(prayer)
The song of the angels is stilled.
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The Work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)
The star in the sky is gone.
The kings and shepherds
have found their way home.
The Work of Christmas is begun.
(“I Am the Light of the World” - #87VU)
The light is in the world.
The Work of Christmas is begun.
//
//
As the Israelite exodus from Egypt went from months to years to decades,
Moses began to realize that there was a good chance that he wasn't going to see
the end of the journey: when the people would enter the land of Canaan, from
where their ancestor Jacob had once lived.
Moses had become quite elderly.
He had to prepare for the possibility that he, himself, was not going to
set foot in the Promised Land.
//
He took it upon himself to offer what wisdom he could to the next
generation of leaders. Moses spoke
about how Hebrew society could function when they transitioned from nomads to
settlers.
The compiler of the various laws and rituals within the book of
Deuteronomy structured the text to read as instructions - given by Moses - to a
people ready to make that change.
//
And… as we heard today, Moses assured the people that true leadership is
from God, not any one person.
In every generation, great holy wisdom would be taught anew. New prophets would emerge.
God (and God’s hope for the people) would continue to be known… spoken
with fresh words from a fresh voice for the people of each time in history.
//
The story of faith is one of evolving lessons from a living God.
//
//
//
The New Testament tells us that Jesus died on the executioner’s cross on
a Friday afternoon. His body was hastily
buried before sunset because his followers, faithful Jews, would be observing the Sabbath from sundown Friday
to sundown Saturday.
All four biblical gospels relay stories of women coming to the tomb
early Sunday morning. They all agree
that Mary Magdalene was there, but the gospel various texts differ on the
details of which of Jesus’ other followers came to anoint his body that Sunday
morning.
The gospel of John gives us a wonderful story of Mary Magdalene crying
alone near the tomb after it was discovered that Jesus’ body was not
there. A man (she assumes to be the
gardener) joins her and asks why she is crying.
Through her tears, she doesn't realize that it is (in fact) Jesus -
raised from the dead.
It is when Jesus says her name, Miriam,
that she knows that it is ‘him’. John
quotes Mary as responding “Rabbouni”. The text has no punctuation, so we can't be
sure if this was: a question - Rabbouni?
(Is that you?); or an exclamation - Rabbouni!
(It's you!)
Even though, the fourth gospel is written in greek, the author
intentionally spells Miriam and Rabbouni so that they read with Aramaic
pronunciations.
Aramaic was the day-to-day language spoken by Jesus and his
disciples. The language-choice in John, chapter 20 really highlights the
conversational nature of this resurrection appearance.
When Mary (who believed Jesus to be dead) sees Jesus alive, and hears her name spoken in his
familiar voice, the first word out of her mouth is Rabbouni.
In that moment of unbridled joy and amazement, Mary calls Jesus...
“Teacher”.
//
//
//
Over the last couple of Sundays, we have been hearing some of stories
that come from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry:
●
Jesus spending time with John the Baptist and
John’s followers by the Jordan River,
●
Jesus taking time alone with his temptations in
the Judean wilderness,
●
Jesus returning to Galilee proclaiming: The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the
good news.
●
And… Jesus spending time by the Sea of Galilee,
where he began to acquire followers of his own.
//
Today, we heard about Jesus (and presumably his first disciples) going
to the synagogue in the fishing town of Capernaum. Mark makes a point to tell us that Jesus took
an active role in the sabbath day discussions in the synagogue.
The sense from others who were there was that Jesus’ words were
interesting and surprisingly insightful for someone who was not an expert in
the Torah: “[People] were astounded at
[Jesus’] teaching, for he taught them as one having authority.”
From the earliest days of his active ministry, Jesus was more than a
preacher who proclaimed that the Kingdom of God has come near; he was a teacher
who helped people understand, more deeply, what that means.
//
The second half of the gospel reading today describes an encounter with
another person who was in the synagogue that sabbath day.
Reading between the lines of the few sentences Mark gives us, it sounds
like (while Jesus was teaching), this man blurted out: What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?
I wonder whether mentioning that Jesus was from Nazareth was a way of
saying that this outsider shouldn't be so presumptuous to teach the people of
Capernaum.
Certainly, the man seems concerned about Jesus’ motives: Why have you come here? To destroy us?
A modern interpretation of the story is that this man was mentally
disturbed. Regulars at this synagogue
may have known this man’s history; perhaps he was known for shouting out at
others in such a way that people believed that he was not in his right mind. In the vernacular of the day, he was assumed
to be possessed by an unclean spirit.
Assuming that this person may have been living with the spirit for sometime, the people of
Capernaum had either learned to ignore him, or perhaps, these “fits" were
frightening and people avoided him.
Either way, I imagine that he was an isolated, lonely soul… who may not
have really understood why he seemed so different from everyone else.
//
Perhaps, because Jesus was new to town and didn't have a history with
this person, Jesus’ fresh perspective saw the struggle within this troubled
man.
//
Jesus didn’t ignore or shun the man, but spoke directly to what was
ailing him.
//
Then, in a scene that would make a faith-healing TV preacher jealous,
while the man screamed and convulsed on the floor, Jesus commanded the spirit
to come out of him.
And then… there was calm… and I imagine some shock in the eyes of
everyone there.
In the stunned silence, the man got up off the ground, bothered no more
by the spirit that had been tormenting
him.
I like to imagine that what followed... were hugs and shouts of joy as
this man was fully welcomed back into the congregation of that synagogue.
//
//
We might be tempted to see this gospel story as simply one about a
miraculous healing.
But… it is more than that.
//
All we have to do is look at the reaction of the others in the synagogue
that day. Yes, they are amazed that an
unclean spirit obeyed Jesus; but they see that act as part of a bigger picture
emerging about this newcomer from Nazareth.
The crowd looked past the example of a single medical miracle and
realized that a new wisdom was being offered - a new truth was being shared:
something beyond what even the learn’ed scribes were teaching.
//
Jesus’ actions with the troubled man merely reinforced what he had been
sharing (in conversation) earlier: Jesus had come to town to teach.
And he was exhibiting an authority that was worth paying attention to.
We should listen to this guy, the people of Capernaum began to say.
//
That day in the synagogue set the tone for the travelling ministry that
Jesus and his followers were beginning.
Jesus would call them Disciples-Learners.
They would call him Rabbi-Teacher.
//
About three years later - in a graveside garden, through tear soaked
eyes, Mary would see her teacher alive again.
//
//
Ad lib examples, like...
●
The advantages and pitfalls of an
impactful leader… 1988 UCCan, Living Stones (RD), Jamestown.
●
Ego. Selfishness. Abuse.
Prosperity Gospel.
Disappointment.
●
It is about the learning, not the
teacher.
●
Moses gave way to new leadership.
●
Disciples become next rabbis.
●
Mary after garden… I have seen the Lord!
//
//
Let us be open to new learning from new voices.
Let us share what we have learned - and then hash it all out again.
//
That is what disciples do.
//
Let us
pray:
We know
who you are, Holy God, and yet we are still learning how to recognize your
authority in our lives. May your spirit
inspire us to faithful living. Amen.
#595VU
“We Are Pilgrims”
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