Pick A Side

This is my sermon text for September 30, 2018. The text for my message was from the Gospel of St. Mark, Mark 9:38-5-. + pBRC


May God’s Grace through the Good News of Jesus Christ be at the center of your lives forever.  AMEN.

Before I begin, there are two facts recorded in the Gospels that I wish to highlight. First, only one disciple went to be at the foot of the cross. Several of the women who followed Christ went to be with him to the last. Second, when those women went to the tomb on the third day to find it empty, the Risen Christ himself told them to tell his disciples that he was alive. When they did, the men did not believe them, and said they told an idle tale.

Today’s Gospel lesson picks up where we left off last week. Jesus tells his disciples for a second time he will be arrested, killed and be raised on the third day.
They didn’t understand. They didn’t ask any questions. They instead argued over which of them was the best.
Jesus confronts them with this when they get to Capernaum, and tells them that whoever wants to be great must first be a servant. He takes a child, and holding it before them, says whomever welcomes a child, welcomes both Christ and the Creator.
John interrupts to say that on the way they saw someone, not one of them, who was casting out demons in Jesus’ name, and wonders if they should have stopped that person.
Jesus, still holding the child, says that anyone doing a deed of power, a good work in Jesus’ name cannot turn around and speak evil or poorly about Jesus. He then says, “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9.40)
Jesus turns that phrase in the opposite direction in Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospel, saying, “Whoever is not with me is against me.” (Matt 12:30 & Luke 11:23). The hairs that could be split aren’t worth the effort; Jesus considers the opposition those engaged in action, and is not focused on the undecideds.
This I think points to the focal point of his message, are you working FOR the kingdom to come, the reign of God, or are you working AGAINST it and God’s will?
Whose side are you on, God’s, or another?
It isn’t an either – or situation. You can be on God’s side, or you can be on one of billions of other sides. You can be on your side. You can be on the side of an ideology. You can be on the side of a political party. You can be on the side of a leader. You can be on the sidelines.
Whose side are you on, God’s, or another?
It is God’s will that you want to see done, or is it another’s?
The person who was casting out demons was doing a good thing. They were using the name of the Son of God to relieve people from a burden. But the disciples questioned the deed because it wasn’t a part of their movement. They weren’t doing it. So they questioned its authenticity.
That typifies the inter-traditional fights that mark church conflict. We don’t want to work with them. They can’t be trying to do good things. We may want a group to do this, rather than that which they are doing. But what Jesus wants the focus to be is if what they are doing is what God would want. If so, help out, or get out of the way.
Do not be an obstacle to those doing God’s work.
I’m not talking about doing work or good deeds or the right thing in an attempt to earn God’s love. You already have that. These are good things done in response to the gift of grace that God gave through the death of Jesus Christ. These are works and acts done because of feeling God’s love, not in trying to win it.
Jesus, still holding the child, says, "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” (Mark 9.42)
Children, or anyone who trusts in Jesus Christ, should not be swayed from their faith. But look at all of the stumbling blocks that we place in their way. The Church is ripe and rife with scandal. Abuse, mismanagement, greed, predators, political agendas dominate the discussion about what is going on in the Church. These aren’t stumbling blocks. They are the concrete bollards and barriers that have been erected in front of buildings for security purposes. Christ warns against putting stumbling blocks in front of the faithful and we have raised barriers and bull works.
But we still manage to throw out some stumbling blocks. Because we don’t and won’t provide guidance to those who want to, need to hear the Good News. We stubbornly refuse to share how God has impacted our life with others. We won’t invite family and friends to join us in worship. Instead, we let them wander through life blindfolded banging into barriers and stumbling into obstructions, rather than helping to show them the way we have come.
If being dragged to your death by drowning isn’t a powerful enough motivator to be sure you are not hindering another’s faith journey, Jesus gets more specific and graphic. If something causes you to stumble, get rid of it. Even if it is a part of your body.
Jesus does not often speak with such hyperbole, with such excess and graphic illustration, so when he does, we need to pay attention. If there is something that you are doing that is a distraction from doing the will of God, get rid of it.
To come back to the question I began asking two weeks ago, and will keep asking: For Christ’s sake, what are you doing? Are the things that you are doing, are the things that this church is doing focused on sharing and living out the gift of grace that is the Good News of Jesus Christ? If they aren’t, then they should be gotten rid of. Are we a church, the body of Christ in the world, or are we a social club?
The letter from James from a month ago famously says that faith without works is dead. (James 2.17) If your faith is not inspiring you to act, to share your faith, then it is dead. A tree that does not bare fruit is dead. A plant that does not flower is dead. And a faith that does not yield the works of God is dead as well. It is salt that is no longer salty. It is useless.
Jesus, still holding the child, is trying to warn his disciples, both those around him in Capernaum, and those here today, to not be distracted by all that is going on around you. Don’t worry about your ranking in the kingdom, or what others may be doing. Worry that what you are doing, or leaving left undone, is keeping others from learning the love of God that is made manifest in the Son of God and his ministry and passion of sacrifice and giving.
Don’t put obstacles in the way of others who are seeking salvation.
Take care that you have not lost your saltiness.
Beware that you have not created your own stumbling block or millstone.
Are you on God’s side?
AMEN.



-->

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Oh Yeah, Football

Lutheran Carnival LV

Sermon + No They're Yours