Sermon Transcript: January 29, 2012 - The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany - The Rev. R. Allan McCaslin
Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; I Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28
From Mark’s gospel, “… a man with an unclean spirit … cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Several years ago, I was invited to a rather posh dinner party in an exclusive Bostonneighborhood. But, for all the lavish surroundings and the alluring smells of what appeared to be top of the line hors d’oeuvres, something didn’t taste quite right. In fact, it was downright awful! I found myself wondering, “Where did this come from?” Of course, being polite, I said nothing to our host and then tried to eat around what was on my plate. Has this ever happened to you?
Such was the situation that St. Paul addresses in today’s reading from I Corinthians. Several church members feared that they might be eating meat that was already offered to idols. It was typical for pagan temples to sell off any leftover sacrificed meats after worship services. So, when you went to market, you had no idea if the meat on sale had actually been offered to a pagan god. Paul reminds the Church that we know and serve the only one, true God who, Paul says, is greater than any other god or lord in the heavens or on the earth. Therefore, Paul says (and I paraphrase here), “Who cares if some yahoo pagan priest waved a potroast over a pagan altar? Their god means nothing to us. Whether we choose to eat or not to eat has no impact on our spiritual life: these meats are harmless. So, go for it and enjoy yourself.” But, then, Paul adds a word of caution. And these cautious words have divided the Church for centuries. Paul says, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Paul explains that if any of our actions, anything we do or say, will encourage someone else to commit what they believe is a sin, then don’t do it. The hard part for us is that in this day, living in a multi-cultural society with different standards of conduct, especially among the myriad rules and regulations of Christian denominations right here in our own city that tell us you can’t do this or that, what we choose to eat and drink or choose to do or live is often interpreted as being unchristian. Case in point: Some churches insist that Christians don’t drink or smoke; nor do they gamble, play cards, go to movies, or dance. Some say that real Christian women never wear slacks and Christian men do not have long hair, and the list goes on. Sadly, this suggests that Christians should be outright divorced from our culture rather than engage it, never have any fun, nor enjoy the arts, or just relax with a cold beer on a hot summer day.
Paul would say these rules are poppycock! And yet, he reminds us that any excess can be unhealthy for God’s people. And if what you are doing will cause someone else to stumble, then, think twice before you do it because we might harm someone else in addition to harming our own selves. Then, Paul goes a little further. This is what irritates me about Paul and what I like about him: he pushes the envelope just a little more; he ruffles our comfort zone. Paul says that if we do something that we know for ourselves is a sin, remember this: you never sin in private. Oh, we might think that how we live outside these walls is our own business and has no effect on the Church. But Paul says that even things done in secret damage the body of Christ. “Private sins” often influence how we look at an issue and can cause us to unduly and unfairly influence church mission. For example, if in our hearts we harbor racism, then we might work against issues of racial equality and try to deter the Church from taking a stand in the community. If, in our hearts, we really think the poor deserve their misfortune, we might work against offering them food or clothing, or ignore the beggar on the street and in so doing, ignore the Christ.
Readings: Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; I Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28
From Mark’s gospel, “… a man with an unclean spirit … cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” I speak to you in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Several years ago, I was invited to a rather posh dinner party in an exclusive Bostonneighborhood. But, for all the lavish surroundings and the alluring smells of what appeared to be top of the line hors d’oeuvres, something didn’t taste quite right. In fact, it was downright awful! I found myself wondering, “Where did this come from?” Of course, being polite, I said nothing to our host and then tried to eat around what was on my plate. Has this ever happened to you?
Such was the situation that St. Paul addresses in today’s reading from I Corinthians. Several church members feared that they might be eating meat that was already offered to idols. It was typical for pagan temples to sell off any leftover sacrificed meats after worship services. So, when you went to market, you had no idea if the meat on sale had actually been offered to a pagan god. Paul reminds the Church that we know and serve the only one, true God who, Paul says, is greater than any other god or lord in the heavens or on the earth. Therefore, Paul says (and I paraphrase here), “Who cares if some yahoo pagan priest waved a potroast over a pagan altar? Their god means nothing to us. Whether we choose to eat or not to eat has no impact on our spiritual life: these meats are harmless. So, go for it and enjoy yourself.” But, then, Paul adds a word of caution. And these cautious words have divided the Church for centuries. Paul says, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” Paul explains that if any of our actions, anything we do or say, will encourage someone else to commit what they believe is a sin, then don’t do it. The hard part for us is that in this day, living in a multi-cultural society with different standards of conduct, especially among the myriad rules and regulations of Christian denominations right here in our own city that tell us you can’t do this or that, what we choose to eat and drink or choose to do or live is often interpreted as being unchristian. Case in point: Some churches insist that Christians don’t drink or smoke; nor do they gamble, play cards, go to movies, or dance. Some say that real Christian women never wear slacks and Christian men do not have long hair, and the list goes on. Sadly, this suggests that Christians should be outright divorced from our culture rather than engage it, never have any fun, nor enjoy the arts, or just relax with a cold beer on a hot summer day.
Paul would say these rules are poppycock! And yet, he reminds us that any excess can be unhealthy for God’s people. And if what you are doing will cause someone else to stumble, then, think twice before you do it because we might harm someone else in addition to harming our own selves. Then, Paul goes a little further. This is what irritates me about Paul and what I like about him: he pushes the envelope just a little more; he ruffles our comfort zone. Paul says that if we do something that we know for ourselves is a sin, remember this: you never sin in private. Oh, we might think that how we live outside these walls is our own business and has no effect on the Church. But Paul says that even things done in secret damage the body of Christ. “Private sins” often influence how we look at an issue and can cause us to unduly and unfairly influence church mission. For example, if in our hearts we harbor racism, then we might work against issues of racial equality and try to deter the Church from taking a stand in the community. If, in our hearts, we really think the poor deserve their misfortune, we might work against offering them food or clothing, or ignore the beggar on the street and in so doing, ignore the Christ.
Church history is filled with examples of so-called Christian people working in opposition to the Church’s commitment to foster the truth, mercy, justice and fairness that our Psalmist this morning tells us comes from the very hand of God. So Paul, while affirming our total liberty in Christ, says, remember: love builds up. We do not know everything other than the fact that God is always doing new things in our midst. So, watch how you live and watch how you respond lest you quench the Holy Spirit’s work within you and within those around you. Don’t let your actions lead someone away from the Christian faith that, at its core, seeks to bring God’s mercy, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, grace, welcome and wholeness to any and all who seek God.
Still, there are times when some in the Church do things that give us pause today and yet, down the road we realize that their action was prophetic: it was an affirmation of God’s new work among us. Our reading from Deuteronomy affirms that there are two kinds of prophets: those who call us to return, to repent, and live as God intends for us to live; to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty and so on. They remind us of what God commanded in the past and urge us to not only rediscover God’s values, but even more so, to embrace them and demonstrate them in this moment: today! Then, there are prophets chosen by God to lead God’s people in a new direction. The problem is that we don’t necessarily know right off the bat if the person is speaking God’s words or advancing their own agenda. There are plenty of people claiming to be prophetic when, in reality, they are rebellious and using the name “prophet” to cover up their misconduct. That’s why the scriptures tell us that prophets should be tested, and not simply acquiesced to. The mark of real prophecy is that it is disturbing and challenges the status quo: it causes us to rethink our lives; it urges us to see life in a new way; to walk onto what appears to be unstable ground; and enables us to follow God more closely. The reality is that most prophets, truly inspired by God, get to the very heart of our beliefs and challenge our priorities and that makes us uncomfortable. More often than not, such a challenge brings the prophet up against the religious or political (or both) authorities of this world and, as Mark reminded us in last week’s reading, the world destroys God’s prophets.
The people of first century Palestine wondered if they had such a new prophet in their midst. In today’s reading from Mark’s gospel, Jesus teaches in a synagogue. We have to assume from the people’s response that Jesus was unknown to them. They are amazed at the depth of his teaching because, Mark tells us, he “taught them as one having authority, and not (like a regular scribe or teacher).” Is Jesus of God or is he, somehow, advancing his own agenda? We will find in later readings that the people will throw him out of the temple because Jesus, like a good prophet, will challenge how they live before God and how they treat each other. But, in today’s reading, Jesus is confronted not by a parishioner, but rather, by a man with an unclean spirit. (The fact that someone with an unclean spirit was present at worship should remind us that religious bodies like synagogues and churches are far from perfect!) Nevertheless, the spirit cries out and asks, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” And then the spirit adds, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” The unclean spirit knows that Jesus is not just a prophet, but the promised Messiah, the Holy One of God and yet, the people can’t see it yet. Jesus rebukes the spirit evicting it saying, “Shut up and come out” and the spirit does as Jesus commands. The people wonder, is God doing something new here?
The unclean spirit asked, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” He already knows the answer because he has heard Jesus’ voice and recognizes it as the voice of God. Moses told us in Deuteronomy that the people didn’t want to hear God’s voice, but here, in Mark’s gospel, while the people don’t yet recognize the voice of God the unclean spirit does and obeys it.
I often wonder what would happen if we heard God’s voice. What would have to be evicted from our own lives? What “secret sins” might need to be confessed and absolved? As Paul says, if we are eating meat offered to idols and causing someone else to stumble, what might God be asking us to change? I know that during this coming Season of Lent I’m going to look at my life, my own habits, my own way of living and ask what am I doing that gets in the way of someone else finding a deeper relationship with God in Christ? I invite you to do the same. Together, we could ask, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” But, be prepared for his answer! We just might need to do, speak or think differently. The good news is we can ask such a question of Jesus and yet, unlike the unclean spirit, we need not fear that he has come to destroy us, but rather, we can believe God. We can choose to recognize, in desiring for us to be his people in this city: to be God’s light and healing presence; God may be calling us into a new way of life. To become a people who demonstrate in our thoughts, our words, and in our deeds or daily lives the truth, justice, equity, mercy, grace, reconciliation, and welcome that we have received of God and now are called to extend to all we meet. What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I think that answer, my friends, is: everything! Amen.
Still, there are times when some in the Church do things that give us pause today and yet, down the road we realize that their action was prophetic: it was an affirmation of God’s new work among us. Our reading from Deuteronomy affirms that there are two kinds of prophets: those who call us to return, to repent, and live as God intends for us to live; to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty and so on. They remind us of what God commanded in the past and urge us to not only rediscover God’s values, but even more so, to embrace them and demonstrate them in this moment: today! Then, there are prophets chosen by God to lead God’s people in a new direction. The problem is that we don’t necessarily know right off the bat if the person is speaking God’s words or advancing their own agenda. There are plenty of people claiming to be prophetic when, in reality, they are rebellious and using the name “prophet” to cover up their misconduct. That’s why the scriptures tell us that prophets should be tested, and not simply acquiesced to. The mark of real prophecy is that it is disturbing and challenges the status quo: it causes us to rethink our lives; it urges us to see life in a new way; to walk onto what appears to be unstable ground; and enables us to follow God more closely. The reality is that most prophets, truly inspired by God, get to the very heart of our beliefs and challenge our priorities and that makes us uncomfortable. More often than not, such a challenge brings the prophet up against the religious or political (or both) authorities of this world and, as Mark reminded us in last week’s reading, the world destroys God’s prophets.
The people of first century Palestine wondered if they had such a new prophet in their midst. In today’s reading from Mark’s gospel, Jesus teaches in a synagogue. We have to assume from the people’s response that Jesus was unknown to them. They are amazed at the depth of his teaching because, Mark tells us, he “taught them as one having authority, and not (like a regular scribe or teacher).” Is Jesus of God or is he, somehow, advancing his own agenda? We will find in later readings that the people will throw him out of the temple because Jesus, like a good prophet, will challenge how they live before God and how they treat each other. But, in today’s reading, Jesus is confronted not by a parishioner, but rather, by a man with an unclean spirit. (The fact that someone with an unclean spirit was present at worship should remind us that religious bodies like synagogues and churches are far from perfect!) Nevertheless, the spirit cries out and asks, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” And then the spirit adds, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” The unclean spirit knows that Jesus is not just a prophet, but the promised Messiah, the Holy One of God and yet, the people can’t see it yet. Jesus rebukes the spirit evicting it saying, “Shut up and come out” and the spirit does as Jesus commands. The people wonder, is God doing something new here?
The unclean spirit asked, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” He already knows the answer because he has heard Jesus’ voice and recognizes it as the voice of God. Moses told us in Deuteronomy that the people didn’t want to hear God’s voice, but here, in Mark’s gospel, while the people don’t yet recognize the voice of God the unclean spirit does and obeys it.
I often wonder what would happen if we heard God’s voice. What would have to be evicted from our own lives? What “secret sins” might need to be confessed and absolved? As Paul says, if we are eating meat offered to idols and causing someone else to stumble, what might God be asking us to change? I know that during this coming Season of Lent I’m going to look at my life, my own habits, my own way of living and ask what am I doing that gets in the way of someone else finding a deeper relationship with God in Christ? I invite you to do the same. Together, we could ask, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” But, be prepared for his answer! We just might need to do, speak or think differently. The good news is we can ask such a question of Jesus and yet, unlike the unclean spirit, we need not fear that he has come to destroy us, but rather, we can believe God. We can choose to recognize, in desiring for us to be his people in this city: to be God’s light and healing presence; God may be calling us into a new way of life. To become a people who demonstrate in our thoughts, our words, and in our deeds or daily lives the truth, justice, equity, mercy, grace, reconciliation, and welcome that we have received of God and now are called to extend to all we meet. What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? I think that answer, my friends, is: everything! Amen.
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