Rejected Hero

April 2, 2023
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Isaiah 50:4-9a; Mark 11:1-11[1]

There is knowledge that is based on information, and knowledge that is based on experience. The “tongue of a teacher”[2] is the voice of experience – one who has been there. I have a book on my shelf that tries to speak about historical events using the voice of experience. It is called Eyewitness to History. Most history books can tell you the who, what, where, when, and how; most history books can’t tell you what it felt like, the power and emotion of the moment, the experience.

The teacher who can “sustain the weary with a word”[3] is the one who has experienced what it is to be worn-out, exhausted, dead-tired. Isaiah speaks from his experience as a servant of God who counts that experience, and all the weariness that comes with it, as a gift. It is a gift that can empower the one who has been there to reach out to those who are living through it right now. The teacher who has experienced weariness does not turn away from the weary, but instead offers a word of understanding and encouragement to the weary soul.

We can all name someone who used their own experience to help us. Who are the mentors and teachers who have used their experience of suffering through difficult times to help you through your own struggles and trials? My high school chemistry teacher used to tell great stories about chemical reactions gone bad. He would demonstrate sometimes too, usually behind a thick shield of Plexiglas or under the hood vent. You knew he’d been there, and he wanted us to be safe, so he made sure we knew what not to do. It was teachers like Dr. Hendricks that I really connected with.

A lot of therapists have been through depression themselves, and know what it’s like to be unable to get out from under the clouds. Alcoholics Anonymous is built on the idea that people who’ve been to the gutter and back can help you get up out of the gutter. Cancer patients find great comfort in talking with someone who had what they have and lived to tell the tale.

Maybe that’s part of who Jesus was. God came to the world to live as a human being, to experience our joy, to understand our fears, to know what it is to suffer and even to die. I like to think that in the person of Jesus, God became one of us so that we could hear the tongue of a teacher, the voice of experience, and know that God has been there too. For me, God is like those great teachers I really connected with.

The Gnostics in the early church denied the humanity of Jesus, believing that Jesus was only spirit and did not suffer pain. They were called heretics because it is vital to our understanding of Jesus that he was fully human as well as divine, that in Jesus Christ, God has “come to us and shared our common lot”[4] as written in the UCC Statement of Faith.

Because Jesus has been there, has experienced pain, suffering, loss, and even betrayal and death, he can sustain the weary with a word. Those who follow Christ know that God understands what it is to be human and trust that God will see us through to the very end, and beyond.

What Jesus experienced on that Sunday when the palms waved in the air was the hero’s welcome. The crowds cheered, not for the Roman governor who would enter the city surrounded by soldiers marching to the sound of drums and trumpets. No, the crowd cheered for the Teacher, for the Healer, for the one that might be the Messiah come to save them. Hosanna! Save us now!

The crowd quotes Psalm 118, which happens to be the Old Testament chapter most quoted in the New Testament. It appears here, when the people shout Hosanna! “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!”[5] We know this one, right? We hear it all the time in our communion liturgy. It is the cry of thanksgiving for deliverance from enemies. Yet just four verses earlier in the Psalm are the words: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.”[6] Even as Jesus entered the city to a hero’s welcome, he knew the impending rejection.

The people who cheer on Jesus as he enters Jerusalem picture him as the kind of hero they want him to be. “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!”[7] The people want a conquering hero. They hope for the restoration of the glory of ancient Israel, when David was king. At this high point, the crowd is caught up in the excitement of new possibilities. This could be the moment when things finally start going their way.

We’re all drawn to celebrity, and it’s easy to get caught up in the pomp and circumstance of a parade. Look, there he is! Hey! Did you see that? He saw me. Jesus waved at ME! It’s a little silly, and I’m sure that the soldiers looking on thought this little demonstration was foolish. It’s just another prophet riding on a donkey, after all. He’s no threat to the empire. Only a fool would worry about this guy.

Things quickly start to change. On Monday, Jesus will come back to the temple, this time in a rage as he’ll turn over the tables of the moneychangers. Jesus will spend the rest of the week stirring up trouble and making the authorities angry, all the while keeping the crowd “spellbound by his teaching.”[8] At one point Jesus will poke fun at the scribes as the crowd “listen[s] to him with delight.”[9]

It is great entertainment to watch people do dangerous things, and brazenly taunt the powerful. But when the entertainer crosses the line, and the authorities take measures to remove him from the stage, we quickly distance ourselves. It’s all fun and games until someone gets arrested. And, at the end, even those closest to Jesus fear to be associated with him. In Gethsemane, after the betrayal by Judas, “All of them deserted him and fled.”[10] Even Peter, bold enough to follow at a distance, will deny him three times before morning.

At the festival, the crowd finally turns on him. Encouraged by the chief priests, they ask for the release of Barabbas, a rebel who took part in a recent insurrection. This is the kind of hero they’re looking for – a warrior, one who is not afraid to take up arms against the Romans. The prophet, yeah, he was entertaining, but he’ll never change anything. And he was pretty rude over at the temple. Sure, crucify him!

But do you remember the Psalm? Jesus himself quoted it to them just a couple of days before. “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” It is in fact the rejection and all that follows, not the “hero’s welcome,” that will shake the world to its foundations and make Jesus the Cornerstone for a whole new reality.

You need a hero? I’ve got one for you. Here is the Son of God, about to be betrayed, abandoned, abused, and executed, riding into the city of his doom aware of what he will face. He knows that this way leads to the cross. In these remaining days he must give his all, to teach and to heal for the last time, and to show the disciples the way of the servant of God who does what must be done without fear of shame or disgrace. The choice has been made to seek the glory of God and not human glory. In this moment, with his face set like flint, Jesus does not turn backward. “Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. It is the Lord God who helps me.” Ride on, ride on in majesty.  Amen.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Isaiah 50:4.

[3] Ibid.

[4] The Statement of Faith of the United Church of Christ, adopted 1959 by the General Synod of the UCC.

[5] Psalm 118: 26.

[6] Psalm 118:22.

[7] Mark 11:10.

[8] Mark 11:18.

[9] Mark 12:37.

[10] Mark 14:50.

A New Teaching

January 31, 2021
St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Mark 1:21-28[1]

The Gospel According to Mark is the story of a new teaching, a new way at looking at familiar things. Mark moves rapidly from scene to scene, skipping the transitions, moving from moment to moment with words like “immediately,” “just then,” “at once.” This pace builds the larger story – the Kin-dom of God breaking into the world – while leaving it to us to fill in the details.

Here, in Capernaum, we get a glimpse of two of the main things Jesus will do – teach and heal. In this short passage, only a paragraph of text, we don’t get much of a description of the scene. Jesus and the new disciples have traveled to Capernaum, and he taught in the synagogue on the sabbath. What did he teach? What scripture was read? Who was there? What was the town of Capernaum like? The key thing we come away with is that “They were astounded at his teaching” (v. 22). This was something new, a teacher that captured their attention in a way others had not.

The synagogue was a focal point in the community. It was central to “communal life: they functioned as courts and place for political discussions, storage of archives, education of children, public reading and teaching of Torah and prayer.”[2] Much like many folks in this country grew up at the church, attending worship, Sunday School, Monday prayer group, Wednesday Bible study, and Thursday choir rehearsal, people would have come to the synagogue most days of the week. It was common practice for various people to teach on the sabbath, so Jesus teaching was not surprising. What set him apart was the manner in which he taught. Rather than leaning on the scholarship of well-known scribes and rabbis, Jesus taught as an authority.

The teachers that they were familiar with, called scribes in this passage, would have studied the Torah in detail, examining the law of Moses through the insights of respected rabbis who had come before. They were practiced in explaining and applying the law to specific situations. Jesus, the “Holy one of God” (v. 24), spoke from his own authority, connecting closely with his audience. He brought the dusty scriptures to life, engaging their imaginations, and challenging them to consider the broader meaning and implications of the law of love and justice.

What would we find amazing if Jesus were to teach in our sanctuary? Would we hear the same familiar stories, or might they come to life in new, bold, and prophetic ways? Would we hear something we haven’t heard before? Would we be surprised, shocked, or offended? Would we sell all we possess, give it to the poor, and follow him? He might send us out to heal the social, moral, economic, and ecological illnesses of our society. He might ask us to face the unclean spirits, the evils of the world, and overcome them with goodness and love.

Like a student disrupting the class, the teacher encounters a man with an unclean spirit. Is it demon possession, or impurity and dirtiness that infects him? There are many ways that one might be identified with evil, influenced by malevolent spirits, or driven to distrust and paranoia. “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” (v. 24). Go away, we don’t want your kind here. The presence of the man is not surprising: people believed the world was inhabited by many spirits, which were mostly malevolent. Judaism, as well as the pagan religions of the Greco-Roman world, understood that people needed to be freed from the power of unclean spirits or demons. The unclean spirit exerted control over the human being–mind, body, and soul.

Was the man seeking for Jesus or simply entering a holy place and encountering Jesus? Was he as surprised at finding Jesus there as the others were amazed at the teachings of Jesus? However he came to be there, this man is a captive and needs to be set free. This is the moment Mark has brought us here to see. Jesus rebukes the spirit, and the spirit is cast out. Jesus commands, and even the unclean spirits obey. “A new teaching—with authority!” (v. 27). Jesus heals, releasing the captive, and restoring the man to wholeness. A miracle takes place. The Kin-dom of God appears on earth.

This scene takes place in a synagogue, a holy place. Jesus will heal and cast out evil in many places. It is the other holy place – within the human body – that is significant here. What has been profaned by evil has been made holy by the Holy One. This person, these people, and even us, set free from the power of evil and made whole again. Jesus astounds them with his teaching, demonstrates authority through this miraculous act of deliverance.

In our time we need a new teaching. We need to better understand our history, our politics, and our relationship with one another, the earth, and with God. We also need a miraculous healing, to be released from pandemic disease, economic turmoil, and ecological ruin. We need the one whose “fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee” (v. 28). The good news is, the disciples of the Teacher are right here.

We have, it seems, been living from scene to scene, skipping the transitions, moving rapidly from moment to moment. Maybe this pace has left us missing some details, but the bigger story continues – the Kin-dom of God is breaking into the world – and we’re participants in the mission of bringing truth and healing, hope and courage to the world. There is evil which must be confronted and cast out. There is justice and love that must be taught. We are called as the Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to seek with Christ the restoration of the world.

He comes with justice speedy to those who suffer wrong,
to help the poor and needy, and bid the weak be strong,
to give them songs for sighing, their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying, are precious in his sight.[3]

Amen.

This sermon was guided by the work of the Rev. Dr. Cheryl A. Lindsay, “Sermon Seeds: Coming Through the Holy Places,” January 31, 2021 from: https://www.ucc.org/sermon-seeds/sermon-seeds-january-31-2021/. 

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Eckhard J. Schnabel, Mark, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2017).

[3] James Montgomery, “Hail to the Lord’s Anointed” v. 2, in Chalice Hymnal (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 1995).

Discipleship: The Path of Service and Self-Sacrifice

November 1, 2020

St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

Matthew 23:1-12[1]

How would you define discipleship? One way is to think of it as apprenticeship, learning from someone who is a master at a trade or who has special skills and knowledge. That is how the ancient Greeks understood discipleship. A person would work closely with a master in order to acquire practical and theoretical knowledge. Some disciples were even expected to pay the master in order for the privilege of learning the trade.

Around the time of Jesus’ ministry on earth, a Jewish student of religion was expected to learn not only the Hebrew Bible Scriptures, but also the oral traditions, the traditions of the fathers. A man, and yes, back then they were all men, would attach himself to a Rabbi, who would serve as a guide for the student as they studied the Scriptures. “One dared not to interpret the Scriptures independently, and could only speak with authority after years of study under a master. Since there were several masters, there sprang up several schools of rabbinical thought, each in competition with the others.”[2]

This is part of what is going on with the scribes and the Pharisees, as well as the Sadducees. These groups were teachers of the Law of Moses, but they had some different interpretations of those laws and exactly how they should be followed. And each group had their disciples. For them, the disciple was expected to submit to one of the authorities who served as teacher, guide, and leader. The leaders jealously guarded their position of authority. This is what their conflict with Jesus was all about.

The authority of the scribes and the Pharisees gave them power over their disciples, and of the Jewish people in general. They had carefully studied the Torah and created a legal code of 365 prohibitions and 250 commandments.[3] This is what Jesus was talking about when he said, “They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others.”[4] If you take the time to read through all of the Laws of Moses, and try to abide by them all, you’ll find, as some people recently have, that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to accomplish. The invitation from Jesus at the end of chapter 11 would have sounded like good news indeed:

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.[5]

The scribes and the Pharisees enjoyed having disciples because they loved the admiration, the respect, and the reverence of others. In the Monty Python comedy film History of the World, Part I, Mel Brooks has a great line: “It’s good to be the king.”[6] Well, it’s good to be a Pharisee. “They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.”[7] Fame just isn’t fame without the fans, or the paparazzi.

Jesus, however, has a different definition of disciple. In Caesarea Philippi he asked, “‘Who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’”[8] But just when they’re thrilled that they have figured out who he is, that they have found the Messiah, Jesus warns them that he has not come to lead a revolt. He has not come to make them into wise leaders with lots of loyal fans. He must undergo suffering, be killed, and on the third day rise. “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”[9]

OK, whoa! Back it up. You want us to what?! We thought we were going to be important people. We thought we were doing great things, and that we would get to have the best seats, and respect, and all that. And instead of all that good stuff, we have to deny ourselves? And what was that about the cross?

This was a new definition of discipleship, and it turned their expectations upside down. For starters, the students are supposed to choose the master. But Jesus chose them. He called out to the fishermen “Follow me.”[10] And he even told some who wanted to follow him that they couldn’t, like the scribe whom he told, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”[11]

The disciples expected that they would one day be great leaders. But Jesus told them that the way they must walk was the path of service and self-sacrifice. “You are not to be called rabbi”[12] or instructor, or teacher. There is only one whom you may call Teacher. This is not about titles and power. You will be important; you will be great; you may even be called a saint. But your greatness will not be measured by the number of disciples you have; it will be measured by how many people you serve. “The greatest among you will be your servant.”[13]

It doesn’t sound easy, and it’s not. It is hard work being a disciple of Jesus. But it is good work. It is the kind of work that will lift your spirits. By serving others, by helping them to bear their burdens, we find our own burdens much easier to bear. By listening to another, we might hear what God is doing in the world outside of our own heads. When we take the time to help another, when we allow our plans and routines to be interrupted by the needs of another, we just might be able to release our own anxieties and make room for God to refocus our attention on what is really important.

To take up our cross and follow Christ means that we will sometimes have to bear the burdens of others. We will have to suffer and endure one another, and not so we can fix or control the other, but so that we can allow them to be free. It is a burden, it is difficult, to allow someone else to be who they are, to not judge them, to not expect them to conform, to allow them to be strange, peculiar, broken and scarred, imperfect. When we allow the needs of another to supersede our own, we just might find our burdens easing. Who knows, we may find that the other we are serving is the one who knows us best.

In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus tried to give a practical explanation of what discipleship is all about.

I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me… I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.[14]

What does discipleship mean? It means that you must humble yourself. It means to serve the world, in the name and in the manner of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, the Messiah, our Teacher, the one who has called out “Follow me.”  Amen.

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[1] The scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

[2] Robert L. Deffinbaugh, Th.M., Community Bible Chapel, Richardson, Texas. “Discipleship: Its Definitions and Dangers (Matthew 23:1-12)” from the Series: Highlights in the Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ © 1998 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. and the authors. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from http://bible.org.
Source URL: http://bible.org/seriespage/discipleship-its-definitions-and-dangers-matthew-231-12.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Matthew 23:4.

[5] Matthew 11:28-30.

[6] Mel Brooks, History of the World, Part I, © 1981, 20^th Century Fox.

[7] Matthew 23:6-7.

[8] Matthew 16:15-16.

[9] Matthew 16:24.

[10] Cf. Matthew 4:19, 21.

[11] Matthew 8:20.

[12] Matthew 23:8.

[13] Matthew 23:11.

[14] Matthew 25:35-36, 40.

What Are You Looking For?

January 19, 2020

St. John’s United Church of Christ, Union, Illinois

John 1:29-42

“Hi, can I help you find something?” The common greeting from a retail employee, expressing welcome, helpfulness, kindness. “May I help you?” Another common question, also expressing helpfulness and kindness. “What are you looking for?” Maybe it’s that hard-to-find pair of pants that actually fit, or the next best gadget that will solve all your problems. Take the question out of its context and it becomes just one more mundane response meant to make the sale.

“What are you looking for,” in this context, however, is an existential question. We are all looking for something in life. Some meaning, some purpose, something that drives us, energizes us, makes us happy. In our day-to-day lives we have hopes and dreams. We want to achieve our goals, feel good as much as possible, and maximize our quality of life. We want to be happy. And we can find some happiness, most of the time, if we work hard, are frugal with our money and time, and take care of the people and things that matter to us.

We often get stuck, however, on some external object that doesn’t really meet our needs. Maybe we think that the next job, a promotion, or a new romantic partner will be the thing that brings us happiness. Maybe it’s an actual object, like a new car, or a bigger TV. Now, getting a great job or meeting the right person can make you happy. But we often find that the job turns out to be more stressful than we thought, or the amazing person turns out to have a shadow side. The shiny new object is great, until we become accustomed to it, and then it blends into the background like everything else.

Is this the American way? We focus on external achievements and material things, neglecting our internal needs, our spiritual well-being. We focus on competing and winning, rather than supporting and collaborating with each other, taking time for ourselves to wonder, dream, and pray. We each have a hunger for something more, but what we find often leaves us still empty.

Andrew, the disciple of John the Baptizer, was looking for something more. He was a fisherman. He, and his brother, Simon, had learned the trade from their father, and were probably decent fishermen. But they wanted more. There’s no corporate ladder to climb when you’re a fisherman. If you wanted a fancier boat, you had to make it yourself. And even finding the right partner is tough when everyone in the village already knows everyone else’s shadow side. Simon and Andrew longed for more meaning and purpose, something greater to be a part of.

They had heard of this wild person baptizing people and went to hear what he had to say. They learned about repentance, about preparing for what was to come. John wasn’t the answer to their search, however, as he himself pointed out. “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” There were rumors of someone who would come to bring glory back to Israel, the Messiah. Now that was something worth looking for. Maybe that was what John had been talking about.

Then, Jesus walked by. “Look,” John exclaimed, “here is the Lamb of God!” John didn’t hold them back, and they followed Jesus. It was in that moment that the question, THE question, came. “What are you looking for?” They didn’t really answer, perhaps not knowing what to say. “Rabbi, where are you staying?” Teacher, we want to be taught by you. We want to follow you. We want you to show us what we’re looking for. “Come and see,” he said.

What did they see? A minister named Melissa Sevier imagines the scene this way:

Do they see him interacting with family? Hosting the Sabbath meal? Praying over the food? Singing a psalm? Laughing at a joke? Telling stories? Do they see him sharing leftovers with the poor? Talking to unclean people on the way home? Talking about what to do about a widowed neighbor or a depressed friend? Do they hear some of his teaching, or is just seeing how he lives on a random day life-changing enough?

Whatever they experience, it is interesting or moving enough for them to tell some others about it, and to give them the same invitation to come and see.[1]

They would see. And they did find something, perhaps more than they were looking for. They found a teacher. But this teacher wouldn’t teach them how to build a fancier boat or make it big in carpentry. This teacher would teach them how to find the love of God planted deep inside themselves and bring it to life in others. They found a guide. But this guide wouldn’t teach them which roads to Jerusalem were the safest or quickest. This guide would show them how to walk the hard road, the road that would eventually lead to the cross, but to walk with hope in their hearts, compassion in their touch, and love in every encounter.

They found the Messiah. But this messiah would not lead them in glorious battle to retake Israel from the Romans and put a king like David back on the throne. This messiah would lead them in glorious battle against disease, distress, hopelessness, emptiness, and heartlessness. This messiah would lead them, not to find a destination, but to see the Kingdom of God wherever they went, and to proclaim the presence of God in the midst of the journey.

They found the Lamb of God. This ruler would not become a king or conqueror, but would choose instead to sacrifice himself in order to save others. This leader would show them how to be servants, to put the needs of others ahead of their own. This master would not seek power and control, but rather to take away the sin of the world.

They found the Son of God. In this person, Jesus, they found the one who understood them better than they understood themselves. They found the one who would challenge them, test them, make them grow and change in ways they could hardly imagine. Simon would become a different person, taking a new name, Cephas, or Peter. They found a teacher who would make them into teachers, a healer who would make them into healers, a brother who would welcome them into the household of God.

All of that is yet to come, of course. This was only the beginning. What were they looking for? What did they find? A teacher, a master, and so much more. What are you looking for? A sense of purpose, some meaning in life, a way to be set free? Come and see. Maybe you’ll find it on this journey of faith. Maybe you’ll find that what you’re looking for is something you already have, the seed of love, planted by God, waiting for you to give it away.  Amen.

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[1] Melissa Bane Sevier © 2017. Alt. From: https://melissabanesevier.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/where-are-you-staying/.