What is our motivation?  Why do we go about the business that we say we are called to do in following Christ?  Is it fame?  Is it wealth?  Is it importance?  Is it to be adored by others?  Again, what is our motivation?

Jesus contrasts two different groups of people.  One group is the scribes.  They walk around in flowing robes and sit in places of honor.  The other group are widows having very little power and usually poor.  The first Jesus puts down as seeking the praise of others.  The second he highlights with a widow putting what little she had in the treasury.  The latter being more valuable than the first.

Jesus as usual is making life uncomfortable for those living in comfort.  We all know how life works.  Praise is given to the greatest financial contributor (or potential contributor).  The head table is reserved for those wielding the most power in society.  What about the ‘little’ people?  The volunteers providing the arms and legs to the church’s ministry?  What about the average folk financially willing to give more to pay the bills and fund the outreach even though the amount may seen meager?  These ‘little’ people contribute the most because they are not giving from abundance but themselves.  They contribute the most because they believe not for what they receive in return.  Jesus highlights a poor widow with only a couple coins to give as more valuable.

So why do we do it?  Why do we follow Jesus?  Two reasons are presented for following Christ.  One is to follow the way of the scribes.  The other is to be like the widow.  We know the one Jesus prefers.

Peace

Freedom seems very illusive these days.  Truth looks to be carrying a mortal wound.  Truth has been cut deeply with claims of false news because it doesn’t fit our preferred view of reality.  These last days leading up to the elections have the candidates throwing accusations against each other that trample the truth for political gain.  Unsubstantiated claims are made against immigrants looking for a better life for themselves and their children.  Truth has been inflicted with a serious wound.

The assault on the truth has placed us in bondage.  We are in bondage to our fear of each other.  We are in bondage to the hatred we hold against those of a different race or level of wealth.  We are in bondage to the anger that is stoked to polarize us left against right.  Truth is being damaged and the result is we are in bondage that prevents us from coming together to deal with the challenges to society and the world as a whole.  Jesus was absolutely correct in saying that to know the truth is what sets you free.

The reading from John has Jesus in a heated debate over the truth of his identity and validity of his message.  After all, where does he get the right to challenge established and cherished traditions that identify as being one of God’s people?  How does he get to redefine the understanding of sin?  The anger came from hearing Jesus’ words of truth that sets us free.

Belonging to God is listening to the truth of our humanity.  Sin is refusing to abide, find our life in God.  In the end, those not free do what is customary.  They kill what will set them free; Jesus was killed on a cross.  However, he was raised from the dead.  Jesus truly is freedom.

Listen to the truth.  It will set you free.

Peace.

The Gospel of Mark has this way of showing the disciples to be a group that just doesn’t get the point of Jesus’ teaching.  The reading for this morning doesn’t change that perspective.  Several weeks have gone by and we are still looking at power to be grasped while it is there for the taking.  James and John have met with Jesus for the purpose of beating the others to sitting beside him in the kingdom.  Needless to say the other disciples were angry when the news got out.  After all, James and John had beaten them to the opportunity.  Jesus presented a new and renewed and retold teaching of power based on his example of going to the cross for us all.

As we near another round of elections the goal seems to be who wins and who loses.  What party will have control of the House or of the Senate.  Nothing is being offered that will draw us together as a nation for the common good.  Rather we are being torn apart for the gain of power.  It is called ‘Public Service’ but who really is being served?

Jesus teaches that to be important in the kingdom of God is not achieved by chasing after power.  Instead to be important in the kingdom of God is to be a servant first and foremost.  Are we willing to be baptized into the baptism Jesus underwent?  Are we willing to drink the cup?  Are we willing to follow his example and be servants for others?

The prosperity gospel is very popular these days which looks to Jesus as the giver of wealth and power in society.  We really are just like James and John.  We really are just like the disciples.

The questions from Jesus are for us today.  Are we willing to be baptized into the baptism Jesus underwent?  Are we willing to drink the cup?  Are we willing to follow his example and be servants for others?

Peace

I begin by saying that I am from Minnesota.  Minnesotans are known for a number of things and one of them is being ‘nice.’  ‘Minnesota Nice’ isn’t isolated for those in the frozen north.  There are lots of nice people around the world.

What makes people nice?  Well, they don’t cheat on their spouse.  They don’t steal or connive to take what belongs to somebody else.  Nice people don’t lie about others and give respect to their parents.  ‘Minnesota Nice’ fits a lot people.

A man comes to Jesus and he must have been a nice man because he had done all of these things.  They come from the 10 Commandments and he had spent his whole life keeping them.  Yet, he was searching for more.  He wanted to inherit something called ‘eternal life.’  Eternal life is far more than one day following another, following another, following another.  Eternal life is more about the character and quality of life that is lived under the reign of God.  A life that is, shall we say, heavenly inspired.

The man wanted to learn how to inherit eternal life.  Jesus began listing the 10 Commandments but only those pertaining to human relationships.  The man was good at keeping these.  Jesus didn’t mention the Commandments related to God which he must have lacked in keeping.  Jesus told the nice man what he was lacking and that was to sell his possessions and give the proceeds to the poor and follow Jesus’ path.  The man left with a sad face because he was rich.

The past few weeks the readings have been about maintaining position and the taking of power.  Jesus kept holding up a powerless child as the ideal instead for life in the kingdom of God.  After this reading, the disciples are quarreling with John and James for trying to secure the top two positions in Jesus’ future kingdom.  This is why the rich man was sad.

We know that wealth gives us power and position in community.  Wealth allows us to wall ourselves away from others and never have to relate to them as equals.  Being nice is a lot easier than giving up power to see other people as equals which eternal life is like.  As Jesus said, “…many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Peace

Interesting how Jesus keeps using children as focal points for his teachings.  In the last thirty-three verses Jesus does this three times.  This time he has a wider audience that includes the Pharisees and others.

Pharisees are those people we like to label as those ‘works righteousness’ kind of people.  I think we need to cut them some slack.  They were trying their best to be faithful.  Very likely our most ambitious efforts would pale in comparison.  The difficult reality is just how much we are like them.

Recently I read an article that cast a different light upon the Pharisees (I have forgotten the author and where it was published).  What I learned wasn’t that the Pharisees respected the Scriptures, which they did.  What was important is that they didn’t respect the Scriptures enough.  The situation in this Sunday’s reading was about divorce.  Specifically, regarding the legalities about a man divorcing his wife.  This was done to test Jesus.  It was also done to legitimize a man’s power in the marriage over his wife.  Respect for Scripture was being used to bend society to support power structures that were in place.

None of this is new.  Who hasn’t had a Bible verse thrown at them in an argument?  Who hasn’t used a Bible verse to serve personal agendas?  The Bible has been used to support slavery, abuse, war and the list is endless.  As it was back then, so it is today.  The abuse of Scripture for power and politics has been going on for a long time.

Jesus turned the perspective on them.  From the beginning, marriage was intended for the two to become as one.  Don’t be using Scripture to tear apart what God has intended and done.

Children didn’t have a whole lot of power back in those days.  As a result, they weren’t all that adept at adult power moves.  If you want to be part of the kingdom of God, then you need to be like the children.  The children and not the Pharisees were blessed by him.

Peace.

This is #2 because it is a continuation from last week.  A couple curious notes regarding the text.  The division of the reading from last week and this week affects how we might look at what Jesus is teaching.  Reading this lesson alone our attention is easily drawn to the draconian approach of dealing with sin.  Namely, self-mutilation if the foot or eye causes us to sin.  However, what is the ‘sin’ that Jesus is referring to?  A second note is about translation.  The NIV has Jesus talking about sin.  The NRSV has Jesus talking about stumbling.

Jesus is teaching about community.  Especially how the church will function following his death, resurrection and ascension.  We need to listen.  Last week the disciples weren’t listening because their concern was over who was the greatest among them.  Jesus took a child and pointed out that not welcoming one like a child of lower political power and position is to not welcome him and the kingdom.  This week the disciples stopped a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus.  Why?  He wasn’t part of the group in which thy want to be most important.  Jesus then goes on to describe the serious nature of sin/stumbling.  I think the great sin is about stumbling.

Stumbling over the cross and resurrection…

Stumbling over having control about ministry…

Stumbling over power and who gets to have it…

Causing others to stumble and leave the church or to lose faith…

The different parts of life that cause us to stumble in our following of Christ and relationships in the church…

The consequences of sin and stumbling Jesus describes to be hellish.  He is so correct.

Sexual assault and abuse has hit the church hard recently.  The Roman Catholic and a couple prominent protestant churches are now dealing with the consequences which must feel hellish.  Think of the stumbling done to the faith of those injured.

A congregation goes through a fight over worship, music, the pastor, etc.  The situation would seem hellish to all.  Imagine the stumbling done to the faith of those caught in the middle.

We follow the One who took the cross and three days later arose from the grave.  Jesus’ life shows us a different path than the path of power leaving casualties in its wake.  Or as in this reading those of little faith stumbling over the church acting more like the world around it than a place where life is seen and lived.

No wonder Jesus concluded by saying, “…and be at peace with each other.”

Peace.

Who is the greatest?  Who is the best?  Who is most important?  In this football season polls list teams by which is the greatest and fans live in anguish if their team is ranked too low, at least by their personal estimates.  Coaches feel the heat of the discontent.

The election cycle is here again and the races aren’t about who is greatest but who can tear down the opponent to being the most feared.  What really is important is control.  Who has control over congress.  Who has control over shaping the Supreme Court.

In the church the challenge is who has the best youth program.  Which pastor is the most gifted.  What is the greatest church music…liturgical style…screens or no screens…etc.

Sports, politics, religion all lend themselves to comparisons over greatness, power and importance.  The struggle over greatness leaves them either valued too high or too low for the good they bring to a community.  The fight over importance leaves conflict that serves no one.

Jesus was giving a private lesson to the disciples about his upcoming betrayal, crucifixion and rising on the third day.  The disciples were not paying much attention because they were busy debating who was the most important among them.  Just before this they were useless to the father begging them to help his child possessed by a demon.  A futile debate since this proved that neither had much to support the claim to greatness.

Jesus gave them another private lesson.  If they really wanted to be important in his eyes and to the kingdom, then serve the least.  Jesus used a child as an example.  Whoever welcomes a child (very low on the political power ladder), welcomes him and the reign of God into their lives.

Do you ever wonder who Jesus might be asking us to welcome into our midst?  Who is it that has no power but in welcoming them would invite Christ and the kingdom of God which is of ultimate importance?  Could it be the immigrants whose children are torn from their arms?

Peace

If there is one question that demands an answer, this has to be it. This is the question Jesus asked of the disciples and Peter responded with Messiah. Was he right? Of course he was. However titles, as Peter and the others would soon learn, come with consequences. You can’t simply call Jesus “Messiah” and go on with life confident you have passed the big oral exam question. Jesus’ response wasn’t to give Peter praise for coming up with the correct answer. Jesus seems to be saying, “That’s good and all but do you know what you are saying?  There will be persecution… There will be a cross… There will be a putting aside of personal aspirations.” Yes Peter, you have the answer but do you know the cost of such a claim?

We live in interesting times where words have come to lose some of their meaning.  We are told that truth isn’t always the truth.  If reality doesn’t fit our agenda, we use alternative facts.  The motto truly does seems to be, “What is true for me, is true for me.  What is true for you, is true for you.”  Any wonder that society seems so polarized and chaotic?  Words have lost their meaning and truth is lost.

Jesus is informing the disciples that words do matter and they still have power.  He was going to be betrayed and killed and after three days rise again.  This is serious.  Peter and anybody else declaring Jesus to be ‘Messiah’ had better heed their words because they carry consequences and blessing.  They can bring death or life.  They can leave us stuck with what is or let us find life in the Kingdom.

So, who is Jesus to you?  Contrary to what is happening in society, words still do have meaning.  How you respond does carry a cost.  What say you?

Peace