Pentecost 19
Proper22
Year B
Mark 10:2-16
Fr. John West
What is it about human nature that sometimes creates a need
for control and the sheer unwillingness to listen to God? (Throughout world history)
How often in the “name of God” have we witnessed world leaders seize power at
the expense of others? How often in this world and even in the church do we see
the light of the Spirit blotted out by simple human arrogance and selfish
ambition?
Yet God continues to speak to us and reveal himself to us,
despite (us)! The author of the Book of Hebrew’s writes – “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in various ways…in these last days
he has spoken to us through a Son…” But are we listening (?) – not just
with our ears, but with our hearts as well? Or are we obsessed with the need
for power; the power to be right; the power to preserve our ways of doing
things at the expense of Christ’s call to live as a Holy community? – A
community of faith deeply grounded in God’s self-giving love.
Looking in our hearts, are we willing to turn our lives and
wills over to the care of God or are we too busy pointing out the shortcomings
of others in ordered to make ourselves feel better about our own shortcomings?
Can we accept and listen to the voice of the Spirit even when that voice calls
us outside of ourselves and our selfish need to control? After all we humans
value our comfort zones (healthy or not) and we are certainly resistant to
change!
Jesus was dealing with a difficult and extremely
dysfunctional community. The religious leaders (both lay and ordained) of his
day were drunk with power, selfish motives and the need to be in control. They
did not like what Jesus had to say. After all he was not the Messiah that they
envisioned or chose to accept. His words spoke the truth; a truth the
leadership did not want to hear. So what did they do? They disguised their
desire and relentless need to be in control behind the religious law of their
day. Yet Jesus called them out at every opportunity. Still they chose to shut
their hearts and minds to the voice of God through his Son. Rather Satan’s
deceptive whispers were what they chose to listen too. They had power and
refused to loosen their grip. That’s the thing about power. Once some people
taste it they become consumed with and endless desire for more. This is a
destructive course wrought with division and personal ambition. This dark path
leads to an internal divorce of God, in which only unhealthy and self-serving desires
are born.
Embroiled in this constant and ongoing state of conflict,
Jesus moves beyond the Jordan as he approaches his final entry into Jerusalem.
Although he has moved into a new territory, Mark’s Jesus continues to confront
the same adversarial religious establishment; Jesus deals with the same inner
fighting not only amongst the people but his disciples as well.
Today we witness another issue directed at Jesus to trip him
up; to set him up for failure so that the religious establishment can point
their finger at him and say, “look he is wrong! We are right!”
Have things changed that much since then? It so easy to
judge others rather than look at our own hearts. It amazes me at the length
some of us will go to prove we are -
right!
The Pharisees were masters at this game. Today we listen to
these religious leaders approach Jesus with the difficult question regarding
divorce. Of course we all know that this is a mere trap; an attempt to set
Jesus up for failure and to prove him wrong. This is a ruse intended to place
Jesus on the spot and embarrass him in front of the religious authorities and
the crowd that has gathered.
Divorce was looked down upon as a sin in Jesus’ day –
especially for the woman. It is still a topic that is an issue in this world,
and one that is often avoided and not preached on in the church. We tend to
sweep it under the carpet - so to speak.
Yet divorce is real and happens every single day. It is a complete tear in
relationships. It creates a jagged rip that tears through the fabric of all
people affected. Divorce is spiritually retching. But when we stop and listen
to the words of Christ – divorce becomes more than the separation or
destruction of a marriage – it becomes a powerful metaphor for life in the
church and parish community. How often lately have we witnessed people
separating themselves over issues from the rest of the Body because they were
unhappy with the outcome of some issue? Yet the Church is Christ’s Bride. It
hurts the Body; it hurts Christ when the Body is separated and broken. So in
the same light of personal divorce, we can use the same word to describe broken
relationships in the church as well.
A recent interview with newly wed couples revealed some
alarming facts regarding marriage. Among couples (in the beginning) these
couples only 5 out of every 100 comments made about one another was negative.
Yet the research revealed that the negative comments increased as time went by
if the couples refused to live a life of self-giving love toward one another.
In many cases the relationships broke down and ended in divorce. Why? - The
need to be right by one or both members of the relationship. After a while
communication ceased to exist at all, and the marriage ultimately failed.
But the couples that continued to offer each other positive
support and unselfish love didn’t experience the sense of smug need for
superiority and need to be right. When husbands and wives feel they can build
themselves up only by putting the other down, the marital relationships were in
deep trouble and ultimately broke.
The same is true for us and our relationships in the church.
We are called to support one another and build healthy relationships – not fall
to gossip, need for power and control. When we fight and argue amongst
ourselves, and form factions due to our own personal egos and agendas – we set
ourselves us for brokenness and splinter the Body of Christ. Jesus calls us to
support each other, just as he loves and supports us.
Let’s face it. All couples argue, fight, fuss and fume at
times. That is perfectly normal in any relationship. So why do some marriages
survive and others fail? The crucial difference appears to be that the positive
couples learn to listen, and stop reliving the negative emotions over and over
again. The need to “be right” becomes irrelevant. The relationship is far more
important. On the other hand couples that allow arguments and resentment to
rise, allowing pride and selfishness to rule their lives – experience the torn
relationship and ultimately the separation causing divorce. We can’t ignore the
need of reconciliation! It is absolutely vital in any healthy relationship.
Once again our lives and relationships with one another in
the church is the same. When we flood our community of faith with constant
negative emotions, or divisive agendas eventually we too cross a threshold that
encourages ego-centric behavior and unresolved conflict. Left unchecked
resentment and dysfunction will eventually consume the community of faith, thus
creating ugly division. Constant negativity erodes the spiritual health of any
congregation.
Just as Jesus spent countless hours with his followers, he
needed a little space from time to time. In the same way, enduring couples
don’t need to spend every free moment together, but they do need to take the
time to enjoy one another in play. Play is one of the most important “repair
mechanisms” in any relationship. Long time couples trust one another and enjoy
times of playfulness and joy. They are able to agree to disagree, and are able
to focus on the positive and let go of the resentment and anger we all
experience in relationships from time to time.
This morning we witness Jesus surround himself with the most
playful and spontaneous folks in the world – children. Have we as a church lost
our child like identity with Christ and each other? Do we take ourselves so
seriously? I hope not! It is important that we not only take care of all the
day-to-day responsibilities of the church but that we play together as well.
God loves to play; God loves to laugh; God loves to be in unbreakable communion
with us. Thus it is vital and Christ-like to live in this community of faith
with attitudes of joy, forgiveness, caring and spontaneity. It is vital that we
treat this Body (the Church) like a marriage and provide one another with that
unconditional, self-giving love; caring for one another with the same
unconditional love of a child.
The church that plays together prays together. It stays together!
As a parish when we focus outside of our individual selves and on the needs of
others – suddenly all of the distractions become rather mute topics. Laying the
healing hands of the church on those who suffer and are sick; embracing the
broken hearts of the hopeless, the helpless and spiritually destitute is what
the church is called to do in service and “marriage.”
“Jesus is the
reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he
sustains all things by his powerful Word.” Jesus sustains all things; all
relationships – including you and me. That is so important as we live out our
daily lives in an often difficult, unfair and broken world. We are all
connected and touched by the same Holy Spirit.
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