Blogging with Father John

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.