March 28, 2021 Anointing of Jesus Mark 14:1-11

           If you are a person who has grown up going to church you probably know well the gospel story we just read.  Unfortunately, that is probably to your disadvantage.  This is one of those stories that shows up in all four of the gospels; or at least some form of a story with a woman anointing Jesus.  We mix them all up in our heads and inadvertently bring parts of one into another.  But, in order to get the most out of what Mark intends we need to put blinders of sorts on.

            Matthew’s gospel portrays pretty much the same scene as Mark with just a couple tweaks of the details.  John’s gospel tells it differently.  He also says it happens shortly before the crucifixion.  He says it happens in the house of Lazarus, not Simon the Leper, and he says the anointing is done by Lazarus’ sister Mary.  Further, Mary does not anoint Jesus head.  She anoints his feet and wipes them with her hair.  To say John’s version of this has sexual overtones is huge understatement!  These days what Mary did would be seen as clearly in the realm of sexual harassment.

            But Luke’s version of the story takes it even farther.  In John’s gospel we could dismiss Mary’s action as a woman deeply in love with Jesus and she is losing her head in devotion.   In Luke we are back to an unnamed woman.  It takes place far earlier in Jesus ministry.  In that case Jesus is eating a meal at the house of a Pharisee named Simon.  The woman is simply called a “sinner”, in other words a prostitute.  She comes up from the street while Jesus is at the table, washes his feet with her tears, anoints his feet with perfume and wipes them with her hair.  Of course this raises the eyebrows of good upstanding citizen Simon.  The whole scene is filled with embarrassment.  And you probably find the woman repugnant, or perhaps you nearly break down in tears for her.  She is clearly desperate to be treated with just a scrap of decency from a man.

            But, with all of that named, let’s look at Mark – and only Mark.  We are going to look at this story on Mark’s terms and keeping Mark’s own storytelling style in mind.

            We are told that it takes place in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper.  The name of the homeowner is an odd detail to put in.  Simon the leper nowhere else appears in the gospel.  But of course this is Mark’s gospel.  No detail, no matter how minute, is insignificant to Mark.  And we know from previous passages, like the way the only named person who receives a healing from Jesus is Bartimaeus – spoofing Plato’s work Timaeus, names can be of immense significance to Mark.

            So, Simon is named.  And then Mark seems to go out of his way to make sure the woman in the story is unnamed.  Now before you start jumping to conclusions, keep your blinders on Mark’s gospel alone.  This scene takes place in a house.  It is not public.  The woman is either a close follower of Jesus, or quite likely a member of the family who lives with Simon.

            Decades ago some feminist scholars used to rip into this text as sexist.  Yet time has shown that doing so is not only bad scholarship but contrary to Mark’s storytelling style.

            It is no small fact that in Mark’s gospel we meet lots of women.  Some of them are named, but none, not one, no female character of those who were disciples are ever named…

Until…

Jesus dies. 

And then Mark starts pouring out the names and identities of these women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  Why?  Well, let’s just say that’s not the only time they appear – and it’s also not the only time Mark gives their names.  But you’ll have to wait until Easter to learn about that.  For if Mark’s not ready to start divulging the names of the female disciples yet I’m not going to force it into his story either.

For Mark the anonymity of this woman at this point is essential.  It sets up Jesus later words, “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.”  In remembrance of who?  Her.  Just her.  Identity never to be revealed.  Most likely though, a member of the household of Simon the leper.

The woman breaks open an entire jar of nard and pours it on Jesus’ head.  It is extravagant.  It was 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!

When I see this scene as Mark tells it I get the feeling Simon the leper was a fairly well to do follower of Jesus.  And if this unnamed woman was a member of Simon’s household it makes sense that she would have some expensive perfume at her disposal.

And for reasons we do not know, she decides to take what is perhaps her entire stock of perfume and pours all of it only Jesus in one tremendous gesture of… of what?  Is it love, sadness, fear,…?  We do not know.

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.

If that is the case, and I think Mark intends it, then we 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.  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 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 21, 2021 Lent 5 Mark 11:20-13:37

 A set of three reflections from worship:

Mark 11:20-25 (NRSV)
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.”

Reflection 1 

This short paragraph is a deeply troubling passage.  What is going on with a withered tree because Jesus cursed it?  What are these teaching about prayer that if you believe in your heart and do not doubt that you will be able to move mountains?  And probably less in our hearts but at least very curious, why does Jesus so closely connect forgiveness to prayer?

            These are all good questions.  And before we go any further we know that we’re either not going to get answers, or we’re not going to like the answers we get.

            Last week we read the events of Sunday and Monday of Holy Week.  You may remember that on Monday when Jesus was going into Jerusalem he went to a fig tree looking for figs.  It was not the season for figs.  So, not surprisingly, there were no figs on the tree!  Perhaps Jesus needed to brush up his knowledge on fig production.  But instead of realizing that what does he do?  He curses the tree!

            I suppose we might all get mad at a situation and swear or curse something but we don’t really mean it.  And it doesn’t come true.  But when we resume reading the events of the next day we discover that indeed the tree has been cursed.  It’s withered overnight!

            I feel sorry for the guy who owned the tree.  What did he do wrong?  All he did is own a fig tree that was doing what fig trees do!  Now he’s got a dead tree because some traveling religious man got mad because the tree was living exactly the way nature made the tree to live, and because of that he called down a divine curse upon it; and now it’s dead!

            Whether historically accurate or not, we could shrug it off as a prophetic sign about what was to happen to the temple.  You’ll remember from what we read last week that Jesus is going to go in and overturn the tables of the money changers and drive people out.  We could interpret the fig tree as just a broader sign of God rejecting the temple.

            Indeed I think that is what Mark wants us to do.  But there’s two problems.  It doesn’t help us get past the collateral damage Jesus has done!

            I’ve said it a couple times before and I’ll say it again, Mark’s gospel is not a tame gospel.  God is clearly and certainly portrayed as having abundant love.  However God will not be contained.  God will not be predicted.  God will not be tamed.  When reading Mark’s gospel I’m always reminded of the lion Aslan in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia children’s books.  Aslan is a good and loving lion, but he is absolutely not tame!

            Mark does not let us attempt to tame or domesticate God.  God is loving, yes.  But God is God!  We are simply never going to get comfortable with what happens to the fig tree.

            The second problem is the way Jesus connect the dead fig tree to the power of prayer.  He says very clearly, “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  So, he cursed a fig tree one day.  The next day it was dead.  Simple as that!

            People often try to give God some wiggle room by inventing answers like, “God knows what is best for you and God will only answer those prayers that will be helpful.”  Nice thought, but is that what Jesus actually said?  Did Jesus say, “I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and if and only if it fits with God’s plan and is truly good for you, then it will be yours”?  Nope.  He said pray for it.  Believe that you’ll get it.  It will be yours.  Simple as that.  Period.

            I cringe when I hear people say things like:

-God didn’t answer a prayer because it wasn’t God’s plan,

-or God didn’t answer it because it was for the greater good,

-or I must not have had enough faith,

-or I had doubts,

-or I didn’t pray the right way.

            Don’t let God off the hook so easily.  The Bible says it.  It doesn’t happen.  That’s all there is too it.

            I’ve spent too much time with families in hospitals praying for the healing of a loved one that didn’t happen.  I’ve spent too much time praying with people struggling with addictions, or begging for release from shame, or to help with abuse or anything like that to accept any answer that leaves God off the hook.  The pain and suffering and death and loss is just too real, and the prayers are too earnest.  These are not selfish desires.  These are desperate pleas for help.

            I think Mark’s gospel would have us struggle and fight with God rather than feeling hurt and inventing excuses for God.

            Here’s the deeper truth I find, and I think it is actually at the core of what Jesus says.  When you pray for something, especially if you are desperate, what is really going on in your heart?  What are you really asking God?  I think it is this.  I think you are really asking, “God, are you there?  God, do you hear me?  God, am I important enough for you?  God, do you love me?”

            In Romans 8 Paul says the Spirit intercedes for us before God with sighs too deep for words to express.  Those questions are the deep sighs of the Spirit.  Those are the powerful authentic prayers rising to God.

            I don’t reach that conclusion as some clever deep way out of why prayers don’t get answered.  I think Jesus takes us there himself.  We see that in the final words of the scene.  At first it appears as if Jesus has jumped topics when he says, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive…” but do you see what he has done there?  He’s taken prayer to the core of a relationship with God.  Forgiveness is being in right relationship with God.  It is knowing in your prayer that indeed God is there, God does hear, God does think we are important, and God does love us.

Mark 11:26-12:44 (NRSV)

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.”

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.
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.
Some 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.”
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? 36David 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.”
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.”

Reflection 2
            This passage takes us into part two of Jesus’ day, that Tuesday of Holy Week.  Let’s notice that Jesus takes on pretty much anyone and everyone who has authority in the temple.  First it’s the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes who challenge Jesus.  They want to know why he thought he had the authority to cause the ruckus in the temple he caused the day before.  If he’s using it a symbolic act of God rejecting the temple, then this itinerant preacher from Nazareth better have some pretty good credentials to go against the religious leaders and a thousand years of tradition.  In other words, who is he to say he can make such claims on God’s behalf?  But Jesus gets the better of them with a challenge about the authority of John the Baptist.  Jesus then goes on with a parable about the wicked tenants in a vineyard.  It symbolizes the corrupt leadership and God’s rejected.

            Next the Pharisees and Herodians join forces against Jesus.  They ask if it’s lawful to pay taxes to the emperor?  Jesus not only trips them up but they publicly humiliate themselves when he asks them to see a coin.  They should have said, “Show you a Roman coin?!?  How could we possibly do that?  This is the temple of God.  You aren’t allowed to have Roman coins in here because they have the graven image of the emperor on them.  That’s why there are the money changers so people can exchange their pagan Roman money for acceptable Jewish coins.  Get with the program, Jesus!  We’d never do such a thing!”

            But of course what do they do?  Apparently someone had at least one coin in their pocket because they pull it out and right there in the temple they show they have graven images to foreign gods.  Oops.  Egg on their face!

            Next come the Sadducees, a more conservative and more righteous group than the Pharisees and the Herodians.  They wouldn’t have a Roman coin in their pockets while in the temple.  They create their own trap for Jesus.  They accept only the first five books of the Bible, the Torah, as authoritative.  They reject the rest of what we call the Old Testament.  They also reject the idea of the resurrection.  They think they have Jesus trapped with the absurdity of a woman (who because of perfectly living according to the law) was one after another, married to seven men.

            Jesus rightly points out that when people rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage.  Earthly relationship dynamics no longer hold.  Yes, Jesus gives the right answer of course.  However, in a corner of my own mind I think Jesus could have said, “This woman burnt through seven husbands?!?  Don’t you think that’s a little strange?  She was probably poising the Jello or something and in that case she’s not going to heaven!”

            Anyway, in the final scenes of the chapter additional scribes come up and question Jesus.  We see that despite the radical claims Jesus has made, his teachings and ministry are deeply rooted in orthodox Jewish teachings.  Jesus is right to be critical of a system where a poor widow feels compelled to give everything she has to a bureaucratic institutional religion.

Mark 13 (NRSV)

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.

Reflection 3

             Last week PBS’s science series Nova had a program about the Dead Sea Scrolls.  It talked about the importance of the scrolls and that many supposed fragments are actually fakes.  As a 21^st Century Christians it can be hard for us to understand the importance and the excitement the authentic Dead Sea Scrolls cause among archeologists; and among Jewish and Christian scholars.  To us they’re just old versions of what we have now.  We forget that most written records so deteriorate over time that beyond a couple hundred years things simply crumble apart.  The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, are existing documents over 2000 years old giving us undeniable proof of the dynamics of Judaism before the temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70.

            Even though we aren’t Jewish, it is important for us to understand how the destruction of that temple shaped our Christian faith and modern day Jewish faith.  What gets scholars of the Dead Sea Scrolls so excited is that they are written when the temple in Jerusalem is still standing.

            Sometimes I think it is helpful for us Christians two even recognize the split in our own New Testament.  There are those things (probably) written before the temple was destroyed.  This would include Paul’s undisputed letters and Mark’s gospel.  And there are the things written after the temple was destroyed.  This list would include Matthew, Luke, John, Acts, Paul’s disputed letters, Revelation, and everything else.

            What does all that do for us?  When we read Mark 13 we are reading an interpretation of the Old Testament prophet Daniel as it’s being applied to what will happen to Jerusalem; but hasn’t happened yet.  When you read Matthew or Luke you’re reading Daniel being applied to what already happened to Jerusalem. 

            Said simply, Mark gives us a more pure picture.  Mark also give us a more clear way to use it.  While the images Jesus uses in Mark 13 are very vivid, and they can capture our imagination, a couple things are very clear.  One, whatever happens it is in God’s hands.  Remember back to cursing the fig tree and prayer and forgiveness?  We have the same message.  God is bigger than anything going on around you.  Even if the world is literally splitting apart, and the stars and the moon aren’t acting right, and everything is going nuts, God is still in control.  God’s love is still solid.  God will win.

            That therefore takes us to two – the thing people so often lose sight of when reading these apocalyptic texts.  If God is still in control, and God’s love is still ultimate, then no matter what happens continue to unfailingly proclaim the gospel to the world.

            Don’t take Jesus too literally in 13:37 when he says, “And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.”  You certainly need to sleep!  But Jesus does not want his followers to put off until tomorrow what needs to be done today.  We make a mistake when we lose the urgency of God’s kingdom.  We make a mistake when we think life can be about just living as a ‘good person’ within all the norms and expectations of society.  If we’ve learned nothing else from Mark’s gospel we should at least learn that things are not stable.  They are not predictable.  They are not meant to be and God has no intention of making them so.

            The gospel began with God ripping the sky at Jesus’ baptism.  God’s love has not been contained or tamable throughout.  It will continue that way throughout the rest of the gospel.  And so we do not live tame lives either.

            God is in control.  God’s love will win.  But we do not sit back and watch the show.  We are a part of God’s cast, and the story is far from over.  Amen

March 14, 2021 Lent 4 Mark 11:1-19

             You’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.”  The idea has some merit, but I generally disagree.  Appearances matter.  They say a lot about you; certainly not everything, but a lot.  If you see a four-door Mercedes sedan pull into a parking spot you have a pretty good idea of the type of person that will step out – how they’ll be dressed, how they’ll be groomed, how they’ll act, and their social status.  Similarly if instead of a Mercedes sedan pulling into a parking spot you see a big jacked up four-wheel-drive pick-up truck with shiny silhouettes of shapely women on the mud flaps you also have a pretty good idea of the type of person that will step out – how they’re dressed, how they’re groomed, how they’ll act, and their social status.  Of course you might be totally wrong, but nine times out of ten you’ll be right.

            Indeed it is wrong to judge a book by its cover, but years of experience have taught us how to be good judges of what we see.  It has always been this way with us humans.  It was certainly true in Jesus’ day.  While Jesus criticizes the religious leaders for their hypocrisy, indeed their outside appearances did not match the inner state of their hearts, Jesus also uses appearances in an authentic way to make a point.

            Our gospel reading started with an account of an event you probably know well, Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  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 surely 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.  Then you truly could not judge by appearances.

            Let’s not lose sight of one little detail that we easily overlook.  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 values our understanding of personal property – or maybe I should call it personal responsibility and stewardship.

            Anyway, that is an aside because Jesus goes into the great city of Jerusalem.  It helps if you can imagine the geography a bit.  The village of Bethany is a couple miles to the southeast of Jerusalem.  A road ran from Bethany to the north and then bore west and went across the Mount of Olives.  Once across the Mount of Olives the road ran right up to the city gate named the Golden Gate.  And that get went directly into the temple complex.  Every day during what we call Holy Week Jesus will travel from Bethany across the Mount of Olives and then through the Golden Gate right into the temple.  At the end of the day he will go back through the Golden Gate, back across the Mount of Olives and return to spend the night in Bethany.  That’s why the religious leaders had such a hard time getting their hands on him.  Jesus didn’t exactly go wandering through the city streets at dusk where he could be nabbed.  The only way to lay hand on him was to get inside information, which as you know, came by the way of Judas.

            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 they probably scoffed because the whole affair was probably pretty sad looking: an itinerant preacher, Jesus of Nazareth, from the north comes into down 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.  

When Jesus does reach Jerusalem Mark’s gospel tells us that he just looked around at everything and then left.  There was no cause for attention; at least not on the first day.  But that would change on the second day – what we call Monday of Holy Week.

            As Christians we have a hard time understanding what the temple meant for the Jews.  We think of it as an equivalent to a church building – a space set aside for holy use.  But it was so much more than that.  As Christians when we want to build a church we find some land we can afford and we build a building to suit our needs and our budget.  Not so for the temple.

            For the Jews the temple was built exactly where God wanted it to be built; not 100 feet to the left or 100 feet to the right.  Not back or forth by a bit, but exactly where God wanted it to be built.  The same is true for today.  In Jerusalem the Islamic Dome of the Rock is built exactly where the temple used to be.  As Christians we don’t really get it.  We think why can’t they just build another temple nearby, or beside it?  Nope.  That’s where God said the temple was to be built and that is where it must be built.  That is divine decree.

            Along the same lines was the design of the temple.  When it was first built the Jews didn’t exactly hire an architect to design it – or at least design the core building.  By Jesus’ day the temple had become a sprawling complex, but the core building – the temple itself – was exactly how God had revealed it to be.  It was divine architecture.  Read the Old Testament and you’ll find instructions for the exact size and shape of the building, the floor plan, the decorations, and all the furniture all laid out in minute detail.

            It was God’s building where God said it should be built and it was built according to God’s design.  Rejecting any part of it by a Jew was unthinkable.

            And so what did we read Jesus did the next day – Monday of Holy Week?  He goes into the temple and nearly causes a riot.  It’s important to note that this upending the tables of the money changers and driving out those who sold animals didn’t take place in the temple proper.  The temple itself wasn’t much bigger than our sanctuary.  But all of this took place in the surrounding courtyards of the temple complex.  The message was the same though, Jesus’ actions express that God has actually rejected the temple.

            I’ve heard many times people say that Jesus became so upset because of corruption in the money changers and price gouging from the merchants.  I’m sure some of that was taking place, but I think that is a misinterpretation of what Jesus means when he quotes Jeremiah 7 saying, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations, but you have made it a den of robbers.”

            Jeremiah was complaining about political and religious corruption.  In his day, centuries before, people believed that God would divinely defend Jerusalem and the temple from all enemies simply because it was His house.  Jeremiah said that was false security.  Hear his words in context, “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are safe!’ – only to go on doing all these abominations?  Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your sight?  You know, I too am watching, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 7:9-11)

            Jesus meant his words not as a statement about the limited actions he saw in the temple on that day.  Jesus’ words and actions were a symbolic act to show God rejecting the temple as his dwelling place.  The new place of worship will be Jesus himself – a person, not a place.  The religious leaders who saw what Jesus did certainly saw it as Jesus claiming that God has rejected the temple.  They are not seeing it as a prophetic act against small scale corruption.  It is an act of total rejection.  Of course that doesn’t sit well with them.  Next week we’ll read their response to it all.

            For today let’s see how everything from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a colt, to the fig tree (which we’ll also explore more when we revisit it next week), to overturning the tables in the temple, are all rooted in sincerity of faith and purity of heart.

            We need traditions, institutions, rules, regulations, and laws.  But none of these things are ends unto themselves.  All of them can go astray.  All of them can unintentionally cause harm.  All of them can become corrupt.  Therefore rightness is not in following the rules and then calling yourself good because you’ve followed the rules.  Goodness comes from sincerity, honesty of heart, and the self-gift of love.  These are the things Jesus’ shows on the surface.  These are the things we are to live by.  Those are also the words of the prophet Jeremiah whom Jesus bases his actions upon. 

While Jesus is making a deep theological point – that the temple is no longer the center of faith; but instead he is.  Jesus is also teaching that the root of God’s presence is sincerity, honesty of heart, and the self-gift of love. 

We started by talking about appearances and we’ll end with them.  Don’t judge a book by its cover, true.  And yet our lives – the appearances of them – the manifestation of them – should reflect the love of God in a way that is truly visible in the world.

March 7, 2021 True Sight Mark 10:32-52

This sermon was preached in two parts.  Prior to it was read Mark 10:32-45. That is the scene where James and John ask Jesus if they can sit at his right hand and his left.  Then comes the first part of the sermon.  That sets up the reading of Mark 10:46-52.  The rest of the sermon follows.  These Bible passages are not included here but you'll want to have them available.

            Before we go further in Mark’s gospel we have to take a step away from it and look at another piece of writing from the ancient world.  If you studied ancient literature you might have heard of it and be familiar with it.  Or, interestingly, if you are an astronomer or physicist you might also be familiar with it.  I’m talking about the 4^th Century B.C.E. writing of Plato called Timaeus.

            Timaeus is one of the few books that every educated person in the time of Jesus could have been expected to have read.  It’s a fictitious conversation that teaches philosophy and theology and astronomy.  The main speaker is a guy called Timaeus who is an astronomer.  The story has two parts.  In the first part he makes the argument that the universe is arranged in an orderly fashion by a god.  The earth, the planets and stars all have predictable order and are ordered mathematically.  It is interesting to note that in this Greek writing from the 4^th century B.C.E. Timaeus asserts that the earth is a sphere.  It is not flat.  Also the entire universe was a sphere.

And on those same lines Timeaus says that lesser gods than the god who created the order of the universe fashioned human beings.  In imitation of the great sphere of all things the human head was made, “being the most divine part of us and lord of all that is in us.” (Timaeus 44d)  The rest of the body being created as a servant to the head.  Then into this head are inserted the organs of the senses – mouth, ears, nose, and most importantly eyes.  Timaeus argues that sight is the most important of all the senses because by it one can observe the order of the universe created by the gods.  Let me read an excerpt:

“The sight in my opinion is the source of the greatest benefit to us, for had we never seen the stars and the sun and the heaven, none of the words which we have spoken about the universe would ever have been uttered.  But now the sight of day and night, and the months and the revolutions of the years have created number and have given us a conception of time, and the power of inquiring about the nature of the universe.  And from this source we have derived philosophy, than which no greater good ever was or will be given by the gods to moral man.  This is the greatest boon of sight, and of the lesser benefits why should I speak?  Even the ordinary man if he were deprived of them would bewail his loss, but in vain.  This much let me say however.  God invented and gave us sight to the end that we might behold the courses of intelligence in the heaven, and apply them to the courses of our own intelligence… (Timaeus 47a-c).

That passage is the bridge passage to the second part of Timaeus which then goes on to explain how philosophy ultimately derives from sight.  According to Timaeus, the wise will take what they see in the orderly progression of the stars in their courses and apply that to their own minds, seeking to imitate such movements in peaceful reason.  Near the end of the writing Timaeus summarizes: let the wise man follow the thoughts and revolutions of the universe, learning the harmonies of the sphere, “so that having assimilated them he may attain to that best life which the gods have set before mankind, both for the present and the future” (90d).

So, for Timaeus sight leads to wisdom.  Wisdom leads to philosophy.  Philosophy leads to the best life both now and the future.

Like modern day philosophers, the ancient Greek philosophers were a pretty arrogant bunch.  They thought that philosophy was the path to ultimate truth.  And philosophy was not for everyone, no.  Philosophy was something only the elite could attain.  Thus only the elite could have the best life.  Remember what I read Timaeus saying, “Even the ordinary man if he were deprived of [the senses] would bewail his loss, but in vain.”  In other words an ordinary man would not know to fully use his senses in philosophy.

We’re going to come back to Timaeus again, but first let’s look at the remainder of our gospel reading.  Let me make one note.  In Mark’s gospel Jesus heals many people, but all of those people are anonymous.  We aren’t given their names.  But there is one exception, and we’re about to meet him!

(Read Mark 10:46-52)

Biblical scholars have debated for centuries if Mark is spoofing the Timaeus here.  I believe he is.  In fact the idea of spoofing the Timaeus and all that it stands for seems to run throughout all of Mark.  I believe what we read today is a playful wink from Mark that has come down to us from almost 2000 years ago.

The Timaeus is about sight.  What is the healing performed here?  Sight.

Mark is emphatic about this guy’s name – Bartimaeus son of Timaeus.  “Bar” means “son of” anyway, so Mark is being repetitive here to make his point.  We have the son of Timaeus, who is blind.  And who does he meet?  Well, Jesus of course, but look at what Bartimaeus calls him, “Jesus, Son of David…”  So we have the son of Timaeus calling to the Son of David. 

Bartimaeus is emphatic in his pursuit of Jesus.  The crowds tell him to be quiet but he doesn’t stop.  Perhaps it’s a stretch, but in the Timaeus the person is expected to pursue sight.  It does not come easily or passively.

Notice that Jesus stops his progress and invites Bartimaeus to come to him.  He does immediately, springing up and throwing off his cloak.

If you were paying very close attention to the passage we read earlier today (Mark 10:32-45) you might notice that Jesus says the same thing again that he said earlier.  Earlier James and John came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  And Jesus replies, “What is it you want me to do for you?”

And what does Jesus say to Bartimaeus?  The exact same words: “What is it you want me to do for you?”  This time though instead of asking selfishly for glory, as James and John do, Bartimaeus asks, “My teacher” (notice that’s how James and John’s request began) “let me see again.”

Jesus says to him, “Go, your faith has made you well.”  And we learn Bartimaeus immediately regains his sight and follows Jesus on “the way.”

Let’s make some contrasts:

In the Timaeus it is observation and human intellect that leads to wholeness of life.  In Greek philosophy you have to be smart and elite.

What leads to wholeness of life with Jesus?  Is it intellect?  Is it elitism?  Jesus says to Bartimaeus ‘your faith’ has made you well.  I don’t think we’re to interpret this as a ‘faith healing’ so much as a statement that faith leads to wholeness.  To follow Jesus is to receive sight.  In other words, wholeness of life comes through Jesus, not philosophy.

Here are some excerpts from Holy Ground a Liturgical Cosmology by Gordon Lathrop:

“In Mark, the account comes just after the last of the [crucifixion] predictions, Jesus’ words about sharing his cup and his baptism, and his exhortation to his followers not to be like the leaders of the Gentiles.  Timaeus [was such a leader] and his attitude towards women and “lesser” sorts of people were examples of the worldview of such tyranny.  Now, the very descendant of Timaeus is presented as such a lesser sort.  But unlike the figure in the Timaeus, this blind beggar does not lament in vain.  Throwing off his cloak, he comes to Jesus.  Calling Jesus “my teacher,” he asks to see.  And upon receiving his sight, he follows Jesus “in the way.”…

“This new Timaeus also follows “the absolutely unerring courses of God” toward the “best life” as the philosopher advises, but those courses are not found in the sky but, hidden under the form of disorder and loss, they are found among us, on the earth, in the way of Jesus Christ, “seen” in faith…

“If this reading of the Bartimaeus story is current, then Mark has intentionally created or borne witness to a hole, a tearing in the fabric, of the cosmology of the Timaeus.  This hole occurs just at the place where the blind cry out for sight and are ignored, where, for the Christian, the lament is too strong for the cosmological business-as-usual to continue.” (Excerpts pgs. 31-33)
            “This broken cosmology makes room for the women, for the lament of the blind or anyone else to whom the world has become too large, for the need of the marginalized and forgotten, for the experience of an utterly disordered world.  The Gospel of Mark itself contains several connecting lines out to the cosmos.  There is a way in the wilderness (1:2-3).  Crowds are drawn from many regions and from the four directions (3:8; 8:9).  A new sense exists that all the houses, fields, and families of the earth can be sees as home to those who follow Jesus (10:30).  But the heavens are torn, and the courses of the stars – while belonging to God – are not necessarily the reliable sign of peaceful reason: the sun can be darkened (13:24, 15:33), the stars can fall (13:25).  Order – deep order for all things – is only to be found in the word and promise of God and in the encounter with the Risen One.”  (Pg. 36)

 

I believe that Mark is not only connecting to the Timaeus here, but his entire gospel is spoofing Greek philosophy, and the ways of the world in general.  Mark is telling us that God is simply not going to play by the rules of society or of the universe that we think God must play by.

God’s grace, God’s love, is too big.  It is too powerful to be contained or predicted.  So let our eyes be opened to the overwhelming immensity of God’s love and let us find wholeness of life in it.

February 28, 2021 Lent 2 Mark 10:13-31

 At first glance it appears as if the scene where Jesus blesses the little children has nothing to do with the second scene of Jesus talking to the rich man about eternal life.  But the two are very deeply connected.

Commentator Pheme Perkins notes this:

“Modern readers find it difficult to avoid romanticizing the ideal of a child.  They typically look at some characteristic of children, like innocence or dependence or acceptance, as the meaning of ‘become like a child.’  However, ancient societies lacked such romantic notions of childhood….

“The child in antiquity was radically dependent upon the pater familias.  The father decided whether the child would even be accepted into the family.  Children belonged to their father and remained subject to his authority even as adults.  The saying ‘to receive the kingdom like a child,’ …refers to the radical dependence of the child on the father for any status, inheritance, or, in families where children might be abandoned, for life itself.  It warns the disciples that they are radically dependent upon God’s grace.”  (New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Volume 8, Pg. 647)

            Jesus means nothing about naiveté or innocence when Jesus talks about receiving the kingdom as a child.  He is talking about dependence upon the Father – God; depending on God for any status or inheritance or life itself.

            Return your thoughts to the story of Adam and Eve.  What is at the root of their sin, the eating of the forbidden fruit?  It is their desire to define themselves apart from God.  Their action was an act of rejecting God as Father.  A child has nothing to do with age.  It has everything to do with who defines you.

            Now let’s look at the story of the rich man.  He comes to Jesus and asks, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?”  That’s contract language… What must I do to inherit eternal life.  That’s the kind of conversation you’d have at a business meeting.  He’s trying to figure out how to make a deal with God.  He treats salvation with legalism.

            You’ll remember from previous weeks that Mark wants us to know that God loves us, and God loves us abundantly and radically.  That we can depend upon.  However we can never think that love means that we can limit God, predict God or manipulate God.  You simply can’t.

            But behind this rich man’s words we discover that he wants to.  He’s followed all the rules.  Jesus says to him, “You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness’ You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’”

            You can almost feel the warmth rising in his heart and the smile spreading across his face as he jubilantly says, “Teacher, I have kept all these… from my youth!”  He’s ready to walk away with that good feeling you have when you’ve done a truly good deed, and while you don’t feel smug about yourself, you feel happy and content.  This guy’s got it.  He works hard.  He’s a good guy.  People like him for his virtues.  And now he knows God will reward him for his goodness.

            And then Jesus keeps talking, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

            The man is crushed.  His whole life of virtue has just been pulled out from under his feet.  We learn that he has many possessions.  He is probably a generous guy.  He knows the pleasure of helping out someone less fortunate.

            He can’t bear the shame of being needy himself and being on the receiving end of charity.

            His possessions and money give him status.  They give him safety.  If there’s suddenly a famine or economic catastrophe, that’s okay.  He can pull some from savings and weather the trouble.

            He loses that earthly safety if he sells it all and follows Jesus.

            He can walk down the street with his head held erect.  He’s a solid dependable person.  People know him.  He’s respected.  He’s responsible.  People turn to him for advice about how to be successful because he is a model of success.

            Giving it all up and following Jesus is going to mean that people are going to look down on him.  They’ll think he had a nervous breakdown or became a religious freak.  People will whisper behind his back.  He’ll go from the model of success that he is to falling to the bottom of society.

            He walks away grieving because he can’t do it.

            Subconsciously he wants eternal life on his terms, which are the terms of earthly honor and status.  He wants to be a good guy as he and others define a good guy, not how God really thinks.

            The disciples are just as shocked as this man is.  They say to one another, “Then who can be saved?”  In their opinion rich people were rich people because God liked them.  Poor people were poor people because God didn’t like them.

            Perhaps that’s too cut and dried.  They certainly had the idea that God loved the poor and the orphan and the widow.  They knew God would be with those who suffer innocently.  That was part of their Jewish faith.  But they had the same subtle belief that still exists today.  Good, hard working, clean cut people are to be emulated.  They’ve got it together.  People like them.  Therefore God must like them too.

            That doesn’t mean that God can’t love dirty, drug-addicted, lazy people, but they are more of a burden to society, so of what value are they?  If they want to be noticed and worthwhile then they’ve got to get their act together.

            From the disciples perspective, if even the good, clean cut hard working people can’t enter the kingdom of God, then who can?

            Jesus says the key thing, and it is impossible to overstate its importance.  “For mortals it is impossible.”

            Can you get to heaven?  Can you have eternal life?  I have bad news for you.  You can’t do it.  It’s impossible.  You’re helpless.  You’re powerless.  You’re trapped.  You’re lost.  If you hope in yourself or your possessions or your goodness or your reputation you’re hoping in vain.

            Jesus goes on, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”  When it comes to salvation or eternal life or going to heaven we’re all hoping for the impossible.  Because that’s the only hope we have.

            Notice Jesus said to the disciples, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!”  He calls them children.  And we go back to the previous scene where Jesus says, “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a child will never enter it.”

            To be a child is to be subject to the pater familias, be subject to the Father.  The Father alone gives us worth.  The Father alone gives us safety.  The Father alone gives us an inheritance.  It is the Father’s power alone that can save us.  Returning to Pheme Perkins thoughts again, she says we are radically dependent upon God’s grace.  We cannot set the conditions for entering the kingdom.

            The rich man wanted power and order in his salvation.  He wasn’t willing to become needy.  He wasn’t willing to become a child again.  He wanted to be the pater familias, not be radically dependent on God.

            It is a challenge for us who are often so successful at being successful.  We know how to look to ourselves to meet our needs.  We can provide for our own food and shelter and comfort and entertainment.  We feel that our reputations rest in our own hands, in our own efforts.  It is difficult to imagine giving all that up.  And it is just as difficult to imagine being a child that is needy and dependent.  It is difficult to imagine being a beggar before God just like every other person, but it is true.

            It is not all bad news.  In fact there is quite good news.  Jesus promises abundance for those who do come to trust in God: needs being met, friendships, acceptance and worth.  These are all part of God’s kingdom on earth.  So may we be able to trust God.  We have to.  It is our only hope for the impossible.  And blessings will come with it too.