I preached this sermon at the Sunday evening service of the Machida Christian Center on September 30th, 2018. A large typhoon was approaching and it’s a three hour drive from our home to this church. As I arrived in Machida City and stopped at a convenience store I could here the warning announcements being broadcast across the city from the city hall. They were telling everyone to prepared for the big storm, and the number one piece of advice was to stay indoors and definitely avoid trying to travel anywhere! Needless to say, attendance was a bit lower than usual that night but fortunately I made it home around midnight and the worst of the storm hit a couple hours later. We woke up to find a couple trees knocked over in our yard and part of the siding of our house ripped off.
Mark 9:38-50
When I was a child playing with others, we would often begin by choosing teams. Two kids who were good at whatever sport we were playing would be the captains. I don’t think I was ever a captain in any sport… The two captains would then take turns choosing team mates. The talented kids would get chosen first and needless to say, the less talented kids would be chosen last. I was usually somewhere in the middle, but it was a rather awful way of doing things, especially for those kids who didn’t get chosen right away. For the last couple of kids chosen, it almost felt like nobody wanted them on their team. The thing we all dreaded was being chosen last. While it may be tempting to chalk this one up to the insensitivity of children, the truth of the matter is that adults frequently do the same thing. Yes, we all seem to have a natural tendency to exclude other people.
Today we have read about Jesus’ disciples and their desire to exclude a person who was casting out evil spirits in Jesus’ name but wasn’t a part of the disciples’ inner group. So perhaps we need to take a closer look at their actions. READ v.38 They tried to stop him because he wasn’t following them. While I can’t read their minds, my guess is that they felt shamed by this man. They say he was casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Earlier in this same chapter a man came to Jesus reporting that the disciples had tried to cure his son who was possessed by an evil spirit, but had failed. Jesus then casts out the evil spirit and heals the boy, but the disciples are left wondering why they hadn’t been successful. In other words casting out demons was a bit of a sore spot for those disciples. They had tried and they had failed. What’s more, that failure had taken place in a rather public setting. And Jesus had not been particularly sensitive or gentle in his response to their failure. It had probably been a humiliating experience for them. And yet while they were still feeling the sting of that public failure, they encountered this person who was apparently having some success in casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Naturally, these disciples who were closer to Jesus than anyone else; who spent more time with Jesus than anyone else… didn’t like what they saw. Yes, I’m guessing that they felt shamed and humiliated by this man. They may even have felt jealous of him. So they tried to exclude him.
Related to that reason is the matter of insecurity. If you read through this entire gospel of Mark you can’t help but notice that the disciples had really been struggling. They were finding it increasingly difficult to understand what Jesus was saying. They had experienced various failures and frustrations. Jesus often resorted to scolding them or criticizing them. And most troublingly, he had started to talk about some really crazy stuff… about being rejected, being arrested, being killed… It was all rather troubling for the disciples and frankly, they were worried. They had great hopes for the future. They expected Jesus to do something really big, really significant. They suspected that it would be some sort of political revolution leading to the restoration of an independent Israel. And as Jesus’ close disciples, they couldn’t help but wonder what their own future might look like. In the passage right before today’s, they were arguing with each other about who would be the greatest in the new kingdom Jesus was going to establish. Jesus overheard them and immediately had some harsh words for them… So you see, the disciples were confused and worried. And they increasingly found themselves being scolded by Jesus. What they wanted was to draw closer to him. They wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to kick them out or something. They were the ultimate insiders with Jesus and they wanted to make sure it stayed that way. So what do you do if you feel insecure about your position as an insider? Well, I guess you start to exclude anyone else who might look like they are a threat to your position. And that is probably what these disciples were attempting to do with the person casting out demons.
Finally, if we are members of some group that is important to us, we have a natural tendency to raise the bar for those trying to come in after us. We like to think that the group we are in is very hard to get into; so we tend to make it harder for others, even though it may have not actually been that hard for us to get into. We like to raise the bar for others.
So while scripture doesn’t tell us explicitly, I am guessing that these may have been some of the reasons why the disciples tried to exclude and shut down this outsider. But Jesus immediately tells them that they are wrong. Jesus gives three reasons; which may be clearer in the original Greek text than either the English or Japanese. Verses 39, 40 and 41 all have the Greek word “gar” in them. “Gar” is often translated “for” or “because”. The first reason is in v.39 READ v.39 The disciples want to be strict and hard on this person who isn’t a part of their immediate group. But Jesus tells them to go easy on him and to give him the benefit of the doubt. It is as if Jesus is saying, “If he’s trying to do something good, then why should we suspect him of being bad?” If you feel shamed or threatened by someone or if you are insecure, then it is very easy to be hard on that person. But Jesus doesn’t feel shamed or threatened, and he most definitely wasn’t insecure. And he certainly didn’t want the disciples to feel that way either. So he tells them very clearly to leave that man alone. The second reason is in v.40 READ v.40 It’s rather interesting that in Matt. 12:30 Jesus makes a comment that sounds like the exact opposite of this one. There he says, “Whoever is not with me is against me.” I don’t think we need to really be all that concerned or try to somehow rectify these two statements. They were spoken in completely different contexts at different times. And besides, even though they sound like opposite sayings, I’m not entirely sure that they contradict each other. But anyway, in today’s passage it is as if Jesus was saying, “Look, he isn’t specifically trying to do something bad right?” “So then what reason do you have for being suspicious of him and trying to exclude him.” “Just let him be.” “After all, what he is doing is probably a good thing” And then the third “gar” comes in v.41 even though it almost always gets eliminated in translation. READ v.41 It seems like the disciples are trying to raise the bar for others who might approach Jesus. It wasn’t enough that this man was casting out demons. It wasn’t even enough that he was doing so in Jesus’ name. No, the disciples weren’t going to recognize him, because he didn’t follow them and submit to them! Raising the bar for others… But in v.41 Jesus is saying the exact opposite. He is saying that God takes notice of everything we do… and will reward us for the good things we do; even if they are really little things. Like something as simple as giving someone a glass of water. Jesus says, “It won’t go unnoticed!” So while the disciples want to raise the bar, Jesus is telling them to lower it!
Jesus’ next words in v.42 may seem a little disconnected. Some scholars suggest that he is returning to the discussion he was having with the little child in his arms, before John interrupted him with this matter of the exorcist. Perhaps so, but it seems to me that v.42 actually fits right in with the previous topic. The disciples are worried about the danger of letting the wrong people into their inner circle and want to exclude this man. But Jesus is clearly far more worried about the danger of excluding people from God’s kingdom even though they want to enter. In Jesus’ mind that is the worst thing a person could do! READ v.42
We tend to raise the bar and hold others to a higher standard. But Jesus turns the tables on the disciples and tells them that if they want to raise the bar and insist on higher standards, then they need to do so for themselves, not for others. Jesus does this in a rather uncharacteristic, almost “fire and brimstone” method. READ v.43-49 Harsh words, to be sure! It’s as if Jesus was saying, “So you want to insist on high standards?” “Well then, take a look at these standards! Are they high enough for you?” “And guess what? These standards aren’t for you to apply to anyone else.” “No, these are standards to which you will be held!” “As far as others are concerned, practice grace and mercy.” “Give others the benefit of the doubt.” “Welcome everyone who comes with good intentions.” “But as for yourself… well, that is where you should set high standards.” And finally in verse 50 Jesus summarizes what is most important. READ v.50 Salt exists for one reason… to be salty. None of the things salt is used for will work if it isn’t salty. Being salty is the very identity of salt. Without its saltiness, salt is pretty much the same as sand… not very valuable. So Jesus instructs his disciples to be salty… in other words, fulfil the purpose for which they were created. Live out what lies at the core of their very identity. And what is that purpose for which they were created; the core of their identity? Jesus names it: “Be at peace with one another”. Or to put it in more familiar terms, practice love. Above all, before all, within all, practice love for that is the essence of your existence; the purpose of your creation; the core of your identity.
Amen
Speaking the Word 