Pentecost 5 B Sermon: How Jesus Sees

Mark 5:8-43

²¹ When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. ²² Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet ²³ and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” ²⁴ So he went with him.
And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. ²⁵ Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. ²⁶ She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸ for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” ²⁹ Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. ³⁰ Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” ³¹ And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?'” ³² He looked all around to see who had done it. ³³ But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. ³⁴ He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
³⁵ While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” ³⁶ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” ³⁷ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. ³⁸ When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” ⁴⁰ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” ⁴² And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. ⁴³ He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Conversation:

What kinds of people attract attention in news stories?  Why them?

Remember the response to the death of Lady Diana?  Why so big?

What are expectations do important or famous people have of others?

If Darian Durant or an ordinary person requires a medical procedure… like an MRI…who would get it first?

What expectations do poor and unimportant people have of others?

Of given they are ordinary, which human interest stories about people tug hardest at the heart? (children)

Sermon

When I was in school there was usually one day that was quite different from regular days.  The teacher usually announced that we were having an important visitor on that day…and that we would have to be on our best behavior.  It was the day that the school superintendent was coming for a class visit.  If there was time we may have rehearsed something in advance.  When the superintendent entered he sat at the back of the room… and told us to ignore his presence…and carry on with class as usual.  Even though he encouraged us to act normal… the whole nature of the class changed.  We could not ignore his presence…and because he was sitting in the room… our teacher was not the same either.  We usually recited a poem that we had memorized.  The teacher usually did an old arithmetic lesson…one we already should understand… One of the better students was asked to read a piece of literature.  Because of his importance and power no one was normal on the day of the visit… The teacher wanted to impress and so did the students.

In the same community there was an ordinary older bachelor who walked down town every day.  He wore a shapeless hat, faded flannelette shirt, patched overalls, and rubber boots wherever he went.  When he walked by… there was no change in how the children behaved they never took any note of his passing and never treated him with respect.  When he was notice at all…his old clothes and footwear were fodder for unflattering comments about why he was poor…  Because he was poor and had no power he was barely ever even noticed.

Today Jesus is confronted with similar situations to the ones we have discussed.  In the first situation he is asked by Jairus…a prominent leader of the synagogue…to come to his house… His daughter is gravely ill and he wants Jesus to come.  It is evident that she is a member of an important family… by the number of people who have already gathered at the house by the time Jesus arrives.   Now Jairus belongs to a prominent group of religious leaders… who have been watching Jesus closely.  They have seen him healing and have heard him speaking about the kingdom of God.  They have also been hounding and making life difficult for Jesus.  Faced with his very serious concern for his daughter…Jairus comes to Jesus…begging him to come to his house…lay his hand on her that she may be made well.   Without questions…Jesus readily agrees to her father’s request.  In doing so Jesus does what is expected of him…according to our view.  He does it for a prominent leader and for a child.

On his way to the girl’s house though…with the crowd pressing in on all sides…someone touches his cloak…someone at the other end of the spectrum.  The woman has been reduced to a very low class…by her health condition.  She has spent everything she has on possible cures with no success…and is now living in poverty.  As a person who has lost blood for 12 years… imagine the color of her skin…imagine her clothes…  Physically she might look like someone who has been a drug addict for 12 years.  She is no longer a young child filled with the potential of youth…which tugs at our heart-strings.  She has no name or influence which will turn heads…and command action.

Because this is a story about Jesus and a poor woman…we are impressed by his compassion for her.  In our eyes Jesus is a true hero… who ignores her poverty…and looks past the tattered and worn clothes …past the brittle thinning hair…past the anemic and wrinkled skin… Jesus does not make up a fictitious back story about the circumstances that led her to this day.  Jesus only sees someone in need.  Even though her appearance is difficult to look at… and she obviously has no prominence and no support from friends or family… and she isn’t young and pretty with unrealized potential…this poor and unworthy woman is still valued and healed by Jesus.

We could stop here…with the knowledge that Jesus does not show any bias or preference…but there is more to it.  While Jesus cares for people from very different social states…there is similarity in the reason both the prominent leader and the poor woman approach Jesus.  It is best described by the reality of the poor person.  She had endured much, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse.  Both the poor woman and the leader of the synagogue are desperately in need.  The woman had already exhausted all of her options.  And the father’s daughter was so gravely ill… beyond the possibility of other options.  The only option left for both is to have faith…seek out Jesus and put their life into his hands.

Having faith is much easier said than done.  And we don’t want to be in the desperation of the two from today’s gospel.  It is however comforting knowing that our sees only our need and not our status or appearance.  It is good knowing that we can take our desperation to our God… touch the hem of God’s cloak and receive healing.

Today Jesus challenges us…not to use our eyes or the eyes of the world when we see people…but to see with his eyes.  He challenges us to look past people’s appearances…to ignore the back stories that we make up in our mind about how the poor got to their present state.  He challenges us to recognize them as God’s child reaching out for help.  Finally Jesus calls on us to proclaim the good news of this…both in word and deed.  We are called to respond as Jesus does to everyone who reaches out to touch the hem of God’s robe.  Let us do these things in the name of Jesus.  Amen

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Pentecost 4 B Sermon: Peace and Calm

1 Samuel 17:32-49

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” ³³ Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.” ³⁷ David said, “The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.” So Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you!”
³⁸ Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. ³⁹ David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.
⁴¹ The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. ⁴² When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. ⁴³ The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the field.” ⁴⁵ But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. ⁴⁶ This very day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, ⁴⁷ and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hand.”
⁴⁸ When the Philistine drew nearer to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. ⁴⁹ David put his hand in his bag, took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell face down on the ground.

Mark 4:35-41

 ³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” ³⁶ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷ A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

 Conversation

Sometime we hear people talking about another saying; “He or she had a strong faith.

Who among us has a strong faith?

Who among us is truly contented?

Who among us has worries or fears?

Message:  “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

I know that most of you may be really surprised, but for me David has been a true Biblical hero… But he has not just been my hero.  Almost every children’s Bible such as the ones we give to newly baptized children invariable have one or two stories about David.  And of all the David stories the one about David and Goliath is the most famous and the most loved.  It is a story about the young boy triumphing over the bully…a story about good versus evil…a story about quickness and brains defeating brute strength…a story where quiet confidence and ingenuity wins over arrogance and pride.  In this story trained fighters cower in their tents afraid of the size and strength of the giant…while letting a young boy goes to out to face him.  The battle between David and Goliath contains all the elements required in a true hero story…it even delivers suspense for first time hearers who wonder and worry for David.

One of the things that stands out for us is David’s confidence that God is the one who is fighting the battle.  Twice he says… the LORD will give Goliath into his hand.  And of course the ending is a surprise and typical for true under-dog hero stories…  By using unconventional and what appear weaker weapons…David outwits and outsmarts Goliath…who seems more prepared and more powerful for doing battle.  David’s most important weapon for gaining the victory is his faith that God will fight for him.

Today we have a second story to consider.  It is also a story about faith…or the lack of faith.  When the storm threatens to swamp their boat…the disciples are afraid.  As their boat takes on water they can only imagine certain death.  Then they see Jesus sleeping…and oblivious to what is happening.  He isn’t helping with the sails or working the oars to straighten the boat or get to shore.  He isn’t baling the water out of the boat to keep it from filling with water.  Because he isn’t doing anything to help them…they are frustrated and angry with Jesus…asking if he cares at all whether they perish, whether they live or drown.   With a gesture and a word Jesus calms the storm.

While we truly like the two stories…and we like the faith that David exhibits in the face of danger…while we cheer the outcome… David’s story is somewhat less than satisfying to us.  Not all under-dog story turn out like this one.  Sometimes the under-dog loses the battle.  And sometimes the story of Jesus calming the storm for the disciples who are lack faith is also less then satisfying.   Sometimes when we or our loved ones face the giant…the outcome is different and the giant wins…  Sometime we have had the confidence and faith that David shows…but we are unable to slay our foe.  Sometimes the giant: cancer… diabetes… heart disease…continues beating us down even though we have faith…

Sometimes storms are within our family relationships.  Even though we have taught them better…it might be that one who we love so dearly has wandered off into a life filled with pitfalls.   There might be storms of conflict causing among the members of the family… which threaten to swamp the boat.  Even though we have prayed hard for God’s help…the storms continue raging.

In Sunday School we have been taught about how God is always near…and about the value of praying.  We have been taught that praying is an expression of our faith.  We have been taught that we should pray constantly…and that God always answers them.  But we have also been taught that we ought not to pray too expectantly or selfishly… but always pray that God’s will be done…and gratefully receive God’s answer…whether it is; “No!”, “Wait.”, or “Yes.”

However at the moments when the storm rages or when the giants are winning…it is difficult to with “no or wait” answers.  These answers just don’t seem adequate at these moments.  We look into the bottom of the boat…and like the disciples we want to yell asking; “God don’t you care that we are perishing?”

On occasion God’s answer is not the expected answer.  It is also not one of the three we have been taught to accept and be thankful for. Today the disciples are not readily satisfied and accepting as we are taught… They are angry and frustrated with Jesus… They expect him to wake and do some work…start baling water…help rowing…help them save themselves and the boat from being swamped.  But they are confused by the results of their cries for help…  Instead doing what they expect Jesus completely surprises them.  He stands up… calls for peace and stills the storm.  They are confused and still are not able to completely understand what has just happened.

When giants and storms come into our lives we can learn from the disciples.  From them we learn not to allow the storms and giants to control us.  We learn that it alright to confront God about our situation.  But we learn much more from the story.  We learn to open our eyes to very different possibilities…from what we expect.  We learn that the giants and the storms allow us to find peace.

On Friday Sylvia and I were witnesses to a number storm stories at the “Truth and Reconciliation Hearing in Saskatoon.  We were also witness to some surprising answers.  One example came from a younger woman telling her story about the physical and sexual abuse …and how it had affected her.  Toward the end she spoke about being thankful…  When she hit bottom and in total despair… considering suicide… somehow she thought of her children.  She determined that they would not have similar experiences.  She wanted to grow up in a safe loving home.   She sought counselling and therapy.  As a result she has learned to daily hug her children and tell them how precious and special they are to her.  She remembers and cannot change her past storms…but has found peace and calm.

When life’s storms come…let us remember that God is in our boat.  Let us not hold back in our expectations.  Let us expect God to answer.  Most importantly let us be open to an unexpected answer.  Let us remember that God wishes to bring peace and calm to our storm.   And let us always proclaim the wonderful news about how God has changed our storms into peace and calm.

Thanks be to God.  Amen

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Pentecost 3 B Sermon: Scattered Seed

2^nd Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17

¹⁷ So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.

Mark 4:26-32

 ²⁶ He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

³⁰ He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³² yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

Conversation:  “In Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

Farmers: What do you do after you are done seeding the crop?

Do you worry about whether the seeds will germinate and grow?

Cattlemen: What concerns you as calving season approaches?

Sermon:

“The seed sprouts and grows, he does not know how.”

After planting… the most difficult time for me is the first two weeks… I am constantly watching for the signs that the seeds are going to sprout and grow. This year again I became impatient about planting the garden.  I looked at the calendar and my busy schedule…and planted on the first day…I thought I could.  I knew that germination might by slow because the weather and the soil were still cool.  In general though most of the seeds germinated…only the green beans seemed to mock my haste.  Only about 15 plants successfully germinated into seedling plants.

Even with our frustrations about poor germination or frost…when asked why we garden… gardeners smile and say; “We do it because we love it.”  We have many varied reasons for our gardening passions.  For some gardening is about eating nutritious food… For others it is about aesthetics and beauty…  For others it is about peace and contentment.  And for a few… it is about making a living.

We gardeners are not alone in our passion for growing plants.  We live among farmers…who have the same passion for growing plants…and raising animals.  And as gardeners watch … farmers anxiously watch their field wondering about the seeds they have scattered…  When asked farmers echo the voice of gardeners saying: “I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t love it.”

Sometimes when we have completed seeding and are waiting for them to emerge… gardeners and farmers might anticipate all the potential problems that could keep it from growing into a harvestable crop.  Maybe the soil is too dry and without rain it will not germinate…maybe the soil is too cold…or too wet.  Maybe during the growing season disease, draught, or hail will devastate or at least reduce the yield potential.  Maybe early frosts or untimely fall rains will reduce crop quality.  There a whole host of hazards which could reduce if not totally destroy the intentions of the planter.

We gardeners and farmers are not the only ones who love scattering or planting seeds.  We are not the only ones who anxiously watch them germinate and grow into producing plants.  We are not the only ones who are able to visualize a totally new creation.  Today it is comforting learning that in the eyes of Jesus… our God scatters small seeds.  Like us… God is a gardener…or a farmer… scattering seeds… The seeds are very small…and appear insignificant.  God lovingly and anxiously watches the scattered seeds sprout and grow… into stalks and ripened heads…

As gardeners and farmers face hazards before a crop is safely harvested…the seeds God plants also face various hazards.  Many hazards come from the secular world… and we have considered them repeatedly.  The church has worried that the secular life has drawn people away where they no longer hear God’s and no longer are nourished by God’s word.

But maybe as many hazards are encountered from within the church.  At both conventions of our two parent churches… during these past two weeks… delegates heard very real concerns about church decline.  Both the Lutheran and United Churches are struggling meeting their budgeted commitment…with reduced revenues from their membership.  There is concern that the present church costs too much to administer.  Both suggest that present structures are affecting sustainability.  Both are scrambling and proposing ways to change structures which will reduce costs.

Membership is also concerned…believing that there is a disconnection between our local congregations and our provincial and national church bodies.  Many are just drifting away and never find the need to return.

But like farmers…who despite of the hazards…continue scattering seed year after year…God also continues scattering seeds of the kingdom.  Despite our declining churches…and despite our failed efforts in worship renewal…or our failures at faith renewal …or our failed attempts at structural renewal… God is busy scattering for God’s purpose.  Each time the seeds are scattered… like farmers God has expectations.  God’s concern is for what happens to God’s seed…and how it creates something new.  Very often God’s harvest looks very different from what we would imagine or expect.

When gardeners and farmers put their seeds in the ground… They are not doing it to make more of the same thing.  Rather, they are visualizing something completely different…something completely new.  Growing some seeds create artistic ascetically pleasing parks and yards with…trees, flowers, and manicure lawns.  A small dry tomato seed produces many juicy bright red fruits pleasant to the mouth.  Tiny hard lettuce or carrot seeds yield colorful tasty salads and vegetables.  A bushel of wheat seeds are used to create fresh tasty loaves of bread, cakes, pies, and cookies.  A few pounds of planted canola seed are used to create cooking oil…and the culinary delights it is used to create.   While a small portion of what is produced is used for seed to plant the next year’s crop…the greatest majority of the year’s crop is made into a new creation completely different from the seeds…which were planted.

When the products of planted seeds are made into the new creation they cannot be returned to the old use.  Bread, cakes and cookies cannot become wheat seeds and again be planted.  Lettuce leaves will not produce more lettuce.  And canola oil cannot be scatter to grow more.  The new creation is not reversible.

So it with God’s seed.  Once it is it is planted and when it is harvested…the old passes away and there is a new creation.  The seed God scatters is a free gift… It is forgiveness, love, and peace…which to the old world appears small and weak.  When what appear to be small insignificant seed takes root and begins growing in our hearts…we are completely transformed from our old selves…into new creations.  The germination and growth of God’s tiny seeds look something like this.  God loves us even while we are still sinners…and sends Jesus for our salvation.  And we are forgiven even before we are completely ready to receive it.  Through this love and forgiveness we are invited to live at peace with our God and with our neighbors.  God new creation looks nothing like the tiny seeds which were scattered on our old hearts.

As God’s new creations we are invited to participate in the scattering of God’s seed.  We are invited tell about how it has grown in us and made us into a new creation.  We are invited to forgive and love as God has loved us.  We are invited to be at peace with our God and with our neighbor.  Let us get in on and become part of God’s planters and gardeners helping make a new creation.  Thanks be to God.  Amen

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