Every person who has ever lived faces challenges to what constitutes happiness for their
situation. Regardless of the situation or the challenge being placed before us it is a universally held belief
that having the right response is the key to everything.
There is an old joke that goes something like this: An elderly man who was quite ill said to his wife, "You
know, Sarah, you've always been with me through all the bad things
that have ever happened in my life. Like the time I lost my job - your were right there by my side. And when the
war came and I enlisted - you became a nurse so that you could be with me. Then when I was wounded you were there.
The Depression hit and we had nothing - but you were there with me. When the house burned, and the car was stolen,
and even now… here I am, sick as a dog, and, as always,…you're right here beside me."
You know something, Sarah, …you're bad luck!"
Obviously the wrong response! Over the years many people, especially women have felt pretty much the same way about
the end results of the miraculous cure of Simon Peter's mother-in-law. Cured…primarily so that she could get up
and make dinner for the guys!
Many men on the other hand have pointed out "what a useful companion Jesus could prove to be for Simon Peter,
someone who can keep his mother in law happy…All married men should have such a friend!
This is another example of the way we can read first century incidents, whether actual or metaphorical, with twenty-first
century eyes and understandings and miss some very important underlying but less obvious messages.
It was a first century cultural understanding that the primary purpose of one's life, any one's life, was to give
something back to the cosmos for the privilege of having lived. To be incapacitated in any way and then have that
situation turned around should have the expected outcome of wanting to immediately share one's good fortune with
others. It would have been seen as a sign of "true healing" not just to be restored physically, but to
have one's motivation also correctly aligned. "Immediately" as a response is Mark's favorite adverb.
Consequently we have those frequent reminders throughout the gospels following a healing to "go and show oneself
to the priest," or to "make the appropriate thanks offering to God," or simply to rush to the village
to share the good news with everyone as in "I just met a man who told me everything that I have ever done,
surely he can't be the Messiah…can he?" or in Andrew's case to seek out his brother to share the good news
that "I have found the Messiah!"
Being "cured" and then immediately getting up and waiting on everyone would have been understood as a
cultural standard, as an affirmation of complete healing since the ability to serve was a measure of worth and
self esteem. Peter's mother-in-law, though unnamed in scripture, was the high ranking female in her household,
and it would have been seen as an honor (not a burden) to serve her guests, not as an imposition on her; but as
a restoration to her rightful place of elevated and esteemed position.
It's all in the way you look at it. Metaphorically or literally…either way this is a story about service.
Service is an appropriate theme on this Scout Sunday, for the concept of service is highlighted in the Scout pledge
and is integral to the program's ideals. We see service highlighted early in the Gospels as well. Jesus undergoes
baptism, prayer and fasting in order to prepare for temptation and ministry and then serves the needs of people.
He provides wine for a wedding, heals and cures the afflicted, casts out demons from the possessed, gives wisdom
to the ignorant and hope to those who grieve. This is his purpose in life, and he reminds his own disciples that
those who seek greatness in the Kingdom of God must first be willing to become servants of all.
Our fallen astronauts were praised this past week as those who gave their lives not only in the service of their
country, and the future of space research, but also in the service of all of humankind. They were commended for
the pioneering spirit which challenged them to venture forth into the unknown, even at the risk of their own lives.
The President quoted v.26 of our Old Testament lesson in his speech regarding the tragedy, and it was yet another
instance of how the lectionary relates in such an uncanny way to the current events of our world.
The rest of that passage however equally applies to the fears and concerns so many of us have as to the direction
our world seems to be headed in. When God, Isaiah's God and our God, looks at the earth…we are all just little
"grasshoppers" -- our president, Saddam Hussein, Tony Blair, Vladimir Putin and all the other "movers
and shakers" of this present age…all of us appear as little more than "grasshoppers" in the eyes
of God. Not very strong, certainly not in control of history or world events or the economy, just here for a short
while and then gone. Of course, even grasshoppers in great numbers can do significant damage, but maybe we don't
need to blow all the other grasshoppers off the map in order to be safe.
Isaiah says if we wait on the Lord (an active waiting, certainly) we will be renewed and "lifted up."
There are very few never to be forgotten events that are not in fact forgotten in a relatively short period of
time. By contrast, acts of great human sacrifice, which touch us personally are never forgotten. I want to take
a moment this morning to pay tribute to Ed Wake, whose life has left an indelible imprint on this congregation.
Ed's unfaltering dedication to the Church and service to Christ is the quality that I think we would all do best
to emulate. If you were not at the service yesterday, or even if you were, I want to stress again that Ed shared
with me as I'm sure he shared with many of you, that he came to this particular congregation at a time when he
heard they were "accepting blacks." I find it shocking to think that a Church, called in the name of
Christ would ever have trouble accepting anyone…but I know that realistically we just keep changing the category.
We finally get to the point where we might accept blacks, but then we struggle accepting divorced clergy, or perhaps
it's women in ministry, now gays and lesbians, tomorrow it will be something or someone else. It takes us a long
time to accept what Christ accepted two thousand years ago…humanity in all it's sinfulness.
What I find most commendable is that certain people, throughout history, and I would count Ed Wake among them,
find it possible to accept the Church, with all its faults, even when it does not fully accept them and remain
steadfast in their love of and service to it. That is the depth of healing and wholeness we struggle with in every
gospel story. It's what is really important and knowing what is really important is essential if one is going to
stick to the discipline that will make that which is really important happen,...regardless of whether that seems
reasonable to others or not.
Thus "the limits of concern," which enable proper boundary setting based on the predetermined essential
goal. One of the great benefits of the internet has been the realization of that "movable feast" that
is the collective humanity of our world, and the realization of the fact that congregations, and clergy of all
denominations around the world are really struggling with the same basic, and often insignificant issues.
An old friend of mine and I were amusing ourselves the other day, trying to figure out why congregations seem to
keep shooting themselves in the head whenever a new clergy person comes to town. My friend is retired from ministry
after forty years, having served in the parish, then as a chaplain in correctional institutes and, worst of all
according to him, as a teacher of homiletics at a theological college.
"The scenario never seems to change," he said. "The pastoral relations committee goes to great lengths
to categorize the ideal candidate for the minister's job - they want somebody creative and progressive who will
lead intelligently and bravely into the new millennium. Then, when they find a candidate brimming over with high
ideals and boundless enthusiasm, it is usually a matter of months before somebody puts the brakes on things and
let's the new minister know that he or she is NOT going to change ANYTHING around here!
What is it," he said, "that makes congregations keep pursuing this suicidal, masochistic madness!?"
Maybe just this.
The reason people became disenchanted with Jesus in the end was precisely because he wasn't interested in saving
the Free World, organizing an evangelical campaign or founding a new religion. All Jesus wanted to do was to preach
the Good News. The Good News, of course, required that people change themselves before they try to change the world
or other people; and, after a while, that 'good news' began to sound like 'bad news' to a whole lot of people.
It got to the point where even Jesus needed time apart!
"Where have you been? Everyone is searching for you!"…And why? Primarily in response to healings and
hurts…not confrontation. And thus Jesus moves on to preach and teach in other places.
What is he saying?
Remember…Jesus is always preparing his hearers for Easter in all of these events.
In sermon preparation for this week I found that the same Greek verb used for Jesus "lifting up" Simon's
mother-in-law is the verb for Jesus' resurrection. In his death and resurrection Jesus completes true healing and
brings complete wholeness. Clearly Jesus cares for our individual needs and shows compassion in his acts of healing,
but, there is a bigger picture of healing he wants to give by moving from town to town proclaiming the kingdom
of God. Jesus' bigger picture of healing helps prepares us for those times when we or our loved ones aren't "cured,"
for those times when the situation doesn't turn out the way we thought God should make it happen. And that's where
the connection to Isaiah comes in. Jesus gives us strength and "lifts us up" on wings of eagles for the
hard times we must go through--even when we're not delivered the way we may pray to be.
It's a broader brush-stroke picture of what was assumed to be a more narrowly focused subject…directly addressing
the question of "What do people really need?" Paul's answer was "to hear the good news"…by
any means possible, in any way we can find to proclaim it. And thus I become all things to all people in order
that I might win some to Christ. It takes dedication, it takes vision, it takes courage. If you know what is most
important...that's where you draw the line for the limits of concern! May God grant us the courage and conviction
to do so.
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