Denial is not Simply a River in Egypt

 I love where my kids are at right now.  They are truly fun.  They are right in that middle zone where they are out of diapers, potty trained, and independent enough to dress themselves and get their own breakfasts.  Yet, they are not quite at puberty, arguably the most trying time for kids and parents.  They are right in the middle, and I am enjoying it while it lasts.

 How enjoyable is it?  In the past month or so, both of my daughters have come up to me separately and said, “You are the best dad in the world.”  It really is a heart-melting moment.  But, do you know what I have done every time?  Folks may question my sanity and parenting style because of what I am going to say next, but I’m going to see how this plays out in the long run.  Each time my girls have said, “You are the best dad in the world,” I have replied, “Thank you sweetie.  I appreciate this and I am going to remember this because in about two or three years, you are probably going to think that I am the dumbest person in the world.”

 Every time I’ve said this, my girls look at me and say, “Daddy!  Why would you say that?”

 I respond, “Because in a few years, you are going to be a teenager, and most teenagers think their parents are dumb and don’t understand anything.”

 My girls have both said, at this point, “Daddy, I don’t ever want to say or think that.”

 I reply, “I hope not either.”  I have hope, but I’m not optimistic.  I remember my own teenage years all to well.  I’ve been around more than a few teenagers since then.  The odds are not in my favor.  Human nature is too powerful.  So I confronted my daughters with this prophecy.  They weren’t happy with it.

 You may wonder why I share this with you.  I share it because I think it is related to the events taking place in our Gospel lesson this morning as we progress through the 14th chapter of the book of Mark. 

 This text follows immediately after the institution of the Lord’s Supper, and as Jesus and his disciples depart the upper room, they do so by singing the hymn.  Now, if this is a Passover meal and they are following the oldest known sequence of this meal, then they were singing what is called the Hallel Psalms.  This would have ended with Psalm 118.  It is an intriguing thought to think that as Jesus left this final meal with his disciples, He would have had these words on his lips:

 The Lord is my strength and song; he has become my salvation.  Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!  The Lord’s right hand has lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”  I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done. 

 Think about that with the knowledge that Jesus is now entering into the final hours of leading up to his arrest and crucifixion.  “I will not die but live and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”  Ironic.  Tragic?  Definitely hopeful.

 When everyone reaches the Mount of Olives, Jesus turns to his disciples and says, “You will all become skandalizein.”  Skandalizein is the Greek word that is translated will fall away, be offended, be made to stumble.  Mark Edwards writes in his commentary, “Skandalizein...does not mean that the disciples will willfully defect but that external factors will act upon them and cause them to do so...We do not plan on sinning, but neither do we hold the fort when we ought.”  This is an important point–one that we will come back to in a little while.  But first, we must consider this text more deeply, for Jesus backs up his words by citing Zechariah chapter 13.  “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.”

 Let me read to you this quote in context from the Old Testament so that you might get more of an idea of what is going on.  Zechariah 13:7-9, 7“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my associate,” says the Lord of hosts. Strike the shepherd, that the sheep may be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. 8In the whole land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one-third shall be left alive. 9And I will put this third into the fire, refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, “They are my people”; and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”

 Now, let me point out that in this Old Testament passage, it is God Himself who is striking the shepherd.  It is God who is taking this action so that He may purify and refine His people.  It is necessary for the shepherd to be struck down.  Now, the historical situations of Zechariah and Jesus are not the same.  They are not the same at all.  So, Jesus is taking this passage and redefining it to help us, and the disciples understand.  Unfortunately, they will not understand at this point.  Not in the least.  They will not understand until after the cross and resurrection.  For the moment, they are flabbergasted that Jesus would suggest that God would strike Him and that they would scatter.

 Before we get to the disciples’ reaction, let me point out to you a little snippet that even the disciples missed.  They were reeling from what Jesus said, and I am quite convinced they missed hearing Jesus say, “28But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”  The disciples did not hear this and did not understand this because the notion of an individual resurrection had no thought in their minds.  Nowhere in Jewish literature or thought was there the idea of a resurrected Messiah.  They didn’t understand this.  They didn’t grasp this.  It was foreign, so they focused on what they did know: Jesus said they would all desert him; be scandalized by him; abandon him and be scattered.

 Jesus confronted them, and they didn’t like it.  Peter, being Peter is the first to speak up.  Peter, with his bravado and self-confidence and self-assurance stands against this prophecy.  Peter, the fisherman who had spent hours hauling in nets full of fish, steering boats, who probably had well defined biceps and six-pack abs.  Peter who believes he is tough enough to do anything.  “Lord, even if everyone else deserts you, I will not.”  Peter doesn’t exactly have a high view of his friends, does he?  Peter obviously thinks he’s better than the rest of the disciples here, doesn’t he?  Peter doesn’t like what Jesus said, and so he denies that he will abandon Jesus.

 But Jesus has none of it.  Jesus knows human nature too well.  Jesus knows what he will face.  Jesus knows what Peter will face.  Jesus knows the deep down fear and anxiety.  “Truly I tell you, Peter, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.”

 “31But he said vehemently, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.’ And all of them said the same.”  All of them said the same.  Brash.  Unflinching.  Self-confident and self-assured.  Arrogant.  Remember last week when I said that betraying a friend after eating a meal with them was considered the worst kind of treachery in the Middle East?  Jesus has essentially said that all of the disciples would do this.  Judas would be the betrayer, but all would fall away.  No one wanted to take part in such treachery.  No one wanted to fall away.  All wanted to stand.  All asserted that they would stand.  Confident in their strength, they wrote checks with their words that they would not be able to cover.  They sought to justify themselves before Jesus

 And how we love to do the same thing.  How we love to justify ourselves and revel in our own strength and self-confidence and self-assurance.  How we love to pat ourselves on the backs and tell ourselves that we are strong enough to stick by our choices.  How we vehemently promise to God, to our friends and family, and to ourselves that we will do things differently; be better; do more.

 • I can quit drinking anytime I want.
 • I won’t get angry with you anymore.
 • I won’t go to those websites anymore.
 • I will eat healthier.
 • I will exercise regularly.
 • I will go to church more often.
 • I will give more to charity.
 • I will spend more time with my kids.
 • I am in charge of my life, and I will do better.

 And it all sounds good until you don’t.  Until you fall right back into the same habits; same routines; same behaviors.  And when we are confronted?  When someone points out that our words do not match up with what we are doing?  What do we do?  Let me tell you what I do.  I am the king of excuses.  I am very good at blame displacement.  I can give you a million reasons why the circumstances around me have led me to say what I say and do what I do.  In the famous words of the German theologian, pastor and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I am all too ready to “justify my sin instead of proclaim the justification of the sinner.”

 But Jesus doesn’t let us get away with that.  Jesus knows us too well.  He will confront us in our sin.  He will confront us with how he knows we will act.  Because He knows the end results.  We will see those results in due time.  We will see Peter’s denial.  We will hear the rooster crow.  We will see the disciples flee.  We will even hear about how one of them was caught by his clothes and wiggling free ran away naked and ashamed.

 And if we ever run into the real Jesus, we will find ourselves standing in front of Him naked and ashamed as well.  We will stand before Him and know that we have missed the mark.  We will deeply know our hypocrisy.  We will know how our self-confidence and arrogance led us to say things we should not have said and do things we should not have done.  We will know how we were never better than others despite a desperate want to be so.  We will know shame even though we have spent more than our fair share of time trying to avoid feeling shameful.  We will know how we turned our backs on Jesus and we will know that the right thing for Him to do is turn his back on us. 

 But, at that moment, when we know that He should turn His back upon us, we realize the significance of those words from Zechariah 13.  “I will strike the shepherd...”  The shepherd will be struck down.  The Good Shepherd will be struck down as He lays His life down for the sheep.  Jesus, the Good Shepherd will be struck down as He lays down His life for His disciples–for you.  For when you stand before Jesus, you will know beyond a doubt that you are not worthy to be in His presence.  You will know you are not worthy to be in God’s presence.  You are unholy.  You are broken, battered, torn.  You deserve the wrath of God–to have God turn His back upon you.  But the Good Shepherd intercedes.  He takes upon Himself your sin, your guilt, your shame.  He faces God’s anger and wrath in your place.  He has God turn God’s back against Him. 

 Standing in Jesus’ presence naked and ashamed waiting for Him to turn His back on us, He stretches out His arms and dies for us–in our place, pouring His life out for us in an act of wondrous love.  He clothes us with new garments of dazzling white as He says, “You are forgiven.  I have paid the price for your self-assurance; your self-confidence; your arrogance.  I have covered in action what you could not do yourself.  I lay down my life for you because I love you.”

 This is the Good News.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.”  God did not send Jesus to condemn you, but to save you.  And He will go before us to gather us together once again.  The sheep that are scattered will be drawn back to the Good Shepherd, and they will be vastly different. 

  At the end of the book of Mark, after the resurrection.  The same young man who ran away naked and ashamed is found in the tomb.  He is found fully clothed in a garment of pure white.  He unashamedly pronounces that Jesus has been raised from the dead.  This young man has been transformed by what Jesus has accomplished for him.  And this transformation happened to the rest of the disciples as well.  When they came in contact with the risen Lord, it changed them greatly.  Whereas they once deserted Jesus and ran from persecution, as they proclaimed the good news of His death, they later embraced persecution and even death.  They refused to run any longer.  Death, fear, anxiety no longer had power over them.  How is it that they were able to overcome these things which oftentimes still have power over us?  They didn’t trust in themselves to stand up to these things.  They didn’t trust in their own power and understanding.  They trusted in Jesus.  They trusted in what Jesus had done. They trusted in His love; in His mercy; in His grace.  They knew if they tried to have confidence in themselves, they would fail once again.  And so, they trusted in Jesus.  Their hearts rested in Jesus and His work.  And here is further good news for you and me.

 It happened to the disciples, and it can happen to us.  We too can know that type of transformation.  We too can face the challenges of life with much less fear and anxiety and worry.  But we have to stand being confronted by Jesus.  We have to stand knowing that we are broken.  We have to stand before Him and know that we have fallen short of His expectations.  We must know our weakness and failure, but we must also know Jesus’ deep love.  We must also know how much this God incarnate was willing to go through to show us how much we are loved and cherished.  You see, if you know you have failed but you also know you are deeply loved, your heart and life changes.  Arrogance, self-assuredness, self-confidence, and brashness are replaced by deep humility.  Fear, anxiety, and worry, are replaced by hope and trust that Jesus will see you through.  You brag less; love more; rest your confidence in Jesus instead of yourself; and seek as many opportunities as possible to worship the one who laid down His life for you.  When you realize the Good Shepherd was struck down for you and that He now seeks to gather you in, your life and heart is changed.  Rest in His grace, love, and mercy.  Amen.

Why Would You Want to Move a Mountain?

Last Sunday, I preached on the first part of this passage from the book of Mark, and I emphasized how Jesus looked deep into the core of the fig tree and deep into the heart of the Temple system and found them to be rotten.  The fig tree should have been producing paggim, the Hebrew term for small figs that sprout even before the leaves.  It wasn’t.  Therefore, it was a bad tree.  Jesus cursed it because it was taking up valuable soil in the arid Middle-East.

Likewise, when Jesus entered into the Temple, He overturned tables and prevented the buying and selling because the chief priests and the scribes had allowed their greed and desire for the safety, security, and freedom that money could by override the purpose of the temple.  The chief priests and the scribes had turned the Courtyard of the Gentiles into a marketplace preventing the vast majority of the world’s people from being able to worship and pay their respects to the God of Israel.  As I quoted N.T. Wright last week, so I do again, “The Temple had been intended to symbolize God’s dwelling with Israel for the sake of the world; the way Jesus’ contemporaries had organized things, it had come to symbolize not God’s welcome to the nations but God’s exclusion of them.”

The next day, Jesus and His disciples pass by the fig tree that Jesus cursed the day before.  Peter takes note because the fig tree is withered from the root up.  Peter points this out to Jesus, and the symbolism is clear: when you are rotten at the core, you will wither and die.

And, of course, no one really likes to think that they are rotten at the core. We’d all like to believe we are good and gracious in our hearts.  But that is generally not the case.  Sure, we may be kind to others.  We may do a lot of good.  We may try to be moral and upright and worship regularly and give to charity, and the like. We may look very good on the outside, but what really counts is our heart’s motivation for doing the things we are doing.  It is our hearts that God is really interested.  It is our hearts that Jesus wishes to turn into temples of the Living God.  The fig tree looked good on the outside, but it wasn’t good after all.  The temple looked good on the outside, but it wasn’t good at all.  For the most part, we could say the same thing about our hearts.

Last week, I talked about the Powerball and how millions of people spent billions of dollars in search of the safety and security and freedom that money supposedly would buy, but money is just one of the things that we believe will give us such things.  In the exact same vein, I would like to now turn to politics.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to be pushing any candidate or ideology, but I want to show how politics and Powerball are related.  If you listen to the debates and the candidates’ speeches, there is a common thread that runs through them all: this is how I promise to keep you safe; this is how I promise to keep money in your pocket and get you jobs; this is how I promise to make this country a better place for you to live so that you don’t have to worry about the future.  Each candidate has a plan which basically seeks to secure these things in exchange for your vote, and while trying to appeal to your self-interest in this manner, each candidate also appeals to fear in trying to show how the other candidate will not keep you as safe, as secure, as wealthy, etc., etc.  Politicians appeal to the exact same things the Powerball appeals to.

And there are other things.  Whether it is the appeal of sexuality, the empowerment of possessions, the acquisition of knowledge, or what have you, the objects of desire are safety, security, and freedom.  We all crave these things at a very deep level.  And we put our trust in myriads of things thinking they will give us all these things.  Money demands our trust.  Politicians demand our trust.  Education demands our trust.  Science demands our trust. The economy demands our trust. Sex demands our trust.  Each promises fulfillment.  Each woos us continuously.  And if we pursue them as our deepest heart’s desire, we will end up dead.

Let’s turn to these final verses to see how this works.  For after Peter points out the withered fig tree to Jesus, a very interesting set of teachings come forth from Jesus’ mouth.  Jesus doesn’t make any straightforward appeal to the disciples to change their ways.  He doesn’t tell them, “You’d better not be like the fig tree or the people in the temple.”  Such commentary would make the disciples tremble in fear.  Instead, Jesus begins talking about prayer.  It seems out of place, but it is not.  Here’s why:

Jesus first says, “‘Have faith in God.  Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”

Now, let me first be clear about what it means when Jesus says, “Have faith in God.”  Jesus is not saying simply, “Believe in God.”  Faith indeed has a component of belief–thinking with your head that God exists, but faith is much, much deeper than that.  Faith is trusting in God with your entire being.  Here’s the difference I am trying to illustrate.  Let’s go back to politics for just a moment.  Think about the candidate you are NOT voting for.  Got that candidate in your head?  First question: do you believe that candidate exists?  Second question: do you trust him or her?  Do you see the difference?  Faith in God is not simply assenting that God exists.  Faith in God means you cast your vote in with God.  You trust that He will provide exactly as He says He will provide and do as He says He will do.  It has a tremendous impact on your entire life.

This is why Jesus follows up with the statement, “Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”  Think about this for just a moment.  If you trust in yourself to cast a mountain into the sea, what will happen?  First, off that mountain isn’t going very far, is it?  But, let’s get even more technical, because is it possible for you to begin shoveling one pile of dirt at a time and taking it to the sea?  Is it possible for you to remove one rock at a time and put it into the sea?  Of course it is.  How long would it take you?  Of course, it would depend upon the size of the mountain, but in all reality, you would probably die before you finished.  So, why not pay someone to move the mountain?  Imagine doing that.  Again, how much would it cost you?  How many years would you have to be enslaved to the dollar to have that mountain moved for you?  You would probably die before you could save or earn enough.  If you are trusting in yourself to have that mountain moved, you will not get it very far.  But if you trust in God, things are different.

But there is a catch here.  Jesus is very clear: if you do not doubt in your heart.  In other words, if you trust God with your entire heart, this can and will be done for you.  Let me ask you this question, do you trust God with your whole heart?  Be honest and truthful.  You know, I had several college professors and seminary professors who railed against pastors who told people that they needed to trust God and have total belief in God and they would be healed.  They said that when people were not healed, their trust in God would be damaged; therefore, we should never preach and tell people they needed to believe without doubt.  Well, I’m going to disagree with my professors.  I’m going to tell you that if you truly believed–again, in the sense of trusting–in God with your whole heart, whatever you asked would be given to you.  But before you go out and ask God to move a mountain or let you win the next Powerball, I’m going to confront you and ask you this–what reasons do you have for wanting to move that mountain or win that Powerball?  What are the motivations of your heart?  Are those motivations in line with trusting God?

Let me push this a little deeper with Jesus’ next comment because it is intimately related.  However, I’m going to offer up a little different translation that what you have from the New Revised Standard Version.  The original Greek would probably be better translated this way, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Again, I want you to think about this from the aspect of trusting God rather than trusting in money or politicians or what have you.  For instance, if you believed that you already won the Powerball, would you go out and buy a ticket?  I’m waiting for the answer on that one. :-) If you believed that your political candidate already won, would you go around smearing the other one?  Of course, both of those questions are a bit superficial, so let’s dig down to the root causes that I outlined earlier: if you already believed that you had obtained safety, security, and freedom, how would that change your prayer?  How would that change your life?  If the Jewish authorities were trusting in God for their safety, security, and freedom to worship, would they have ever opened a marketplace in the courtyard of the Gentiles?  You know the answer.  If you were trusting in God for your livelihood, would you need to tell a mountain to move?  Would you need to buy a Powerball ticket?  Would you worry about which politician won the election?  Of course, you wouldn’t.  You would trust fully and completely in God, and you would know that He provides you with safety.  He provides you with security.  He provides you with freedom.  You have already received riches beyond your wildest dreams!

Ah, but you and I sure don’t act that way, do we?  You and I sure don’t live that kind of life, do we?  We still worry and fret.  We still try to obtain money and worldly goods.  We buy guns to ensure our safety.  We get worked up about elections.  We complain about who gets richer and who gets poorer.  We are never satisfied.

Jesus concludes with a statement that seems even more unrelated than the previous two: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have something against someone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you.”  Why, all of a sudden, do we go from praying and believing we already have received to the thought of forgiveness?  Why does Jesus even insert this here?  What is this all about?

Now, we actually come to the crux of this teaching. We come to the crux of the lesson of the fig tree.  We come to the crux of Jesus’ actions in the temple.  Forgiveness is at the heart of why Jesus came to earth.

We are never satisfied because we do not trust God with our whole heart.  We become greedy because we do not trust God with our whole heart.  We become anxious about the future because we do not trust God with our whole heart.  And nothing we do will make us trust God more.  Let me say that again: nothing we do will make us trust God more.

Let me illustrate this with a story about my kids.  For the longest time, my kid would not jump into a swimming pool on their own.  They had to jump to me.  Each kid was the same.  They were afraid to go under the water.  They were afraid they wouldn’t pop up.  I would stand in the water and tell them, “Jump.”  And they wouldn’t jump.  They would look at the distance between the edge of the pool and me.  They would calculate whether or not they thought it was safe.  And if they figured it wasn’t, there was no amount of cajoling I could do.  There was no amount of reassurance I could give.  There was no amount of exhortation I could offer.  The kids wouldn’t jump until I moved toward them.  Until I broke down the distance between the two of us, the kid was going to stand at the edge of the pool wanting to come in, but too scared to actually commit.  I had to close the gap.  I had to show them I would catch them.  I had to help them know I would not drop them and they were safe leaping into my arms.  It actually cost me very little other than a bit of energy to do this, but imagine the gap between God and man.  Imagine the distance between the creator of the universe and His creation.  Imagine then that as we who are created look around the world and see the violence and hatred and animosity we have toward one another.  Imagine how we see an uncertain future.  Imagine how we see the fragility of life.  Imagine we see how quickly what we have can be taken.  And imagine God saying, “Just trust me.”  Do you know how difficult that really and truly is?  Do you know how it simply goes against nearly everything our hearts and minds actually tell us?  We would rather buy Powerball tickets.  We would rather put our trust in politicians. We would rather work to buy our happiness and joy.  It seems less fearful.  It’s easier to trust in ourselves and the things that we can see.

And so, our heavenly Father must look at us and say, “Why don’t they trust me?  Why don’t they see what I have given them?  Why do they not believe I will care for them?  Why are their hearts so far away?”  Our actions break our Father’s heart, so rather than compel us and punish us for not putting our trust in Him, He forgives us and then moves toward us.  He bridges the gap to earn our trust, to capture our hearts, not with a crown but with a cross.

For it is on that cross that true forgiveness is given.  It is on that cross where true trust is earned.  For Jesus, the God made flesh, laid down His life for you and me when we did not trust Him.  Jesus offered Himself as the true sacrificial lamb to take away our self-centeredness; our desire to trust in ourselves rather than in God.  He stretched out His arms and said, “Look at the lengths I will go for you to love you, to catch you, to bring you unto myself.  I will die for you, and those aren’t just words.  I really am dying for you.”

If someone goes to those kinds of lengths for you, what does that do to your heart?  If someone lays down His life for you with no questions asked, would you trust them?  Would you believe they will offer what they say they will offer?  Would your heart be captured by that kind of love?

When it is, your heart is indeed changed.  You still know that you are in this world.  You still know this world needs a lot of work.  You still know that you need money to live; that you need safety and security; that you want freedom, but you know also where it is truly found.  It’s found in Jesus.  Amen.

Deep Hypocrisy

I am a huge hypocrite.  I will freely admit it because I have come to see that hypocrisy is a plague that hits just about everyone, and I mean everyone.

I have become consciously aware of this as discussion about the care of Syrian refugees has become a hot topic after the ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris, France.

In much of the media, those who lean left are chiding many conservative Christians who are adamant about not taking in any Syrian refugees.  There are many left-leaning clergy who are decrying those in government who are saying, "We will not take any Syrian refugees because of threats to safety." Those in the media and those left-leaning clergy are making their appeals based on references to Scripture.

Matthew 25 is referenced.
Exodus 22 and 23 are referenced
Leviticus 19 is referenced
Luke 10 is referenced

Now, I have no issue with citing such verses.  There is clear command in scripture to care for the alien and those in need.  Those who point to Christians' lack of adherence to these verse rightly point out our hypocrisy.

But, some folks miss their own, and many who are chiding Christians for failing to follow scripture are those who have minimized the authority of scripture in the past.

For instance, more than a few of those who are speaking loudly about helping the immigrant and chiding Christians for failing to follow scripture have used the following arguments regarding gay marriage:

The Bible is an antiquated book that is not relevant when it comes to this issue.

Or:

The Bible really doesn't condemn homosexuality, and you can read those verses in such and such a manner.  (The exegetical gymnastics done here truly are a work of art.)

So, what prevents some of those "conservative" Christians from using the exact same arguments regarding the reception of Syrian immigrants?  What prevents "conservative" Christians from saying:

The Bible is an antiquated book, and those Old Testament passages were written for a nation that had the Jewish God as its ultimate authority.  The U.S. has the Constitution and is not a theocracy, so Biblical injunctions for a nation to welcome the alien no longer apply.

And Jesus never specifically referenced Syrian aliens.  There is a lot of talk about Edomites and Moabites and Canaanites and Samaritains, but nothing about Syrians.

And Matthew 25 (exegetically speaking) is more about those who are not Christian and how they treat Christians.

And Luke 10 is more about my immediate neighbor in need, not someone who is trying to get into my nation.

What is typically done in many instances is using the Bible to justify one's own particular position instead of allowing the Bible to mold one's own position.  If the Bible's injunctions do not fit with my ideology, I can minimize them by the above methods.  However, if the Bible's injunctions mesh with my own, then I can use them as a hammer to blast my opponents--which is what most of this boils down too anyway, isn't it.

I will find something that conforms to my ideology and then use it to bash those who don't agree with me, usually making them feel contempt for me in the process.

Admit it, those of you who are on the left hand side of things, when "conservatives" use scriptural law to tell you how wrong you are for supporting homosexual marriage or relationships, you get angry with them because you think they are holding you in contempt and are acting self-righteously.

Admit it, those of you who are the right hand side of things, when "liberals" use scriptural law to tell you how you are not caring for the poor and your neighbor, you get angry with them because you think they are holding you in contempt and are acting self-righteously.

And admit it, both of you that you do, in a very real way, have contempt for the other "side."  You think "they" are the ones with the problem, and it is "they" who need to change.  If they would only see things in your self-righteous way, then all would be well. 

And let me ask you both, how is this loving your neighbor as you would love yourself?

Hypocrisy runs deep, doesn't it?  (And if you think I am being hypocritical, read sentence #1 again.)

What is your answer to this problem?  Is your answer, "I will work harder to lessen my hypocrisy?"

Good luck.

The more you try, you will either fall into despair because you know you are unable to meet the standard, or you will become self-righteous thinking that you are doing a good job and others should follow suit.  You will either hate yourself or end up right back where you were in the first place.

Trying harder isn't the answer.

Trusting more is.

Trusting more in the action of the one who was had the authority to point out our hypocrisy because He had none.  Trusting in the one who was without sin when we were full of it.  Trusting in the action of One who laid down His life for us when we didn't deserve it.  Trusting in the One who deeply loves us in the midst of our continued failure.

Because if you know you are a failure, you don't become self-righteous.
Because if you know you are deeply loved, you don't despair.

You hold the two in tension and become humble.

You admit your hypocrisy.
You admit you are no better than those on the other "side."
You admit you are swayed by your ideology.
You admit that you need correcting.
You are less likely to judge the other as the one who needs changing and realize you need to change too.
You know the hypocrisy will never be fully erased, and you throw yourself upon the mercy of the one who truly forgives.
And when you know that forgiveness, you forgive others--even when they don't deserve it.
The cycle is broken.

Because of the Gospel.

As a Child

    When I was younger, one of the television shows I enjoyed watching most was America’s Funniest Home Videos.  I think it is still on television; although I watch very little t.v. these days.  I do know that there are a couple of episodes on Netflix, and my son in particular enjoys watching the hilarious antics of people who submit their videos to the show.  I am often intrigued by the award part at the end.  As I ran through the memories of my watching of this show, I thought long and hard about who would oftentimes win the awards at the end.  For those of you who have watched and watch the show, what kind of videos usually take the prize?  Here’s my unscientific, personal answer: cute animals and kids.  The kids probably have the edge. 

    There is something about kids that captivates our hearts.  Even if you do not have children, when you see a bunch of kids gathering together and laughing and smiling, it does something to your heart.  When you see images of children who are hurting or who are sick, it captivates your imagination and causes deep down sympathy.  There is something about our deep sense of humanity that causes us to want to protect, care for, and dote on our children.  That’s one part of us, but you don’t think I’m going to make it that colorful, do you?

    For there is another part of us that absolutely gets annoyed with children.  Don’t think I’m being a kill-joy.  You know it’s true.  Kids are a disruption.  They get loud and obnoxious.  They get pushy and want their way.  They do not follow the spoken and unspoken rules that we have as adults.  They do not allow us to do the things we want to do and say the things we want to say, and they cry and whine and fuss and argue.  And we generally think that they are a generation of spoiled brats!  !  I think in every cultural period, people have worried about the youth of the day being, well, immature.  Consider a few of these quotes from folks who lived long ago:

        They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things -- and that means having exalted notions. They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning -- all their mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently. They overdo everything -- they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else.  –Aristotle

    "The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress."  (From a sermon preached by Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274)

    "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint".  (Hesiod, 8th century BC)

    At this point, you may be thinking that I am laying the groundwork to make a defense of our children and to encourage our children’s ministry here.  Rest assured, I am not.  I am not because the text we have before us from the Gospel of Mark is not about children.  Much like America’s Funniest Home Videos uses children to suck us in and watch their programming, Jesus uses children to teach His disciples an important lesson–a lesson about God’s kingdom.

    Let’s turn to the text.  People were bringing children to Jesus that He might touch them.  This was a common practice in the ancient world.  If people knew a holy person was in town–a priest or a rabbi or other such leader, they would often bring their children to receive a blessing.  Obviously, people had heard about Jesus being in the area, and they brought their kids.

    However, the disciples weren’t exactly receptive to these people.  They rebuked the folks who were bringing their kids.  The Greek word here for “rebuke” is epitimao, which is the exact same word that is used by Mark when Jesus rebukes the demons.  It is the same word that Mark used when Peter rebuked Jesus and when Jesus rebuked Peter back.  It is a very, very strong word that shows the disciples’ almost disdain for the parents who are bringing their kids.

    Jesus becomes indignant with the disciples.  Again, we have another strong Greek word.  Mark Edwards in his commentary says, “The word for “indignant” means “to arouse to anger” that is, to vent oneself in expressed displeasure rather than simply brooding about it.  The object of a person’s indignation reveals a great deal about that person.  Jesus’ displeasure here reveals his compassion and defense of the helpless, vulnerable, and powerless.”

    I agree with what Edwards says, but I think it goes much further than simply Jesus compassion toward the children.  There is more going on.  For if you remember a couple of weeks ago, Jesus had an encounter with His disciples about who was greatest.  The disciples had been arguing about who was greatest, and Jesus gave them an important illustration.  Let me read to you just a few short paragraphs before today’s text from Mark chapter 9, “Then He [Jesus] took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” 

    Let that sink in for just a minute or two.  “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes who?  And by welcoming JESUS, the One who sent Jesus is also welcomed!!!”  Jesus taught this explicitly to the disciples, and they are failing miserably.  They are failing to welcome not “one such child” but a whole host of children, and so they are rejecting Jesus and by virtue of rejecting Jesus, they are rejecting God the Father.  Is it any wonder Jesus is so indignant??!!!

    Jesus hammers His disciples, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs.”  We are not going to spend time on this statement because it is pretty self-explanatory.  However, the next statement is of utmost importance.

    Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”

    This statement deserves a bit of time.  For it strikes, not at the hearts of kids, but at our hearts.  If you do not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, you will never enter it.  What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God as a little child.  Does it mean that we are to accept the kingdom of God just like we accept children?   Let’s first understand how children were viewed in ancient Israel.

    Almost all the commentaries agree on this point, and I’m going to go with the best quote on this one.  Again, from Mark Edwards:

    Ancient Jewish society...did not regard children with the same affection (as Western society).  Children, like women, derived their position in society primarily from their relationship to adult males.  Sons, to be sure, were regarded as a blessing from God, but largely because they insured the continuance of the family for another generation–and increased its workforce.  Childhood was typically regarded as an unavoidable interim between birth and adulthood, which a boy reached at age 13.  One will search Jewish and early Christian literature in vain for sympathy toward the young comparable to that shown by Jesus.

    Children were only seen as precious commodities–as those who could contribute in their later years toward the family’s well being.  They were seen as hands for the farm or retirement care.  Little children were a burden.  They only received their value and worth from their parents.  They knew they had no standing.  They knew they had only the value placed on them by their parents.  The majority of them were poor and disenfranchised.  Life was rough and tumble.  It was dog eat dog.  They were not fed first.  They had little or no toys.  They soon learned that everything they received was a gift.  And they learned gratitude.

    Why is this important?  William Lane had an interesting comment in his commentary, one that I think gives a partial answer.  Lane says, “Unlike adults, who do not want anything to be given to them, children are comparatively modest and unspoiled.”  Now, I would have to argue a bit with Dr. Lane.  I would qualify this statement and say that some adults want nothing given to them.  Some adults believe they must work for everything and refuse to accept any sort of free gift.  Some adults are too prideful to admit they need help and assistance.  Some adults want to work for everything they get.  Why?  Because it is their accomplishment; their work; they take great pride in their accomplishments because it is THEIR accomplishment.  Accomplishing much gives them a sense of value and worth, and if they take something without earning it, they feel shallow.

    Of course, this does not encompass all adults.  For we also know there are adults who expect things to be given to them.  There are adults who have a sense of entitlement.  There are adults who believe that they have a right to all sorts of goods and services without having to pay for them because they simply are.  They believe they deserve anything and everything that is given to them.  What is the result of such behavior? 

    The results from both ways are the same: a sense of self-righteousness.  One way says, “I have worked my way up.  I have accomplished all by my own, two hands, and I deserve to be rewarded for my efforts.”  The other way says, “I am good in and of myself, and I deserve to be rewarded for being me.”  Both of these paths are self-centered and self-serving.  One bases worth and value on work.  The other bases worth and value simply on being.  Neither leads to gratitude.  Neither leads to humility.  Both are self-aggrandizing, and you will not enter into the Kingdom of God if you are self-aggrandizing.  You will not enter into the Kingdom of God if you believe you deserve it.  You will enter the Kingdom of God if you realize that you do not deserve it, that you have not earned it, and that it is an undeserved gift given through and by God.

    This brings us right back to Jesus’ comment about children. Remember what I said earlier quoting Mark Edwards: children received their value only through their fathers.  Children received everything they had through their Father.  They realized they were totally dependent upon their Father for everything.  And these are little children!!  They have not reached the age where they become resentful–this is important.  In a conversation with one of my congregation members this week, I was informed that she was engaged in learning about children and how they act before they reach a certain age.  Before they become entangled in all of our problems as adults, they understand gratitude.  They understand sharing.  They understand compassion.  They understand that they receive everything from their parents and guardians.  They understand that everything is a gift, and they have a sense of gratitude and excitement about it.  Little children know their dependence upon their parents; know it is undeserved; and respond with thanksgiving.

    You will not receive the Kingdom of God unless you receive it as a child. 

    With gratitude.
    With humility.
    Without a sense of having earned it.
    Without believing you are entitled to it.

    How can you cultivate this attitude?

    Did you catch my purposeful attempt to mislead you?  You will cultivate a sense of gratitude and humility if you believe you have received something without having earned it.  You will cultivate a sense of gratitude and humility if you understand that you have received something that you didn’t deserve.   Gratitude and humility comes by knowing you are gifted something without having done anything on your part.

    Christianity calls this sheer grace.  Christianity calls this the act of God on our behalf to bring salvation to us–not because we deserved it.  Far from it.  We didn’t.  In fact, it was our sinfulness that brought Jesus to the cross.  It was our lack of ability to accomplish the following of the Law that required justice to be served.  Someone out there might ask, “Well, what law did I break?”  Think about it for just a moment.  Think about the standards that you hold everyone else to.  Think about how you think everyone else should act in the world.  Do you live up to even your own standards?  I can almost guarantee you, you do not.  None of us do.  There is a universal law that every culture, every religion, and every philosophy holds, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Every culture has it.  Every culture breaks it.  Admit it–you do too.  And if you are judged by that standard, you must admit failure.

    Yet, justice must be served.  And rather than that justice falling upon you, God took on human flesh and allowed justice to be served upon Him.  He took the punishment you deserved because you failed to do unto others.  He stepped in to offer you the Kingdom when you didn’t deserve it.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved by Him.

    By Him!
    By Him!

    Not by your actions and deeds.  Not by any sense of entitlement because you were an important person or being, but by sheer grace.

    No one has room to boast.
    No one has room to hold one’s head high.

    All are failures just as all are deeply loved.  Such a thing brings humility and gratitude–a child like faith.  A faith that comes when you remember what Jesus has done.

    Oh, the text isn’t quite finished.  There is one more verse.  “And Jesus took the little children up into His arms, laid His hands upon them, and He–again we see the weakness of translation, for Jesus doesn’t simply bless them–according to the Greek, He lavishes rich uber-blessing upon them.  Just as He lavishes such blessing upon you through the cross as He bears your sin.  May your heart be moved to gratitude and humility as you come to know the gift of His sheer grace.  Amen.

The Kingdom is not About You

    I remember having a conversation with a clergy friend many years ago.  My friend had graduated from seminary and had taken a call at a small, rural congregation.  I asked her how it was going, and she confessed that she was struggling.  In many small congregations, the pastor is expected to do darn near everything, and this congregation was no exception.  This was actually causing a bit of difficulty for my friend as she said, “They even expect me to take out the trash!”  That statement caught be aback because I considered taking out the trash to be no big deal.  My friend thought otherwise obviously believing such a task was beneath her. 

    Now, this isn’t a bash a fellow clergy illustration, because in reality I was no better.  You see, for I had my own motivations for taking out the trash even in this congregation.  Now, I’m not saying anyone around here expects me to have janitorial duties, but I’ve regularly taken out the trash as well as washed dishes from time to time at WELCA or at some other gathering.  I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty at all, but when I was asked why I would do such a thing, I commented smartly, “I will not ask anyone to do anything around this church that I am not willing to do myself.”  Meaning, I think, look at how I am willing to be a servant, you should be a servant too.  This too is the wrong motivation for action.  It’s a self serving motivation rooted and grounded in the idea that if I am doing something, you should be willing to do it as well. 

    Contrast my friend’s reaction, my reaction, to a truly humble response to taking out the garbage.  What would such a humble response be?  How about simply seeing that the garbage needs to be taken out, taking it out without a second thought, and simply doing it because it needs to be done.  There is no expectation for anyone else to look at you.  There is no expectation of anyone saying, “Thank you.”  There is no expectation of reward or punishment or the like.  There is simply a job that needs to be done, and it gets done.  Period.  Doesn’t matter who does it.  Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if things happened in such a fashion?  Wouldn’t the world be a much better place if we all simply did what needed to be done without any thought to reward or punishment or the like?  I think it would, but we run smack dab into our human nature when it comes to such matters.

    And what is that human nature?  Just this: we seek self-preservation.  We seek our own self-interest.  We work to ensure our safety and our security–sometimes without even realizing it.  Sometimes, we are blind to our own motives and motivations as we seek to get ahead and maintain our positions in life.  For the most part, everything we do is all about us.

    Some of you might want to call me on the carpet on this one.  You might say, “But pastor, I do an awful lot of volunteer work.  I give to a lot of different charities.  I’m involved with helping others all the time.”  Great!  Fantastic!  Why are you doing these things?  What is your motivation?  More often than not, do you know what response I get?  “It makes me feel good.”  Think about that.  You are doing all of those things because it makes you feel good.  If it didn’t make you feel good, would you still do it?  That’s the question you need to ask yourself.  It’s the question we all need to ask ourselves.  Would we do anything if we got absolutely no benefit from it?  If we are honest with ourselves, most of us, I think, would have to say no.  The motive of self-preservation and self-interest is that strong, and even our humility tends to be self-driven and therefore isn’t real humility at all.

    This has led, I think, to the plague that faces the American society–the plague of self-righteousness.  Everywhere I look, I see that plague manifesting itself.  If everyone would just do what I tell them to do, then the world would be great.  If the Republicans just did what the Democrats told them to do, we’d solve this country’s problems.  If the Democrats just gave up on their platform and voted for Republican measures, this country would be saved.  Conservatives are the ones who know what it takes to make life work.  Liberals are the ones who have it all together.  Of course, all of them are wrong.  Everyone knows that if you just did what Texas does, then all would work out well.  Texas is, after all, the center of the known universe. I could go on and on and on.  At some level, we all believe that we know better.  We all believe we have the answers to life’s greatest challenges and problems.  At some level we think we should be listened to and should have the place of honor and prestige.  At some level.

    But at another level, we also know our inadequacies.  At another level, we find ourselves being crushed over and over and over again.  I mean, I’ll illustrate it this way.  Last Sunday, I noticed that very few people in our congregation were singing the songs for the day.  It wasn’t because the songs were strange.  They were familiar songs!  I could chalk this up to the fact that people were having an off day, but I think there is something greater going on in our society.  People don’t sing anymore.  At one time, everyone gathered around their pianos in the house and sang songs.  People developed their voices and sang with some measure of confidence.  Not so anymore.  Not so at all.  Instead, we plug into our phones and listen to music. We may sing in the car at the top of our lungs when no one else can listen, but for the most part, we leave the singing up to the “professionals.”  Many truly believe, “I am not good enough to sing.”  And it’s not just with singing.  There are many other areas that we feel completely and totally inadequate in.  There are many other areas we know we fall short in.  And we try to hide those areas.  We try to keep them as secret as possible because we don’t want to be made fun of. We don’t want to be exploited.  We don’t want to show any kind of weakness.  It’s self-preservation once again.  On the one hand, we desire to be accepted and acknowledged and thought highly of, but on the other hand, we know our inadequacies, and we are afraid of them.  It’s almost as if we are at war with ourselves.  Can anything bring peace?

    Let me turn at this point to our Gospel lesson from the book of Mark chapter 9.  It’s a very intriguing text, and I confess to you, I almost missed it’s central point. Almost.  Let’s see what that point is and how it addresses this problem of our war within ourselves.

    After Jesus and His disciples leave the house where Jesus taught them about prayer, they begin traveling toward Jerusalem.  Jesus doesn’t want a lot of attention at this point because He has some serious things to teach His disciples.  “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.”  Jesus is predicting His passion once again, and there is a very important nuance in this teaching that we miss in translation.  The Greek word for betrayed can also be translated “to be delivered up”, and it is mostly used in a judicial manner.  William L. Lane says this in his commentary on the book of Mark:

    To deliver up” or “hand over” is an important concept in the context of lawsuits and in the Jewish theology of martyrdom.  More than simply the coming of an individual into another’s power, the term connotes the actual fulfillment of God’s will as expressed in Scripture.  Particularly in martyrdom, God is the one who permits (or hinders) the handing over in fulfillment of deeper purposes...The background of the term in Scripture, however, indicates that the thought is more profound: Jesus will be delivered into the hands of men by God, and what takes place on the level of historical occurrence has ultimate significance because it centers in the eschatological action of God.

    I think that comment is pretty self explanatory except that last sentence where that big word eschatological is used.  Lane means, this delivering over is in accordance with God’s will and fits into God’s plan.

    Once again, Mark tells us the disciples don’t get it.  They are still having difficulty seeing.  The story of the blind man healed in stages still haunts this discourse, and the disciples are too afraid to ask any questions.  They are too afraid to delve into this matter more deeply.  It does not fit their narrative of the Messiah.  And so they turn their attention to other matters–matters that do fit with their preconceived notions. 

    When they arrive at “the house” in Capernaum, Jesus asks them, “What were you arguing about along the way?”

    Once again, when Jesus asks the disciples a question, He is met with silence.  It’s the same kind of silence Jesus was met with when He asked them, “What are you arguing about with them” (the Scribes) in the previous story about the demon who could only be cast out in prayer.   The disciples were embarrassed then.  They are embarrassed now because they were arguing about who was the greatest.

    Jesus is much kinder than I would have been.  I would have been like, “Greatest?  Didn’t you all just fail miserably in casting out a demon?  You want to argue about who is greatest when you were all a bunch of failures?”  As I said, Jesus was nicer than I would have been.

    But the disciples’ argument isn’t without some sort of merit.  I mean, Jesus had made a distinction among them when He took Peter, James, and John upon the mountain alone.  This would have given the disciples some food for thought and smacked of favoritism.  Not only that, the surrounding culture was obsessed with status and privilege.  Questions of rank were argued about ALL the time.

    But Jesus isn’t going to play that game.  He sits down, which means, He assumes the position of rabbinical teacher–a position of authority.  He calls His disciples together and says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.”  Craig Evans in his commentary explains this well, “In the Jewish culture of this period “protos” “first” meant rulers, aristocrats, ruling priests, and other persons of authority and influence.  Thus to be esxastos “last” and diakonos “servant” was to be someone with no rank, no authority, no privilege–a status that humans ordinarily do not covet.”

    Now, here is what I almost missed because most of the time, we pastors jump right into telling you, “Go out and seek to be a servant.  If you want to be first, make sure you are last.”  Think about that for just a moment.  If you want to be first, be last of all and servant of all.  If you try to apply that–seeking to be last so that you will be first, who are you thinking about?  Who are you trying to exalt?  What is your motivation?  To be first.  You are still striving for a place of prestige and exaltation.  Does this strike you as humble?  It doesn’t strike me that way either.  So, let me ask you this question: who is first in the Kingdom of God?  Who is the one who is front and center and above all in God’s reign?  Jesus.  Yes, Jesus is first in the Kingdom of God.  I want to point out to you right here and right now, the Kingdom of God isn’t about you.  Being first in the Kingdom of God isn’t about you.  Being last of all and servant of all isn’t about you. 

    It is about Jesus who, to quote an ancient hymn recorded by St. Paul in the book of Philippians, “though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.  Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  Yes, it is Jesus who became last of all and servant of all.  It is Jesus who washed the disciples’ feet and then became scorned by the world as He hung on the cross.  This is all about Jesus who is the first in the Kingdom of God.

    And to ram home this point, Jesus brings a child into the midst of the room.  “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”  Whoever in my name welcomes the least; the lost; the marginalized; who does not think one’s self above such a one, welcomes me and further welcomes the One who sent me.  This isn’t about you.  This is about welcoming God; welcoming Jesus into the depths of your very heart.

    And how does this make all the difference in that war between ourselves?  How does this bring peace to that conflict of self-preservation wanting to be accepted and thought of highly but also knowing our inadequacies and feeling like a failure?  How does knowing that Jesus is the First in the Kingdom of God do such a thing?

    You have to remember what Jesus accomplished on that cross.  For you see, Jesus knew your inadequacies.  Jesus knew your failings.  Jesus knew your selfish desires and me first attitude.  Jesus knew how you trust yourself instead of God and would like to lord your own thoughts over this world.  Jesus knew that you wanted to be God yourself instead of allowing Him to have His rightful place.  But instead of destroying you; instead of humiliating you and punishing you; He died for you.  He took upon Himself your sin, and He begged His heavenly Father, “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  Jesus poured out Himself for you because He loves you. 

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it.

    God sent Jesus into the world not to condemn you for your failings and frailties, but to save you.  Jesus does not exploit your failings and frailties.  He loves you in spite of them.  He loves you with a love that goes beyond even your wildest imaginations.  And when you see that kind of love in action; you are deeply humbled because you know you can never love with that kind of love.  You know you can never serve as deeply as Jesus did.  You can never give as much as Jesus gave.  You can only marvel at His work and say, “Yes, Jesus, you are first in the kingdom of God.  I don’t even deserve to belong there.  I am completely and totally inadequate.”  And right here, you accept your inadequacies.  And right here, you also know you are deeply loved.  The tension is gone, and you are at peace.  And it is a peace you long to share with others, so you welcome them in Jesus’ name because you know what Jesus has done: becoming last of all and servant of all to die on the cross to save you.  Amen.

Off With His Head!!!

    Today, we get really real.

    Before we delve into our Gospel text from the book of Mark this morning, we need to see what immediately precedes it.  There is the rejection of Jesus and His teaching in His hometown of Nazareth–which I preached on last week.  Then the writer Mark records the following:

    7He [Jesus] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

    This snippet sets the scene for our Gospel lesson for today–the beheading of John the Baptist.  It’s not pretty.  Not pretty at all.  For it is into this world that the disciples go out to preach.  It is this world that the disciples go forth to bring healing and cast out demons.  For certain, it was a world that was created good–it was created perfectly, but it is now a world that is fallen.  It is now a world that is depraved.  It is a world full of sin.

    There are many in today’s world that do not like to hear talk of sin and depravity. There are many who believe that people are inherently good and that if we just taught people the right things; if we just steered them into the right places; if we just built up their egos enough; if we just passed the right laws and statutes; then we wouldn’t have any sort of violence, hatred, bullying, or the like.  And then events like Charleston, South Carolina happen where a kid enters into a place of sanctuary and kills nine people gathered to worship and study.  We ask, “Is there no safe place?”  “How come racism isn’t extinguished even though we’ve had 50 years of non-discrimination laws?”  We clamor for more hate crime laws; more gun laws; more openness to those who are different from ourselves.  And we think such things will make a difference.  We think such legislation and cries will change the world.  We think they will end sin and depravity, but we are chasing fool’s gold.  Why would I paint such a bleak picture?

    Let’s enter into the text for today.  The picture there is very, very dark.  There is no good news to be had.  Word of the disciples’ preaching, teaching and healing reached the puppet ruler of Galilee: Herod, and Herod became concerned.  This wanna be king thought that John the Baptist had returned from the dead to haunt him.  This sets the stage for one of the most depraved scenes found in scripture.  It’s utterly dark.

    John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said, “No one greater than he has ever been born,” was locked up in Herod’s prison.  You see, John was a prophet.  John called people to repentance.  He was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, and John took notes and named names.  John was fearless when it came to pointing out the sins of people and calling them to change their ways, and John didn’t shy back from those in power. 

    Herod had arranged a marriage to a neighboring ruler’s daughter, but at some point and time fell in love with his brother’s wife, Herodias.  Rather than obey the law and remain faithful, Herod sent his wife back home (severely angering the neighboring ruler) and stole his brother’s wife away.  John the Baptist called Herod on this egregious sin, “It is not lawful for you to be married to your brother’s wife!!”

    Now, most of the commentaries are quick to point out that John’s proclamation was very troublesome for Herod.  Not only did the proclamation anger Herodias, but it caused political problems.  It kept Herod’s divorce public and in front of the neighbors who eventually went to war with Herod!  To keep John quiet, Herod had him thrown in prison.  Herodias wanted John dead, but Herod wasn’t going to kill him.  Herod knew John was a prophet, and we are told that on a certain level, Herod enjoyed listening to him–even though Herod did not change his behavior. 

    All of this leads up to a feast that Herod throws celebrating his birthday.  Now, this might not sound too bad to us.  I mean, most of us here celebrate our birthday in some fashion–as parents, most of us work to make that day special for our children, and as we age–particularly as we get into advanced age, we really mark those milestone birthdays!  This is commonplace for us, but not so for the Jewish people.  Most Jews in that time did not celebrate birthdays–that was a Roman custom.  So, here we see Herod, who was supposed to be Jewish, embracing a cultural practice that was not his own.  Why?  Because he longed to be accepted by the Roman authorities.  He longed to be seen as a legitimate ruler.  He longed to be accepted by those in power.  He was willing to sacrifice his own cultural identity for another to have power.  And that’s not the worst thing we see in this text.  It gets worse.  Far worse.

    For Herod calls together all the movers and shakers from the region of Galilee.  Mark records that Herod invited, “his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.”  This means he brought in all the higher ups; all the power players; all those with status and pull.  Herod surrounded himself with power and wealth because, again, this is who he wanted to impress.  This is who he wanted to be like.  Average folks were below him, and this gets him into a lot of trouble in just a little while.

    Okay.  The scene is set as we have Herod throwing a party with all the movers and shakers of the community.  They are dining on fine food.  They are drinking the finest wines.  They are very happy and reveling.  Nothing like a little bit of gluttony and drunkardness to highlight one’s day.  Remember, I said this scene reeked of depravity!  So, now, let’s throw in some child pornography.

    Herodias’ daughter Salome enters into the court.  She’s probably around 12 years old or so.  This is Herod’s adopted daughter by his illegal marriage and his niece by blood.  She comes in and does a lewd dance.  Think 12 year old striptease.  And no one stops her!  No one!!  Can you imagine that?  Can you imagine watching one of your relatives–a child–strip in front of a lot of older men?  Would you sit there yourself and enjoy what you were watching?  That’s exactly what Herod does, and he is so pleased with what he sees, he makes a promise to his niece.  “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you–up to half of my kingdom.”

    What a perverse thing to say and do!  Not only is this incestuous, Herod has nothing to give.  The “kingdom” he presides over isn’t his to begin with.  He is a puppet of Rome.  He can no more promise a part of his kingdom than he can promise to give her the moon.  Herod is drunk on power and wine and debauchery and sensuality, and he opens his big mouth and sticks his foot into it.  Then he swears an oath–a solemn promise that he will do as she asks. 

    Salome goes to Herodias and asks her mother, “What should I ask for?”  Herodias, at this moment, I am sure, smiles an evil smile.  “Ask for the head of John the Baptist.”  There is no hesitation in her answer.  There is no contemplation of wealth or jewels or fine clothing.  This is pre-meditated murder. 

    Salome returns to the banquet and lays out her request, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”  Herod, doesn’t want to do this, but he is bound by his oath.  He would lose face amongst all those in power and prestige.  His hand forced, he sends the executioner to behead John the Baptist. 

    If there is any bit of good news in this text, it comes toward the end as the disciples of John show a bit of compassion and bravery as they come seeking their leader’s body to bury it.  That little bit of compassion, however, is overshadowed by the darkness we have just witnessed.  This scene reveals the worst of humanity: hatred, defying God’s commands, gluttony, drunkenness, child-pornography and exploitation, adultery, striving for power, neglecting the poor, turning one’s back on one’s culture and heritage, selling out to those in power, making promises one can’t keep, wanting to maintain status and privilege in the face of poor choices.  Oh, it has it all.  It is a trip into the heart of darkness.

    Into this world, Jesus sent his disciples.  But do you find it as fascinating as I that the disciples preaching and healing and casting out of demons did little to change this reality?  Do you find it as fascinating as I that John the Baptist’s proclamation and confrontation of sin did not do a blasted thing to change the reality of the world?   Do you find it fascinating that no matter how much work the disciples did nor how many times John the Baptist confronted Herod with the truth, nothing changed?  I find that extremely fascinating–and a bit alarming.  Why?

    Well, the conclusion that I draw from this, and not only me but plenty of others is, the proclamation of the law; trying to tell someone to do the right thing; urging people to be better people will not change the depths of human depravity.  Pointing out another person’s sinfulness will not bring them to repentance.  Why?

    I am going to attempt to bring this home in a way that could get me in a bit of trouble, but I believe is none-the-less necessary if we are truly going to understand the Gospel.  For you see, the reason telling people they are sinners and need to repent doesn’t work is the depravity we all have in all of our hearts.  None of us want to hear that we are sinful.  None of us want to hear that we are broken, depraved, or failures.  We want to think that we are just find just the way we are, and we want to think that it is always that other person out there who have the problems.  We look at Herod and Herodias and Salome and those gathered at the banquet and think, “Man, I am so glad I am not like them.  They really need to get their stuff together.”  Or, we look at Dylann Roof and think, “Man, that’s a sick kid.  I can’t believe he shot all those people in that church.  I can’t believe how racist he is.  He needs to get his stuff together.”  Or, “Man, those homosexuals out there, they are so depraved.  They really need to change the way they act.”  Or, “Those politicians up there in Washington are corrupt and need to be thrown out.”  It’s always someone out there.  It’s always someone else who needs to change. 

    But let me ask you this question: when is the last time you took a look deep into the recesses of your own heart?   When is the last time you took a trip to understand the motivations that drive you each and every day?  When is the last time you strove to understand who you are instead of looking at everyone else?

    I mean, ask yourself this question: do you sit at home in your retirement years thinking, “I am glad I don’t have to do anything anymore.  I am content to sit and watch the world go by.”?  If that runs through your head, have you decided to turn your back on others who are in need?  Have you not become self-centered?

    Ask yourself this question: Why do I sit in traffic on a long commute to my job becoming stressed out and angry?  Is it because I have to make ends meet or is it because I have a particular lifestyle that I want and I will forsake family, friends, church and other things because I need to maintain a certain amount of status?  Have you not become self-centered?

    Ask yourself this question: Why do you keep yourself so busy running all over creation involving yourself in all sorts of activities?  Do you have to do all these things?  Are you living for your children and grandchildren?  Are you trying to please everyone so that you don’t have to deal with conflict or disappointment?  And in trying to please everyone so that you do not have to deal with disappointment, have you not become self-centered?

    Why do you look at other people and think they have problems and not yourself?  Do you think you do a better job of living than they do?  Do you think you have placed yourself above them because of your behavior or status or ability to create wealth?  Does this not make you self-centered and self-righteous?

    You see, at the root of most of our problems as a nation and as a people and as a community and in our families is self-centeredness–the idea that my needs come first; that I should have my needs satisfied.  That people should do what I want them to do because I have it right.  Yes, this self-centeredness is at the heart of Herod and Herodias and Salome and those in attendance at the banquet.  It is also at the heart of Dylann Roof.  It is also in my heart as well. 

    I’ve shared my story with you how I finally came to realize that at the bottom of my heart was the desire for recognition and power and prestige.  I wanted to be a pastor that all other pastors looked up to.  I wanted to be known as the guy who took a little church in Cat Spring, TX and turned it into a mega-church.  I wanted people to ask me how I did it and clamor for my advice and buy my books and ask me to come speak at their gatherings.  Oh, yes, I wanted all of these things very deeply, and I was willing to use you to get there.  I wanted you to carry me, and when you didn’t cooperate with me, I would get angry with you.  Of course, I would disguise all of this in churchy language, and I never considered that I was doing anything wrong; but oh how wrong I was.  Oh how misguided I was.  Oh how selfish I was.  And no amount of people looking at me and telling me I was wrong was going to change me.  No one pointing out how I should be doing things was going to make me see my own depravity.  No.  I had to come to see my brokenness.  I had to come to see my sinfulness.  I had to come to see that I needed not another set of rules but a Savior.  Only then could my heart be changed.

    That change was brought about by several things, but perhaps the most important piece came as I was healing after burning out.  I was visiting my grandfather who was 94 at the time.  I was asking him about his ministry as a pastor and if he ever experienced burnout.  He shared with me story after story of things he had done, and then he said the following words, “I didn’t accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but the Lord and I are on very good terms.”

    Those words burned into my brain in an instant because they confronted me with my own selfishness.  I wanted to accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but those things are not important.  The most important thing my grandfather said in his twilight was, “The Lord and I are on very good terms.”  That’s really the only thing that matters.  That’s the only thing that is lasting and eternal.  And how in the world are the Lord and my grandfather on very good terms?  How in the world are the Lord and I on very good terms?  How in the world are you and the Lord on very good terms?

    Not because of anything that you did.  Not because of anything my grandfather did.  Certainly not because of anything I did.  But because of what Jesus did.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.

    You see, Jesus was much more than a law giver.  Certainly He emphasized that we should love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and then love our neighbor as ourselves.  But He knew that simply telling us to do that wouldn’t change our hearts.  It would not reach into the darkness.  Something else had to do that, so Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live.  He loved God with all His heart, and He loved His neighbor as Himself.  Then, Jesus died the death we deserved.  Because of our self-centeredness, we do not put God first.  We do not put our neighbor first.  We live for ourselves–and when we live for ourselves, God says, “I will let you live for yourself for eternity, and you will never be satisfied!”  That, my friends is hell!  But rather than allow us to experience that, Jesus took that upon Himself.  He experienced that Hell for us so that we would not have to.  He then clothed us with His righteousness so that we can enter into the presence of God–not just when we die, but right here and now. 

    We no longer have to seek status in the eyes of the world.  We no longer have to seek wealth or sex or busyness to fill us.  We have a God who willingly dies for us when we do not deserve it. We have a God who makes our joy complete as we seek Him.  When we look to that light and place our trust in that light, our hearts of stone are broken.  Darkness begins to disappear, and we are transformed.  And as we share that light, the world is transformed as well–not because of what we do but because of what Christ has done.  Thanks be to God!!  Amen.

A Deep Struggle

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” ¹³But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’  Luke 18:9-14

It is a deep struggle to live by grace.  A deep struggle.

As I move through this Holy Week, several things are on my mind, and they have weighed heavily:

1. I received a phone call from a local nursing home.  The activity director was, as kindly as she could possibly do it, ask me to give up part of my afternoon on Easter to lead a worship service for the residents.  Another congregation scheduled to lead worship canceled on her.  "I know it's short notice, but..." 

"I will do it," I responded.

This is not the first Easter this has happened.  Once before this same congregation had canceled on this same nursing home.  The last time it happened, I was asked again.  I remember the occasion vividly as I was lovingly and gently reminded of my calling.

You see, I was quite angry last go round.  I was quite angry that the other congregation canceled.  I was quite angry about giving up my time.  I was quite upset that I felt obligated to go and preach.  There was quite a bit of righteous indignation on my part.  My heart was not exactly in the right spot because it was all about me.

And then one of my congregation members came up to me to visit.  I told her about my impending afternoon.  She smiled at me, and she said, "Someone needs to tell those people the good news, especially on Easter."

I was floored at that moment.  I won't say that my anger completely left or that I proclaimed the Good News of Jesus' resurrection out of a joyful heart that afternoon, but I did (and do) realize the Absolute Truth of my congregation member's words.  "Someone needs to tell those people the good news, especially on Easter."  Especially since many cannot get to church.  Especially since many have indeed spent their lives worshiping.  Especially since many of their families cannot bring them to worship.  They need to hear the Gospel!  They need to hear that Christ is risen!

There was no hesitation this year when I was asked.  "They need to hear the Good News.  I will do it."  I am looking forward to it, this time with joy.

But there is still a smidgen or more of anger toward that other congregation.  There is still a bit of righteous indignation.  Am I like that Pharisee pounding his chest and saying, "Thank God I am not like that tax collector."?  Perhaps I am, and it is not good.  Not good in the least.  For I have no room to boast like that.  I have no room to think that I am doing better or my congregation is doing better.  I am not.  We are not.  It's hard not to get angry.  It's hard not to be in contempt.  It's hard not to be self-righteous.  This morning on my walk, I asked God for forgiveness, for I sorely need it.

2. A friend posted a link on Facebook to a prominent blog by Mark Sandlin.  Without going into all the details, I will let you know that I disagree most vehemently with Mr. Sandlin.  It's not the first time. 

But I was and am very curious about how well the theology Mr. Sandlin promotes is accepted in my own denomination and in my own synod.  I asked for feedback on our syond's Facebook page.  The commentary was intriguing as I found a great many of my colleagues wrestling with the idea of why Jesus had to die on the cross. 

I am a proponent of the sacrificial atonement understanding of the crucifixion/resurrection.  This understanding of the cross permeates through the New Testament writings. 

It is Matthean.
It is Markan.
It is Johannine.
It is Pauline.
It is deeply ingrained in the book of Hebrews.
It is Petrine.

The idea of Jesus' atoning sacrifice on the cross seems, in a very real way, to tie all of the biblical witness together.  From Genesis 1 to Revelation 21, the entirety can be understood with extreme clarity by looking through the lens of the cross: that Jesus lived the life we should have lived, that He died the death that we deserved; He placed his perfect righteousness upon us that we may stand before God as accepted failures--blameless though we have sinned.  This is the reason we are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.  Many of us who are Protestant can recite that particular verse from memory.  Yet, what follows?  What did Paul add right away?  These words: ²⁵whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. (Romans 3:25).

As I wrestled with Sandlin's article and the responses given by my colleagues, my heart ached.  For it seemed as if we lost the centrality of that which gave us our core identity as a church--the Theology of the Cross; God's great act of salvation.  And once again, the wellspring of contempt and anger began to rise.  The wellspring of self-righteousness that "I've got it and you don't" began rearing its ugly head.

Ah, but I have no room to boast.  For I have spent the bulk of my ordained ministry failing to proclaim the Gospel.  I have spent the bulk of my ordained ministry failing to point to Jesus.  I have spent the bulk of my ordained ministry thinking Christianity was mainly about me and my actions and the actions of those who call themselves Christian instead of mainly about Jesus and His actions.  I am one, like Paul, untimely born.  I do not deserve to wear the collar or the stole.  How can I be contemptuous?  Because my heart isn't there yet.  My heart still has the Old Adam trying to pull it away from Jesus.  I asked for even more forgiveness.

For grace does not allow contempt.  Grace does not allow self-righteousness.  Grace shows definitively and demonstratively that all have sinned.  All have no right to claim moral superiority.  All have missed the mark.  All have corrupted and warped hearts.  No one is exempt.  Even those who proclaim the Gospel and know the Gospel and have a relationship with Jesus.  This is why we need a Savior.

This is why Jesus had to die.  We cannot escape being in bondage to our sin.  Someone has to free us.  Someone has to make things right.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.

In one way, it makes things so much easier.  I do not have to worry about justifying myself.  I do not have to worry about fulfilling the Law.  But it also makes things much harder--it means I must love those who are different from me in understanding and practice.  It means I must look at them as accepted failures as I am an accepted failure.  It means I cannot be contemptuous or self-righteous even if I believe I am right.  Indeed, it is a deep struggle.

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, a sinner!

Amen.

The Importance of Shared Context

Monday night, I sent my youth director a text.  "Missing you...," it said.

My youth director sent me a text back, "Are you texting the right person?"

She informed me that she believed I had really messed up.  She wondered just how it was possible for me to have sent such a thing to her.  Obviously, this sort of text was meant for my wife.  How could I possibly get the names totally and completely confused--my wife's name starts with D.  My youth director's with C.

I responded, "Yes.  Sitting around council missing my youth director."

I won't print her response here, but she did inform me she was on her way.

She had a rough day and had forgotten that we had council meeting.  Being the farthest thing from her mind, my initial text had caught her off guard.  It seemed strange, indeed, misplaced.  However, with a shared context, the meaning became very, very clear.  It was not misplaced.  It was not inappropriate.  It was the right words to the right person.

Too often, such misunderstandings govern our relationships with others.  Too often, the lack of a shared contextual understanding lead to all sorts of problems and arguments.  Fortunately, my youth director was willing to respond and ask.  Once we had a common ground of understanding one another, all became clear.

Unfortunately, many do not take the time to seek shared contextual understanding.  Many base their positions and understandings of another and that other's commentary solely on their own experience and contextual background.  This oftentimes leads to major conflict.

And it's not enough just to tell everyone, "You need to get a larger perspective on life.  You need to travel the world more and come in contact with others.  You need to get an education and have your mind broadened."

Why do I say this is not enough?

For the simple reason that I have come across more than a few souls who have a larger perspective on life; they have traveled the world; they have an education, and they are extremely contemptuous toward those who do not have that experience.  More than a few with such a broad perspective call those without such experiences, "narrow minded", "ignorant", and "myopic."  But in their name calling, are they not disregarding the experiences of others, no matter how small those experiences might be?  Of course they are.  They are projecting their own experience upon another even though it is broader.

Which leads me to ask: what then is the problem and is there a solution?

I think the problem is a very old one: self-centeredness.  It's the idea that my experience, my thought, my view of reality is the only one that counts.  It's the only one that is True.  It's the only one that reveals the reality of the way the world really works.

Postmodern thinkers point to this and say, "Therefore, there is no objective reality.  We are all governed by our perspectives.  No one perspective can contain reality and is always warped."

There is something to be said about the second two conclusions, but not the first.  The fact that each person has a different perspective on reality does not mean there is no objective reality.  For if there is no objective reality, then we cannot call things "right" and "wrong."  We cannot call someone "selfish" or "narrow minded" or "ignorant" or "myopic."  You have no basis to judge, and in the end, the only thing that makes something "right" is whether or not the surrounding culture considers it "right."  This is not a good path to be on.

And very, very few people actually walk it--at least with consistency.  Very, very few people walk a path of relativism.  The vast majority of people live as though there are objective truths in the world and that we can know them.  The vast majority of people believe and try to practice the concepts of justice and fairness.  They believe and practice the idea there is a right and a wrong thing to do.

But if this is the case, then why can't we seem to get along better?  Why can't we seem to bring about peace?  And justice?  And harmony?

We are too self-centered.  We tend to be more than happy to work for justice as long as we don't have to give anything up.  We are more than happy to work for fairness as long as it doesn't affect what I have.  We are more than happy to call for society to change as long as it is the other person who is changing and not myself.  My context is still the right one--after all.

And we are right back to where we began.

So, how does one break out of the contextual shell without giving up on the idea of Truth?  How does one welcome the opportunity to learn about another's context and become closer to the Truth?

I would make my case here for the Gospel.  For the Christian Gospel says that you are a broken individual.  You are self-centered.  You are myopic.  You think the world should bow down to your experience.  You would like to be God.

This is not something to be celebrated, by the way.  The consequences of someone believing this about himself is not good.  Such a person does not play well with others.  :-)

The Gospel confronts this attitude and calls it sin.  It calls it rebellion against God.  It calls this attitude a failure.  You are a failure.  Sometimes, it takes people a while to become convinced of this, but there is much more evidence that could be provided.  Once you realize you are a failure, it devastates you.  It brings you low.

And if you stopped here, you might become a bit depressed.

However, the Gospel tells you that in the midst of your failure, Jesus died on your behalf.  He lived as you should live, and He died the death you deserved.  Someone who is willing to die for you shows you that you are worth something.

You are a failure, but you are accepted.

This, theoretically, brings you to a place of humility--not too high; not too low.  Not feeling self-important, but neither depressed.  Not thinking you are perfect or your context is all important, but acknowledging it is limited and that others have such limited perspectives--and that one can grow by interacting with others; including those we perceive as "ignorant", "myopic", and "narrow minded."  For we realize we are narrow minded, ignorant, and myopic as well.  We don't share their experience, and when we interact, we expand our experiences and have a shared context.  And, of course, when we have a shared context and a shared understanding, we have much better odds of understanding one another and living together in harmony.

The Gospel may not be the only way one arrives at this conclusion; however, I am convinced it gives us the best ground and foundation for doing this.