HARD WORK PAYS OFF

October 18, 2015

Pentecost 21

Mark 1:16-20

Mark 10:35-45

(prayer)

I am quite certain that Mark (and the other gospel writers) have shared with us a very abbreviated version of Jesus calling his first disciples.

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As we heard today, as Jesus walked along the shoreline, he invited two sets of fishermen-brothers to follow him.  The text tells us that they went away with Jesus that very day.  The gospel writer uses carefully chosen adverbs to make it clear that there was no hesitation on behalf of Simon, Andrew, James and John when Jesus asked them to join him on a new fishing expedition: Immediately they left their nets and followed Jesus.

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I have to assume that it was not as simple as hearing Jesus use a catchy metaphor: Fishers of fish, follow me and I will make you fish for people. 
What does that even mean: to 'fish for people'?

I have to assume that this quick conversation by the lake was not the first encounter between Jesus and the brothers.  When Jesus invited them to fish for people, I assume that they had a pretty good idea what that meant. 

I have to assume that Jesus had already set the context for them.
They must have met him in the village or heard him speak by the water.

Jesus must have caught their attention. 

And they must have impressed Jesus in some way.

And it must have been exciting.

When Jesus invited these people to join him on a new adventure, they knew that it would be worth it to just turn their backs on their current life.

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It was the disciples' experiences spending time with Jesus that motivated them to remain committed to the mission that Jesus was leading.

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 By the time the story moves in to chapter 10 (in Mark), the former fishermen had nurtured their relationship with Jesus.
They had grown more deeply committed to what Jesus was doing and the impact that Jesus was having.

That is the context to us hearing John and James ask Jesus for positions of honour.  They are among Jesus most longtime followers and (we must assume) that felt they had earned to be 'vice presidents' in the Jesus corporation.

As we read through the rest of the passage, it doesn't appear that consulted the others about their desires.  Certainly, according to Mark's gospel texts, we can imagine if years of service is a deciding factor that Andrew and Simon could claim to be the longest serving disciples.

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Jesus wants his close followers to not get too far ahead of themselves.  While James and John (and maybe others as well) were focusing on the final set up of God’s Realm, Jesus wants them to remain focused on the glimpses of that Realm that they were helping the world see in the here and now. 

And this - Jesus says - is not a time of sitting back in comfortable chairs.  It is a time when discipleship has costs. 

As we look at that conversation in Mark, we can see how the author takes passion imagery (language we associate with the end of Jesus life) and reads it back into this point in the story.

Are you prepared to drink the cup I must drink?

The readers of the gospel - being fully aware of the events of Good Friday and Easter knew that this meant: are you prepared to lay your life on the line for what we are doing: for what
you believe?

The disciples say yes:  they are willing to do the hard (even dangerous) work.  And what they want is some reward for their efforts.  They want a contract with Jesus - that assures them what that reward will be - special seats in glory. 

The logic here is easy to appreciate.  If I am going to embark on a dangerous mission, I want to know that it will be worth my while.

Hard work should pay off.

Dedication should be rewarded. 

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A coach asked the team during a particularly sweaty practice, “why are we doing this?” Catching their breath, the team knew the answer and repeated back: “to get better.”

Later, as they are hyping themselves up before a game, you could hear the team captain shout “Hard Work!” and his teammates shouted back “Pays Off!” Hard work… pays off! Hard work… pays off!

For many of the players, the hard work had gone on for years. 
Then the day came that it paid off in a championship game.

In sports, it is almost universally true that the teams that work the hardest, even if they have less raw talent, gain the rewards in the end.

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In the movie, The Field of Dreams, the main character Ray Kinsella has blindly followed the directions of the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson and built a baseball field where the 1919 Chicago White Sox, all banded from baseball for life, can play ball again. They appear from out of the corn field each day and play ball.

If you build it he will come. 

Ease his pain.

Go the distance.

When the author, Ray has picked up in his travels is invited to go off the field with the players, Ray gets jealous. 

I want to go out there.

I built this field; that’s my corn field; you are guests in my corn.

I didn’t understand it, but I did everything you said and never asked: ‘what’s in it for me?’ 
‘What are you asking?’, Shoeless Joe says.

“What’s in it for me?

 ‘Is that why you did this Ray, for you’.  
Then the real purpose of all of the events of the story are revealed.  I won’t spoil the ending for you, if your haven’t seen it.

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You may have heard the old proverb: to the victor gets the spoils.

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In human realms, the rulers have all the power and are served by their subjects.  They can violently and fearfully ensure subjugation. 

Fear and threats of violence are still common governing techniques in 2015.  That is how the Islamic State is holding on to its lands.

It may be more subtlety in so-called democratic societies, but rulers still often 'lord' over us.  (Not a direct comment on tomorrow's election ;) )

But, Jesus insists, in God's Realm, it is not only to the victors that go the spoils.

Discipleship involves selflessness and willingness to sacrifice for greater good. 

Again passion and resurrection read back into story re: impact of Jesus' death.  He may appear to have been defeated by the powers of the world, but his message and his mission endured.

I like the fact that the text of our Bible readings does not give us any real sense how the disciples reacted when they expectations got turned upside down.

You want a guarantee of a reward, Jesus says, well I can’t do that.  But come and join me in setting the world right - right now, and we’ll let the future sort itself out in due time.

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We might wonder how they might have reacted to this upside down logic: that to be served, we must serve.  To be great, we must put others first.

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Maybe the more important question is...

How do we react?

How important is recognition?

How are we motivated to serve?

What motivates us to serve?

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I am not asking this, trying to illicit guilt in us.  I know that it is hard to not ask (even in the quiet of our minds): what’s in it for me?  Is this service I offer going to be worth my time in some way?  What do I get out of it?

In the Broadway musical, Avenue Q, although the first line of a song is “helping others brings you closer to God”, the characters eventually all admit that the reason they help others, is because it feels good.

“When you help others,

you can’t help helping yourself.”

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We all do this.

It is human nature.

We have survived the evolutionary process (so far) because we take care of ourselves.

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What Jesus can help us do, is to find those times when we can fight against that natural tendency and see the bigger picture: God’s Realm is one where the barriers are irrelevant - where every tear is whipped away, where all are safe and comfortable.

A hint of that in the world right now can be shown when we selflessly serve a greater good.

Jesus is promoting humility as one of the characteristics of faithful discipleship.

When we make room to be humble, our perceptions of the way the world works are challenged and we can be changed - which allows God’s Realm to shine through.

We lead through following.

We are served by serving.

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It is an alternative vision to the one, we see before us most days.

That’s why it is not easy. 

That’s why it takes discipline to be a disciple.

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May God be our comfort and guide as we try hard to live in Jesus’ Way.

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Let us pray:

Holy God, You are deeply committed to the well-being of your creation.  We are the result of your hard work.  May we live out our faith with the same enthusiasm.  Amen.

#161MV “I Have Called You By Your Name”

A PROBLEM WITH WASTE

October 11, 2015
Pentecost 20
Joel 2:21-24
Matthe 6:25-33

Worry = afraid that something bad is going to happen.

God says not to worry.  How can God say that?  How can we imagine that might be true.

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Thanksgiving bubble.  We are thankful within our circle... for what "we" have.

Real deep gratitude will involve us actively widening the circle of thankfulness... so many can have enough to feel thankful.

Wasted food.  New law in France not to waste edible food.

God has provided bounty.  Do we hoard or share.

Gratitude starts with giving.

#145MV "Draw the Circle Wide"

WHY US? WHY THEM?

October 4, 2015

Pentecost 19

Mark 10:13-16

Hebrews 2:5-10

(prayer)

‘Jesus was indignant’ is the phrase used in the New Revised Standard Version of the English language bible.  In fact, ‘indignant’ is the most common English translation for the original word found in Mark 10:14.

The roots of the English word are latin meaning: without dignity or unworthy.

Indignation is a string emotion.  It is a form of anger.  To be indignant is to be bothered by an observed unfairness.

Some of the other choices of English translators say that ‘Jesus was much displeased’ and ‘Jesus grew angry’ and ‘Jesus was upset’, ‘Jesus became irritated’.

Let’s be honest: Jesus was [pissed] off when his disciples told the parents to get their children away from Jesus.

That attitude irritated him, it angered him:

“Hey!

What are you doing? 

Don’t stop them. 

Let them through. 

Let the little children come to me...

Hi.  I’m Jesus; what’s your name?”

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It must have been a powerful moment - for Jesus to go out of his way to be welcoming and accepting.

The disciples come off looking not-so-good in this passage.  But I don’t think we have to conclude that the disciples were being mean or insensitive. 

They had witnessed times when Jesus was overwhelmed by the crowds and needed to be left alone.  Perhaps they were simply trying to protect him from too much contact.

Jesus’ reputation as a healer was probably what brought the crowds to him most days.  I can imagine that some people would see a simple from Jesus for their child might offer them some protection from harm.

Maybe it was this presumptuous attitude that drew the ire of the disciples.

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I suspect that the children had very little idea what all the commotion was about.  Why were these visitors to their town yelling at their parents?  And why were their parents so insistent that they should come see the healer?

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You see when we enter this story, the focus is not on the children - it is on the adults: the parents, the disciples, Jesus.

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I like to imagine that Jesus is preoccupied with some other visit, when, out of the corner of his eye, he catches the argument between the disciples and parents.  He stops and looks to see what the problem is.  I like to imagine that Jesus sees beyond the combative adults and makes eye contact with one of the children.  Maybe Jesus sees some worry or fear in that child’s eyes with all the fighting going on around her.  Jesus saw an innocent child caught up in something beyond his control.

He inserted himself into the conflict to end it: to put the focus on the innocent and the worried in the situation.

“Let the children come to me.

Don’t stop them.”

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The message he would leave for the adults was that ‘all of us need to be like little children as we seek the Realm of God.’

If you can’t receive the kingdom of God like a little child, you will never enter it.

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What does it mean to be ‘like a little child’?

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All assumptions of culture and protocol that we have been told or have learned are set aside and a fresh honest interaction happens.

Jesus was indignant when that wasn't allowed to happen.

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When we are young, generally, we are curious.  We are willing to discover as we go. 

Almost immediately, as we try to live out those instincts, the people around us - who honestly care for our well-being - will watch us closely and step in to protect us from the dangers that our innocence might encounter.

As we get older, we - as humans - begin to replace our natural curiosity with cautiousness.  We become suspicious of that which is new.  We become worried about the unknown, rather than being excited by it.

It’s pragmatic.  It makes sense.

It is called maturing.

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But I suspect that we all can admit that (regardless of the positive aspects of a cautious outlook), we have lost some joy and wonder in this evolution.

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Jesus may be telling the adults in the room, that - when it comes to the hope and promises of God - that joy and wonder are necessary. 

Jesus sees what is needed in the eyes and hearts of the young children being brought to him.  Children who had no idea why they were there; why it was so important to their parents; why these other got upset.

Jesus broke the cycle of the moment and brought everyone back to a more innocent, joyous and wonder-filled time.

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Cautiousness has its place, but when it comes to the best our spirits can offer this world, cautious can hinder the welcoming work of Jesus.

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I’ll say more about it next week, but when worry and fear are our front-and-centre responses to a new situation, we are closing our hearts to the possibilities of God being at work in our midst.

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Since, we Canadians are in the midst of a federal election campaign and as we watch our North American neighbours engage in their two year long political posturing before their next national elections, we see and hear a lot about worry and fear.

Myself, I am baffled by the disproportionate attention the issue of niqabs and citizen ceremonies is getting. 

The most open argument is that someone other than the person who has earned the right to citizenship might show up and take the oath.

I wonder how many people are aware that the current practice for women who want to wear their traditional attire in public citizenship ceremony is that - just prior to the formalities, the person uncovers to an official privately to confirm their identity.

What is really going on is not about sneaking the wrong person into the ceremony, it is about an inability to accept that we are part of diverse human family - with diverse and markedly different cultural practices within the citizenry of our nation.  This has always been true, but perhaps it is more obvious as our wide world gets smaller as people are able to move around our globe so much more easily.

Do you think a little child would care about such things?

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And... we all continue to see the impact of the Syrian civil war on our fellow global citizens around the globe.  It is a complex conflict because it is not as simple a rebel group seeking to overthrow a government (like most civil wars).  There are several groups of opposition rebels... most notably, but not exclusively the Islamic State.  We saw it get more complicated this past week when the Russian military got directly involved. 

Can you blame anyone in that region for wanted to flee way from the conflicts.

And yet... people who are far from the battlefield are expressing great caution.  Are these migrants really who they say they are?

I heard one right-wing pundit in the US this week say (it might have been Rush Limbaugh?) the vast majority of the adult male refugees could just be a sleeper ISIS army trying to sneak into other countries.

This attitude of worry and fear and blanket judgment is behind the lack of action on increasing the possibilities of refugees finding refuge on north American shores.

Do you think a little child would care about such things?

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Cautiousness highlights what differentiates us.

Curiosity is a vehicle to learning.

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As far of the movement of our spirits - as we seek to live in God’s way and follow in Jesus’ example, we are called to give a rebirth to our curiosity and openness and welcome.

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Jesus’ disciple questioned why the parents and their children felt they deserved to be in the healer’s company.  Why them?  Why not someone else?

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The author of the letter to the Hebrews has an interesting phrase on the question why.  Why does God even care about us?  Why do we merit the attention of the Holy One?

The letter writer doesn’t answer the question, but leaves the readers with the obviousness of their situation - that God does care.  Even if you can’t make sense of it - it is just part of who God is and how God operates.

Jesus’ proudly calls all people his sisters and brothers.

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In Mark, we see that this acceptance is not restricted by age or gendre or familiarlity.

Who are we that we should not follow this example?

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Jesus invites us all to see with curious eyes, to reach out with discovery-hungry hands, to move with excited feet into new places where love and compassion can flourish.

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Let us pray:

God, we long to know your presence in our lives.  Sometimes, it is hard to feel you close.  Yet we will hold to the promise that you welcome us and call us your children.  Amen.

***offering***