether it is ok for Christians to do this or that. We discuss which church is closer to what God wants. We discuss the finer points of theology, and sometimes we discuss the larger points of theology. We discuss how far God's grace and mercy extend. We question our own worth and whether we are significant to the God of the universe. These are not bad, for God complimented Job for speaking properly of him. But compared to the real deal of being in the presence of the Almighty, all our words are just child's play. Our efforts to understand God are like looking through a dirty, painted window. You may be able to tell that there is something on the other side, but we really only barely have a clue.
And God knows this about us. And yet, God chooses to speak to us. God chose to reveal himself to Job. God occasionally provides us with brief and clouded glimpses through the dirty window pane.
Even though we are small, to God we are significant. Job was significant enough to God to speak with. And God speaks to us today through his word. God chooses to speak to you. We may be small in the scheme of things, but we are very important to God.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
BIG, MYSTERIOUS, MAJESTIC GOD
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on October 18, 2009.
Year B, Proper 24
Scripture passages: Job 38:1-7, 34-41; Hebrews 5:1-10
Not that long ago, Bart and Joan were doing rather well. Bart had a good job. He had been there several years and had earned the respect of his co-workers. When problems surfaced, they would seek out his input and opinion. He had been promoted a couple times and had a supervisory position. His wife, Joan, had been working part-time ever since the kids both entered public school. It was fulfilling and flexible, allowing her time off when the kids were sick. It provided her an opportunity to interact with other people and the modest income allowed the family to enjoy some extra activities. They had a small savings account, a couple of reliable vehicles, were buying a house and the Christmas tree last year was surrounded by gifts. The kids were doing well in school. The oldest was in advanced math and played the clarinet. The youngest liked to play soccer and enjoyed the children's ministry at church.
Every few weeks or so (not that long ago) they would get together with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There would be plenty of food and fun, along with an occasional skirmish between the younger cousins. Oh, and I must mention the regular touch football game enjoined by young and old, male and female, throughout the fall – especially on days like today.
Not that long ago they attended church most every Sunday. They sat in pretty much the same seat, every time they went. Half the family sang, half didn't. And even though Uncle Roger couldn't hold a tune in a bucket, he sang loud enough for everyone to hear anyway. He explained to those who were brave enough to question him that he was just making a joyful noise to the Lord, and then gave them a little wink.
Not that long ago, the family would get up on Saturday morning early. Father and son would go to a Boy Scout event. Mother and daughter would go shopping at the mall.
Not that long ago. Not that long ago.
About a year and a half ago, Bart had an accident in his pickup truck. It was his fault. The road was a little wet and he had lost focus on his driving for a moment. He rear-ended the car in front of him and injured the elderly driver of the other car. The insurance company eventually settled the whole mess. But Bart would occasionally see this person around town who still appeared to walk stiffly. Bart would feel guilty.
About a year ago, Uncle Roger was diagnosed with dementia. He started leaving the oven and the stove on, almost burning the house down one day while sustaining heavy damage to the kitchen. Uncle Roger was lucky to get out alive. A couple months after that he was found wandering in the middle of a street across town at midnight. He did not know where he was, or how to get home. Uncle Roger has lived with his kids ever since, and he doesn't sing loud in church anymore – everyone kind of misses that. In fact, Uncle Roger has never been the same.
About 9 months ago, Bart was laid off because of the bad economy. For a few weeks it was kind of nice, he said it was like a vacation. He was able to do some of those projects around the house. Joan was sure happy about that. He started collecting unemployment, which was only about 60% of his previous take-home pay. They decided to pay for the COBRA insurance out of their savings, in order to keep health insurance. Bart looked for work, but it seemed like there were 100 or more applicants for every job he pursued. Furthermore, 90% of the available jobs were for ½ the pay he had been getting. To help ends meet, Joan began working full-time when she had the opportunity, but it was second shift. The benefits were virtually non-existent and sometimes had to go into work when she was sicker than a dog because she was afraid of getting fired. Everyone missed having mom at home for dinner.
Bart finally got a part-time job working for a friend involved in remodeling. It was money under the table, without any benefits.
The trips to the mall stopped. COBRA ended because they could not afford it. The savings account was empty. Bart and Joan were arguing more than they used to. The kids spent more time in their rooms, alone. The TV was on all the time, even when there was no one watching it.
When they went to church, it was not as enjoyable as it had been. It was hard to “get into worship.” Their attendance at church became less frequent. They even missed one of the family gatherings at Bart's brother's house.
Bart would spend time with his friends occasionally. They would give him advice about how to find a job, talk about the bad economy, and rail against both nagging wives and ungrateful children.
Bart and Joan could not figure out how they were going to handle Christmas this year. They simply did not have the money to stack gifts next to the Christmas tree and they certainly could not contribute to the family gift exchange at grandma's house on Christmas Eve.
They began to question where God was. They weren't bad people. They did not live extravagant lives, and yet they were beginning to feel like God had forgotten about them. Most of the friends that Bart met with periodically did not attend church and would sometimes speak about religion disrespectfully – that religion was only for kids and old women and weak people (you know, like what Jesse Ventura says).
One Sunday morning Joan announced to the family that she was done with church, she was done with God, she was done with the Bible, and suggested that God had deserted them. Joan was tired. Joan was finished.
Meanwhile, Bart continued to get together with the pastor for breakfast once in awhile. The pastor's answer was that Bart needed to read the Bible more, pray more, and to come to church every Sunday.
Bart began experiencing panic attacks about 2 months ago. At first he thought he was having a heart attack, but the ER doctor said there was nothing wrong with his heart. All the follow-up tests confirmed that there was nothing wrong physically. He has started receiving the hospital and doctor bills and has no idea how to pay for them. He's not sure how to pay for the medicine he now takes for his anxiety, and has tried skipping doses.
He recently took a walk on a nearby country road. His God-fearing friend had made that suggestion indicating that it had helped him. He was surprised after just a few minutes on his walk that he started to cry. A few minutes later, he noticed he was angry and began yelling at some cows in a nearby pasture. Then the anger turned toward God, there in between a field of corn on one side of the road and soybeans on the other side of the road.
After successfully keeping a lid on it for several months, the dam broke. Out spewed the venom at the One Person who could have done something to fix it all – and was choosing not to. And yet, in everything Bart said, he did not curse God, but simply and animalistically vented his hurt, his pain, and his frustration like the ooze spurting out of boil having just been lanced.
You could almost hear the voice of Job as he screamed at God saying, “desert me if you choose, but I shall not forsake you. Kill me if you must, even in death will I trust you.”
When he was done and the eruption subsided, he began to weep. It was like he was walking to nowhere in particular, without any awareness of his surroundings.
After walking another mile or so, he noticed some wild turkeys crossing the road about a 1/10th of a mile beyond him, and he stopped in his tracks. For some reason Bart could not move. He was mesmerized. He was struck by how the younger ones were nearly as big as the adults. He noticed the heightened vigilance of the adults compared to the younger ones. The waddling snood under their beak caught his eye as it walked, along with that odd-looking red-pink carbuncle on top of its head. He remembered that he had seen them fly up into the trees before, and that Benjamin Franklin advocated that the turkey be named as our national bird. He observed that they traveled as a group across the road. And in comparison to the summer hummingbird and the winter plumage of goldfinch, blue jay, and cardinal, the turkey is a rather homely bird. But I must say, they are not nearly as ugly as the ostrich or the vulture.
And then it was like Bart heard a soft whisper. It was a question. “Were you there when I make that turkey? No, I'm not talking about all those turkeys. Were you there when I make that turkey? And it was like Bart was drawn to one specific turkey just about to disappear into the corn field. Then it was like Bart was drawn to one specific ear of corn, which had already fallen and was drooping downward, about ready to be harvested, and he heard the voice continue softly. “Were you there when I make that ear of corn?
He was then drawn to a grove of trees not far away, with some of the branches hanging over the road. It was like a painter’s palate, filled with virtually every color imaginable. As he approached the grove, his brain seemed to swim in the colors. One bright yellow leaf shook a bit and he heard the voice again, “Were you there when I made this leaf, not just the entire grove, but this particular yellow leaf?”
About that time, the sun was starting to go down and began to radiate as a blazing red fireball. And he heard the voice again, “Were you there when I hung that in the sky?” Soon, it seemed that the entire western sky was ablaze in streaks of colors and the voice asked, “Can you do that?” Unable to move or attempt to answer, Bart just stood there. It was like for the first time in his life, he was catching a glimpse of the BIG, MYSTERIOUS, and MAJESTIC GOD.
Again, another question, “How is it that you are able to understand what is happening to you at this moment?”
“How is it that you are able to love your wife, play with your children, and hug your parents?
“How is it that you are able to read my precious letters that I wrote specifically for you and comprehend them?
“How is it that you are able to enjoy Beethoven, George Beverly Shea, Eric Clapton, U2, Third Day and John Mayer?”
• And then it dawned upon Bart that God had not answered any of his complaints. God did not provide a satisfactory answer.
• God had not apologized but nor had he chastised Bart. God did not apologize for making any mistakes.
• God did not reveal his great big plan which would have helped Bart make sense of everything that was happening and how his life had felt like someone had flushed the toilet. God did not talk about how all the bad things fit into his wonderful plan for Bart's life.
• God did not tell him to read the Bible, pray more often, or even to attend church. God did not tell him to do more spiritual activities.
Attempts to understand the ways of God extend way beyond the walls of the church or even beyond those who identify themselves as part of the church. Questions about God seem to pop up in the oddest places.
In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and the others have taken care of the wicked witch of the west and returned to Oz. They approach the Wizard in his castle and ask for the favors previously promised as rewards for the demise of the witch. As they stand there, “the little dog”, Toto, sees movement off to the side, bites and pulls down the curtain. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” “I am the great and powerful wizard of Oz” (said with diminishing confidence).
The powerful wizard that they were anticipating did not exist. There are some people whose encounter with God is kind of like this movie. Many people view God as similar to the Wizard of Oz, manipulating all the bells and whistles behind a cosmic curtain, but without any real power to have any impact on difficult circumstances. They hear all kinds of promises that God makes to them if they live right, make good choices, avoid all forms of evil, and fight for the right causes. Then when they come to God to collect on his so-called promises, they are sorely disappointed. They come to believe that God is not really a god at all. Indeed, he is often identified as inept, like an elderly person in a nursing home who simply wants visitors and sentimental gifts, but can offer no gifts themselves.
Other people view God as the George Burns or Morgan Freeman, giving sage advice to his unwilling disciples.
And still others view God as a tyrant who would subject one of his trustworthy followers, such as Job, to cruel game of “he loves me, he loves me not” with the devil himself.
And yet, the God of Job defies definitions and explanations; choosing instead to reveal his majesty to his servant.
Dazzling pictures and data from the Hubble Space Telescope continue to bear witness to the unfathomable vastness of the cosmos. Multiple galaxies can be seen in some images, each of them made up of BILLIONS of stars. In the light of such amazing and overwhelming realities, it is possible for us to feel very small. “Who are we?” we wonder with the psalmist, “that God would take notice of us,” given the near infinite scope of creation?
In that context, the voice of the Lord thundering from the whirlwind comes addressed to one of us! The Lord speaks about the rest of creation, but to Job. For all of the seeming inconsequence, we are the ones to whom God has spoken, the ones to whom God holds out the promise of conversation about the design of creation. Outside the boundary of this lection, God says to Job, “Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you” (40:15, NRSV, emphasis added). God is not dismissing Job, but is REORIENTING Job within a larger awareness of God's good creation. “Who is it that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (38:2). The answer is Job – the (very) one with whom the living God (chooses) to speak. [Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 4, pp. 170-175]
You see, for God, it is not about the 'why', but about the who.
It is fitting that at the end of every sermon on Job, John Calvin writes, “Now we shall bow in humble reverence before the face of our God.”
We are all trying our best to understand God, in the midst of our own troubled existence. We read and study the Bible. We pray. We treat others as we would like to be treated – some of the time. We are trying. Nevertheless, God will always be the 'never-fully-understood-personified-mystery.' For, you see, the human mind is fully incapable of grasping God's majesty – except perhaps on a country road around sunset.
Year B, Proper 24
Scripture passages: Job 38:1-7, 34-41; Hebrews 5:1-10
Not that long ago, Bart and Joan were doing rather well. Bart had a good job. He had been there several years and had earned the respect of his co-workers. When problems surfaced, they would seek out his input and opinion. He had been promoted a couple times and had a supervisory position. His wife, Joan, had been working part-time ever since the kids both entered public school. It was fulfilling and flexible, allowing her time off when the kids were sick. It provided her an opportunity to interact with other people and the modest income allowed the family to enjoy some extra activities. They had a small savings account, a couple of reliable vehicles, were buying a house and the Christmas tree last year was surrounded by gifts. The kids were doing well in school. The oldest was in advanced math and played the clarinet. The youngest liked to play soccer and enjoyed the children's ministry at church.
Every few weeks or so (not that long ago) they would get together with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. There would be plenty of food and fun, along with an occasional skirmish between the younger cousins. Oh, and I must mention the regular touch football game enjoined by young and old, male and female, throughout the fall – especially on days like today.
Not that long ago they attended church most every Sunday. They sat in pretty much the same seat, every time they went. Half the family sang, half didn't. And even though Uncle Roger couldn't hold a tune in a bucket, he sang loud enough for everyone to hear anyway. He explained to those who were brave enough to question him that he was just making a joyful noise to the Lord, and then gave them a little wink.
Not that long ago, the family would get up on Saturday morning early. Father and son would go to a Boy Scout event. Mother and daughter would go shopping at the mall.
Not that long ago. Not that long ago.
About a year and a half ago, Bart had an accident in his pickup truck. It was his fault. The road was a little wet and he had lost focus on his driving for a moment. He rear-ended the car in front of him and injured the elderly driver of the other car. The insurance company eventually settled the whole mess. But Bart would occasionally see this person around town who still appeared to walk stiffly. Bart would feel guilty.
About a year ago, Uncle Roger was diagnosed with dementia. He started leaving the oven and the stove on, almost burning the house down one day while sustaining heavy damage to the kitchen. Uncle Roger was lucky to get out alive. A couple months after that he was found wandering in the middle of a street across town at midnight. He did not know where he was, or how to get home. Uncle Roger has lived with his kids ever since, and he doesn't sing loud in church anymore – everyone kind of misses that. In fact, Uncle Roger has never been the same.
About 9 months ago, Bart was laid off because of the bad economy. For a few weeks it was kind of nice, he said it was like a vacation. He was able to do some of those projects around the house. Joan was sure happy about that. He started collecting unemployment, which was only about 60% of his previous take-home pay. They decided to pay for the COBRA insurance out of their savings, in order to keep health insurance. Bart looked for work, but it seemed like there were 100 or more applicants for every job he pursued. Furthermore, 90% of the available jobs were for ½ the pay he had been getting. To help ends meet, Joan began working full-time when she had the opportunity, but it was second shift. The benefits were virtually non-existent and sometimes had to go into work when she was sicker than a dog because she was afraid of getting fired. Everyone missed having mom at home for dinner.
Bart finally got a part-time job working for a friend involved in remodeling. It was money under the table, without any benefits.
The trips to the mall stopped. COBRA ended because they could not afford it. The savings account was empty. Bart and Joan were arguing more than they used to. The kids spent more time in their rooms, alone. The TV was on all the time, even when there was no one watching it.
When they went to church, it was not as enjoyable as it had been. It was hard to “get into worship.” Their attendance at church became less frequent. They even missed one of the family gatherings at Bart's brother's house.
Bart would spend time with his friends occasionally. They would give him advice about how to find a job, talk about the bad economy, and rail against both nagging wives and ungrateful children.
Bart and Joan could not figure out how they were going to handle Christmas this year. They simply did not have the money to stack gifts next to the Christmas tree and they certainly could not contribute to the family gift exchange at grandma's house on Christmas Eve.
They began to question where God was. They weren't bad people. They did not live extravagant lives, and yet they were beginning to feel like God had forgotten about them. Most of the friends that Bart met with periodically did not attend church and would sometimes speak about religion disrespectfully – that religion was only for kids and old women and weak people (you know, like what Jesse Ventura says).
One Sunday morning Joan announced to the family that she was done with church, she was done with God, she was done with the Bible, and suggested that God had deserted them. Joan was tired. Joan was finished.
Meanwhile, Bart continued to get together with the pastor for breakfast once in awhile. The pastor's answer was that Bart needed to read the Bible more, pray more, and to come to church every Sunday.
Bart began experiencing panic attacks about 2 months ago. At first he thought he was having a heart attack, but the ER doctor said there was nothing wrong with his heart. All the follow-up tests confirmed that there was nothing wrong physically. He has started receiving the hospital and doctor bills and has no idea how to pay for them. He's not sure how to pay for the medicine he now takes for his anxiety, and has tried skipping doses.
He recently took a walk on a nearby country road. His God-fearing friend had made that suggestion indicating that it had helped him. He was surprised after just a few minutes on his walk that he started to cry. A few minutes later, he noticed he was angry and began yelling at some cows in a nearby pasture. Then the anger turned toward God, there in between a field of corn on one side of the road and soybeans on the other side of the road.
After successfully keeping a lid on it for several months, the dam broke. Out spewed the venom at the One Person who could have done something to fix it all – and was choosing not to. And yet, in everything Bart said, he did not curse God, but simply and animalistically vented his hurt, his pain, and his frustration like the ooze spurting out of boil having just been lanced.
You could almost hear the voice of Job as he screamed at God saying, “desert me if you choose, but I shall not forsake you. Kill me if you must, even in death will I trust you.”
When he was done and the eruption subsided, he began to weep. It was like he was walking to nowhere in particular, without any awareness of his surroundings.
After walking another mile or so, he noticed some wild turkeys crossing the road about a 1/10th of a mile beyond him, and he stopped in his tracks. For some reason Bart could not move. He was mesmerized. He was struck by how the younger ones were nearly as big as the adults. He noticed the heightened vigilance of the adults compared to the younger ones. The waddling snood under their beak caught his eye as it walked, along with that odd-looking red-pink carbuncle on top of its head. He remembered that he had seen them fly up into the trees before, and that Benjamin Franklin advocated that the turkey be named as our national bird. He observed that they traveled as a group across the road. And in comparison to the summer hummingbird and the winter plumage of goldfinch, blue jay, and cardinal, the turkey is a rather homely bird. But I must say, they are not nearly as ugly as the ostrich or the vulture.
And then it was like Bart heard a soft whisper. It was a question. “Were you there when I make that turkey? No, I'm not talking about all those turkeys. Were you there when I make that turkey? And it was like Bart was drawn to one specific turkey just about to disappear into the corn field. Then it was like Bart was drawn to one specific ear of corn, which had already fallen and was drooping downward, about ready to be harvested, and he heard the voice continue softly. “Were you there when I make that ear of corn?
He was then drawn to a grove of trees not far away, with some of the branches hanging over the road. It was like a painter’s palate, filled with virtually every color imaginable. As he approached the grove, his brain seemed to swim in the colors. One bright yellow leaf shook a bit and he heard the voice again, “Were you there when I made this leaf, not just the entire grove, but this particular yellow leaf?”
About that time, the sun was starting to go down and began to radiate as a blazing red fireball. And he heard the voice again, “Were you there when I hung that in the sky?” Soon, it seemed that the entire western sky was ablaze in streaks of colors and the voice asked, “Can you do that?” Unable to move or attempt to answer, Bart just stood there. It was like for the first time in his life, he was catching a glimpse of the BIG, MYSTERIOUS, and MAJESTIC GOD.
Again, another question, “How is it that you are able to understand what is happening to you at this moment?”
“How is it that you are able to love your wife, play with your children, and hug your parents?
“How is it that you are able to read my precious letters that I wrote specifically for you and comprehend them?
“How is it that you are able to enjoy Beethoven, George Beverly Shea, Eric Clapton, U2, Third Day and John Mayer?”
• And then it dawned upon Bart that God had not answered any of his complaints. God did not provide a satisfactory answer.
• God had not apologized but nor had he chastised Bart. God did not apologize for making any mistakes.
• God did not reveal his great big plan which would have helped Bart make sense of everything that was happening and how his life had felt like someone had flushed the toilet. God did not talk about how all the bad things fit into his wonderful plan for Bart's life.
• God did not tell him to read the Bible, pray more often, or even to attend church. God did not tell him to do more spiritual activities.
Attempts to understand the ways of God extend way beyond the walls of the church or even beyond those who identify themselves as part of the church. Questions about God seem to pop up in the oddest places.
In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and the others have taken care of the wicked witch of the west and returned to Oz. They approach the Wizard in his castle and ask for the favors previously promised as rewards for the demise of the witch. As they stand there, “the little dog”, Toto, sees movement off to the side, bites and pulls down the curtain. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” “I am the great and powerful wizard of Oz” (said with diminishing confidence).
The powerful wizard that they were anticipating did not exist. There are some people whose encounter with God is kind of like this movie. Many people view God as similar to the Wizard of Oz, manipulating all the bells and whistles behind a cosmic curtain, but without any real power to have any impact on difficult circumstances. They hear all kinds of promises that God makes to them if they live right, make good choices, avoid all forms of evil, and fight for the right causes. Then when they come to God to collect on his so-called promises, they are sorely disappointed. They come to believe that God is not really a god at all. Indeed, he is often identified as inept, like an elderly person in a nursing home who simply wants visitors and sentimental gifts, but can offer no gifts themselves.
Other people view God as the George Burns or Morgan Freeman, giving sage advice to his unwilling disciples.
And still others view God as a tyrant who would subject one of his trustworthy followers, such as Job, to cruel game of “he loves me, he loves me not” with the devil himself.
And yet, the God of Job defies definitions and explanations; choosing instead to reveal his majesty to his servant.
Dazzling pictures and data from the Hubble Space Telescope continue to bear witness to the unfathomable vastness of the cosmos. Multiple galaxies can be seen in some images, each of them made up of BILLIONS of stars. In the light of such amazing and overwhelming realities, it is possible for us to feel very small. “Who are we?” we wonder with the psalmist, “that God would take notice of us,” given the near infinite scope of creation?
In that context, the voice of the Lord thundering from the whirlwind comes addressed to one of us! The Lord speaks about the rest of creation, but to Job. For all of the seeming inconsequence, we are the ones to whom God has spoken, the ones to whom God holds out the promise of conversation about the design of creation. Outside the boundary of this lection, God says to Job, “Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you” (40:15, NRSV, emphasis added). God is not dismissing Job, but is REORIENTING Job within a larger awareness of God's good creation. “Who is it that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (38:2). The answer is Job – the (very) one with whom the living God (chooses) to speak. [Feasting on the Word, Year B, Vol. 4, pp. 170-175]
You see, for God, it is not about the 'why', but about the who.
It is fitting that at the end of every sermon on Job, John Calvin writes, “Now we shall bow in humble reverence before the face of our God.”
We are all trying our best to understand God, in the midst of our own troubled existence. We read and study the Bible. We pray. We treat others as we would like to be treated – some of the time. We are trying. Nevertheless, God will always be the 'never-fully-understood-personified-mystery.' For, you see, the human mind is fully incapable of grasping God's majesty – except perhaps on a country road around sunset.
The Silence of Pride
Presented at County Line Brethren Church on September 20, 2009.
Year B, Proper 20
Scripture passages: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37
May I just say that I thought it was remarkable that #13, LaVille's left defensive end, our very own Tim Wicks, made a dramatic defensive play immediately upon returning to the game following an injury. As he was assisting in a tackle, he stripped the ball from the Knox runner – with authority. That was awesome!
Jerry Bingle, General Manager of the Pilot-News, wrote in his “Bingletary” column yesterday,
“Hardly a week goes by anymore when someone well-known doesn't do or say something that they end up having to apologize for later, because what they did was so hurtful, insulting or just plain stupid that they just had no choice but to backpedal into some sort of public attempt to make nice.”
In this column, he discusses last weekend's tirade by Serena Williams that wound up costing her the semi-final match against Kim Clisters. She was so upset about a call made by a line judge that she had foot-faulted, that she vomited verbal chunks, cussing her up one side and down the other. This assault cost her two points and the match without another volley. Williams later apologized at least twice for the spectacle.
Bingle then addresses the Kanye West incident during the Video Music Awards. As I understand it, Taylor Swift had been identified as the winner of the Best Female Video Award. While she was accepting the award, Kanye stepped out of the crowd, up on the platform, took the microphone from Taylor Swift and proceeded to say that Beyonce had one of the best music videos of all time. In the days following this outburst, Kayne repeatedly apologized for his unacceptable behavior.
Whether it is Congressman Joe Wilson, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, or Chris Brown, their attempts to apologize often seem to be found lacking in some way.
By the way, if you need to apologize and don't know how to do it, just go to perfectapology.com for a complete guide for every situation that might require an apology. There appear to be many web sites devoted to the subject of public apologies.
Bingle puts it this way,
“These apologies have all the other words in them except the ones that really matter most – the ones that would let us believe that they really feel bad or remorseful about what they did or said. Many times these apologies are nothing more than an admission that what they did was in poor taste or unprofessional, not an expression of guilt over what they did or said. Or they will blame-shift, as Williams kind of did in her initial apology, saying something to the effect that the heat of the moment and her competitive nature allowed her emotions to run out of control.
Bingle goes on to ask the question that begs for an answer,
“Why is it so hard to just say, “I'm sorry. I should not have done or said that and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or offended you”?
Elton John sang about this when he said, “Sorry seems to be the hardest word.” Why is it so hard to say, “I'm sorry”? Perhaps we will find out the answer to this question as we explore our Gospel and Epistle Lection for today.
Our passage in Mark begins by Jesus telling the disciples that he will suffer and die. This is the second time Jesus reveals this prediction to them, and it comes with some additional information. Jesus says “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of men.”
The NIV says that Jesus is going to be “betrayed into the hands of men.” This translation clearly points to Judas' betrayal of Jesus. But many scholars are not convinced of this. As far back as the early theologian, Origen, it was interpreted to mean that Jesus was handed over to the hands of men BY GOD! Romans 4:25 says this, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. And Romans 8:32 says this, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? It certainly seems to me that by mentioning Judas here, we are giving him too much credit. For what God had purposed regarding his Son did not depend upon the whim of Judas. The passion was God's planned week of liberty.
The delivering up of Jesus was part of God's plan for the world's redemption (cf. Rom 4:25; 8:32). If this is what the verb means, "the play on the words Son of man … men is no doubt deliberate; in a fallen world men had become so hostile to God that when, as the culmination of his plans for their salvation, he sent to them the Man, their Saviour and ultimate model, they regarded and treated him as their worst enemy. Men and the Son of Man stood on opposite sides in God's eschatological battle against the powers of evil"
(Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis )
Again, let me emphasize that this is the second time that Jesus mentioned this. Certainly, the disciples are taking note of this. We have seen before how they have asked questions before, like asking Jesus to explain a parable. We have seen where Jesus questions the disciples, like asking who do you say that I am?
And yet, here Jesus is addressing a subject of utmost importance and they are afraid to ask for clarification. While we are told that they did not understand, we are not told why they are afraid.
But the context does give us a clue. In the following verses, Jesus calls them out. Jesus asked them what they were talking about on their way to Jerusalem.
It is absolutely incredulous that the disciples are silent in response to his question. You see, in the context of Jesus telling them that he is going to be handed over to men, in order to die, they were jousting with one another about which disciple was the “greatest.” The contrast here is so bizarre and filled with contrasts. How can I paint this picture for you? I'm not sure I can, but I have to try.
Let us be reminded that the disciples are being groomed to be “like Jesus.” They were chosen because they were perceived to be capable of being “like Jesus” in the same way that all disciples are chosen by their rabbi. They previously passed the test and Jesus called them. The whole purpose of the disciple is to be like their rabbi. For those of you who still remember the Rob Bell video, this was one of the key points Mr. Bell was trying to help us understand.
Therefore, the rabbi's primary task is to lead these disciples into the way of the rabbi. The rabbi may model this behavior by drawing in the dirt when others are wanting to stone the adulterer. Jesus, as the rabbi, teaches by the use of parables. Jesus teaches this in his interaction with the religious leaders. Jesus instructs his disciples by touching and healing the diseased, spending time with the outcasts and by taking time alone to pray. He has broken down the barriers between women and men, the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor, the religious the profane, as well as the barrier between the righteous and the ungodly. Literally everything Jesus does becomes teachable moments. For unlike other rabbis, Jesus' time is very limited. Indeed, in our passage today, he is on his way to Jerusalem for the final time.
The first contrast to point out is that in the context of Mark 9, the disciples are completely out of sync with Jesus, their rabbi. Jesus is about service. Jesus is about sacrifice. Jesus is about giving to others so that there is nothing left. Jesus is talking about dying and his disciples are talking about who is the greatest. In this instance, the 12 disciples are not acting like disciples at all.
It is quite interesting isn't it that the disciples do not have the strength to question Jesus about these statements, particularly when it says that they do not fully understand what he is saying.
But when Jesus asks them what they were talking about, they are totally busted. They are completely exposed as fakes, as non-disciples. That one question unrattles them to the extent that they are unable to even voice a response or come clean. No one ventured to speak words of truth, confession, not to mention remorse coupled with an apology. The report of our Gospel writer clearly indicates that each of the disciples stood condemned in their own heart.
I dare say that if pressed, they would have responded in ways similar to the public attempts at apology that I listed at the beginning. Blaming one another, providing excuses, or denying any wrongdoing at all. For as much as we have discovered, the disciples, as well as every character in the scriptures are just like us: frail and prone to falling.
And so, our Lord deemed it proper to summon a child to his side. That's right, a child who was little more than property to his parents in that society.
“Mark's audience would have heard the word 'child' as referring to someone like the servant who served the meals to everyone else in the household, in that both were seen as without 'honor' or high social standing . . . Children and servants were of equally low social status.”
(Sharon H Ringe, Feasting on the Word)
“Certainly, children in that time were regarded as nonpersons, or not-yet-persons, possessions of the father in the household. For Jesus to hold up a child as an emblem of living in God's household, and as a stand-in for Jesus himself, was to offer serious challenge to societal norms of the day.”
(Martha L. Moore-Keish, Feasting on the Word)
Jesus first calls the disciples to emulate the child, thus renouncing social status; he then calls them to welcome the child, to make space for those with no social status, since to do so is to welcome Jesus himself – and the One who sent him.
(Joyce Ann Mercer, as quote by Martha L. Moore-Keish, Feasting on the Word)
Those who are not careful will easily be drawn into seeing this exchange between Jesus and his disciples as yet another politician “kissing babies.” But here Jesus is anything but soothing. Indeed, Jesus is quite stern in his veiled rebuke of the disciples' coveting of power, greatness and fame.
“In discussing this aspect of the text, we hit upon something that is not merely analogical: as disciples of Jesus, are we not also afraid to engage Jesus' radical messianic teaching? Are we not also afraid to admit to him the posturing and power struggles that we have among one another as his disciples?”
(Nathan G Jennings, Feasting on the Word)
So, this is much more than the pleasant and saccharine warm fuzzies that are often associated with the stories of Jesus welcoming the children.
James speaks of selfish ambition, bitter envy, cravings and desires that are at war, even within our own hearts. It is this internal war of coveting what we do not have that is at the root of many conflicts and disputes among us as believers. And I speak not only of those struggles for control within congregations, but also within the one holy and catholic church, universal.
It is much easier to view conflicts and disputes among us as limited to us vs. them. However, James makes it clear that the real
“conflicts we face are those that come from within us – from disordered and conflicting desires that, when they come into contact with the disordered desires of others, lead to disputes and conflicts.
(Mark Douglas, Feasting on the Word)
As Jesus is heading to the final showdown, he teaches his disciples powerfully – with a little child. He turns upside down the desire for power, the desire for greatness and the desire for fame. Instead he offers us a new liberating pathway for living, that of service and deferral.
{I cannot let this pass without mentioning that the wise parent will pay special attention to this exchange between Jesus and his disciples. Let it be known that there are a variety of pathways to call attention to the errant ways of one another, some of which require not a harsh word or a consequence, but only a question followed by an example holding forth a higher value.}
A few weeks ago, William Calley expressed his regret for the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968. Over 347 innocent Vietnamese were killed in this atrocity. For over 40 years, William Calley has remained silent. That has changed. On August 19, 2009, Calley made the following statements.
“I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed,
for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry,"
"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai.”
The closing portion of our passage from James says this:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Closing Prayer
Realizing we are not perfect, realizing that we have at various times sought power and control, realizing that we have fought the war inside our hearts of coveting and envy, realizing that we are no different than the holy apostles, realizing that this has resulted in strife and discord among as believers;
we confess with deep regret and remorse to our heavenly Father our sin, our frailty, and our weakness to you;
and make a commitment to turn toward a new path of service and deference to one another as you have taught us with little children by your side.
Year B, Proper 20
Scripture passages: James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a; Mark 9:30-37
May I just say that I thought it was remarkable that #13, LaVille's left defensive end, our very own Tim Wicks, made a dramatic defensive play immediately upon returning to the game following an injury. As he was assisting in a tackle, he stripped the ball from the Knox runner – with authority. That was awesome!
Jerry Bingle, General Manager of the Pilot-News, wrote in his “Bingletary” column yesterday,
“Hardly a week goes by anymore when someone well-known doesn't do or say something that they end up having to apologize for later, because what they did was so hurtful, insulting or just plain stupid that they just had no choice but to backpedal into some sort of public attempt to make nice.”
In this column, he discusses last weekend's tirade by Serena Williams that wound up costing her the semi-final match against Kim Clisters. She was so upset about a call made by a line judge that she had foot-faulted, that she vomited verbal chunks, cussing her up one side and down the other. This assault cost her two points and the match without another volley. Williams later apologized at least twice for the spectacle.
Bingle then addresses the Kanye West incident during the Video Music Awards. As I understand it, Taylor Swift had been identified as the winner of the Best Female Video Award. While she was accepting the award, Kanye stepped out of the crowd, up on the platform, took the microphone from Taylor Swift and proceeded to say that Beyonce had one of the best music videos of all time. In the days following this outburst, Kayne repeatedly apologized for his unacceptable behavior.
Whether it is Congressman Joe Wilson, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, or Chris Brown, their attempts to apologize often seem to be found lacking in some way.
By the way, if you need to apologize and don't know how to do it, just go to perfectapology.com for a complete guide for every situation that might require an apology. There appear to be many web sites devoted to the subject of public apologies.
Bingle puts it this way,
“These apologies have all the other words in them except the ones that really matter most – the ones that would let us believe that they really feel bad or remorseful about what they did or said. Many times these apologies are nothing more than an admission that what they did was in poor taste or unprofessional, not an expression of guilt over what they did or said. Or they will blame-shift, as Williams kind of did in her initial apology, saying something to the effect that the heat of the moment and her competitive nature allowed her emotions to run out of control.
Bingle goes on to ask the question that begs for an answer,
“Why is it so hard to just say, “I'm sorry. I should not have done or said that and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or offended you”?
Elton John sang about this when he said, “Sorry seems to be the hardest word.” Why is it so hard to say, “I'm sorry”? Perhaps we will find out the answer to this question as we explore our Gospel and Epistle Lection for today.
Our passage in Mark begins by Jesus telling the disciples that he will suffer and die. This is the second time Jesus reveals this prediction to them, and it comes with some additional information. Jesus says “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the hands of men.”
The NIV says that Jesus is going to be “betrayed into the hands of men.” This translation clearly points to Judas' betrayal of Jesus. But many scholars are not convinced of this. As far back as the early theologian, Origen, it was interpreted to mean that Jesus was handed over to the hands of men BY GOD! Romans 4:25 says this, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. And Romans 8:32 says this, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? It certainly seems to me that by mentioning Judas here, we are giving him too much credit. For what God had purposed regarding his Son did not depend upon the whim of Judas. The passion was God's planned week of liberty.
The delivering up of Jesus was part of God's plan for the world's redemption (cf. Rom 4:25; 8:32). If this is what the verb means, "the play on the words Son of man … men is no doubt deliberate; in a fallen world men had become so hostile to God that when, as the culmination of his plans for their salvation, he sent to them the Man, their Saviour and ultimate model, they regarded and treated him as their worst enemy. Men and the Son of Man stood on opposite sides in God's eschatological battle against the powers of evil"
(Expositor's Bible Commentary, The, Pradis )
Again, let me emphasize that this is the second time that Jesus mentioned this. Certainly, the disciples are taking note of this. We have seen before how they have asked questions before, like asking Jesus to explain a parable. We have seen where Jesus questions the disciples, like asking who do you say that I am?
And yet, here Jesus is addressing a subject of utmost importance and they are afraid to ask for clarification. While we are told that they did not understand, we are not told why they are afraid.
But the context does give us a clue. In the following verses, Jesus calls them out. Jesus asked them what they were talking about on their way to Jerusalem.
It is absolutely incredulous that the disciples are silent in response to his question. You see, in the context of Jesus telling them that he is going to be handed over to men, in order to die, they were jousting with one another about which disciple was the “greatest.” The contrast here is so bizarre and filled with contrasts. How can I paint this picture for you? I'm not sure I can, but I have to try.
Let us be reminded that the disciples are being groomed to be “like Jesus.” They were chosen because they were perceived to be capable of being “like Jesus” in the same way that all disciples are chosen by their rabbi. They previously passed the test and Jesus called them. The whole purpose of the disciple is to be like their rabbi. For those of you who still remember the Rob Bell video, this was one of the key points Mr. Bell was trying to help us understand.
Therefore, the rabbi's primary task is to lead these disciples into the way of the rabbi. The rabbi may model this behavior by drawing in the dirt when others are wanting to stone the adulterer. Jesus, as the rabbi, teaches by the use of parables. Jesus teaches this in his interaction with the religious leaders. Jesus instructs his disciples by touching and healing the diseased, spending time with the outcasts and by taking time alone to pray. He has broken down the barriers between women and men, the sick and the healthy, the rich and the poor, the religious the profane, as well as the barrier between the righteous and the ungodly. Literally everything Jesus does becomes teachable moments. For unlike other rabbis, Jesus' time is very limited. Indeed, in our passage today, he is on his way to Jerusalem for the final time.
The first contrast to point out is that in the context of Mark 9, the disciples are completely out of sync with Jesus, their rabbi. Jesus is about service. Jesus is about sacrifice. Jesus is about giving to others so that there is nothing left. Jesus is talking about dying and his disciples are talking about who is the greatest. In this instance, the 12 disciples are not acting like disciples at all.
It is quite interesting isn't it that the disciples do not have the strength to question Jesus about these statements, particularly when it says that they do not fully understand what he is saying.
But when Jesus asks them what they were talking about, they are totally busted. They are completely exposed as fakes, as non-disciples. That one question unrattles them to the extent that they are unable to even voice a response or come clean. No one ventured to speak words of truth, confession, not to mention remorse coupled with an apology. The report of our Gospel writer clearly indicates that each of the disciples stood condemned in their own heart.
I dare say that if pressed, they would have responded in ways similar to the public attempts at apology that I listed at the beginning. Blaming one another, providing excuses, or denying any wrongdoing at all. For as much as we have discovered, the disciples, as well as every character in the scriptures are just like us: frail and prone to falling.
And so, our Lord deemed it proper to summon a child to his side. That's right, a child who was little more than property to his parents in that society.
“Mark's audience would have heard the word 'child' as referring to someone like the servant who served the meals to everyone else in the household, in that both were seen as without 'honor' or high social standing . . . Children and servants were of equally low social status.”
(Sharon H Ringe, Feasting on the Word)
“Certainly, children in that time were regarded as nonpersons, or not-yet-persons, possessions of the father in the household. For Jesus to hold up a child as an emblem of living in God's household, and as a stand-in for Jesus himself, was to offer serious challenge to societal norms of the day.”
(Martha L. Moore-Keish, Feasting on the Word)
Jesus first calls the disciples to emulate the child, thus renouncing social status; he then calls them to welcome the child, to make space for those with no social status, since to do so is to welcome Jesus himself – and the One who sent him.
(Joyce Ann Mercer, as quote by Martha L. Moore-Keish, Feasting on the Word)
Those who are not careful will easily be drawn into seeing this exchange between Jesus and his disciples as yet another politician “kissing babies.” But here Jesus is anything but soothing. Indeed, Jesus is quite stern in his veiled rebuke of the disciples' coveting of power, greatness and fame.
“In discussing this aspect of the text, we hit upon something that is not merely analogical: as disciples of Jesus, are we not also afraid to engage Jesus' radical messianic teaching? Are we not also afraid to admit to him the posturing and power struggles that we have among one another as his disciples?”
(Nathan G Jennings, Feasting on the Word)
So, this is much more than the pleasant and saccharine warm fuzzies that are often associated with the stories of Jesus welcoming the children.
James speaks of selfish ambition, bitter envy, cravings and desires that are at war, even within our own hearts. It is this internal war of coveting what we do not have that is at the root of many conflicts and disputes among us as believers. And I speak not only of those struggles for control within congregations, but also within the one holy and catholic church, universal.
It is much easier to view conflicts and disputes among us as limited to us vs. them. However, James makes it clear that the real
“conflicts we face are those that come from within us – from disordered and conflicting desires that, when they come into contact with the disordered desires of others, lead to disputes and conflicts.
(Mark Douglas, Feasting on the Word)
As Jesus is heading to the final showdown, he teaches his disciples powerfully – with a little child. He turns upside down the desire for power, the desire for greatness and the desire for fame. Instead he offers us a new liberating pathway for living, that of service and deferral.
{I cannot let this pass without mentioning that the wise parent will pay special attention to this exchange between Jesus and his disciples. Let it be known that there are a variety of pathways to call attention to the errant ways of one another, some of which require not a harsh word or a consequence, but only a question followed by an example holding forth a higher value.}
A few weeks ago, William Calley expressed his regret for the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968. Over 347 innocent Vietnamese were killed in this atrocity. For over 40 years, William Calley has remained silent. That has changed. On August 19, 2009, Calley made the following statements.
“I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed,
for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry,"
"There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai.”
The closing portion of our passage from James says this:
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Closing Prayer
Realizing we are not perfect, realizing that we have at various times sought power and control, realizing that we have fought the war inside our hearts of coveting and envy, realizing that we are no different than the holy apostles, realizing that this has resulted in strife and discord among as believers;
we confess with deep regret and remorse to our heavenly Father our sin, our frailty, and our weakness to you;
and make a commitment to turn toward a new path of service and deference to one another as you have taught us with little children by your side.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
