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Sligo Presbyterian Church: Our Congregation and Community: The Sligo Presbyterian Church Celebration Service ...: During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark: September 22 - N...

Sunday's Message - A More Important Question

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the First United Presbyterian Church of Brilliant, Ohio and First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2021.

Mark 16:1-8 [Contemporary English Version]

After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. On their way, they were asking one another, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!

The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.

The man said, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here. You can see the place where they put his body. Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.”

When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.

A More Important Question

Now, I recognize that, because the temperature’s been in the twenties and there’s been snow in the air, it may be a little difficult to feel. And since there aren’t a lot of flowers blooming and attendance is still a little lower than in the past, it might not be quite so easy to see. Still, in spite of what we might be sensing, right here and right now, I can say with both certainty and enthusiasm that today is Easter Sunday. Will someone say “amen”? And even though the lead up may be a little different than what we’ve done in the past, it’s a whole lot better than it was last year, am I right? I mean, God’s given us the opportunity to be together this morning, and that’s a big change. And since, as a country, we’re working hard to control the virus and we’re getting vaccinated, maybe next year, we’ll all feel comfortable singing “Christ the Lord is risen today” without a mask.

But regardless of what might happen in 2022, today is Easter, that one time a year when we remember and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And because of that, on this Sunday, we generally look at one of the resurrection stories found in either Matthew or Mark, Luke or John. And this year, we’re looking at the Gospel of Mark. And for me, well, that’s kind of exciting, and I’ll tell you why. When you compare all four stories, Mark is kind of unique. I mean, even though they all have some very basic things in common, what the Evangelist Mark wrote is a little different, and I say that for two reasons. First, the resurrection in Mark comes at the very end of the gospel, and when I say “very end,” I mean very end. You see, this gospel ends at verse eight; therefore, there’s nothing after the resurrection itself: no Jesus walking with two guys on the Emmaus road or appearing to Mary in the garden or joining his apostles in a locked room. And he doesn’t tell them to make disciples or to wait for the Holy Spirit or to feed his sheep. None of that stuff happens in Mark at all, which must have made some folks in the day really nervous, because they added two different endings which are not found in the most ancient versions of the gospel. Now that’s one way Mark is unique. 

But I’ll tell you, there’s also something a little different going on in the story itself. And that’s really the second difference. Now, just so we’re all on the same page, let me read the passage again.

After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James bought some spices to put on Jesus' body. Very early on Sunday morning, just as the sun was coming up, they went to the tomb. On their way, they were asking one another, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” But when they looked, they saw that the stone had already been rolled away. And it was a huge stone!

The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.

The man said, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here. You can see the place where they put his body. Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.”

When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened. [Mark 16:1-8, CEV]

Now that’s what Mark wrote, and just think about what he’s saying, especially after the young man started talking with the women. I mean, he told them to do two things, didn’t he? He told them to not be alarmed, and then he told them to tell the disciples, right? Now that seems pretty clear and straight-forward. But in response to these two commands, what did the women do? Again, according to Mark, “When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.” [Mark 16:1-8, CEV] And so let’s get this straight: the young man said don’t be alarmed and the women left confused and shaking. And then he said tell the disciples and they told no one because they were afraid. In other words, they did the exact opposite of what they were commanded to do. And with that, the gospel ends, something which just doesn’t make sense, because somebody must have spoken. And I’ll tell you, when you take those two things together, well, for me, that makes the resurrection in Mark really unique, if not a little strange. 

And you know, that’s what we’re going to focus on for the next ten minutes or so. And to do that, we’re going to answer two questions, and I’ll be right up front with y’all, I believe the second one is actually much more important than the first. 

You see, since it’s so unique, I think it makes a lot of sense to simply ask, why did the Evangelist Mark write his resurrection story the way he wrote it? And for me, that’s really the first question we need to answer. Why did he offer no appearances in his gospel at all and why in heaven’s name, did he write that the women left the tomb and told no one? I mean, why would he do that? Good question. And you know, to understand the answer, I think it’s really important to think about how different people reacted to Jesus throughout the gospel. 

For example, I believe you can sort of put the people Jesus encountered into four basic groups. And even though they were different, what they ended up doing was exactly the same. Take, for instance, group number one, the Pharisees. Now these guys were focused on a whole bunch of rules and commandments that they thought God wanted everybody to follow. As a matter of fact, they were so bound to their Law that, after Jesus had the audacity to break their interpretation of the rules by healing a man on the Sabbath, this was what these fine, up-standing, defenders of the faith decided to do: The Pharisees left. And right away they started making plans with Herod’s followers to kill Jesus. [Mark 3:6, CEV] That’s the first group. 

And group number two, well, we’ve got those disciples, especially the twelve, who decided to leave a lot of stuff behind and to follow Jesus. But evidently, this leaving business didn’t include their expectations, because not only did they dislike Jesus talking about how he was going to face rejection and pain they also squabbled over which one of them was actually the most important both now and in the future. Evidently, for them, discipleship meant following a healer and a miracle worker but not someone who would suffer and die. Now that’s what they expected. And that probably explains why, when Jesus was arrested, Mark wrote this: All of Jesus’ disciples ran off and left him. One of them was a young man who was wearing only a linen cloth. And when the men grabbed him, he left the cloth behind and ran away naked. [Mark 14:50-52, CEV] You see, just like the first group, the disciples also let Jesus down. 

And what about group number three, the crowd, that bunch of people who were always in the background, hearing the lessons, seeing the miracles and eating the free fish sandwiches. Well, they scared the Pharisees enough that they felt that they needed to arrest Jesus in private. But I think the crowd was just as controlled by their assumptions as the Pharisees by their laws and the disciples by their expectations. And that’s why, one week after greeting Jesus with hosannas as he entered Jerusalem because they assumed he’d restore David’s kingdom,  they would do this in Pilate’s court: Then Pilate asked the crowd, “What do you want me to do with this man you say is the king of the Jews?” They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!” Pilate asked, “But what crime has he done?” “Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder. [Mark 15:12-14, CEV] You see, Jesus just didn’t fit their assumptions, and so they turned on him, just like the Pharisees and the disciples.

And that really leaves only group number four, and now I’m talking about the women, and I’ll tell you, they were really distinct because when everyone else had left Jesus to die alone, these women held tough. You see, they watched the crucifixion. According to Mark, “Some women were looking on from a distance. They had come with Jesus to Jerusalem. But even before this they had been his followers and had helped him while he was in Galilee. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joseph were two of these women. Salome was also one of them.” [Mark 15:40-41, CEV] I mean, even though all the male disciples had either betrayed Jesus, denied him or simply ran away, the women saw him die from a distance. And they watched as he was buried. And they came on that Sunday morning to put some spices on Jesus’ body. And in the empty tomb, they heard the young man say, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn’t here. You can see the place where they put his body. Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” [Mark 16:6b-7, CEV] Now that’s what these women had done. But to be obedient, you know, to do what Jesus wanted them to do, they had to do two things: one, stay calm and two, tell the disciples. But did they do that? No. In fact, they did the opposite. And why did they disobey? Mark wrote that they were afraid. In other words, they allowed their fear to get in the way. And so, just like the Pharisees and the disciples and the crowd, in the end, even the women, let Jesus down. And then without giving anyone the chance to change their minds and to get it right, you know, to confess and repent, the Evangelist Mark ended his gospel. 

And I’ll tell you, in my opinion, this is the reason. It was now up to the reader, which means us, to provide the ending to this story. In others words, knowing that in his life every human being let Jesus down, now we have to decide if we’re going to be like them or if we’re going to do something different. For example, it’s really up to us to decide whether we’re going to focus on all those little rules and commandments that can absolutely dominate our lives and cause us to forget that Jesus said this about God’s commandments: “The most important one says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.” [Mark 12:20b-31, CEV] You see, we have to decide whether we’ll follow the Pharisees or recognize the simple fact that God’s compassion transcends all the limits we try to put on it. That’s one, but that’s not all. 

It’s also up to us to decide whether we’re going to focus on our own limited expectations of what God provides or recognize that God offers us far more than we can even imagine, just like Jesus said to Peter: You can be sure that anyone who gives up home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land for me and for the good news will be rewarded. In this world they will be given a hundred times as many houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and pieces of land, though they will also be mistreated. And in the world to come, they will have eternal life. But many who are now first will be last, and many who are now last will be first. [Mark 10:29b-31, CEV] That’s two. 

And as it relates to assumptions, we have to decide whether we believe that God’s grace extends only as far as we think it should, or whether we can accept that it’s gift that he controls, something that Jesus made clear when this happened: 

Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “It’s hard for rich people to get into God’s kingdom!” The disciples were shocked to hear this. So Jesus told them again, “It’s terribly hard to get into God’s kingdom! In fact, it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into God’s kingdom.”

Jesus’ disciples were even more amazed. They asked each other, “How can anyone ever be saved?”

Jesus looked at them and said, “There are some things that people cannot do, but God can do anything.” [Mark 10:23-27, CEV] 

That’s three. 

And finally, Mark leaves us to decide whether we’re going to stay still and quiet because we’re afraid or whether we’re going to trust that God has the power to not only calm our fears but to give us the strength to do what Jesus has called all of us to do: “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.” [Mark 8:34b-35, CEV] I’ll tell you, these four decisions are really up to us. And I think that’s why Mark described the resurrection the way he did. You see, it’s up to us to write the ending.

Of course, if you remember, I said the “why” was only the first question, which means, right now, we’ve really got to answer a second and actually, a far more important question. And so, on this Easter morning, having read Mark’s unique take on the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ and the Son of God and having talked about why he wrote what he wrote, it seems to me the only question we have left is this: What are we going to do about it?

Sunday's Message - Did You Ever Own a Leisure Suit?

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the First United Presbyterian Church of Brilliant, Ohio and First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Sunday, March 28, 2020.

Mark 11:1-11 [Contemporary English Version]

Jesus and his disciples reached Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives. When they were getting close to Jerusalem, Jesus sent two of them on ahead. He told them, “Go into the next village. As soon as you enter it, you will find a young donkey that has never been ridden. Untie the donkey and bring it here. If anyone asks why you are doing that, say, ‘The Lord needs it and will soon bring it back.’”

The disciples left and found the donkey tied near a door that faced the street. While they were untying it, some of the people standing there asked, “Why are you untying the donkey?” They told them what Jesus had said, and the people let them take it.

The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. Many people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut branches from the fields. 

In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,

“Hooray! 

God bless the one

who comes

    in the name of the Lord!

God bless the coming kingdom

    of our ancestor David.

Hooray for God

    in heaven above!”

After Jesus had gone to Jerusalem, he went into the temple and looked around at everything. But since it was already late in the day, he went back to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Did You Ever Own a Leisure Suit?

Since we’re just one week before Easter, I think it’s time to get serious: no more elephant jokes and no more talk about a basketball tournament. I mean, Easter is nothing to laugh about, right? And so, with that in mind, this morning I have a profound, theological question for y’all. In fact, it’s one that will provide both the focus and the basic structure for this entire homily. (Now, that just a fancy word for “sermon,” but since we’re getting serious, I think it’s appropriate.) And the question, well here it is: Did you ever own a leisure suit? Of course, I recognize that’s a little too narrow, so let me broaden it out a bit: Did you ever own or know someone who owned a leisure suit? Well, did you? Now that’s the question. And I can tell you, with absolutely no fear of contradiction, I can give an emphatic “no” to the first but a big “yes” to the second.

Now just in case you’re too young to remember, right along with disco, roller skates and pet rocks, leisure suits defined the ‘70s. And they were, well, they were an acquired taste. I mean, they were made of polyester and generally they either were covered with a big, bold plaid or were in a color not found in the nature, with big lapels and pack pockets and stitching in a contrasting color. And since being unnatural was really what leisure suits were all about, under the jacket, the stylish man wore an imitation silk or satin shirt, with as many gold chains and medallions as his neck could support. And to complete the look, you really needed vinyl platform shoes. I’m telling you, it was all part of “staying alive” in the 1970s.

And you know, even though my dad never convinced me to buy one myself and trust me, he tried, leisure suits were extreme popular. I’m telling you, I think every guy, regardless of age, assumed he looked a little like John Travolta. Man, they were every where, even in church. That is until they weren’t. And right along with the leg warmers of the ‘80s and the cargo pants of the ‘90s, most leisure suits ended up at Good Will and are now only worn at Halloween parties. A sad end for a style that was “out of sight. Can you dig it?”

And even though I kind of enjoyed taking this little stroll down memory lane, there’s a reason I brought up leisure suits this morning. When we compare how they were initially received with how they were ultimately discarded, well, I think that same sort of thing occurred with the crowd according to the Evangelist Mark, especially between Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, something that we read about a little while ago, and his appearance before Pilate. You see, in the space of less than a week, Jesus simply went out of fashion. Now that’s what happened. And because of that, for the next ten minutes or so, we’re going look at what happened with them back in the day and consider not only how it could also happen to us but how we might avoid it.

And you know, when you think about it, this shift in the crowd was both sudden and dramatic, especially when you consider where they were at the beginning. I mean, just listen to how Mark described the scene as Jesus entered Jerusalem:

The disciples led the donkey to Jesus. They put some of their clothes on its back, and Jesus got on. Many people spread clothes on the road, while others went to cut branches from the fields. 

In front of Jesus and behind him, people went along shouting,

“Hooray! 

God bless the one

who comes

in the name of the Lord!

God bless the coming kingdom

    of our ancestor David.

Hooray for God

in heaven above!” [Mark 11:7-10, CEV]

Now, that’s how Jesus was received. And as I read it, it seems as though the crowd assumed that Jesus was going to do exactly what they expected a great Jewish leader to do: namely, to kick the Romans out and to restore the kingdom of David, something that Jesus had sort of alluded to when he talked about the Kingdom of God. In other words, right here, on the road leading to Jerusalem, God’s rule would stop being just a mustard seed. Instead it would start to grow. Now, that’s what I believe they thought when they saw Jesus entering the Holy City. 

But I’ll tell you, based on what happened in about five days, that must have changed. Now maybe it was because Jesus’s focus and his message weren’t exactly the same as they’d come to expect. For example, instead of performing miracles and passing out free food, Jesus seemed more focused on what he needed to do, namely, to suffer and to die. And instead of talking about how the kingdom, the rule of God was going to grow and provide shelter and protection, now the Kingdom was a reality that rich people couldn’t enter and that was governed by a person’s willingness to love God and to love neighbor. You see, instead of being the kind of leader who would drain the swamp and make Judah great again, frankly, Jesus had become sort of a downer and a distinct disappointment. Now, maybe that happened; we can’t be sure because Mark didn’t tell us about their motivation. But this we do know. After being betrayed by Judas and after being denied by Peter and after watching the rest of this twelve closest followers run away, this was what happened:

During Passover, Pilate always freed one prisoner chosen by the people. And at that time there was a prisoner named Barabbas. He and some others had been arrested for murder during a riot. The crowd now came and asked Pilate to set a prisoner free, just as he usually did.

Pilate asked them, “Do you want me to free the king of the Jews?” Pilate knew that the chief priests had brought Jesus to him because they were jealous.

But the chief priests told the crowd to ask Pilate to free Barabbas.

Then Pilate asked the crowd, “What do you want me to do with this man you say is the king of the Jews?”

They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”

Pilate asked, “But what crime has he done?”

“Nail him to a cross!” they yelled even louder.

Pilate wanted to please the crowd. So he set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross. [Mark 15:6-15, CEV]

You see, that’s what the Evangelist Mark wrote: the same crowd that greeted Jesus with “hoorays” and blessings in less than a week later was telling the Roman governor, a guy they really hated, to nail Jesus to a cross, in other words, to crucify him. Now that’s what happened. 

And I’ll tell you, I think this should really be a cautionary tale for us right here and right now. I mean, let’s get real, we all come to Jesus with a whole bunch of assumptions and expectations and most of them really aren’t all that different from those carried around by that crowd in Mark. For example, there’s certainly a big part of me that assumes that Jesus came to make life better for those who follow him. My gosh, at the very least, we should be a little healthier and a little wealthier and frankly, a whole lot happier than those who don’t follow, am I right? And I really want to believe that he’s about to bring in the rule of God and when he does, all those folks whom I don’t like or agree with, man, they are going to get exactly what I think they deserve, while everyone who’s like me, well, we’ll also get exactly what I think we deserve, which just happens to be what we also desire. Now, I don’t know about y’all, but that’s the Jesus I want to follow. And that’s the one who just might motivate me to lay a couple of my Harris Tweed jackets on a road and to shout about how great my life, excuse me, our lives are going to become. 

And even though all that sounds great, how do you think I’m going to handle it not happening? In other words, what would you expect me do when, instead of getting wealthier, I get laid off. And instead of getting healthier, I get a less than glowing report from my doctor. And instead of getting happier, all those old problems and pains are still there, and I’m still feeling all the same fears and frustrations that I felt before. And if that’s not bad enough, instead of the stinkers and the liars and the cheats finally reaping what they’ve sown, instead of that happening,like that great American writer, F. Scott Fitzgerald said, “The rich get richer and the poor get - children.” Well, ain’t we got fun. Now, when all those things happen, and I think everybody here knows that they have, they do and they will, how do you think I’m going to react? I’ll tell you, crying for the crucifixion of that kind of Christ so that he can be replaced with one who better satisfies my assumptions and meets my expectations, man, that doesn’t seem all that far-fetched, now does it?

But before we join that crowd in Pilate’s court, let’s pause for just a minute and think about it a little bit. And I’ll tell you why. Even though doing something like that may be tempting and given the values of the world around us, actually make a lot of sense, I don’t think anyone here this morning wants to nail Jesus to the cross again. And for that reason, maybe we should put aside our assumptions and actually listen to what Jesus had to say, you know, like when he taught, “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it.” [Mark 8:34b-35, CEV] Or like when he said, “The most important [commandment] says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.” [Mark 12:29b-31, CEV] Of like when he told his disciples, “No one knows the day or the time. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows. So watch out and be ready! You don’t know when the time will come.” [Mark 13:32-33, CEV] You see, instead of assuming, maybe we should be listening. And right along with listening, maybe we should put our expectations on a back burner and accept that Jesus knew exactly what he came to do and did it. As he said to his disciples before they entered the city, “We are now on our way to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death and hand him over to foreigners, who will make fun of him and spit on him. They will beat him and kill him. But three days later he will rise to life.” [Mark 10:33-34, CEV] You see, if there’s no cross, there’s no empty tomb. And brothers and sisters, if there’s no empty tomb, we have no hope. But that’s why Jesus came, and when we accept that, instead of joining that crowd before Pilate, calling for his crucifixion, we just might find ourselves with that soldier at the cross. As Mark wrote, “A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, ‘This man really was the Son of God!’” [Mark 15:39, CEV]

Now, like I said a little while ago, I never owned a leisure suit, but I’ve got to admit, that didn’t stop me from joining the fashion parade that was the ‘70s. You see, while in college, I worked at Anderson-Little right in the Military Circle Mall, and I proudly sold the best polyester out of Fall River, Massachusetts. And since I got a discount, that shaped my wardrobe for about a decade. In fact, when I was attending seminary in the mid-‘80s, one day a woman I was dating looked in my closet and said, “Ed, if there was a fire in your apartment, your clothes wouldn’t burn; they’d melt.” Of course, by then, the world had moved and leisure suits had been replaced by preppy blazers and polyester by natural fibers. Styles change. 

And I’ll tell you, as shown by the crowd we looked at in Mark, so can people. You see, if we let our assumptions and expectations get in the way, it’s really not hard to understand how sincere folks can greet Jesus with “hosannas” and five days later call for his crucifixion. And for that very reason, I think it’s important for us to shove what we assume and what we expect to side so that we can really listen to what Jesus taught and accept what he came to do. And I’ll tell you, if we do that, then “Did You Ever Own a Leisure Suit?” just might be the only irrelevant question we’ll face as we move toward Easter.

Sunday's Message - Ready, Set, Go

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the First United Presbyterian Church of Mingo Junction, Ohio on Sunday, February 21, 2020.

Mark 1:9-15 [Contemporary English Version]

About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.”

Right away God’s Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!”

Ready, Set, Go

Now, let me ask y’all a question. When you hear the words “ready, set, go,” what sort of stuff immediately comes to mind? That some kind of race or contest is about to begin, right? Of course, it probably involves something that’s athletic, you know, like a 50-yard dash or a downhill slalom or maybe the tip-off in a basketball game. But it could also be the start of “Call to Duty” or “Jeopardy” or maybe a rousing game of musical chairs. But regardless of the competition, the words “ready, set, go” kind of kick things off. 

But even more than that, I think they also have what you could call a universal meaning. For example, when you hear the word “ready,” that means you better get all your last minute preparations done, because the whistle is about to blow. And then, when you hear “set,” that means you better be looking forward, you know, toward your goal as well as the way you plan to get there. And then, with “go,” well, that tells you, in no uncertain terms, that now’s the time to go: you know, to run the race or play the game. Now I think that’s pretty much what those three words mean.

And I’ll tell you why I mention that this morning. In the passage that we just read from the Gospel of Mark, I think we have three little stories that do for Jesus what the words “ready, set, go” do for us. You see, according to the Evangelist Mark, this represented the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. In other words, given the fact that in Mark there’s no birth story or escape into Egypt or appearance in the Temple, this is the first time Jesus entered the story and began doing what he was called to do. And so, in the space of these seven verses, I think Mark told us how Jesus got ready and how he set himself for the job he’d been given to do and how he got started on that work. Now that’s what I believe happened.

And you know, since we’re followers of Jesus Christ, I think these stories can do the same kind of thing for us. And so, with that in mind, we’re going look at these three little stories. And then we’re going to consider how they related to Jesus and then how we might apply each one to ourselves as we try to live the kind of lives Jesus has called us to live. 

For example, I think the first story can help us to get ourselves ready to live the Christian life. In other words, it can prepare us in the same way it prepared Jesus. And like I said, I think we can find that in what happened at the baptism. Remember, this was what the Evangelist Mark wrote:

About that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.” [Mark 1:9-11, CEV]

Now that’s what the Evangelist wrote and just think for a minute about what this communicated to Jesus, and remember, in Mark, we don’t have anything having to do with shepherds and wise men and the “word becoming flesh.” You see, it was right here that Jesus received his identity. I mean, after he came out of the water, two things happened. First, Jesus saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit come down on him like a dove. And second, he heard that voice from heaven say to him, “You are my own dear Son, and I am pleased with you.” In other words, as Jesus was getting ready to do what he came to do, he learned that God’s Holy Spirit was on him. But more than that, he also learned that not only was he God’s Son, but that we was loved by his Father. You see, this was what Jesus learned.

And I’ll tell you, when we apply the story to ourselves, this is something we can know too. I mean, as we get ourselves ready to be the kind of men and women God created and called us to be, we can know that the same spirit that rested on Jesus also rests on us. And through that Spirit, we have an understanding we could never have on our own. It’s like what Jesus said to disciples:

The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine. That is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you. [John 16:13-15, CEV] 

And so, as we get ourselves ready, we can know we have the Spirit, but that’s not all.

We also can know that God has made us his sons and daughters and that we’re loved by our heavenly Father. And if this is something about which we’re not sure, just listen to what Paul wrote to the Ephesians:

Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God. [Ephesians 1:4-6, CEV]

And so, just like Jesus was prepared for his life, so are we when we remember what we’ve been given and who we are in God’s sight. You see, that’s how we’ve been made ready, and that’s something we can take from the first story.

And by looking at the second, I think we can become set to face the reality of the future spread out before us. And that’s something that God did for Jesus right after the baptism. I mean, before anything else happened, “right away God’s Spirit made Jesus go into the desert. He stayed there for forty days while Satan tested him. Jesus was with the wild animals, but angels took care of him.” [Mark 1:12-13, CEV] Now according to Mark, that was what happened to Jesus immediately after all that stuff he saw and heard at his baptism. In fact, the very Spirit that rested on him, drove him out into the wilderness; therefore, it was no accident. It was the work the Father who loved him.

And I’ll tell you, that just makes sense when you think about the two things that Jesus faced in that desert. I mean, one, he faced forty days of testing by Satan, which is a whole lot worse than those three temptations both Matthew and Luke wrote about. No, this was forty days of constant and unrelenting testing, something Jesus would see in later in his ministry, particularly when this happened:

Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, “The nation’s leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life.” Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, “Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God.” [Mark 8:31-33, CEV]

You see, the testing and tempting was still there throughout his life, but so was the presence and the love and care of God, his father. You see, thanks to what he experienced in the desert, Jesus was set to face the challenges before him.

And I’ll tell you, as soon as we decide to recognize that same reality for ourselves, man, we’re set too. For example, on one hand, I think we need to accept that, from time to time, life becomes so challenging that we feel it must be some kind of test. Life can be tough, and we really don’t help ourselves when we deny it. On the other hand, thought, I believe it’s also important to acknowledge that God is with us right there in the middle of whatever we’re enduring. And you know, recognizing that both are real, well, I think that was what Paul was telling the Romans when he wrote:

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love. [Romans 5:1-5, CEV]

You see, recognizing that both tests and comfort lie ahead of us, I think that sets us up to face the future, something we can claim when we apply the second story.

And in the third little story we just read, I think that helps us go forward with both a sense of both hope and urgency. And like I said I think we can see that in what Jesus said as he started his ministry.

After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee and told the good news that comes from God. He said, “The time has come! God’s kingdom will soon be here. Turn back to God and believe the good news!” [Mark 1:14-15, CEV]

Now that was what Mark wrote. 

And as I read it, it sure seems as though Jesus was making two pretty clear points. I mean, I think he was telling his audience that the world was changing and changing for the better. In other words, God’s kingdom, something that Jesus would later compare to a tiny mustard seed and a little bit of yeast, that reality was on its way and would soon grow into the biggest of all shrubs and influence the entire lump of dough. Paraphrasing Bob Dylan, for Jesus, the times they were a-changing. And for that reason, now was the time to act. I mean, now was the time to turn away from the values of the world and turn back to God and then to believe that the victory had been won. You see, when he went to Galilee, that was the message Jesus shared.

And I’ll tell you, if we want to go forward, and I’m talking about in the direction God has called us to go, we can respond to that same message right here and right now. For example, right here, we can decide that God’s kingdom is coming; therefore, our time here on earth is limited. Of this we can be sure. And since that’s the case, we can also decide that right now God has given us the chance to act, you know, to focus on what God has called and equipped us to do and then to do it. Put another way, God has given us the chance to do the best we can with what we got, something that I think the Apostle Paul believed he’d done, which enabled him to look back on his life and say, “Now the time has come for me to die. My life is like a drink offering being poured out on the altar. I have fought well. I have finished the race, and I have been faithful. So a crown will be given to me for pleasing the Lord. He judges fairly, and on the day of judgment he will give a crown to me and to everyone else who wants him to appear with power.” [2 Timothy 4:6-8, CEV] You see, we can go out and respond to what Jesus said with both hope and urgency, something that I think we’re able to do when we apply the third story.

Now before every game, there are certain things that the players will do whether the specific words are used or not. I mean, it’s important for them to prepare themselves and to look forward and then to start playing the game. And I’ll tell you, that’s exactly what happened to Jesus and can happen to us. For example, at his baptism Jesus saw the Spirit and heard the voice, two things we can also remember as we prepare ourselves to follow him. And during his time in the desert, Jesus got a glimpse into the kind of testing and care he was going to experience in the future, something we can also recognize as we look forward. And finally, since he went into Galilee to proclaim a message of hope and urgency, as we set out to be the people we’ve been called to be, this is a something to which we can all respond. And so, having said all that, I have only three words left to say: ready, set, go.

Sunday's Message - Transitions

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale, Ohio on Sunday, February 14, 2020.

Mark 9:2-9

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. Then Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about.

The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!” At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.

As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death.

Transitions

Now, as everyone here this morning knows, last week Kansas City played Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl. Of course, it really wasn’t much of a game. Although I kind of thought the Bucs would win, I had no idea it would be so loop-sided. And as I mentioned last week, this was my 55th Super Bowl. As a matter of fact, when I saw the Packers play the Chiefs in 1967, it wasn’t even called the “Super Bowl.” It had a much catchier title: The AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Just sort of rolls off the tongue. It was played in The Coliseum in Los Angeles, and it was broadcast on both CBS and NBC. And by-the-way, the Chiefs lost that one too.

But I’ll tell you, for me, as a ten-year-old boy, it was more than just a game. It actually marked a transition between seasons. You see, before Sunday, January 15, it was socially acceptable to mess around with the football on the big easement between Elk and Eagle Avenues. But on Monday, January 16, the footballs had to be put away, because now we were in basketball season, at least that’s what we believed in South Bayview in 1967. You see, for us, the last football game marked the unofficial movement from one season to the next.

Of course, that’s just one example of a transition. I’m sure we could all come up with a whole lot more. And some of them are big, like high school graduation or getting your driver’s license or moving into your first dorm room, while others are so small and personal that they’re meaningful to only us. And sometimes there are transitions within transitions. For example, at every wedding service I officiate, right before the bride and groom make their vows to one another, I always have them to do the exact same thing. I ask them to look into one another’s eyes as deeply as they can and to remember this moment in time. Because after they say their vows, everything changes. No longer will they look at the future in terms of me and mine, you and yours. From that point on, it’ll be us and ours. Now that’s what I mean by a transition. 

And I’ll tell you, I mention all this, because, during this service, we’ll be talking about another transition. You see, this morning we’re looking at passage that really marks a transition in the Gospel of Mark. Let me explain. Unlike Matthew, Luke and John, Mark told us right up front the structure of his gospel. Before he said anything else, he wrote, “This is the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” [Mark 1:1, CEV] And from that point on, this was what Mark tried to do by, first, explaining how Jesus was the “Christ” and then second, how he was also “the Son of God.” And you know, I believed he finished up part one in chapter eight: 

Then Jesus asked them, “But who do you say I am?” “You are the [Christ]!” Peter replied. [Mark 8:29, CEV]

Now that what Mark wrote, establishing pretty clearly that Jesus was the Christ.

And I’ll tell you, as he moved into explaining how Jesus was also the Son of God, Mark began with this story that’s been called the Transfiguration, one that sort of connects the first part of the gospel with the second. In other words, in my opinion, this passage serves as a transition between who Jesus was as the Christ, the Messiah, and who he was as the Son of God. And because of that, it can not only remind us of two extremely important aspects of his ministry, but it can also help us better understand the lives we’ve been called to live as Christians. And that’s going to be our focus this morning.

For example, since I believe this story serves as a transition within the Gospel of Mark, the Transfiguration can remind us of Jesus’s power, in other words, those characteristics that the Evangelist associated with the title “Christ” and the theme of the first half of his gospel. And I’ll tell you, if you’re not able to see what I’m talking about in the passage we just read, well, I’m sorry; I don’t think you’re really looking. I mean, just listen to what Mark wrote:

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him. They went up on a high mountain, where they could be alone. There in front of the disciples, Jesus was completely changed. And his clothes became much whiter than any bleach on earth could make them. Then Moses and Elijah were there talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Teacher, it is good for us to be here! Let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But Peter and the others were terribly frightened, and he did not know what he was talking about. [Mark 9:2-6, CEV]

Now I don’t know about y’all, but this is pretty spectacular, at least it is in my book.

But I’ll tell you, for as impressive as it is, it’s really not all that different from some of the stuff Mark has already written about Jesus. Now, we’ve been talking about some of this over the last few weeks, and so I don’t think I need to go over it in great detail. Let’s just say that, as Mark was establishing Jesus as the Christ, he told us all kinds of stories about Jesus’s authority over both the physical and the spiritual worlds. My gosh, we’re talking about a guy who healed the sick and stilled a storm, who walked on the water and fed a total of 9,000 men in two separate miracles with just a few rolls and fish. And when he wasn’t doing that, he was forcing out demons and even forgiving sins. Man, even his words had power. And so whether he was dealing with what can be seen or what is unseen, Jesus had power, something that Mark reinforced when he described how Jesus was transformed on that mountain top. 

And you know, I think that’s something we need to remember as we go about our daily living, that we follow after and trust in the one who demonstrated great power and authority. I mean, as we’ve talked about before, from time-to-time, we all face problems and pain. And it doesn’t matter whether they’re the result of something we’ve done or something that was done to us, those issues can cause us to be frustrated and angry as well as disappointed and sad. Let’s just say that “stuff happens.” And when it does, I think it’s important that we remember the one who was up there on the mountain, wearing clothes that were bleached white, talking with Moses and Elijah and hearing the voice of God. You see, we need to remember the one who had and has power over everything that’s physical as well as everything that’s spiritual, and this is the reason. When we need a little shot of confidence and hope, we need to remember Jesus, the Christ, the one we find in the first section of the Transfiguration. 

But since I believe this passage moves us from part one of the gospel to part two, that’s not the only one we find here. You see, since this story serves as a transition, the Transfiguration can also remind us of Jesus’s willingness to sacrifice himself to the point of death, something that Mark associated with the title “Son of God,” the focus of the rest of his gospel. And like I said, I think the Evangelist moved us in that direction by what he said right here. He wrote:

The shadow of a cloud passed over and covered them. From the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, and I love him. Listen to what he says!” At once the disciples looked around, but they saw only Jesus.

As Jesus and his disciples were coming down the mountain, he told them not to say a word about what they had seen, until the Son of Man had been raised from death. [Mark 9:7-9, CEV]

Now that’s what Mark wrote, and just think about what it meant. After the transformation and the meeting and the cloud, what happened? I mean, when the cloud lifted, whom did the disciples see? “They saw only Jesus.” Not the one in the white suit talking with two of the greatest figures in Jewish history, but only Jesus all by himself. And then, when they were going down the mountain, do you remember what Jesus said? Man, it was the same thing he’d been saying to the demons. He told Peter, James and John not to say a word about what they’d seen until he’d done what he knew he had to do, namely to die on a cross. In other words, they shouldn’t talk about the power until after he’d accomplished what he had to do as the Son of God and that was to sacrifice himself. And you know, given all the miraculous stuff those three guys had seen to this point, I think even God knew this new message was going to be hard to take, and that’s why, after identifying Jesus as his beloved Son, God told them to “listen to what he says.” 

And I’ll tell you, from this point on, what Jesus said and did, frankly, it’s going to make some of the folks who just loved the free Fillet-o-fish sandwiches uncomfortable. For example, later in this same chapter, this is going to happen:

Jesus left with his disciples and started through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know about it, because he was teaching the disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to people who would kill him. But three days later he would rise to life. The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask. [Mark 9:30-32, CEV]

And when they start arguing about which one is the greatest, “...after Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, ‘If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others!’” [Mark 9:35, CEV] And a little later, 

...Jesus called the disciples together and said:

You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they rule. But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. And if you want to be first, you must be everyone’s slave. The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people. [Mark 10:42-45, CEV]

And of course, given all this, it’s really not surprising that the second part of Mark’s gospel will end with this:

About noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until around three o’clock. Then about that time Jesus shouted, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you deserted me?”

Some of the people standing there heard Jesus and said, “He is calling for Elijah.” One of them ran and grabbed a sponge. After he had soaked it in wine, he put it on a stick and held it up to Jesus. He said, “Let’s wait and see if Elijah will come and take him down!” Jesus shouted and then died.

At once the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom.

A Roman army officer was standing in front of Jesus. When the officer saw how Jesus died, he said, “This man really was the Son of God!” [Mark 15:33-39, CEV]

You see, the story of the Transfiguration moves us from Jesus, the Christ, the one who exercised great power, to Jesus, the Son of God, the one who both taught and demonstrated genuine sacrifice.

And I’ll tell you, that’s something we need to remember too, and this is why. I think it offers us a lot of clarity as we go about living our Christian lives. I mean, even though I don’t believe there’s a person here who wouldn’t like Jesus to heal all our sicknesses and to provide all our food and to pay all our bills, this just isn’t what Jesus said his disciples should expect. As a matter of fact, instead of being first, Jesus taught that we should choose to be last. And instead of fighting to win, we should be willing to serve. And instead of wanting everything for ourselves, we should be willing to give all that we have for others. Now, I don’t want to suggest that if we don’t do this, we’re damned. Still, I think we need to be clear about what following Jesus means. You see, it’s about a willingness to sacrifice. As a matter of fact, following the Son of God may very well lead to a cross. And that, my friends, is not something that’s easy for any of us to hear much less to do. But here’s some good news, on the other side of the cross is an empty tomb, something that’s in our future because it was in his. You see, when we need some clarity as we do the best we can with want we’ve got, we need to remember that Jesus is the Son of God, the one we find in the second part of the Transfiguration. 

Now, I recognize that life is full of transitions. And that’s probably a good thing. I mean, I think it’s a lot easier, you know, less abrupt, to have something to move us from one phase to another. And I’ll tell you, I believe that’s exactly what the Transfiguration did in the Gospel of Mark; it moves us from the power shown by Jesus, the Christ, to the sacrifice made by Jesus, the Son of God. And I’ll tell you, if we remember both, it just might offer us some confidence and some clarity as we live as followers of Jesus. And who knows, as it relates to faith and focus, just knowing that might also serve as a transition for us.

A New Devotion - The Downside of Control

 Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

Mark 10:17-27

As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 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.’” He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “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.” When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

The Downside of Control

Historically, I think Americans have had a lot of control over their lives. Of course, I recognize that certainly wasn’t the case for African-Americans and Native Americans. Still, a lot of us had the freedom to decide for ourselves the kind of lives we want to live. And I think most folks think that’s a good thing. Of course, this is probably the result of living in the United States, a country that’s had a tradition of political and economic freedom. It also hasn’t hurt that our standard of living has been fairly high; therefore, where folks in other societies struggled to live from day to day, most of us have had enough for today and tomorrow. And because of that, we’ve able to rely on ourselves and on our ability to take care of our needs. In fact, for many, their whole value and faith systems have focused on what they consider roughed individualism and self-reliance.

And even though this isn’t bad in and of itself, I think it can lead to the attitude shown by the rich man in the passage I just read, a person that the Evangelist Mark wrote that Jesus loved. You see, I think the control that his wealth offered led him to believe that he was in control of himself and his future, not unlike another man who assumed he could secure his future by building bigger barns. And because of that, this rich man was crushed when he heard that the only way to inherit eternal life and to experience salvation was to get rid of all the stuff that made him feel secure. Of course, that makes sense. I mean, because he was unwilling to do this, he’d never be able to trust God completely. You see, so long as his faith was grounded in something other than God, he couldn’t know the peace and freedom of life in the kingdom. And I think I’m safe in saying that really is the downside of control.

Sunday's Message - Focus and Faith

Here's the message I offered during the celebration services in the Presbyterian Church of Hopedale, Ohio on Sunday, February 7, 2020.

Mark 1:29-39

As soon as Jesus left the meeting place with James and John, they went home with Simon and Andrew. When they got there, Jesus was told that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with fever. Jesus went to her. He took hold of her hand and helped her up. The fever left her, and she served them a meal.

That evening after sunset, all who were sick or had demons in them were brought to Jesus. In fact, the whole town gathered around the door of the house. Jesus healed all kinds of terrible diseases and forced out a lot of demons. But the demons knew who he was, and he did not let them speak.

Very early the next morning, Jesus got up and went to a place where he could be alone and pray. Simon and the others started looking for him. And when they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come.” Then Jesus went to Jewish meeting places everywhere in Galilee, where he preached and forced out demons.

Focus and Faith

I don’t know if y’all realize it or not, but for a lot of Christians, today is the most sacred day in the entire church year, more important than Christmas and more holy than Easter. You see, today is what the ancient Greeks used to call, μέγας φιάλη κυριακός, which can be roughly translated “Super Bowl Sunday.” Hallelujah. Amen. Kill the fatted nachos, and prepare thou the sacred wings.

And even though it happens every February, this year really is special, because the fact we’re really having a Super Bowl at all is pretty amazing, one might even say, miraculous. As a matter of fact, as we were entering the season, I thought it was pretty unlikely. And as a life-long football fan, frankly I found that prospect frustrating. Of course, whatever frustration I may have felt pales in comparison to what the players and coaches must have experienced over these last five months. I mean, talk about being distracted; I can’t imagine how the coaches must have felt as they tried to come up with a game plan without knowing who might end up in the COVID protocol. And even though everybody was being tested all the time, I can believe that the players probably also felt pretty frustrated when they heard about a teammate going to a birthday party or maybe a strip club, but only for the wings, instead of maintaining an appropriate social distance. 

But you know, soon that won’t matter at all. We’re kicking off at 6:30, right after Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan sing the national anthem. And in spite of what they had to go through to get to this point, we’ve got two experienced coaches who’ve planned their strategy and selected their plays. And we’ve got a couple of excellent teams, led by two of the best quarterbacks ever to play the game. I mean, given all the distractions and reasons to feel discouraged, I believe we’re going to see two coaches who are focused and two teams on which the players really trust one another. And that’s good new as we leave behind a difficult year. 

And I’ll tell you, that’s pretty close to what we’re going to look at this morning, only we won’t be talking about a football game, instead how we might live as followers of Jesus. You see, we’re going to spend a little time looking at some of the challenges I think we all face as we try to be the kind of people Jesus wants us to be. And then we’re going to discuss how the one we encounter in the passage we just read, you know, how the example of Jesus might help us meet this challenge. Now that’s going to be our game plan this morning.

And I’ll tell you, I think having this kind of discussion is pretty important, because let’s face it, living the Christian life just isn’t a cake walk, now is it? And even though COVID hasn’t made it easier, being the kind of people God wants us to be, man, it was tough before we’d ever heard of the coronavirus. And I say that for two pretty important reasons. 

I mean, first, I think we all know that life in the fast lane is just chocked full of distractions and that those distractions can really get us off track. Of course, if you want to look at these as temptations put before us by the devil, that’s fine with me, but we really don’t have to do that. There are just a lot of things that can sort of get us off track, so to speak. And I’ll tell you, not all of them are what most people would call bad. In fact, I think some of the stuff we consider good might be the most enticing, therefore, the most distracting. For example, I think as many folks are misled by a windfall as a calamity, by an unexpected success as a sudden failure, by indulging some unhealthy behavior as having to face the consequences of that behavior. Of course, this isn’t all that new and exciting. I mean, in his gospel, the Evangelist Luke wrote about a guy who was distracted by something most of us would consider pretty great.

So Jesus told them this story:

A rich man’s farm produced a big crop, and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don’t have a place large enough to store everything.”

Later, he said, “Now I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’”

But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

“This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.” [Luke 12:16-21, CEV]

Now that’s what Jesus said. And so I think I’m pretty safe in saying that there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of distractions. That’s the first thing that gets in the way of us being everything God created us to be.

And second, right along with distractions, I think it’s pretty easy to become discouraged, especially when we allow ourselves to stay distracted or worse, to assume that we can find fulfillment and satisfaction and happiness in one of those rabbits we’ve decided to chase. And I’ll tell you, I think Jesus knew this when he said, “Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasure is.” [Matthew 6:19-20,CEV] Now as a person who grew up valuing earthly treasure, man, I don’t want to think about moths and rust. And as an example of how misplaced values can affect a person, you know, how they can bring a guy down, just listen to what the Evangelist Mark wrote: 

As Jesus was walking down a road, a man ran up to him. He knelt down, and asked, “Good teacher, what can I do to have eternal life?”

Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good. You know the commandments. ‘Do not murder. Be faithful in marriage. Do not steal. Do not tell lies about others. Do not cheat. Respect your father and mother.’”

The man answered, “Teacher, I have obeyed all these commandments since I was a young man.”

Jesus looked closely at the man. He liked him and said, “There’s one thing you still need to do. Go sell everything you own. Give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven. Then come with me.”

When the man heard Jesus say this, he went away gloomy and sad because he was very rich. [Mark 10:17-22, CEV]

You see, right along with the distractions, gloom and sadness and discouragement can also cause us to sort of slip away from what intends for us.

And even though I think we’d be making a big mistake if we assumed that this kind of thing can never happen, at least not to us, as sure as I’m standing here this morning, I believe Jesus can help us, especially when we’re distracted and discouraged. And I’ll tell you, we can see this help in what he said and did in the passage we just read. 

You see, right in these verses, first, I think Jesus offers an example of focus, something that can sure come in handy when those distractions crop up. I mean, just think about what happened in the story we read. According to Mark, Jesus was still in the city of Capernaum. And I believe I’m safe in saying that by most people’s standards, his time there was really a big success. I mean, after casting out a demon and healing Simon’s mother-in-law, Jesus had become a celebrity, hadn’t he? Remember, Mark wrote, “That evening after sunset, all who were sick or had demons in them were brought to Jesus. In fact, the whole town gathered around the door of the house.” [Mark 1:32-33, CEV] And after he went out to pray, “Simon and the others started looking for him. And when they found him, they said, ‘Everyone is looking for you!’” [Mark 1:36-37, CEV] Now just think about what Mark was saying: the whole town gathered around the door and everyone was looking for him. Man, that’s what I call successful. And because of that, if it were me, I’d sure want to hang around Capernaum for a while, at least until the crowds started to thin out a little bit. But I want you to notice that this “success” didn’t distract Jesus at all. I mean, right after Simon told him about his sudden fame, “Jesus replied, ‘We must go to the nearby towns, so that I can tell the good news to those people. This is why I have come.’” [Mark 1:38, CEV] You see, instead of being like the guy who dreamt about building bigger and bigger barns, Jesus refused to be distracted. And even though it may been tempting to modify his plans so that he could bask in his success, according to Mark, “Then Jesus went to Jewish meeting places everywhere in Galilee, where he preached and forced out demons.” [Mark 1:39, CEV] I’m telling you, Jesus kept his focus.

And brother and sisters, so can we. In the face of all those things, both good and bad, that sort of vie for our attention, we can push aside all the other stuff and focus our concentration like a laser beam on what we’ve been called to do. And if we have any doubt about what that is, just listen to this little exchange between Jesus and a teacher of the Law:

One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, “What is the most important commandment?”

Jesus answered, “The most important one says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.” [Mark 12:28-31, CEV]

You see, in Jesus, we have a wonderful example of focus. And that’s the first way he can help us do what we’ve been called to do.

And second, in him, we also have an outstanding reason for faith. You see, when we’re feeling all gloomy and sad and discouraged, we can just read what he did in this passage. According to Mark, “Jesus healed all kinds of terrible diseases and forced out a lot of demons. But the demons knew who he was, and he did not let them speak.” [Mark 1:34, CEV] Now that’s the one in whom we can trust. And if this wasn’t big enough, in the next few chapters, not only did Jesus continue to show that he had power over physical diseases and evil spirits, he also stilled a storm, walked on water and fed a total of 9,000 men in two separate miracles. You see, we can have faith in Jesus. It’s just like he told the disciples of the Baptist when John sent them with a really important question:

John was in prison when he heard what Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to ask Jesus, “Are you the one we should be looking for? Or must we wait for someone else?”

Jesus answered, “Go and tell John what you have heard and seen. The blind are now able to see, and the lame can walk. People with leprosy are being healed, and the deaf can hear. The dead are raised to life, and the poor are hearing the good news. God will bless everyone who doesn’t reject me because of what I do.” [Matthew 11:2-6, CEV]

Now this was what Jesus said.

And I’ll tell you, this is something that I believe we need to remember. You see, when we feel discouraged and frustrated and overwhelmed, we can trust that we’re not alone. The one who came with power and authority is there with us. Man, we can have faith in him. And even though I don’t believe that’s going to cause all those negative feelings to just vanish, it just might enable us to face them with the same kind of confidence Paul had when he wrote this to the Romans:

What can we say about all this? If God is on our side, can anyone be against us? God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us. If God did this, won’t he freely give us everything else? If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God’s right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?

In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! [Romans 8:31-35, 37-39, CEV]

I’m telling you, in Jesus, we have a outstanding reason for faith. And that's the second way he can help us become the folks we were created to be.

Now In just a little less than seven hours, the Super Bowl will be begin, something that was certainly in doubt six months ago. And the winning team will probably be the one that has the coach with the best game plan and the players who have the most trust in one another. And I’ll tell you, as we go about our Christian living, I think the same can be said of us. You see, although our lives are full of distractions and reasons to feel discouraged, we can decide to look toward Jesus for an example of focus and reason for faith. And I’ll tell you, if we do, I believe we’ll enjoy something greater and more lasting than anything either the Chiefs or Bucs will experience later this evening.