|
Sermon
Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – January 31, 2021
Centenary United Methodist Church Psalm 111;
Mark 1:21-28 Our scripture lesson for today begins with these
words: Jesus and his disciples came to the town of
Capernaum and on the next Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue and
began to teach. The people
who heard him were amazed at the way he taught, for he wasn't like the
Teachers of the Law instead, he taught with authority. What was it that caused people in that synagogue to
recognize that Jesus was different from any teacher they had ever
experienced? He taught with
a unique depth of understanding the likes of which they had never
encountered. Instead of hearing what they always heard before from
teachers, Jesus' presentation inspired their eagerness to hear more. Can
any of us remember the last time we got excited about a spiritual
break-through in our faith? This quality of Jesus was recognized by a number of
people in the Gospels.
Nicodemus, one of the greatest teachers in Israel, came at night to
discuss matters of spirit with Jesus. Nicodemus had detected something
unique about Jesus that attracted him to learn more. The Gospels tell us
that thousands of people came to hear Jesus preach while synagogues were
not attracting many worshippers. We can probably count on one hand the people in our
lives who have been highly influential in our development.
There are not that many but somehow something within us connected
with them. Such people are found in every profession. Their spirits
speak to us in ways we recognize and that quality sets them apart from
others. Once there was a traveling entertainer whose gift
was his ability to stimulate people's imaginations with his
spine-tingling oratory. He
was a master-storyteller and could hold the attention of his audiences
so that everyone sat riveted
to their seats as each listener hung onto every word he spoke.
As was his custom at the end of his performances,
he invited guests to give him something to read. An older gentleman asked the actor if he would read the 23rd
Psalm. He gave the
entertainer his Bible that was nearly worn out from its constant use.
After first briefing himself with the content of the passage, he
began reading aloud with such skill and drama that when he had finished
everyone in the crowded auditorium leaped to their feet and engaged in a
thunderous applause. He thanked the audience for their generous
response. After the people
sat down, he invited the man to come up on the stage to retrieve his
Bible. Having sensed
something about the older gentleman, the actor said, "Now, I would like
to hear you read the 23rd Psalm." Taking the microphone, the man began reciting the
Psalm from memory. He never opened his Bible. When he was finished, no
one applauded. The silence
was deafening.
It was as though everyone had come to an awareness of being taken
to a place they could not define.
Wanting to avoid what was becoming a very awkward moment, the
actor took back the microphone and said: When I read the 23rd Psalm, I used my
skills as a storyteller. You applauded and I thanked you for that. When
this gentleman recited the Psalm from memory, you responded with
silence. I believe all of
us know why that happened. For me, you applauded an actor.
For this man, you could not applaud because he was giving a
testimony of his personal faith even though he used the same words that
I read. This man knows
the Shepherd. What is it about knowing the Shepherd?
We can recite many of Jesus' teachings.
Many of us know the substance of his words. However, Jesus
carried himself with such confidence, such insight that his listeners
collectively understood that his spirit was rooted in an understanding
that was very different from all the other teachers.
Jesus knew God intimately.
Regardless of what we think, believe, or feel,
Jesus had a one-of-a-kind consciousness that set him apart from all the
other teachers. He had a quality that could not be given away.
That quality had become a window through which others could see
the presence of divinity. The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law did not
have the same message that Jesus taught. They tried to silence his
message. They often came to
hear him teach, but they stood in the background. They came to evaluate
what he was teaching. They were hoping to catch him teaching a falsehood
or engaging in blasphemy. They asked him trick-questions, "Tell us, is
it rightful for us to pay taxes to Caesar?"
They asked him, "We have caught this woman committing adultery.
Moses has commanded that such a woman should be stoned to death, what do
you say?" Time after time they
came with their questions, "Tell us which is the greatest teaching that
you hold above all others?" A Pharisee had invited Jesus to teach in his
gardens. Many people came to the homes of Pharisees when a traveling
rabbi came to teach. This
Pharisee noticed what was happening in the sight of everyone.
He thought to himself, "If this man is such a great teacher, he
should know the kind of woman that he is allowing to touch him."
Jesus noticed how the Pharisee winced at what he as
witnessing. He said, "Simon, when I came to your home, you gave me no
water to wash my feet, but she has not stopped washing my feet with her
tears and drying them with her hair." Each time that these righteous protectors of
their religious heritage came to trick him, Jesus responded in a way
that was satisfactory. He
said, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God, the
things that are God's." He responded, "He who is without sin, cast the
first stone." He answered,
"Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, mind, and spirit." They
could not find fault with any of his answers. People through the ages have always marveled at
Jesus' skill in avoiding all of their trick questions with his
remarkable responses. His
answers were not that remarkable.
He just applied the Golden Rule to every question.
Jesus recognized that each trick question came from a
demon within them. They came to Jesus with a hidden motive. They
wanted to destroy his credibility.
They wanted to prove that he was teaching error.
Jesus' message was different.
Jesus seldom stressed obedience to the Laws of Moses.
Rather, his message to his listeners was to act from a choice
that comes from a personal desire to love others.
This was a dangerous message.
Jesus was walking away from obedience by teaching love as a
primary motivator for all activities.
The Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law were wedded to
obedience. Naturally, they felt threatened with Jesus' new emphasis. All of us have demons,
which are nothing more than habitual responses that we have strengthened
by their constant use.
The Apostle Paul had a demon that he called, a thorn in
the flesh. He believed that God gave that thorn to him in
order to keep him humble. (2nd Corinthians 12:6-10) We keep our demons
alive by rationalizing why it is our right
to respond with unrecognized beliefs
that are not loving. What is fascinating is that the
righteous protectors of their values, silenced Jesus by killing him.
(John 11:50) His words of love your enemies have survived when we
do cannot remember the names of anyone who were his murderers. As more protectors of the faith sought to
stamp out the beliefs of others with whom they disagreed, a
well-respected Pharisee and a Teacher of the Law named Gamaliel spoke to
them with these words: I tell you, do not take any action against these
men. Leave them alone. If
what they have planned and done is of human origin, it will disappear,
but if it comes from God, you cannot possibly defeat them. You could
find yourselves fighting against God.
(Acts 5:38f) Once again, the ancient
Golden Rule prevailed as always being true
for everyone, every religion on earth, and every circumstance that needs
resolution.
When we treat others the way we would like to be
treated, loving responses reign supreme.
The words of Gamaliel, however, remain unknown in China, in
Russia, and have been forgotten by many politicians in the United
States. Trying to silence those who hold different
opinions and values is what caused Jesus to be crucified.
Trying to silence people is what inspired the murderers of all the
disciples except John.
Trying to silence others is why William Tyndale was strangled to death.
His dead body was tied to a stake and publicly burned.
His crime? He dared to translate The Word of God into
English. What made Jesus teach with authority was
the spirit of the words he spoke.
Those words were supportive, forgiving, affirming, and
compassionate. The
righteous Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law taught their values with
Thou shalts and Thou shalt nots that were believed to have
been commanded by God. What a difference! Today, many values from of our ancestors have
changed. What has not
changed is a loving spirit that only becomes visible when that is our
individual choice. This skill and ability can place us in a category of
being a one-of-a-kind. In
our love for others, we allow them to find their own way by how they
define being correct, noble, and just. (Matthew 15:14) In time, they may
recall why Jesus spoke with authority.
In spite of human efforts, Jesus is still speaking to those of us
who are listening. In John's Gospel, we find these words, "The Word
was the source of life, and this life brought enlightenment to people.
That light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it
out." (John 1:4f) Let our hearts be filled with gratitude this morning
that God is in charge of Creation instead of the self-interest of human
beings who only think that they are.
CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER
Eternal God, Jesus
told his listeners "Do not be worried and upset, do not be afraid for I
will be with you always."
Yet the world is frightening; it is always changing. Our judgments of
others often cause us to ask, "Why can’t everyone be more like me?" We
would rather challenge people with our truth than love them as they are.
We would rather fix them than set the example.
Teach us, O God, how to live inspired lives so that others may
see the Christ in what we say and do.
May the verbal seeds we sow, and the activities born of our
passion to serve, heal the world in ways we may not live long enough to
see. Encourage us to
understand that your will is being done all around us.
Amen.
PASTORAL
PRAYER
Loving God,
Jesus came into our midst so that we might learn how to become more
loving, patient, and peaceful men and women. In spite of all the
truth he taught, it was you, O God, who created us with the power of
making choices. Even though our thoughts and actions frequently do
not serve your will or even our own, you gave us free will as a gift.
In the drama that life represents, you have
allowed distractions to intrude on the teachings of your son. As
many tantalizing alternatives surround us, it is we who must choose
between the pearl of great price and the idol. It is we who must select
between what will enhance our spiritual skills and what is only an
imitation that pretends to offer us what we believe we lack.
Thank you, God, for being so confident that
eventually we will find our way through the maze that life represents
and return to you with a distilled wisdom that could not have been
learned without choice. We are frail. We make mistakes.
We frequently forsake the substance for the shadow. Yet, O God, we
understand that you would have it no other way. You want us to come to
you because we love you and not because you will save us. What a
joy it is for us to know that your love is so enormous that it surrounds
us and protects us even though many of us remain blind. With
grateful hearts we pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus who
taught us to say when we pray . . . |