“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

In this morning’s reading from Mark’s Gospel (1:21-28) we hear once again the first account of Jesus healing an individual.  This particular man who was healed just happened to be possessed by an unclean spirit.  He came to the attention of Jesus, not because a loved one had brought him to be healed, but because in his own voice he cried out in protest and thus interupted Jesus and his teachings.  This morning I’m not going to ask us to focus as much on the miricle of Jesus healing an individual as I want us to look more closely at the nature of the response of Jesus to this dusruption.

Many of us gathered here today have experiences in our own personal past when we have seen the interruption of either a teacher or a leader while they were in the middle of a presentation.  Most “good educators” will evaluate the interruption quickly and directly answer the question being posed, and thus incorporate the question or disruption into their teaching.  Questionable teachers will instantly and severly reprimand the individual who has dared to interrupt their important lesson.  Now politicians, as evidenced by our recent election debates, have learned to turn such disrubtions into an opportunity to “preach their message!”

I guess you could say that I’m willing to count Jesus as one of the greatest, if not the best, teacher ever.  Jesus could have ended his command to this man with his first words, “Be silent!”  Did you notice that the evil spirit never truly uttered another intelligable word?  However, Jesus’ true intention was not to only silence this man possessed by an evil spirit.  Jesus knew that this man was possessed, and that this man needed to be set free.  Jesus understood that helping this man to become free at this moment was far more important than finishing a teaching moment with the other individuals present.  In truth, maybe setting this man free was the true lesson to be taught to those who where there to watch this event unfold.  Maybe Jesus wants all of us to remember that we too are called to help our brothers and our sister.  Maybe we need to be reminded a few times that God has sent even us here, into this world, to be witnesses to our brothers and our sisters about the love of God rather than about the coming judgment and condemnation.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul cautions all who would read this letter that, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”[1]  Yes, knowledge is important and it is valuable, but even more importantly we must remember to remain in love with our Creator as well as with all of our brothers and our sisters.

Paul also wrote great words of advice to all of us who have been freed from the old set of rules, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”[2]  We have been called – we have been called to rise above our sense of personal freedom.  We have been called back into servitude.  We are also reminded that we have called to help our brothers and our sisters to become as free of “evil spirits” as the man that Jesus had set free.

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[1] 1^st Corinthians 8:1b NRSV

[2] 1 Corinthians 8:9 NRSV

Time to go fishing

In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (1:14-20) we hear the words of Jesus as he begins to proclaim the good news of God,  “The time is fullfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”¹ Okay, let me get this straight now, all I need to do is to announce to everyone around me that God’s Kingdom is near, that all they really need to do is to repent and believe in the good news, and then my work here is done.  I don’t have to do anything else, right?  Everything will be taken care of, right?  I can leave now, right?

Actually, it’s not that simple.  There is more, a lot more to this story.  In fact, there is still more to today’s message, and there is even more to the ministry and the lessons of Jesus.  Jesus understood that his was only one single voice.  Granted, his was a very powerful voice.  As an example, in this morning’s Gospel reading we hear about the time that Jesus was walking past two fishermen, Simon and Andrew, two brothers in business together.  Jesus called to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” ² 

Did you notice that they did not even hesitate for a moment?  They dropped everything in that moment and followed him.  They did not bother to store their equipment, nor did they bother to give it to relatives or sell to others.  Now this sort of reaction you might think strange, but imagine that it happens twice.  Mark tells us that Jesus only went a little farther, and then he call James and his brother John to leave their father behind with the nets and the boat.

Now I’ll be honest here with you, it would have taken a lot for anyone to have ever been able to call me away from working at my father’s side.  I like to think that it’s because I’m such a loyal person, but that might not be the whole story here.  Why would these four men leave and follow Jesus just because he called to them?  Simon and Andrew might have been tired of fishing; maybe they were looking for a change.  As for James and John, we weren’t told anything about the relationship they might have had with their father.  Maybe they too were looking for a change.

I’d like to also share with you a few additional points of interest.  First, most individuals who have read the entire Gospel of Mark in one or two sittings have commented that the author has a very “fast paced” story-line, especially when compared to either Matthew or Luke.  There seems to be many times when Jesus suddenly leaves one location and appears at another.  There are “extra details” to be found in other accounts that have been left out of Mark’s Gospel, and when we can compare a story with another Gospel we will discover that indeed there are a “few details” that Mark has often left out of his story or else the other authors have made up extra details.

Maybe the reality here is that Jesus had been in Galilee for several weeks.  Maybe these four men had heard Jesus preaching and teaching.  Maybe they had a chance to see that he was even more than just a man of words; maybe they saw Jesus in action affecting the lives of those gathered around him.  I can assure you that watching Jesus in action has affected the thoughts and actions of many of us alive today.  Some of us have been so strongly affected that we have been driven to answer our call.  Many of us have been called to become involved in the ministry of the local church as lay members.  And some of us resisted as long as we could, and then finally answered the call to be ministers.

Secondly, over the months to come we will hear many stories of the 12 Disciples; their callings, their answering, their following, and their missions.  But we should also remember that there were many … many more individuals whose lives where effected by Jesus and his teachings.  That’s still true even today.  Each of us, each of us here today, each one of us who has heard these words … has a choice.  We can share the calling of those who would answer Jesus, we can reach out to every one of our sisters and brother … to each and every child of God … or we can ignore this calling.  God has given each one of us greater freedom than the rest of creation.  We … we have the freedom of choice.  We can choose to turn our backs on Jesus, God, the Holy Spirit, and even our brothers and sisters … or we can choose to follow the teaching of Jesus.

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     ¹ Mark 1:15 NRSV

     ² Mark 1:17 NRSV

“… baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Mark (1:4-11) we heard not only the story of the Baptism of Jesus, but also words that should help us to have a clearer understanding of the true meaning of Baptism.  Baptism for many centries has been a symbolic cleansing, a washing away, of the sins which an individual has committed.  At the same time Baptism is also understood to be a time of the new uniting between an individual and God, upon being Baptized we are pledging ourselves to live a life dedicated to following the will of God.

In the Methodist tradition, the age of those being Baptized has become younger over the centuries.  In The United Methodist Book of Worship the words of introduction to the section on the Baptismal Covenant inform us that, “The Baptismal Coventant is God’s word to us, proclaiming our adoption by grace, and our word to God, promising our response of faith and love.”[1] 

Most individuals Baptized now within the United Methodist Church cannot speak for themselves, and so they have sponsors who make the promise to help bring the child into the household of God.  At a later date, when the child is old enough to understand the true meaning of Baptism, they are allowed to make their personal profession of faith in a service called Confirmation.

There is also a vast difference between the symbolic act of Baptism and the genuine act of Baptism by the Holy Spirit.  John the Baptist clearly understood this difference between the symbolic act and the genuine act of Baptism.  He told those who had gathered around him, “I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”[2]

John understood that he was not even worthy to untie the sandals that Jesus was wearing, but Jesus calmly told John to go ahead and perform the Baptizm.  But how could John wash away the sins of Jesus?  I do understand John’s hesitations; how can I wash away the sins of a new baby? 

My understanding of sin is a willful comission or omission.  My understanding of sin is for an individual to disobey or ignore the will of God.  How is it possible for a baby to have sinned?  How is it possible for Jesus to have sinned? 

And so we have come to the second part of the service of Baptism.  Baptism is more than just being washed clean of past sin.  Baptism is also about being dedicated to the will of God.

Each one of us here today who has been Baptized has been spiritually washed clean, and we have been dedicated to the will of God.  Those of us who were Baptized as children have had an adult sponsor who did promise to nurture us and guide us by their examples until we accepted God’s Grace for ourselves.  Some of us who are here today have taken on the responsibility of standing up and nurturing such a child.

However, there may be some who would try to claim that they have never pledged to nurture any one who has ever been Baptized.  Be careful … for if you have ever been in a United Methodist congregation during the time of a Baptism, there is at the end a part where the presiding Pastor askes the entire congregation, “Will you nurture one another in the Christian faith and life and include this child now before you in your care?” [page 38 of the United Methodist Hymnal]

On the day that Jesus was Baptized by John, when Jesus came back to the surface of the water, the Spirit descended, “and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’” [3]

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[1] The United Methodist Book of Worship, page 81.  The United Methodist Publishing House, Nashville, Tennessee. © 1992.

[2] Mark 1:8 NRSV

[3] Mark 1:11 NRSV

Where is this child?

In many Christian community celebrations of Christmas, there is the annual pageant with the long parade of all of the characters found in both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of the birth of Jesus.  Many of us who are gathered here this morning may have first-hand knowledge of being a part of this grand tradition.  Some of us may have experienced being angels, shepherds, Mary or Joseph.  I have experienced the great honor, both as a child and as an adult, of being one of the wise men. 

In this morning’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12) we once again have heard the story of the three “wise men from the East who came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?’’”[1]  Now, this may seem to most of us a simple enough question to ask, after all – they are not from the local area and are just looking for directions.  But I would like us to consider a few other details this morning during our time of reflection on this story from Matthew’s Gospel.

First, I will ask us to look at the title given to the three principal men of this story – they are called “wise-men” not the “Three Kings.”  Actually the title of “Three Kings” is given to these “wise-men” by more modern people.  Most likely they are remembering what the prophet Isaiah had written, “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”[2]

Second, if they really are “wise men” wouldn’t they have known that Jerusalem already had a King – King Herod?  Wouldn’t they also have known that the entire area was under the direct control of the Roman Empire?  They may have been wise men, but they were also expecting that the “new king” would be an insider.

Now when Herod heard about these men searching all about for a “new king,” he and the rest of the population of Jerusalem became frightened.  I can think of at least two good reasons for becoming frightened: (1) If Herod was going to be replaced, then what would happen to Herod himself? And (2) If Herod was going to be replaced, then how would the Romans react to all of Jerusalem over this news?

 Those who are in power are never really happy to hear that someone else is going to be coming into power, or usurping their power.  They will take actions to stop it!

Well, as our story continues Herod has told them to continue their search, and then to return to him so that he might go and pay homage.  I’m guessing that Herod is not feeling that these three men are really wise men after all.  Herod is sending them to find the one whom he believes will be the one to overthrow him, and he thinks that they can’t see through this plan.

Okay.  So the three wise men continue to follow the star, and they eventually find Mary and the child Jesus.  They give him their three gifts: Gold, which has always been a symbol of wealth; Frankincense, which is an incense that was being used during worship in the Jerusalem Temple; and Myrrh, which was used by the ancient Egyptians for the embalming of mummies.  Yes, these were very expensive gifts … gifts indeed fit for a king.  And so, these men really did believe that Jesus was going to be the new king.

And here comes the hard part ... not the part about three wise men having enough intelligence to follow a message sent to them by the Creator of all that is, but rather what are you going to do about this message?  Are you going to pretend in your everyday life that the message of hope and salvation is only for the “chosen” few?  Or are you going to answer the call to share your faith with all that you meet?

Yes, I do believe that the three men in this story were wise men.  I also believe that they understood that even Herod deserved to hear the true message of hope and salvation that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit call each one of us to share with all of our brothers and sisters. 

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[1] Matthew 2:2a NRSV

[2] Isaiah 60:3 NRSV

"... you are no longer a slave ..."

There are many traditions which have been and still are being deeply honored when the first born child appears in a family.  One of these traditions, still being practiced, can be evidenced by the fact that some males have a legal name which ends with the title Junior.  Yes, I was named after my father.  My son’s middle name was given to him in honor of his mother’s father.  Some women, like my wife, have as their middle name the first name of their mother’s mother. 

There has also been in the past the tradition of dedicating a first born child to the service of God.  And so in our reading this morning from the Gospel of Luke (2:22-40) we find that Joseph and Mary are bringing Jesus to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord for purification.  However, along the way they are confronted be two individuals who have been waiting a long time to see the will of the Lord come to completion.

The first was an old man named Simeon.  He spent most of his elder years in the temple waiting for God to keep a promise.  Simeon wanted to see the day that the Lord’s Messiah would be revealed.  Simeon had seen how the world was continuing to deteriorate as most people turned their backs on each other and on God.  The rich became richer and blinder, while the poor had what little they held taken away from them.  God had promised all of us that this world had enough blessings to care for all of the people, but there have always been those who have desired to be in control of more. 

When Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple, Simeon was there.  Simeon reached out and held the baby Jesus in his arms and knew that God had kept the promise made for he said, “my eyes have seen your salvation.”[1]  This is not the first time in Luke’s Gospel that we hear that Jesus will be the salvation of our world, nor will it be the last.

But our reading from Luke is not yet finished, there is still to be the encounter with the prophet Anna.  At the age of 84, Anna now sees Jesus for the first time and begins to speak to everyone who is willing to listen that here is the one whom they have been looking for; here is the one who will be the redemption of Jerusalem.  We need to be careful about the concept of Jesus coming into the world to be the redemption of “the chosen.”  Sometimes this term becomes a tool of abuse, rather than believing that the choosen are to be waited upon … maybe we should remember that the choosen are blessed with gifts and talents so that they can better serve their brothers and sisters who have fewer talents and gifts. 

When we “buy into” this worldly society’s practices and beliefs that only those who have the most stuff are truly the happiest in this world, then we are allowing ourselves to become slaves to this physical world and its momentary culture.  We are selling our selves into a form of slavery, and we are called by God onto a different path.  We are called to a higher way of living; we are called to reach out to our brothers and sisters with love and compassion.  We are called to not only share our physical possessions with those who are in need, but we are also called to share the true depth of our faith with those we meet … our faith in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Paul wrote to the faithful Galatians, “So you are no longer slaves but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.”[2]  We no longer have to live as slaves.  We have the freedom to choose.  We can choose to follow the selfish world’s dictates, or we can choose to follow the will of God - the teachings of Jesus.

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[1] Luke 2:30 NRSV

[2] Galatians 4:7 NRSV