October 25, 2009 at Saint Mark Church in Norman, OK

Jeremiah 31: -9 + Psalm 126 + Hebrews 5: 1-6 + Mark 10: 46-52

In the eighth chapter of Mark’s Gospel, a blind man is cured, and then Jesus begins his Journey toward Jerusalem. Now it is the tenth chapter, and another blind man, this one with a name is cured. This is the last event before Jerusalem. In the verses between those two chapters, Jesus has addressed a universal blindness to his identity and his message. He has tried again and again to bring his disciples to a new understanding of what a Messiah he will be. He has spoken of power and authority; service and simplicity. He has invited them to come with him, and he has sent them out ahead of him. Now in this final encounter, the seeker and the one sought meet. A blind man begs for revelation. He wants more than sight. He wants to understand.

But look at what happens. He twice shouts the truth: “Jesus, Son of David.” This is the only time this title is used of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. This blind man is shouting a name for Jesus that reveals the truth about Jesus; a truth others will not accept. And for doing so, he is hushed up. He is not calling out for attention. This is a profession of faith. This man has faith BEFORE Christ does anything for him.

Because of his faith, a blind man can see what others refuse to see. Why? Because they have another agenda. They want something else. They want power and prestige. They want a place at his right hand. They are so burdened by their riches that they cannot do without and want more. In their desire to have more possessions, they fail to possess what really matters. They do not accept the role and the identity of a true servant. They want to be served, but as we heard last week, they must do the serving.

There is so much about this story that is unique and profound. In fact, this is not really a miracle story – this is not a typical “cure”. This is really a “call” story; an invitation more than a cure. In this wonderful story, the seeker and the sought meet, and we are left to wonder which one is which. Does the blind man seek Jesus, or is Jesus seeking the blind man? They both call out for one another. Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus, and Jesus calls the blind man to himself. Then Jesus asks: What do you want me to do for you? We should recall that he just asked that question of James and John a few verses earlier while they were arguing over who was going to have a place of honor. My friends, I believe that Jesus is still asking that question of each of us. “What do you want me to do for you?”

Our faith has brought us far. It has brought us to this place on this day. Yet we still do not quite get it all – still do not quite accept the way of Jesus.  All of us try compromise, make excuses, and try our best to negotiate our way into the Kingdom of God. We’re like that rich young man whose story we told a couple of weeks ago. He asked: “What must I do?”

The answer, the truth, the reality of our call to holiness and goodness, righteousness and salvation lies in this profound and powerful story. Like Bartimaeus who threw aside his cloak to come to Jesus, we musts cast off whatever shields us from the demands of the Way of Jesus; we must quit sitting by the way like Bartimaeus at the beginning of this story and start to move along the way; most of all, we must begin to ask for what we truly need not for what we want or would like to have — but for what we really  need to make it to Jerusalem.

In every other healing story, Jesus goes to the one who is sick or in need. In this story, Jesus calls this believing yet blind man to himself. The man got up and walked to Jesus. He didn’t say: “I’m blind! I can’t get there.” He threw off his cloak before he was healed and went to Jesus. Bartimaeus is a model for every believer and disciple. We must pray that Jesus will call us to himself. This is the prayer of believers. Asking for trivial things: prayers to pass a test, for good weather, and stuff like that are silly and shallow – always letting us avoid asking for what we really need. Sometimes I think it’s because we are afraid of what will happen if we do ask We are about to profess our faith like Bartimaeus professed his faith. We are about to be called to Jesus.

Cloaks of comfort and old ways of doing things, seeing things, and expecting things

have to go. We have to quit sitting by the way and get up and start moving along the way. It might be time to quit our begging and get up and tell Jesus what we really need.

October 4, 2009 at Saint Mark Church in Norman, OK

Genesis 2: 18-24 + Psalm 128 + Hebrews 2: 9-11 + Mark: 10: 2-16

The Gospel, every Gospel is about the kingdom of God. It is always an announcement that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Every story, every saying, every parable is about the kingdom of God; and one of the most frequently used descriptions of the Kingdom of God is a wedding feast. So, when this incident occurs and this discussion follow, we must think about the Kingdom of God. This is not about divorce.

“What God has joined together, no one may divide.” This is gospel talk – so, it’s about the Kingdom of God, and the signal to remind us of that is the context in which it is placed: a discussion about marriage. A favorite image of the Kingdom. If you do not go further and deeper into these words and what they reveal about God’s plan, you will be stuck where some Pharisees are stuck. Jesus has come to restore the original condition of life between us and God. He has come to restore, reestablish that life we first had by God’s plan. It was a life of unity – oneness between man and woman, and oneness with God. The effect of sin has been to destroy that unity. As Genesis tells it, the first consequence of sin was for Adam and Eve to recognize that they were different, and then they hid.  The oneness, the wholeness, the unity of creation has been ruined.

When Jesus says: “What God has joined together, no one may divide”, why do we think he is only talking about marriage?   Is the unity of husband and wife the only thing God has joined together? What about the unity between and mother and her child? What about the unity between a brother and a sister? …. between families ….within the human family? What about the unity, the harmony and oneness between human life and this earth itself? I was listening to a commentator on the TV the other night talking about red states and blue states – sensing as we all do the terrible division and hostility between those political ideologies, and I wondered, what ever happened to the “United States” Now they are only blue or red?

The work and mission of Jesus Christ was one continuous ministry of healing what was divided, reuniting what was separated, healing what was broken. Think of the miracles – they are always about some reunion or restoration. He raises a little girl and gives her back to her father. He raises a centurion’s son and restores that family unity. He tells about a broken family and a runaway son, describing a father waiting to have all his sons come in the house together. He heals lepers so that they can be restored to their place in the community. On and on it goes, one continuous effort, one manifestation of God’s will —- that all would be one and nothing be divided.  So, what has God joined together?

Much more than a man and a woman. We can’t stop there with this expression of God’s wish and will for us all.  Friendships broken cannot remain so. Children who will not speak to brothers and sisters or to their parents cannot remain so apart and hostile.

Nations and races cannot be at odds. Racism has no place in God’s plan. Why? Because God joined us together at the beginning, and that paradise, that plan, that love of God will be restored, or the work of Jesus will be in vain.

When Jesus calls those children to himself, those apostles are still doing what they did last week when they wanted to exclude someone who had cast out a demon they had failed to cast out. They thought it was all about them, that they were somehow privileged and therefore could exclude someone who was different. Jesus objects. Today he rebukes even more strongly their effort to exclude; this time it is children.  It is of course, not because they are tiny, vulnerable, or weak. It is, according to that culture, that they produce nothing, and like children, they are totally dependent upon God making no pretense that they are special, unique, or self-sufficient.

The very inclusive nature of the Kingdom of God and the very inclusive behavior of Jesus Christ confronts attitudes of division, privilege, brokenness, and disunity. There will be no Kingdom of God, while there is disunity of any kind. That Kingdom will come no closer as long as we insist on being separate, different, or special expecting privilege or power or positions of influence over others. In the final day of his life with us, Jesus expressed in his prayer the Father’s will: “That they may all be one as we, Father, are one.”

What God has joined together must not be divided. At some point we have to open our minds and hearts and begin to wonder at all God has joined together and wonder how we can put it back together again. When we do, the Kingdom of God will be at hand.