April 21, 2024 4th Sunday of Easter Mark 7:1-23

Jesus’ remarks in our gospel reading that, “For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come,” reminds me of the story the head chaplain at the University of Tennessee Medical Center told while I was working as a chaplain there. He said that one day he was working from his home office. He had two daughters and the younger of the two came to his office and asked, “Can I have a bowl of ice cream?” This was an unusual request but he decided there was no harm in it, so he said yes.

Some time later when he stepped out of the office he found his two daughters in the living room watching TV. The youngest, who had asked for a bowl of ice cream did not have any. But the older, who did not ask, was sitting there eating ice cream. He said to her, “What are you doing? I never said you could have ice cream!”

“No, you didn’t,” was her calm reply.

“So why do I see you here eating ice cream?”

“Well, I knew you’d never say yes if I asked to have ice cream. But I knew you’d say yes to her. So I had her ask for me. And she did. And you said yes. But you never said she couldn’t give the ice cream to me.”

I don’t know what his daughters do in adulthood, but there’s the making of a good lawyer there! He could have punished both his daughters for their deceptive shenanigans, but he decided they had outmaneuvered him fair and square. He also knew to be on his guard in the future, for both parents and children know how to play that game!

And that’s just it. From the time we are little we learn how to,…perhaps not be outright deceptive, but to be strategic. You know how to get what you need, and what you want. You learn how to do quick calculations in your head about how you will act. Quite likely there’s at least one person in your life that you consider to be a friend, but he or she says things that you disagree with, or even find offensive. You decide not to confront them because you’d rather have the friendship than have it be broken.

Hopefully there’s nothing in our hearts that rises to the level of evil intentions that Jesus talks about: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, and folly. Although some of those things may seem less destructive than others. I certainly don’t put folly and murder on the same moral level. Yet, they do both speak to a depravity of the heart that is destructive. And certainly each and every one of us is caught by at least one thing on that list.

We’ll come back to that in a few minutes. Before that we want to look more at the specifics of what Jesus is being challenged over.

Our gospel reading starts with Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathering around Jesus and noticing his disciples are eating with defiled hands. We should note that the fact that scribes have come from Jerusalem shows that the ministry Jesus is doing is becoming known in high places. He’s had disagreements with religious leaders before this but they were on a more local level. As we enter Mark 7 we realize the ministry of Jesus has been expanding greatly. It started in Capernaum. Then it spread throughout the region of Galilee. Then it continued on into some non-Jewish areas. Last week we read the end of chapter six where we learned, “And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.” (6:56)

So Jesus has come to the attention of the religious bigwigs. They’ve sent out some scribes to see what is going on. They challenge Jesus about food and purity laws. Although note that they do not say Jesus is breaking any of the codes. It is that he is not teaching his disciples to follow them. That difference is subtle, but significant. All of the gospels note that Jesus himself obeyed the Jewish religious laws. However he did not impose them on his followers.

That teaches us that the laws themselves are not bad. Jesus doesn’t reject them. Not at all. But he does question the reason why people follow them; or more specifically the way following the religious laws was used judgmentally and to cause divisions.

Judaism was not united in its following of the religious laws. Other historical accounts of the times show there were variations among Jews. Many practiced different things. When the religious leaders challenge Jesus about them they are trying to put he and his disciples into a category. Perhaps think about it like the hot button issues of today. People talk about pro-life or pro-choice. We have divisions about race, and gender, and capital punishment, and policies about poverty, and policies about wealth, and policies about guns, and policies about immigration, and policies about how to handle Israel, and Palestinians, and Ukraine, and Sudan, and Afghanistan… and I could make this list go on and on.

Any of these things are used to create labels for people, and then to either see them as being like oneself, or being an opponent. Few, if any, discussions that I’m a part of with all of this stuff are actually constructive.

Where does Jesus land in the debate over food and food purity laws? Jesus refuses to be categorized. He refuses to let other people define issues in a way that he then has to take sides. Jesus does here what he always does. He roots things in God’s original intentions, not in technicalities of the law. For just like one girl asking on behalf of her sister for a bowl of ice cream, and not being explicitly told by her father that the ice cream cannot be given to her sister, so too will people find loopholes that allow them to do what their heart desires.

Before the scribes and Pharisees Jesus refuses to be defined. And then he goes on the offensive. The debate about things being an offering to God, or “Corban,” appears to have been another hot issue of the time. Though the exact nature of this is no longer clear, it appears it had something to do with making a vow attached to goods, which meant they could be no longer use for any purpose other than the temple.

This is an oversimplification, but maybe think of it this way. Let’s say we have a major campaign to pay off the mortgage of the church. You make a sizable pledge of money to the effort. But then something happens with a family member’s finances and they are in need. You can’t afford to both help them and maintain your financial pledge to the church, so what should you do? Which is more important, help of family or support of church? Under what circumstances could you break your pledge to the church? What would God think of you for it?

It seems that in Jesus’ day things were leaning pretty severely on the side of keeping your pledge to the temple. Your family would just have to suffer. There were few if any ways of backing out.

But Jesus roots the argument back into the old law given through Moses about honoring family members. That is a connection of the heart, and not a connection based upon technicalities. So we conclude with a return to idea of a depravity of the heart.

I don’t think it’s possible for any of us to ever have absolutely pure motives on anything we do. There’s always going to be some hope or desire connected to what we do that will benefit us, even if it is a very selfless seeming act. But Jesus is not trying to beat us up for those technicalities. We want to look at the bigger picture of our hearts.

Are we driven by greed and desires? Is who we present ourselves as in public basically true to who we are on the inside? Do embellish things, or leave things out, in our conversations and in our dealings such that we look artificially good and other people unfairly bad? Do we do things to make our lives easier for ourselves when we really need to shoulder greater responsibility for our actions? Would we rather point the finger at other people rather than work harder ourselves?

Jesus invites us to have our lives rooted, not in human dynamics of definitions and justice, but in God’s saving and enduring love. That puts our hearts in the purest place. It removes us from all the distinctions and judgments humans create. And it frees us to most fully be our true selves.

April 14, 2024 3rd Sunday of Easter Mark 6:45-56

I hope the gospel reading bothered you at least somewhat, or perhaps quite a bit! Our gospel reading picks up right after the Feeding of the 5000 miracle. We can understand that Jesus is very tired after that event. Even if you were a full time caterer with all sorts of equipment and professional staff you’d still feel wiped out after feeding thousands of people. Jesus, with only the disciples to help him and no cooking staff at all, is certainly wiped out. He wants to be alone to pray and rejuvenate. So he sends his disciples away while he stays behind.

Actually, he doesn’t just send the disciples away. He doesn’t say, “Go, do what you want for a bit. I need some time to be alone and to pray.” No, he gives them specific instructions. The gospel tells us that after the feeding Jesus immediately made his disciples get into the board and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida. The crowd is still there and only after sending off the disciples does Jesus dismiss the crowd. The disciples, then, are following Jesus’ specific instructions.

You think, or at least you’d hope, that if you were following God’s clear and specific instructions you’d get some help in the task ahead. Maybe you’ll accept that the task will be difficult and dangerous, but you expect God’s help. But the disciples set off in what appears to be calm water. It seems as if only later does the wind pick up and the disciples are straining to get across.

At this point we’re through six chapters of Mark’s gospel. Mark has told us, the readers, that Jesus has power over nature. Mark has also told us that Jesus can discern what is in the minds of other people. In other words, we know that Jesus is all knowing and all powerful.

With that in mind, shouldn’t the disciples have an easy time across the lake? Jesus hasn’t sent them out to do anything dangerous. And they aren’t doing anything particularly remarkable. They are just to row a routine trip across familiar waters.

But they face an adverse wind. We aren’t told that this is a particularly dangerous situation. You may remember from chapter 4 that Jesus is asleep in the boat with the disciples when a windstorm arises and the boat is being swamped. No, this time it’s just an adverse wind. The disciples can handle it. It's just hard. We feel a bit of compassion from Jesus when Mark tells us in verse 48, “When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning.”

Ah, good. Jesus sees their distress. Jesus is going to come and help.

That’s the way we want God to work. That’s the way we think God does work. Those who are doing God’s will will receive help in time of need. We’ll overlook that Jesus didn’t calm the wind, and we’ll overlook that Jesus sent them out there in the first place.

But then what does Jesus do? Verse 48 continues, “[Jesus] came towards them early in the morning, walking on the sea. He intended to pass by them.”

What!?! Jesus is going to just pass by them? Aren’t these guys doing exactly what Jesus has instructed them to do? Aren’t they fighting against the wind on his orders? …when he himself could have calmed the wind and made this routine crossing easier. Shouldn’t Jesus at least acknowledge their difficulties? Is Jesus really going to leave them alone to battle this on their own?

If I’m going to do God’s will, whether it be difficult and exciting, or dull and routine, I certainly don’t want God to just ignore me when I’m in distress!

Yes, there’s plenty about this text to bother us.

Let’s look at it more deeply as Mark intends.

First, once before Jesus has sent the disciples away when he went off by himself to pray. When he came back from that time in prayer he made a major shift in his ministry. He went from ministry in Capernaum to going on a preaching tour in Galilee. This time Jesus also makes a major shift in his ministry. The Feeding of the 5000 was much more than just showing he could fill the bellies of lots of people without much food to start with. The Feeding of the 5000 is Jesus revealing himself as the great shepherd of the sheep. Prior to that miracle Mark says they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then Jesus teaches them; and ultimately feeds them. In the Feeding of the 5000 story Mark includes the details that Jesus has them all sit down in orderly fashion on the green grass. All of this is shepherding care. It is God’s care for the masses. As readers of Mark, we see the role of Jesus expanding. He is teacher, healer, provider, shepherd, and more.

So then why the abrupt shift to sending the disciples into harm’s way and ignoring them in their distress? Because it is a way of revealing more about Jesus.

We need to turn to Job 9, which we had as our scripture poetry. In 9:8 we read, “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the Sea.” In 9:11 we read, “Look, he passes by me, and I do not see him…” And we didn’t read it, but also in Job 38:16 we find God challenging Job with the words, “Have you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep?” It goes on, “Have the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness? Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare if you know all this.”

In Job God shows that God is beyond what a human can ever understand, or ever hope to control. Mark probably has more in mind too. In our first reading from Exodus Moses says to God, “Show me your glory, I pray.” And God said, “I will make my goodness pass before you.”

So, in this simple statement that Jesus intended to pass by them Mark is showing us a lot of things. He is touching on God being beyond what we can comprehend or control. He is touching on God’s goodness passing before them, just like Moses and the Israelites. And a sentence later we have this reinforced when Jesus says to the disciples, “Take heart, it is I.” Or more literally, “Take heart. I Am.”

We remember that God’s name in the Old Testament is “I Am.” So, what may have caused fear in the disciples and felt like neglect was really and ongoing and deeper revelation of who Jesus was in their midst. They were struggling. God was with them. God was not using supernatural means to protect them from harm, but God was in their midst through it.

So let’s look at the whole picture before us. You probably know well that I cringe whenever people say, “God has a plan for my life.” I get it. I understand the desire for your life to have a specific and unique purpose. And I understand the desire to feel God’s protection around you; especially as so much of life can feel out of your control. But that line of thinking runs into problems all too often. Why does one person get help and another doesn’t? Why do good things happen to bad people while bad things happen to good people? There is too much in life that is fundamentally unfair if you take that approach.

The “God has a purpose for me” approach is behind where I started today’s sermon when I talked about Jesus sending the disciples into difficulties and then walking by them in the midst of those difficulties. It feels unfair. It’s not the sort of things we want from God.

But this Bible passage encourages us to have a different approach. God has a plan, yes. God has a grand plan for the whole of the universe. And you get to have a part in it; an important part. So don’t feel left out or diminished. But God’s grand plan may not include you have an easy time of it.

The disciples were sent out onto that lake. Jesus knew they would struggle. He knew the wind would be against them. He knew his presence would frighten them. But all of it was a means by which God’s glory could be revealed. Jesus did not walk on water in order to show off. His ego didn’t need that. Jesus walked on water to show the disciples, and through them show the world, his saving power, his love, and his ongoing presence.

When something is unfair, puzzling, or perplexing, go ahead and let God know it. It’s fine to get upset with God. But don’t ruminate on it trying to make it make sense. As we find in the book of Job, much of what God does is beyond our ability to comprehend. We trust God anyway, not so that we understand, but because we know God is truly up to something good for the whole of the world.

April 7, 2024 2nd Sunday of Easter Mark 16:9-20

I believe most of us are familiar with the north end of Canandaigua Lake. Most of it is Kershaw Park but there’s also the city pier, country club, Lake House, and more. It’s a nice place. You can rent a luxury apartment that overlooks it all. Things are clear and distinct. If you walk in Kershaw Park you can walk on a solid dry trail almost at the water’s edge. There are rocks protecting the shore from erosion. In the swimming area there’s a sandy beach. The water is usually clean and clear.

I’m pretty sure most of us are not familiar with the south end of Canandaigua Lake. There you’re in the West River Area. Things couldn’t be more different from the north. The lake gets shallower and shallower; and then, you’re not quite sure where it ends. There are lily pads which transition into cattails and reeds. Sooner or later land forms, but isn’t not entirely clear where. The place covers some six thousand one hundred acres. There are channels in and among the reeds. Some of them you can get a boat through. Many you can’t. Duck Weed creates a green carpet over the channels. It’s hard to know what is land and what is not. Some places are dirt. Many places are like a peaty moss that you really can’t walk on. The place is rich with a diversity of wildlife: turtles, snakes, deer, beavers, various birds, and loads of insects. You never know what the place is going to smell like. It usually has a wet musty smell. There are no luxury apartments or hotels or country clubs.

I believe the north end of the lake used to be a lot like the south end, but over the centuries we have shaped the north into something definable and distinct. We humans like that sort of thing. We humans can find it meaningful to visit the marshy lands but we don’t want to actually live there.

Last Sunday on Easter we looked at the end of Mark’s gospel. It ended strangely. The women came to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. They didn’t do it on Friday because at sundown it was the Sabbath. The Sabbath went all the way through until Saturday night and Sunday sunrise was the earliest time they could get there. You can imagine the feelings of the women as they planned to anoint Jesus. Not only was it a difficult task, they also anticipated his body would also be starting to smell from the beginnings of decay. What a difficult time it would be for them to perform this service for the man upon whom they had put so much hope.

Then of course, when they got to the tomb they found the stone rolled back, and it was empty! Jesus was nowhere to be found! A young man appears at the tomb and tells them they should tell the disciples that Jesus was raised from the dead. And that they should to go Galilee. There they would see him.

Mark’s gospel ends with the enigmatic line that we translated literally, “And nothing to no one did they speak. The reason they were afraid was because.”

That’s it. End of the gospel. Strange.

You may remember from last week that we said Mark’s gospel was actually circular. The final sentence is incomplete. So is the first sentence. So that when we put the final incomplete sentence into place with the very first incomplete sentence we get a good sentence, “The reason they were afraid was because the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God.”

That’s all well and good. But the early Christians didn’t like that. What we read in worship today are the varied endings that have been attached to Mark’s gospel. I’m not going to preach on them specifically. If you study them you can see that they are derived from the endings of the other gospels and from Acts. But I want to focus on why there was the desire to give Mark’s gospel a better ending.

Did people not understand that Mark’s gospel was circular? Maybe. In fact, that’s probably quite likely. If we’re honest, it isn’t a sure thing that Mark’s gospel is circular. It is only a theory. It is a very good theory, and one with a lot of evidence to support it. But it is still a theory.

And Mark probably also has something else going on too. Mark’s gospel also has several layers of meaning going on simultaneously. The meaning you get is determined by the level at which you look. Mark’s gospel is a lot like the West River Area at the south end of Canandaigua Lake. It lacks crisp distinctions and solid definition.

Remember back to the stories of Jesus’ arrest and trail. Jesus and the disciples go to Gethsemane after the Last Supper. Jesus prays. The disciples fall asleep. Jesus is deeply disturbed and asks the disciples to pray with him. But they keep falling asleep.

When the crowd from the religious leaders comes to arrest Jesus the disciples become scared. One of the disciples, cuts off the ear of the slave of the high priest. The disciples flee in disarray.

When Jesus is on trial Peter becomes daring enough to hang around the courtyard to see what will happen. But as people recognize Peter and connect him with Jesus, he denies ever knowing Jesus. So much for the courage of the closest of Jesus’ disciples!

By the time Jesus is crucified there’s no one left. We’re told that some women are watching from a distance. Three of them were: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome. They don’t have the courage to come closer but at least they haven’t totally fled. Realistically they had little to fear. Women were of such low account no one would have cared if they were associated with Jesus, as long as they didn’t cause trouble. So by the time Jesus is dead the disciples have fled in fear but we still have a few women looking on from a distance.

But, according to Mark, what happens Easter Sunday morning? The women see the tomb and the young man. They are filled with terror and amazement. And they flee the tomb telling no one anything. End of story.

Who’s left? No one. The male disciples fled in fear on Thursday and Friday. Now on Sunday the women followers have fled in fear too.

Yes, Mark’s gospel is circular. But he also ends it here. There is no hope for the future of the Jesus movement. No one is left. It is as if Mark’s gospel has left us in the middle of the West River Area. 6,100 acres of undefinable swamp and marsh. What’s lake? What’s land? What’s a navigable channel? What is not?

We don’t like that. Neither did the earliest Christians. Historical study shows us that early in the second century the endings based on the other gospels and Acts were already being tacked on to Mark. We want something solid to stand on – whether that is literal land or scriptural certainty. The additions to Mark’s gospel are like the north end of Canandaigua Lake which has been drained, and filled in, and developed, and defined.

But uncomfortable as Mark originally leaves us, Mark has done us a great service that we are well to give thanks for.

How often in life are you unsure of things? What is right? What is wrong? What will work? What won’t? Which political party is the least-worst? Which philosophy is right? Should parents push their children do to all sorts of sports and music and drama so that they fit in, even as parents know their kids are overscheduled? Should parents force their kids to come to worship to show the right priorities, or is forcing them going to cause a rebellion?

What do you do when your employer does things that aren’t entirely ethical? Should you stay to try to improve things, and yet possibly perpetuate the problem; or should you go looking for something better? Nothing in perfect. No one is perfect. I could list things on an on.

The truth is, much as we don’t like it, a lot of life is like living in the West River Area. There just isn’t the clarity and definition that we want.

I believe that the gospel writer Mark knew that. Mark does not tie everything up neatly. Mark shows that the story of Jesus is not afraid to dwell with us in those uncertain places; or even when everything is uncertain. It is as if Mark knew that the followers of Jesus that were yet to come would have struggles. They did not need simple easy clean answers. They needed scripture to reflect the real messiness of a life of faith.

It is easy to look at the past with a nostalgic eye. Things looked simpler, easier, more definite. It is easy to read the scriptures and think, “If only I could have been there. If only I could have seen Jesus face to face. If only I could have seen Jesus’ miracles first-hand then my faith would have no doubts.” Matthew’s gospel, Luke’s gospel, John’s gospel, and the Acts of the Apostles could all create that longing in us. Indeed, we do need that definition for our lives. But Mark also dares to meet us in the reality in which we live.

Men fled. Women fled. No one left. Where’s the solid ground to spread the gospel? Now what? That probably feels real.

Mark’s gospel does not give us an easy way out, for that was not his intention. Mark’s gospel does show us solidly that God knows we will feel the way we often feel. And, that we are not abandoned or condemned for it.

When you feel uncertain, keep praying, keep struggling. Go through the way Jesus witnesses to the nature of God’s love over and over again. Use that as the guide to act. Will you be certain? No. Will you avoid mistakes? No. But that is the type of authentic faith that our gospel gives us, and promises where we will find God.

March 31, 2024 Easter Sermon Mark 16:1-8

Inside the back of the bulletin are two cartoons. In one of them there are two women at the empty tomb. The caption reads, “Well, I certainly hope you kept the receipt for those burial spices!” Indeed, those burial spices are quite irrelevant!

If you were here for worship last week you may remember we talked about another woman who anointed Jesus for his burial. That woman was unnamed but her actions of pouring quite a bit of expensive ointment on Jesus head were recorded in detail. She is to be a contrast to the women, all of whom are named, who come to the tomb having bought their own spices for Jesus.

Mark’s gospel is full of details and quirks; including things like whose name is given and whose name is not. The reason why the bulletin has my own translation rather than The New Revised Standard Version is because all the translations into English smooth over the quirks in an effort to read better. That’s good translating. There’s nothing wrong with that. But, when the details and quirks are important you miss them. Mark’s quirkiest bit of the entire gospel is the very last line of his entire gospel. It is a literal translation to say, “And to no one nothing did they speak. The reason they were afraid was because.”

That’s the end. He put down his pen. He stopped writing there. End of story.

Except that’s no way to end a story! They didn’t have grammar lessons in those days the way we might today, but still, no way did any teacher of his ever tell him it was okay to end a story with the because. The grammar is wrong, wrong, wrong no matter what language you use!

Plus, this is the story of Jesus. Jesus is resurrected from the dead. There are a number of stories of resurrection appearances. In them the resurrected Jesus meets with his disciples. He talks to them. They touch him. He eats with them. He even cooks breakfast for them. All of those stories are about giving the reads proof that Jesus did indeed historically bodily rise from the dead. He was no ghost.

The Bible is vague in many many places. In many places our scriptures could be called legends, or heroic tales; or even myths. But the resurrection is meant to be a reliable historical account. It is so absolutely central to our faith.

But Mark leaves us with an empty tomb. The resurrected Jesus never appears.

So we have a bad sentence, and a bad end to the story. We feel cheated, jipped. Mark’s gospel is like reading a great story only to have the ending fail miserably!

It has often been suggested that the original ending of Mark’s gospel has been lost. That’s why it ends so abruptly. But that is not the case. Mark ended where he ended very deliberately. He’s no fool. And he also knows how to tell a story filled with subtleties that convey deep meaning. Mark’s gospel is a masterpiece of literature, and among the most complex things ever written.

If you have very good memory you might be able to recall what I said about this gospel when we’ve had it as our Easter text three years ago. I know, it can be hard to remember breakfast, let alone a sermon from three years ago. But in case you do manage to remember, you’ll recall that Mark’s gospel is actually circular.

Mark’s final sentence is an incomplete sentence: “And to no one nothing did they speak. The reason they were afraid was because.” And Mark’s gospel also begins with an incomplete sentence: “beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” So you put both incomplete sentences together and they form a complete sentence:

“The reason they were afraid because the beginning of the gospel.”

The empty tomb is not the end of the story. It is actually the beginning. Mark is up to something else that we don’t usually expect from what we read. But he’s not the only author to hint at that sort of thing.

The final lines of C.S. Lewis’ children’s book, The Last Battle, which ultimately concludes the seven book Chronicles of Narnia series, he writes, “… for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

I’m pulling in the idea from C.S. Lewis and imposing it on Marks, but I think it can be safely said that Mark is setting us up for the Great Story of God’s universe.

Mark’s gospel is just the cover and title page. The rest of the story is us, and in it we have a part that lasts a lifetime. We are called by God to live that adventure. And what an adventure life is intended to be!

Let’s get at how that works by coming from a different angle. The other three gospels in the Bible (Matthew, Luke, and John) take a very different approach to the story of Jesus after the resurrection. They record Jesus appearing to any number of the disciples any number of times. And then, at some point, Jesus ascends into heaven. For those gospels, the ascension is an essential part of the story of Jesus. They give it a definite conclusion. That then is the clear turning point for the disciples’ journey of faith. Up until that point they had followed Jesus. They had relied on him to answer their questions and to give them guidance. Then after the resurrection Jesus appears and disappears, on and off for a number of days. They can’t control him or contain him. He is real. They can touch him. Yet his resurrected body isn’t bound by the laws of nature the way he was before the crucifixion. And so between the time of the resurrection and the forty days until the ascension, the disciples were living in an in-between time. Would they see Jesus again? When? They didn’t know. When? Where? But the ascension signals to them that they will not see Jesus again. They don’t feel ready for that. But they discover that they indeed are ready. They do go out to preach and teach and make the word of Jesus a reality.

But that is in the other gospels. Mark’s coming at the situation differently. He does not want to give a closed end to the possible appearances of the resurrected Jesus. He wants to keep that possibility open. The young man in the tomb giving the women directions and a promise, “Go, tell his disciples and Peter, that he is leading before you to Galilee. There you will see him as he told you.”

My colleague, Rev. Andrew Gookin, pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Rochester, says this of Mark’s gospel: “The way of Jesus, according to Mark, is a way of mystery and paradox. God’s Messiah is crucified… and yet he lives. Terror and amazement seize the women… and yet somehow(!) the good news is proclaimed. The disciples are nowhere to be found… and yet they carry the ministry of Jesus to Galilee and beyond.”

Andrew concludes by making the tie in with the beginning of Mark’s gospel: “Christ is risen, and this is only the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.”

The chapters that follow have yet to be written, because those chapters are our lives. We are the living continuation of Mark’s gospel.

Will we see the resurrected Jesus in bodily form the way the disciples do as recorded in the other gospels? It’s been a long time. We might be tempted to say no. But Mark leaves it open.

Here on Easter as we celebrate the resurrection Mark does not want us to think that our time centuries later is in any way shape or form less likely to experience the presence of the resurrected Jesus than his time. This is not an old story from times past. This is an ongoing story.

The story of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is still only in its beginnings. The times are still exciting. Possibilities still abound. God is still doing new and unpredictable things. The time of the gospel is now, in and around us; for Jesus is not at all gone, but instead still in and around us here and now. Not diminished. Not weakened.

It seems to me that this is what Mark is up to when he ends his gospel with the word because…

Because Jesus isn’t done yet.

Let me conclude by reminding us of the origin of the word gospel. Gospel means good news. But good news of what?

Originally a gospel was the runner coming back from the battlefield with good news. The battle had been won! Victory had been accomplished.

So hear again Mark’s first and last incomplete sentences: “The reason they were afraid was because of the beginning of the good news that the battle had been won, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The battle is death. God has won.

That yanks the rug out from underneath everything that our lives are based upon. Our lives are based upon the idea that the world is a fragile place and death and destruction are always just around the corner. There are political elections that seem all so essential, ships hit bridges and they collapse, nations invade nations, people starve and die, people overdose from drugs, we may face financial or legal difficulties, family strife, medical problems, the list can seem to go on and on.

But Mark reminds us of the truth that puts all of that in proper perspective: …because the beginning of the battle victory, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Nothing now can change that. The story is only beginning. The chapters ahead are good.

March 24, 2024 Palm Sunday – Anointing of Jesus Mark 14:1-11

In the movie The Empire Strikes Back Jedi Master Yoda tells young Luke Skywalker, “You must unlearn what you have learned.” For Luke is feels he knows a lot of things, but the only way for him to learn truly new things is to realize that a lot of what he thinks he knows is wrong. I think, perhaps, we need to do that with the scene of the woman anointing Jesus that we read in our gospel reading. It is a very famous Bible passage, and as soon as we begin to hear it our minds are filled with all sorts of things that we think we know. But they may not actually be there.

The four gospels in the Bible each contain a scene where a woman extravagantly anoints Jesus. We inadvertently mix them all together, and then make interpretations based on the combined image. We then lose the particularities of each. Matthew’s gospel and Mark’s gospel are basically identical. But Luke tells this story as if it happened a long time before. And then it is, “woman of the city who is a sinner.” (Luke 7:37) She doesn’t anoint Jesus’ head but she anoints his feet, and then wipes them with her hair. In John’s gospel the woman is Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, and it takes place in Lazarus’ house. All of this gets mixed up together in our head. Let’s unlearn that and instead go with just what Mark has told us.

First, Mark gives us details. Lots of them. He tells us it happens two days before the Passover. That would be Wednesday 13 Nisan on the Jewish calendar. Mark tells us where it happens. Bethany, about two miles southeast of Jerusalem. He tells us whose house it happens in. Simon, the Leper. Mark tells us what the jar holding the perfume is made of. Alabaster. He tells us what the perfume is. An ointment of nard. He gives us the details that she breaks the jar and pours it over Jesus’ head.

But what has Mark not told us? He has told us nothing about the woman… nothing at all! He does not give her name. He does not say where she is from. He does not say what she does for a living. He does not say how she came to know that Jesus was there, or how she knew about Jesus at all.

As Mark tells it, we could just as easily argue that this woman is the highly esteemed wife of a wealthy and powerful public figure, as we could argue that she is a prostitute from the street. The point is that Mark tells us nothing.

Now if your mind goes to thoughts like, “Well, Mark is just a sexist author who doesn’t think women are worth bothering with,” then put them away. Mark’s omission of all information about this woman is entirely deliberate. There are other women who have big roles in the gospel. At Jesus’ crucifixion we are told that there were a number of women there, including: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome.

Those three are named at the crucifixion, and next week when you come for Easter you’re going to find those exact same three women, who, it turns out, will be bringing spices to anoint Jesus’ body.

What does Jesus say this completely unnamed and unidentifiable woman has done? “She has anointed my body beforehand for its burial.” (Mark 14:8)

When the three named women show up to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body for its burial they’re a bit behind the times. It’s already been done! But more about that next week. The key here is anonymous, and there is no way to ever find out! She will be forever unknown. But Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

And indeed we all owe this unidentifiable woman a huge debt of gratitude. The woman: rich/poor, respectable/disreputable, powerful/week, famous/unknown… breaks open an entire jar of nard and pours it on Jesus’ head. Why? Again, we’re not told. Was it devotion? Was it a thank you? Was it misplaced romantic love? Who knows. Her motives are just as lost to us as is her identity. What we do know is that it is extravagant. It is extreme. The whole house was certainly overwhelmed by the smell. It probably spilled out into the surrounding streets!

I put myself in the role of some of those gathered in the house and cry out in indignation, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor.”

That indeed is a very practical statement. After all, a denarii was a day’s wages for a laborer. So this ointment was worth basically a year’s income! What a waste, to take a whole year of your life’s work and throw it away on the head of some traveling preacher!

Our English translations say that those who saw this scolded her. That’s not entirely correct. More literally translated, they “snorted” at her. This wasn’t scolding. This was derision… ‘You stupid woman! What are doing? You’re a silly idiot!’ (If there is sexism in this passage it is there!)

We don’t know why she did it, but we do know this. People did not bathe regularly in those days. This perfume was strong. This takes place on a Wednesday evening. Jesus has the Last Supper with the disciples on Thursday evening. He will be arrested, tried, sentenced, and executed by mid-day Friday. The smell of the perfume was surely still with him through it all. During the Last Supper the disciples smelt it. When Jesus was arrested on the Mount of Olives people smelt it. When Jesus is on trial people smelt it. And as Jesus hung dying, the smell was still with him.

If that is the case, and I think Mark intends it, then we do indeed owe this anonymous woman a debt of gratitude we can never repay. You see, when Jesus gets arrested the disciples start to peel away. Peter lingers, but all too soon also denies Jesus. The religious leaders hand Jesus over to the Romans. They don’t want Jesus either and hand him over to the soldiers who mock him and flog him. They then hand him over to be executed.

And on the cross Jesus is taunted and mocked by those who pass by. And don’t overlook this detail in Mark’s gospel when we read it on Good Friday. In Mark’s gospel even the two bandits, or “evildoers” taunt Jesus. You see, in Mark’s gospel event the criminal element of society mocks Jesus.

In other words, in Mark’s gospel every aspect of humanity rejected Jesus; from the high and mighty all the way down to the criminal element of society. He was truly alone on that cross.

Except… through it all there was one act of kindness done by humanity that lingered – the scent of nard poured out on him by that anonymous woman.

That is the only act of appreciation we humans gave our Lord as he saved us.

A year’s salary wasted on perfume?!? That price doesn’t begin to cover what we owe.

Once again we find that when we put ourselves in the hands of our gospel writer Mark he both shocks and absolutely humbles us.

Don’t let it be lost on you that this lone act of kindness from a person is the event which sends Judas (a clearly named character) to the religious leaders. And speaking of money, Judas literally sells out Jesus.

What do we take away from this text? Perhaps there is nothing to learn. Only an appreciation for what that woman did. It is a desire to give a huge thank you to someone you can never even give a name to.

And perhaps, when it comes to acts of love and devotion, sometimes it is best to not always be shrewd and calculating, but give and give to a level of absurd abundance.

March 17, 2024 Message Skit Mark 11:20 – 13:37

Part 1

This is a behind the scenes dialog among Jesus’ opponents. A passage is read. We then see their response and their next strategy.

Cast: 

P- Pharisee (capable by exasperated)

H- Herodian (a bit of a bungler)
S- Sadducee (educated, poised, a bit superior)

Setting: Cast members are gathered around a microphone in the front. Wear robes from the costume closets.


Reading: Mark 11:10-25
In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” 22Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly 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. 24So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”


S: Nazareth? Nothing good’s ever come out of Nazareth. Search the scriptures and you won’t find anything saying a prophet will rise from Nazareth.

P: I tell you. He’s from Nazareth.

S: Well then he’s not good for much, is he? Nazareth of Galilee, of all places! Galileans are notorious for their ignorance and poor morals. And this Jesus guy comes from there? How can this be?

H: Yeah, the whole lot of them were Galileans. I saw them two days ago. They looked like it. They had the accent. They even did a Galilee-style entrance. It was silly. The preacher guy Jesus was riding on a little donkey’s colt as he came over the Mount of Olives. Pathetic! His followers were laying their dirty cloaks on the road and spreading out branches for him to ride over. What a bunch of hicks!

P: But the crowds love him.

S: The crowds are fools. That’s what we have to worry about. If they get all riled up over this itinerant preacher guy then there could be trouble. You know, Pilate’s come in from his headquarters to personally oversee security in Jerusalem for Passover. He’s not fooling around. We don’t need any riots, or any reason for him to crack down on us.

P: Jesus certainly created a stir in the temple yesterday. You both saw it. He overturned the tables of the money changers. He drove out some of the animals. He got in the way of the temple staff. Then he said something about, “Take all these things out of here.” He seems to think God has rejected the temple.

S: Well, we got it all calmed down again and Pilate was none the wiser. Still though, I’ll rest easier once Passover is over and this guy goes back where he came from!

H: Did you hear about that fig tree?

P: Leave it to you, a Herodian, to bring up that gossip!

S: No, I didn’t hear about it.

H: It’s not gossip. I saw it! Yesterday he cursed a fig tree that was by the side of the road. And today it’s dead!

P: Prove it.

H: Go see for yourself.

P: I don’t care what it looks like. Lots of things can cause a fig tree to wither.

S: Still, let’s keep an eye on the situation. If rumors like that go too far it’ll be all the harder for us to contain this mess. I say we get our people together and all go to the temple. We can confront this Jesus guy first hand.


Reading: Mark 11:27-33
Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him 28and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 29Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” 31They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?” —they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. 33So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”


S: He is a slippery character. He might be from Nazareth, but he knows how to debate!

P: You got that right! I thought we had him, but he flipped things around with his John the Baptist question. Of course we know John was a nut; living out in the wilderness, wearing skins, eating locusts. He’s also from Galilee, just the sort of thing that always comes from there.

S: But the people like John too.

H: He was actually harmless.

P: Yes, he was harmless. But he’s not harmless if Jesus is using him to whip up support from the crowds.


Reading: Mark 12:1-12
Then he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. 2When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. 3But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted.5Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not read this scripture:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is amazing in our eyes’?”
12When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.

S: He’s aiming for us. There’s no doubt about it.

P: That he is!

H: Yup. We might have a fight on our hands.

S: We have to do this carefully. He’s clever. And he knows scriptures better than I thought someone from Nazareth would know them. But we can trap him.

P: I have a plan.

S: You do?

P: Yes. You know the poll tax, the one Rome imposed on every Jewish person twenty years ago? Let’s ask Jesus about that. What does he think? There’s no way out. If Jesus says, “Yes, pay the tax,” then we’ll tell the crowds that Jesus supports the Roman occupation of our land. If Jesus says, “No, don’t pay the tax,” then we’ll turn him over to the Romans for being a rebel.

S: Brilliant.

H: Yeah, brilliant.


Reading: Mark 12:13-17
Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. 14And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? 15Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” 16And they brought one. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” 17Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.


P: You idiot! You complete and total idiot!

H: What, me?!?

P: Yes, you! How much more stupid could you get!

S: I take it things didn’t go well.

P: You could say that again!

S: What happened?

P: So we had Jesus in our trap. We had asked him about paying taxes. He couldn’t get out of it. So he said, “Bring me a denarius and let me see it.” And what do you think our dimwitted Herodian friend here did?

S: He didn’t.

P: He did! The idiot!

H: How was I supposed to know?

P: What were you doing in the temple with that coin?!? It had the graven image of the emperor on it! You’re lucky the crowd didn’t rebel against you right then and there!

S: He was in the temple with a denarius in his pocket?

P: Yep.

S: (Sighs and drops his head.) …and he pulled it out and showed it to Jesus.

H: What’s wrong with that? Jesus asked for one.

P: Then you should have said, “What sort of Jew do you think I am? I wouldn’t bring a coin with the message “Caesar, son of the divine,” inscribed on it into the temple!

H: But I had done that. I had it in my pocket.

P: I know. And so do all the crowds. You could have fried an egg on my face for the shame!

H: It’s only a coin. It’s not a big deal.

S: It is a big deal! That’s breaking the 10 Commandments!

P: The crowds laughed at us. Jesus’ stock is rising as we speak.

S: Don’t worry. There are other ways. I have a plan too.



Reading: Mark 12:18-27
\me Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ‘if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.’ 20There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; 21and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. 23In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.”
24Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”


P: (to S) So much for your trap.

H: (to S) Yeah, so much for your trap.

S: He is a clever one, that’s for sure. Are you sure he’s from Nazareth in Galilee? How did anyone from there get the learning he has? I don’t see how he wiggled out of my resurrection trap. It was fool proof. There was no way he could answer correctly.

P: Well he certainly did wiggle out of it! I respect you, and all, but your beliefs try to limit God too much.

S: Logic is logic. Period.

P: God is beyond logic.

S: Who’s side are you on, anyway?

P: I’m not defending Jesus. I’m just saying your trap wasn’t as foolproof as you thought.

H: Yeah, Jesus beat you fair and square.

P: It’s time to me to confront him directly. We Pharisees know the law. I’m just going to ask him basic question of orthodoxy.


Reading: Mark 12:28-40
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; 33and ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one’s neighbor as oneself,’ —this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’
37David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
38As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”


S: That was no trap. That wasn’t even a challenge! It’s like you were sucking up to Jesus.

P: What can I say? He impressed me. He may be from Nazareth, but he’s built on solid knowledge. He knows the foundations of faith well.

H: I didn’t understand that Messiah as the son of David bit that he said.

S: No, I wouldn’t expect you to.

H: I’m not a dunce.

P: You sure acted like it when you pulled out that coin in the temple!

S: It’s another simple logical trap. All Jesus did was contrast the teachings between Psalm 2 and Psalm 110.

H: I don’t get it.

P: Don’t worry about it. What do we do next? He’s still a threat?

S: We’re not finished yet. Everyone has a price. Everyone can be bought. If we can’t get Jesus directly then maybe we can get one of his followers to turn him over.

H: I’ve got a coin in my pocket. We only need 29 more!


Hymn: Christ the Life of All the Living, 339



Part 2

Reading: Mark 12:41-44
He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.43Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”


Response (Pheme Perkins, The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume VIII [Nashville, Abington Press] 683):
The contrast between this widow’s offering and all the others who are tossing in what they can spare exhibits the false values of a society that does not really offer sacrifice to God. Jesus has already told his disciples that persons must be willing to renounce their own desires, take up the cross, and become slaves of all in order to follow him. The widow’s story is an anticipation of Jesus’ own sacrifice of his life.


Reading: Mark 13:1-37
As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” 2Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.”
3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4“Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5Then Jesus began to say to them, “Beware that no one leads you astray. 6Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. 8For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.
9“As for yourselves, beware; for they will hand you over to councils; and you will be beaten in synagogues; and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. 10And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. 11When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say; but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death;13and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
“But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; 15the one on the housetop must not go down or enter the house to take anything away; 16the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. 17Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! 18Pray that it may not be in winter. 19For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, no, and never will be. 20And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days. 21And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There he is!’ —do not believe it. 22False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. 23But be alert; I have already told you everything.
24“But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light,
25and the stars will be falling from heaven,
and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
26Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. 27Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 30Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. 31Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
32“But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. 34It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. 35Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, 36or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. 37And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”


Response (Pheme Perkins, The New Interpreter’s Bible, Volume VIII [Nashville, Abington Press] 683):
Despite the carefully developed warnings Jesus gives, sectarian groups continue to preach that the end of the world is near. Survivalists sects stockpile arms, food, and other supplies so that members of the sect will be able to fight off the displaced humans created in the end-time turmoil. Instead of seeing that the wars, famines, disasters, and threats of conflict in today’s world are no different from those of Jesus’ time, survivalists assume that the present age is the beginning of the end.

Jesus teaches us that we have a different responsibility. The time of grace has always been. It is now. It always will be. All things are always in God’s hands. There is nothing we can do to stop it or to bring it forward. Our role is to live with absolute trust in God always.

Living some two millennia after these words were spoken, many Christians today assume that the word about watchfulness has no significance for them. Yet we all know that human life is fleeting. A young man was murdered o the streets of a large city merely for asking some youths why they were verbally tormenting an elderly man. The young man’s fiancée discovers that her whole world has dissolved. Fortunately, the last words they had exchanged concerned love and their hopes for the future. A young woman went to pick up her infant from his nap and discovered that he had died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Unfortunately, her last interaction with the baby had been one of anger and frustration over the child’s fussing and crying. Both women are in terrible pain. They have been stripped of what they love most in the whole world. But the young mother has to face the nagging regret that she did not show her baby the love she feels for him in the last hours she spent with him. On a personal level, such stories remind us that we should be watchful as Christians. The early religious orders practiced a time of examining one’s conscience, in which all members assessed how their behavior of the day just past reflected (or neglected) the conduct expected of members of their order. Being a faithful Christian does not just “happen” like crabgrass or dandelions popping up in the lawn. It requires care, attention, and cultivation of an expert gardener.


Hymn: My Lord, What a Morning, 438

March 10, 2024 Lent 4 Mark 11:1-19

In case you haven’t heard, there’s a presidential election this year!

Now of course, as you know well, when we’re talking politics at the federal level, truth is concept that is left along the side of the road. It’s all about postering and images. Candidates have to shape themselves so as to be able to court the financial donors they need to fund their campaigns, while also presenting themselves in a way to get the votes they need. You probably know well that there are political strategists that can calculate the correct words and concepts to use to attract certain types of voters. Just about everything a federal level politician says is part of a strategy. The same can be said for any number of state level positions as well, although I do find authenticity at that level too.

Being in church we could say that all of this is wrong, and that principles of honesty should be followed. After all, Jesus did that.

That would be correct. And yet, while Jesus was honest, he also used the power of strategy and images.

Our gospel reading started with an account of an event you probably know well, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus is creating an image for himself. Great conquering kings or military leaders would return home from their conquests to great fanfare. They and their armies would parade in to their home city being met by cheering crowds. They’d be riding their great war horses with weapons and armor on display. They may be displaying the dead bodies of the losers or dragging prisoners of war as a display of victory.

Now Jesus could have walked into Jerusalem. He appears to have walked from place to place for much of his ministry. He certainly didn’t suddenly become too weak to walk on the day he went into Jerusalem. But he decides to ride in on a little colt – not even saddle broken. Jesus is doing this deliberately as a contrast to the great shows of pomp and power other conquering leaders would do.

He is picking up on the writing from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah who predicted a Divine Warrior who would bring peace and stability. And when he entered Jerusalem it would be said, “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

So yes, Jesus is the great and triumphant Divine Warrior. Unknown to the crowds at that time, but fully known to us, Jesus’ acts of triumph will be totally different from what anyone would expect.

There’s more in the details of the story too. It was not unusual for armies to requisition whatever they needed from the local population. If you were a farmer and had a good horse it could be requisitioned by an army passing through. A soldier would simply say he wanted your horse and he would take it. And you might as well kiss your good horse goodbye because it wasn’t coming back. If it survived whatever the army was going to use it for, and if they didn’t decide to keep it with them when they moved on, they would probably just abandon it.

What does Jesus promise to do with the little colt he requisitions? He promises to return it. That’s more than just being a nice guy. That’s showing integrity and appreciation for people’s property. We talk about everything belonging to God. And yet we need to note that God honors the value of a person’s resources.

Jesus’ first entry into Jerusalem was this humble affair with the donkey. He probably didn’t draw a lot of attention. Quite likely none of the religious or political leaders noticed. If they did, the image Jesus presented was probably pretty sad looking: an itinerant preacher, Jesus of Nazareth, from the north comes into town with the praise of a rag tag bunch of uneducated hicks who spread their coats on the road. And Jesus rides in on… on what? On a foal of a donkey. This would be a diminutive animal and anything but impressive.

But most likely no one of consequence noticed. It was Passover after all, and the city was swarming with tourists and pilgrims. There may have been any number of charismatic religious leaders with their followers descending upon Jerusalem.

Jesus certainly gets attention the next day though. On Monday of Holy Week he goes into the temple complex and upends the tables of the money changers and drives out those who sold animals. Let’s remember that this doesn’t take place in the temple itself. That was a relatively small building. It takes place in the several acre size courtyard surrounding the temple. The scene seems violent. I suppose it was, but I don’t think this is Jesus losing his temper. It’s often portrayed that Jesus was enraged to see first hand the corruption that was going on and flagrant merchandizing. He then reacts from rage. But there’s actually nothing in the text to say this. The buying and selling of animals was a normal part of the temple system. Pilgrims coming to make a sacrifice could hardly travel with animals. They’d buy an animal once they got there. And since Roman money had graven images on it that were offensive to Jews, you’d have to change your Roman money for Jewish money – the same way you would if you needed cash in a foreign country.

What this is, is Jesus making a symbolic act. It was along the lines of the prophets from previous times. Prophets would do all sorts of symbolic things, some of them extreme, in order to make a point. Jesus is doing the same in the temple on that day.

In next week’s gospel reading we’ll hear the response from the Jewish leaders to what Jesus has done. They don’t say defensively, “There’s no corruption here,” or anything to suggest their bottom line has been hurt. They actually say, “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” They knew what Jesus’ actions meant. They knew Jesus’ actions were a symbolic act to say God was rejecting the temple as the center of worship, and the center of being in right relationship with God. So if Jesus is going to suggest rejection by his actions he’d better establish his authority for that claim. He can’t just come in from the northern hills and start making heretical claims.

The Bible doesn’t record the details of the conversations. But as Christians looking back on it, we know what’s coming by Friday of that week. Jesus’ authority will ironically be shown by his death. The new place of worship will be Jesus himself – a person, not a place. There really was no way for the religious leaders, or even any of Jesus’ followers, to know that at that point.

We’ll dig into that more in the weeks to come before Easter. For today let’s learn from what Jesus has done. Jesus didn’t have a group of marketing consultants advising him for what to do. But Jesus did know the power of appearances and actions. He shows that in the entry into Jerusalem on the colt, and in the temple with the merchants and money changers. He also does that with the fig tree that he spoke against, but we’ll hear more about that next week.

What messages do our lives send? If you were in image strategist for Christian faith how would you shape your public look to send a message? What actions would you do? What message would you send with where you live and what you drive and who you associate with?

Bu we are all in some ways image strategists for Christian faith. We represent Christ. Our lives should show his priorities. Our lives should reflect the love of God in a way that is truly visible in the world. The life of a Christian should be noticeably different from the life of a non-Christian. It should be seen in your purchases. In should be seen in your work ethic, in your business principles, in your financial investment strategies, in the way you treat people, perhaps even in your social calendar.

Jesus knew the power of images and symbols. He used them in his ministry. We do the same because we have the same power.