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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." John 20:19-23 For the last three weeks we have been talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit. Three weeks ago, we talked about how God would not leave us as orphans, but would send his Spirit to be with us. Two weeks ago, we learned that to walk with the Holy Spirit is to pour out love from our hearts towards others. Last week we learned why the Holy Spirit needed to come -- because we are still in the world. Today, the Day of Pentecost, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. How can we think of this today? One thing we can learn from Pentecost is how not to be hurried. We live in such an impatient society these days. The role of the Spirit in our lives is to change us so that we can live in the world. The world tells us to hurry, but the Spirit says wait. The gospel lesson today takes place on the first day of the week, which was Easter day, the day of Christ's resurrection. The reading for today from Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as tongues of fire, actually took place 50 days later. The lesson for us in this is that Jesus tells us to wait for the Holy Spirit to descend upon us. We live in a world that is used to immediate response. Our culture tells us that everything needs to move faster and faster. How can we face this challenge of standing against a world that tells us we need to move at a faster and faster pace? We can recognize that the quiet, restful times of life, when we might be tempted to say that we are "bored," are actually precious gifts from God. If we can accept this blessing from God, and if we will learn to wait for him, his Spirit will infuse us with a love, joy and peace that will tell us that we will never have to hurry again. The work of the Holy Spirit calls us to wait. We can look at three different examples that illustrate this point. The first example comes from Paul. After he was converted on the road to Damascus, the Holy Spirit moved him to Arabia, where he studied for years before he began his ministry. A second example is from the life of Joseph. As Joseph rose to power and became the Prime Minister of Egypt, the Spirit was working in him and through him for many years. We can draw a third example from our own lives. Many times new Christians will say, "I'm converted, but I am so much like the person I used to be!" Or perhaps we might find ourselves saying, "Why is God taking so long in my life?" The promise of the 50 days of Pentecost is that God is not about the business of taking us immediately to the place he wants us to be. He is about the business of growing us into something of great worth and value, so that when we are buffeted by the storms of life, we will be able to stand strong in our faith. We all have infinite and eternal worth and value. Just as the jeweler takes a rough, uncut gemstone, and turns it into a great work of art that perfectly reflects the light, so God takes our rough, uncut lives and molds us into a creation that he intends for us to be. This is God's work at Pentecost. The word for Pentecost is wait. Let us discover the joy of waiting for God to work in our lives. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him." Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.' The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:1-16 The reason that the church calls us to
celebrate Trinity Sunday is that it is a way in which we can maintain our
perspective of God. We could talk all year about Jesus, or God the Father,
or the Holy Spirit. But how to we celebrate one God who is a Triune God,
in such a way that honors each of the three persons of God? Some
Christians seem to want to emphasize either God the Son, or God the
Father, or God the Holy Spirit. The attached diagram can assist us in
determining which aspect we each tend to gravitate towards. Do you tend to
lean towards the awesomeness, splendor and holiness of God the Father? You
might then place yourself at the bottom right of the diagram. Or perhaps
you lean more towards the guidance and presence of the Holy Spirit? The
second reading for today says: For all who are led by the Spirit of God
are sons of God. (Rom 8:14) In your own spiritual life, if you tend to
think or react most towards the Holy Spirit, then you might put yourself
at the bottom left of the diagram. Or do you tend to lean towards the
tender love and sacrificial heart of Jesus? Then you might place yourself |
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Rev. Bill Kruse
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great storm of wind arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?" And they were filled with awe, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?" Mark 4:35-41 This powerful gospel passage for this week involves a group of people who were caught in a great storm at sea, who were frightened, who called out to the Lord, whose prayers were then heard, and ultimately whose faith was increased. What is the message in this for us today? We need to find the personal good news for us. There is a two-fold message here, that we oftentimes forget, and of which we need to be reminded. The first part of the message is this: the storms of life are often occasions that draw us closer to God and to each other. Note that we must say "often" instead of "always," because we can all think of occasions where people have experienced difficulties in life, and have chosen to have absolutely nothing to do with God as a result. What is the difference between allowing the storms of life to bring us closer to God and choosing to pull away from God? The difference is prayer. Not just any kind of prayer, but the type of prayer that Jesus taught his friends, and the type of prayer that he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. We must always remember that God loves us completely, and wants the very best for us. This is the second part of the message: if we pray in the spirit of trusting God and knowing that God wants the best for us, then God will bring us through the storms of life. But if we pray in a spirit of mistrust, of demanding our requests from God, and not asking for his will to be done, then we treat God as our servant. The storms of life -- and all of us will know these at one time or another -- can draw us closer to God. We must pray "not my will, but yours be done". Remember that God loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Let us trust him with our storms today. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." And he went with him. And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him. There came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." And he allowed no one to follow him except Peter and James and John the brother of James. When they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, he saw a tumult, and people weeping and wailing loudly. And when he had entered, he said to them, "Why do you make a tumult and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. But he put them all outside, and took the child's father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. Taking her by the hand he said to her, "Talitha cumi"; which means, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." And immediately the girl got up and walked (she was twelve years of age), and they were immediately overcome with amazement. And he strictly charged them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat. Mark 5:22-24,35b-43 Whenever there is a death in the family, especially the death of a child, it is always and forever a tragedy. Jairus was facing the death of his little 12 year old girl. In Jewish times, you were considered to be a woman when you were 12 years old and one day, so Jairus' daughter had her whole life in front of her. Jairus was the ruler of the synagogue, and therefore one of the most important men in the community. Everyone knew him, respected him, and looked up to him. He was respectable and someone to be depended on. He was most likely considered someone who really "had it together". But when he was faced with this devastating situation, there were three things that he forgot: The first thing he forgot was his dignity. The scripture says that Jairus fell at Jesus' feet and "besought" him. Jairus pleaded with Jesus, and threw himself at his feet. Jairus was a business man -- he knew how to dictate to others, how to legislate, and how to handle business situations. But none of that would work now. Jairus had to change his very nature, and humble himself before Jesus. When looking at this passage today, the question for us is: How will you change your life to follow Jesus? That is what had to happen in Jairus' life; he had to forget about what people thought about what he was doing and how he was acting. The second thing Jairus forgot was his pride. People of means are people who can take care of themselves in all situations, and who think they can handle whatever comes their way. But here Jairus comes to grips with the fact that there is nothing he can do, no "connection" that he has, no amount of money he can pay that could fix this situation. He knew he had to go to Jesus and show his brokenness and neediness. He had to put aside his pride. The question for us is: What do you have to leave behind to follow Jesus? Jairus had to leave it all behind. Notice that he was the one who went to Jesus -- he didn't send someone else. In this situation, any one of us would probably not want to leave our dying daughter's side. But Jairus himself left his daughter, and went to Jesus. And so we must come to Jesus ourselves. We cannot owe anyone or be indebted to anyone for coming to Jesus. Each of us must leave something behind in order to come to Jesus. The third thing that Jairus forgot in this passage was his friends. When Jairus comes back home with Jesus, we see that the mourners actually laugh at Jesus when he questions them. Is this the response of true friends? Instead of helping Jairus to trust Jesus, they instead mocked him. They did not support Jairus, as true friends would. Jairus saw this, and put them all out of his house, and brought Jesus in instead. The question for us becomes: Who do you have to give up to follow Jesus? Most of us have people who are in our lives who do not help us in our spiritual walks, and who in fact may hinder us and cause us to stumble in our walks with Jesus. It may be time to let these people go, in order that we may grow closer to Jesus and walk in his will. In summary, this passage is a study in contrasts. We see the despair of the mourners against the hope of Jesus. The distress of those who are grieving is a great contrast to the calmness of Jesus meeting the need. We must step out of the darkness and come into the light, and forget our dignity, pride, and perhaps even our friends, and come near to Jesus. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
He went away from there and came to his own country; and his disciples followed him. And on the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue; and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get all this? What is the wisdom given to him? What mighty works are wrought by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except is his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house." And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. Mark 6:1-6 Usually when any of us go home to see family, the veneer of our titles and accomplishments is stripped away, and we are just a son, or daughter, or a brother or sister. This is what happened to Jesus in our passage today. We can contrast this passage with the story of Jairus from last week. Jairus left his family and friends to go find Jesus, and his daughter lived. But this week only a few sick people could be healed. What is the difference? The passage says that Jesus "marveled because of their unbelief". The challenge becomes: What limits our God? The answer is, you and I, and our lack of faith. Jesus' own family, his brothers, sisters, and mother, came to Capernaum to take charge of him, for they thought he was out of his mind (Mark 3:21). They had no thought or concept that he could be doing these miracles. Even his own brothers challenged him and misunderstood his mission (John 7:5). In 1 Corinthians 15, we see that the risen Jesus appeared to James -- not James the apostle, but James the half-brother of Jesus. And James was never the same after that. He went on to become the first bishop of Jerusalem. Through his leadership, people understood that the gospel was for the whole world. Over time, James wrestled with the fact that he hadn't believed. In James 1:6 he says, "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." In Capernaum, Jesus raised the dead; but in his own home town, he could barely heal a few sick people. If we are not anchored in Christ, the waves will throw us down every time. The challenge for all of us is to not fall into this trap of doubting. If you don't believe, God can't work with you. We must have faith and hope. Don't give up asking God for what you need, and never give up believing that somehow, some way, God can make a difference. What are you looking for? In Nazareth, the people at the temple, and even Jesus' own family, were not looking for anything, and so they didn't find it. It is a matter of expectancy. In chapter 5 of James' letter, he reflects on Elijah, saying that he was a man just like us. In 1 Kings 18, Elijah tells his servant to go and look towards the sea. Seven times he told his servant this, and on the seventh time, finally there was a rain cloud. That was a man of expectancy! And that is what we are called to be. We are called to be expectant and alive. All creation waits in eager expectation and in hope, and so we are to be filled with hope and expectation, and to trust our God to meet our needs and to make a difference in our lives. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. And he said to them, "Where you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. Mark 6:7-13 Who is your audience? We all go through life with an audience. Three weeks ago, we read about how Jesus calmed the storm; in that story, the disciples were the audience. Two weeks ago, we remembered how Jesus raised Jairus' daughter; in that story, the girl's mother and father, and a few select disciples were the audience. Last week, we read about how Jesus could only do a few healings in Nazareth; there the audience was the people Jesus grew up with. Next week, we will focus on the story of the feeding of the 5000 -- a very large audience. Today we concentrate on Jesus sending out the twelve. He sent them out two by two; they are listed in six pairings. Where else is Scripture do we see pairings? Some examples are Adam and Eve, David and Jonathan, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and Rachel, Moses and Aaron, Paul and Silas, and Barnabas and Mark. God wants us to have our own private cheering section, so that we don't have to face the audience of life's large crowds alone. In your life, who is your audience? Who has God given to you, so that you can go out together two by two? Jesus told the disciples that it wouldn't always be easy. Some towns that they would come to, Jesus warned, would not receive them, and they would have to shake the dust off of their sandals as they were leaving. Why does Jesus choose to send out the disciples two by two? The first reason is that we are called to be interconnected. In Ecclesiastes we read that "two are better than one...if one falls down, his friend can help him up" and "if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." (Ecc 4:9-12) Two believers together are stronger than one alone. This is especially poignant in this day and age of self-empowerment, when we are more likely to walk though life alone and friendless. Our culture tells us that we "don't need anyone" and we can "do it all ourselves". Also in today's culture, we are very involved in two things -- the lives of our children, and our careers. It is difficult for many people to find time for things other than our children and careers. But we will be worse off if we simply show up at church on Sunday morning, and then leave without another thought of our fellow Christians until the following Sunday. God is calling us to find a friend, a brother or sister in Christ, to walk with us through life. The second reason that God calls us to go out two by two is that he is giving us an opportunity to bring life to others. He wants us to share the message of his Son Jesus, and to preach that all men would repent. Jesus gave the disciples power and authority over evil. In summary, when you ask the question, "Who is your audience?", the next question that might be asked is, "What will your audience say?" This is what we are tempted to worry about -- the opinions of our contemporaries. We worry about the what-ifs. What if we don't have as much money as my neighbor? What if I can't buy that fancy new car? What if they laugh at what I have to say? But here is another what-if: What if I talk with and love people the way Jesus does? We must come to the place where we give up living our lives for others, and realize that we must live our lives for God. God will provide us with special people who will walk through life with us, who will encourage us, strengthen us, and help us, and we can encourage and strengthen them too. We who believe will never walk through life alone. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
The apostles returned to Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." For many were coming and going, and they and no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a lonely place by themselves. Now many saw them going, and knew them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns, and got there ahead of them. As he went ashore he saw a great throng, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a lonely place, and the hour is now late; send them away, to go into the country and villages round about and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?" And he said to them, "How many loaves have you? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." Then he commanded them to sit down by companies upon the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. Mark 6:30-44 All of us know people who "live by their wits". This type of person will say, "If it is empirically justifiable, then I will believe." In our passage today, there are three groups of people. The first are the disciples, and they lived by their wits. The second is Jesus, who lived by his heart. The third is the crowd, and they simply lived. The disciples told Jesus to send the people away, because there was no food with which to feed them. But Jesus said to feed them anyway. This was an example of God moving beyond what they could think. On previous Sundays, we read about how the disciples saw many miraculous things, such as Jesus calming the storm, raising the dead, and healing many people, so it is a little hard to understand why the disciples still wouldn't believe. The disciples were living by their wits. Jesus, on the other hand, lived by his heart. He saw the crowd, and looked on them with compassion. He saw that they needed a shepherd. They were hungry, and needed to be fed. We can only speculate as to what other types of needs that the people had that Jesus knew about. Jesus knew every hidden, unspoken hurt and need in the crowd. The throngs of people, who were seated in groups of 50's and 100's, mostly just lived. They didn't have much, they didn't expect much, and they simply got by from day to day. They did not have much to live for. But what happened next was dramatic. Jesus commanded the crowd to sit down, then took the bread, looked to heaven, blessed the bread, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples. This is remarkably similar to the description of the Last Supper. Jesus knew the spiritual reality -- he looked at the crowd with compassion, and he knew that they were hungry in many ways, and he fed them. This is the miracle of transformation and of change. As the bread and fish are passed around, there was more than enough for everyone. We might be tempted to ask, "How did he do that, and when exactly did the bread and fish change?" But instead of focusing on the exact mechanics of the miracle, let us instead focus on the reality that as we give what little resources we have to God, he transforms us. This is one of the great wonders of this passage. We can know that God looks with compassion on us, and knows that we are hungry, and he will feed us. Some of us are living by our wits, and just trying to get by. But Jesus says that he knows we are hungry, and he will feed us. That is the promise for each of us. |
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~~ Honduras report from the Summer Mission Trip team ~~
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. And when Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses would put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. Exodus 34:29-35 Today we begin a series on discovering
and using the various gifts and ministries we have in our lives. This week
we will talk about your passion. Next week we will talk about your baptism;
the following week we will discuss your wisdom; and the final week
we will talk about your service or mission. These all relate
to the work God has given you to do. In our Christian walk, as believers
and disciples of Christ, there are times and places where we are in a
spiritual zone. There are certain times when we feel like we are on
the top of our game, when we have the flow, and everything seems to be
clicking together. God gives us certain gifts and talents, and he wants us
to use them. As we enter into our God-given gifts, something wonderful
happens. When we are at that place where we know God wants us to be, we
find that we are in the spiritual zone. This happened in
Moses' life -- he had a passion and a calling to his people in Egypt. When
he entered into that calling, he radiated with the glory of God. God
radiates through us when we are living out what God calls us to do. We may
find that God's calling seems frightening, or even irrational; but
actually it is transrational. We will glow |
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Rev. Bill Kruse
I Will Change Your Name What is the ministry of the baptized? When the oil of Chrism is consecrated during a Baptismal service, the Celebrant says, "We pray you to consecrate this oil, that those who are sealed with it may share in the royal priesthood of Jesus Christ." After the baptized have been welcomed into the household of God, we say together, "Share with us in Christ's eternal priesthood." Sharing in the royal priesthood is a part of our ministry as Christians. But what is a priest? The ordained priests are not any more of a "priest" than we all are. Ordained priests have a specialized function at the church, but in certain ways we all are part of the priesthood. In the Old Testament, it was the priests whose task it was to enter into the presence of God. How do we today, as part of the priesthood, enter into the presence of God? One crucial way is through prayer. At home, we set aside a special time and place to regularly spend time in prayer. At church, we set aside a certain part of the service for Prayers of the People. We lift up those people who were are concerned about, or who have asked us to remember them in prayer. Is it difficult to enter into the presence of God? In Old Testament times, the people believed that God was somewhere "above the world," in a place that was beyond their reach. But the images they saw and experienced, such as the story of the burning bush, kept telling them that God was really among them. The people erected altars in many different places, because they somehow sensed that the presence of God was there. There really is no place that does not have the presence of God. In the New Testament, we see that Jesus prayed, "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us." (John 17:20-21) And at the end of Matthew, Jesus said, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Mt 28:20) God is always with us, but sometimes we are not with God. God shows himself everywhere, in the people and in the world around us. But we often don't see him. If God is truly present with us, and he is, then why don't we enter into his presence more often? Why can't we be more transparent? The fact is that life is often not consistent. There are times when we simply can't see or feel the presence of God at all; and there are other times when the presence of God seems very near to us and all around us, and we are overwhelmed with his nearness. To enter into the presence of God, we need to be more consistent with entering into prayer, meditation, and silence before God. We need to consistently partake of the sacraments, participate in worship, and be involved in the lives of the loved ones around us. When we do these things we are changed. When we spend time deliberately in the presence of God, our lives are changed. And this is how the world is changed. It is not our place in the world to change others -- we only need to be concerned with our own lives. By deliberately spending time in the presence of God, we are changed, and the world is indeed changed one person at a time. Entering into the presence of God, participating in the priesthood of believers -- this is the most crucial ministry of the baptized. By engaging God, loving God, and being blessed by God, we develop a great wisdom. And this is how and where God prepares us for our ministry in the world. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town, "Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" To him who is without sense she says, "Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave simpleness, and live, and walk in the way of insight." Proverbs 9:1-6 Two weeks ago we talked about your passion. Last week we talked about your baptism. And this week we will look at your wisdom. Today's passage from Proverbs explains how Wisdom has built her house. There are four corners of wisdom that we will discuss. The first corner of wisdom is: Believe in God. In verse 10 we read that the fear, or awe and reverence, of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. What does it mean to have wisdom? If you want to know who God is, then you must first understand that God is love (based on 1 John 4). No one can ever think, philosophize, or imagine who God is before coming to a place where we know that God is love. We need to first comprehend his love, and then wisdom comes when we begin to believe in God. The second corner of wisdom is: Believe in ourselves. Today, our culture makes it easy for us to believe we are victims, and that we must compare ourselves to others. We have so many opportunities -- through the media, television, and magazines -- to compare ourselves to others not only in our own communities, but from around the world. But it is dangerous to begin to make comparisons like this. We all are made in God's image. God was intentional about each one of us, when he created us, just as he was with all other majestic and beautiful creations that we see in nature. We are of infinite worth, and were each created with special gifts, talents, abilities, and passions. If we compare verse 4 with verse 16, we see that Wisdom and Folly give the exact same invitation. You need to believe in yourself in order to choose which door to walk through. Each of us as Christians must believe enough in ourselves to choose the door of wisdom, and to reject the door of folly. Life is about the decisions you make today and tomorrow, not about the mistakes you made in the past. Today, make the decision to say, "I believe in myself, so I will choose wisdom." The third corner of wisdom is: Believe in your family. Your family is a gift from God. God gives us the chance to make a new family today, regardless of what type of family you came from. Throughout Proverbs we have various examples of relationships in families: a father and son, a husband and wife, grandparents and grandchildren. Over and over again, the writer of Proverbs gives us examples of how wisdom can be found and demonstrated in families. The writer of Proverbs says: believe in your families. The fourth corner of wisdom is: Believe in your church. In verse 5, Wisdom invites us in by saying, "Eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed." Jesus said, in our gospel reading for today, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." (John 6:54) We can choose wisdom by choosing Christ. Also, studies show that those who attend church regularly have more fulfilling and productive lives. In summary, having wisdom is not about what you know, but about what you live. In the Parable of the Great Banquet in Luke 14, Jesus says to everyone, you have a choice. But many of us choose to offer excuses instead of living a life of wisdom. If you only think about the here and now, and believe that by working harder you will make your life more fulfilling, you are missing something. Wisdom is about what is in your heart, not what everyone sees on the outside. To be truly wise, we must believe in God, believe in ourselves, believe in our families, and believe in our church, and then we will make a difference. |
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Diana Temple, Director of Youth Ministries There are different kinds of gifts, but the same
Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are
different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common
good. Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot
should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the
body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And
if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to
the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the
whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God
has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted
them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is,
there are many parts, but one body. 1 Cor 12:4-7,14-20
God wants us to serve him, and to serve him with sincerity. He does not want us to serve in ways that we think we ought to serve, but he wants us to serve with all of who we are, and in the ways he designed us to serve. Last week we talked about serving with what we are passionate about. We each have different gifts and passions. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes in bearing gifts. God has given different gifts to each person he has created, and these gifts are to be used for the profit and benefit of the entire body of Christ. Each one of us holds at least one of the gifts listed in 1 Cor 12. How do we determine which of the gifts we have? Some people might look at the list and eliminate some of the gifts right away. They know immediately, "No, that's not me." Others might not be sure. They might say, "Maybe I have that gift... I'm not sure." One way to begin to determine which of the gifts you have been given is to ask your close friends, family, and brothers and sisters in Christ. They may know you well enough and be able to reflect back to you the things that they see you being passionate about and concerned about. Even non-Christian friends and acquaintances may be able to give you some insight, because they recognize certain character traits that you possess. Also, take a look at the situations that you find yourself in. In which situations do you find yourself being really willing to go above and beyond the basic need or request? Once you begin to get a feeling of what your spiritual gifts might be, it's important to find ways to use them to serve the body of Christ. All of the gifts are crucial to the support and functioning of the body of Christ. For instance, those with the gift of Helps use their gift to free others up so that others can do their ministry. If you have the gift of Helps, you might try to find things that need to be done that others don't have time for, that would greatly benefit or enhance the body. Those with the gift of Intercession can be great encouragers. People need encouragement, and if you have the gift of Intercession, don't be afraid to ask others what their prayer needs are. Those with the gift of Hospitality can help people feel welcome by organizing fellowship events. Those with the gift of Creative Communication are able to communicate God's love by creatively presenting information through the arts, the written word, and other forms of media. Those with the gift of Mercy have a certain knowledge or sense of the needs of others, and there are many who need someone who knows exactly how they are feeling. These are some examples of how important each gift is to everyone in the body of Christ. This is the challenge for today: Find out what your spiritual gifts are, and find ways to use them. The body of Christ needs you and is depending on you today. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men." And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 For the past four weeks we have been talking about your passion, your baptism, your wisdom, and your mission. Now we turn back to focusing on the gospel of Mark, and the theme of triumph of good over evil. This particular story found in the gospel reading for today delineates one controversy: Jesus' views of religion, and the people's views of religion. The Collect for today asks God to "increase in us true religion". True religion versus something less -- the traditions of men, which we might call "hollow religion". In today's story, the Pharisees have come down to listen to Jesus. But they have not come to sit under and learn from his teaching; they have come to confront it. The Pharisees asked, "Why don't your disciples wash their hands?" In Jesus' day, there was a ceremonial ritual that had to be followed -- the ritual of handwashing. The Jewish people for centuries followed certain commandments given by God, but over the many years, people began to assimilate various oral traditions. They began to abandon the revelation of God for the traditions of man. They thought that they were becoming closer to God by following these traditions, but in fact they were drawing away from him. And Jesus in today's passage pointed out that these were empty rituals, and they were not needed in order to be close to God. This controversy would follow Jesus throughout the rest of his life. The Pharisees were falling into the trap of empty religion. Jesus pointed out the words of Isaiah: "Their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me." He called the Pharisees hypocrites, and Isaiah prophesied about them. The word "hypocrite" first had the meaning of an actor on a stage, who portrayed feelings and actions of a character in a play. The actor had to put aside his own feelings and beliefs, and portray instead the actions and beliefs of the character in the play. Eventually the word "hypocrite" moved from the context of the stage to the spiritual realm. You were a "hypocrite" if your outward actions portrayed those of a righteous believer of God, but inside you were still filled with hate, anger, thievery, deceit, and so on. Jesus pointed out the Pharisees' hypocrisy, and it ultimately cost him his life. In today's passage, there are twelve examples of evil listed. One of them is foolishness. We still fall into the trap of "ceremonial handwashing" in this present day, and we need to examine this example of the Pharisees so that we don't fall into the trap of hypocrisy. An example of foolishness that we allow in our own lives is the fact that we sometimes allow evil speech to come up out of us. We still wrestle with holiness, and we become a picture of something that Jesus doesn't want us to be. We must not let any unwholesome talk come up out of us, but only what is helpful and beneficial to others. (Eph 4:29) We must examine our lives, and not fall into the trap of thinking that we are religious, and not realizing that it is that which comes from within that testifies to our true relationship with God. Will we have true religion and a true relationship with the Lord -- or will we walk through the stage of life following a script that man has written, that ultimately leads to destruction? |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
The he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak." Mark 7:31-37 As we continue to study the gospel of Mark this year during the season of Pentecost, we are reminded of what Jesus was saying to the Pharisees: that their actions and rote routines were empty, and could never replace a right relationship with God. Jesus began to experience much pressure and tension in his life, and felt the need to draw away from the region he was currently in, and he makes a circuitous route around the Sea of Galilee. As he journeyed through the area, there were many who desired him to touch and to heal them. By looking at these passages in Mark, we learn a lot about ourselves, because we are "St. Mark's" church. And this story tells us lots about our Lord and Savior. As we look at today's story of healing, the first thing we notice is that since the man was deaf and dumb, he must have had friends who brought him to Jesus. These friends must have known and understood that Jesus somehow could be the one who could help his friend. Jesus does four different actions that help us to learn about who he is. The first action that Jesus does is to take the man away, to draw him aside, away from the onlookers and the gawkers. Even though the man had a handicap, he could still see the reactions of the crowd around him. Jesus drew him away from the distractions of the curious crowd. Our spiritual lives are personal and private, and are lived out intimately with Jesus the Healer. Jesus is interested in a personal, individual relationship with each of us. The second action that Jesus does is to put his fingers in the man's ears, to touch his tongue, and to look to heaven. Jesus was communicating with that man. Our relationship with God only becomes real when we have a sense that we are experiencing an intimate moment with God. Jesus can communicate with you no matter what the situation, and he can speak a word of hope and love across whatever barrier there might be between you and him. The third action of Jesus was that of a sigh. There are different types of sighs -- sighs of relief, of exasperation, of fear -- but this was most certainly a sigh of empathy. It was a physical response. As Jesus sighs, their is a sense of empathy, of love and of caring. The spiritual life has a private element of communication between you and the Lord. We can know that Jesus absolutely cares about whatever trials we are facing, and loves and cares for each of us through it all. The fourth action of Jesus is him saying "be opened". We must open our hearts to the Lord. We must not simply perform certain rituals or say certain prayers, but we must open our hearts to him, and he will make a difference in our lives. He will work with us and change us. Ultimately, it is not answered prayer that matters -- and this is perhaps why the friends who brought the man to Jesus are unnamed -- but it is who our Lord is and what this church is about that really counts. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
And Jesus went on with the disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others one of the prophets." And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." And he charged them to tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men." And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? For what can a man give in return for his life? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in the adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of man also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:27-38 For the last few weeks we have been looking at the book of Mark, where Jesus has been at a point in his public ministry when pressure is being put on him by the religious leaders of the day. But don't think that Jesus only challenges those that oppose him! These stories of Jesus that we have been studying also apply to us as believers today. We cannot walk with Jesus without him pressing against our souls and challenging us in our walks with him. In this passage, Jesus challenges Peter -- and at the same time he challenges us. Jesus spoke about the fact that the Son of man had to suffer and die, and he spoke plainly about what would happen to him. Peter then draws him aside to rebuke him, in effect saying, "God forbid that you suffer and die!" Everyone at that time believed that when the Messiah came, no one would be able to withstand him. The prophets of Israel said to expect a mighty, victorious leader. That Jesus had to suffer and die did not correspond with Peter's assumption and cultural expectation. We are in fact all called to examine our assumptions and cultural expectations. Which cultural expectations in particular subtly bombard us all the time? A first cultural expectation that we often see is: It's all about you. We often see this in slogans and advertising campaigns. If you enter this phrase in a search engine on the Internet, you will get hundreds of different hits. This phrase tells us that I am the focus, I am what is important and I should do everything that pleases me and for my own benefit. But Jesus tells us that we must deny ourselves. A common phrase that we often learn as Christians is JOY - Jesus first, others second, yourself last. But our culture today would never say this! A second cultural expectation that we are often confronted with is: Suffering is bad. If you look at different Stations of the Cross displays, oftentimes the older the display, the more suffering is described. The newer Stations of the Cross displays are more poetic and theoretical. More and more, as a culture we want to avoid and deny suffering. We don't want anyone to suffer, and we often believe that life is meant to be painless. But Jesus never said that. He calls us to take up our crosses and to follow him. A third cultural expectation that people today believe is: Sacrifice is not needed. Baby Boomers especially today tend to exhibit selfishness. Many Boomers want the government surplus to be given to them. They as a whole have not wrestled with the meaning and purpose of sacrifice. In 15 or 20 years from now, wouldn't it be better for our children if we sacrifice now? People today do not believe that sacrifice is important or that it makes a difference. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus is not just challenging those religious leaders who are opposing him, but he is also challenging all of us today to our core about who he wants us to be. In the context of this passage, the story of the blind man in chapter 8 is also very important. In this story, a blind man sees, but the healing is unique. Jesus asks the man, "Can you see?" The man replies that the people look like trees -- his sight is still blurry. So Jesus prays a second time, and then the man sees clearly. This is the challenge for us: We must be like Peter in the fact that when Jesus challenges us, we will as a result see more clearly. |
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Rev. Bill Kruse They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he would not have any one know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of man will be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he will rise." But they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask him. And they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent; for on the way they had discussed with one another who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve; and he said to them, "If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." And he took a child, and put him in the midst of them; and taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me." Mark 9:30-37 What is the purpose of life? When a young student posed this question to Albert Einstein, the great professor replied, "It must be that we are here to serve each other." In another time and place, a young married couple consulted a wise teacher about their marriage. The teacher showed them how they were put together for a purpose -- to love each other and serve each other, and to bring joy to each other's lives. In a third story, we see Jesus giving the disciples a prediction of his passion and death. But they didn't want to know about it, and they just let what Jesus had to say go. Later, when they were back at the house, Jesus asked them what they were discussing on the road. But the disciples didn't want to answer him, because they were debating who amongst them was the greatest! It's an old story -- Christians always find something to argue and debate about amongst themselves. But Jesus said, whoever wishes to be first, must be the servant of all. Would you like to know the creator of the universe, the one who is the sustainer of the universe? Then you must welcome a little one into your house. "Little one" can also be translated as a servant, or a slave. Jesus is in effect saying, take a little one -- one who has no status or influence in the world, one who doesn't know anything of the things of God and his love for us, into your life. We can tell people the good news -- that we are all precious in God's eyes. God says, "In my eyes, you are important in my plan." The good teachers of the world know how to give the good news to a student who is ready to hear about it. This is our purpose in life: To take a "little one" into our lives, someone who doesn't know God, and to tell him about God. What if each of us were to go to a juvenile detention center and meet with just one boy or girl, not to preach to them and to speak down to them, but to simply sit with them as a friend, and to share with them the good news of God's love? What if each one of us were to go to the county jail, and befriend just one prisoner, and share with them the love and mercy that we ourselves have been shown? The job description that Jesus gave to his disciples was to share the good news, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and to cast out demons. We must also be "doers". Let us be a river of God's love, flowing out to all the land. The more we are at this business of serving others, the more we heal the world. We can change the world one person at a time. We have the Spirit in us -- and all we have to do is yield to him today. |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
John said to him, "Teacher, we saw a man casting out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not following us." But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ, will by no means lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 In 49 BC, Julius Caesar was Rome's
victorious hero. When he was on his way home to Rome, he knew |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" He answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to put her away." But Jesus said to them, "For your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." Mark 10:2-9 Together for the past several weeks we have been in the School of Discipleship with Christ in the second half of the gospel of Mark. Have you ever watched someone who is important to you go through a divorce? Do you find yourself wondering, shouldn't our faith make a difference? As we learned last week, there is a change point that occurs in chapter 8. We are moving from "come and see" to "follow me". Jesus begins to challenge us. In the passage for today, we come to an incredibly hard saying: "What God has joined together, let man not separate." As Christians, we need to ask Jesus, "What are you really saying to us, Lord?" We need to look at our own lives, and ask ourselves, "How do we view our own marriages?" If we listen to Jesus, we ought to be different. This is a difficult statement. Divorce is not just an issue that we face in our day; it was also an issue back in Jesus' day. One school of thought on divorce back in those times was that a man could divorce his wife for any reason. It could be that she burned the toast, or talked to strange men, or danced in the street, or talked too boisterously. A second school of thought, which was more strict, said that a man could divorce his wife is she was indecent. But Jesus went even further and said, if anyone divorces, he commits adultery. Therein, he causes us to examine our perspective. If you are a believer, and are married, then you are called to make your marriage work. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, but the point of the issue is not whether or not divorce is allowed, or what particular situations it is allowed in. The challenge for us instead is: What is God's perspective? What does it mean to follow Christ in the School of Discipleship? If you look at creation you can see what God intended all along. God has an ideal, which is one man and one woman coming together and becoming one flesh. This union reflects a mystery of God. If our perspective is to become more like God's, then we must be committed to the sacredness of holy matrimony. We must be committed to making our marriages healthy and strong. Marriages that make it have these four qualities: (1) Good marriages exhibit respect. Strong marriages consist of supportive spouses that respect one another. They are not characterized by negative statements being spoken, but by building each other up. Good marriages are characterized by mutual love and respect. (2) Good marriages are characterized by the ability to diffuse an angry situation. When things don't go your way, it is important to not lose control. Spouses with good marriages learn to be flexible and are able to move together to the next place in their relationship. They can work together to get past an angry, difficult situation and to find a resolution that allows them to move on together in unity. (3) Couples of good marriages can play together. We need to have a mate that we can enjoy life and have fun with. All marriages have times of difficulty and challenge, but good marriages will also be characterized by a love of life, and will be filled with times of joy and laughter. (4) Good marriages share a deep level of intimacy. Our culture has defined intimacy as sex. But intimacy is much more than just a physical relationship. Families that exhibit intimacy are families that pray together, talk with one another, listen to each other, that can be still with one another, and come to know the inner workings of each other. In summary, Jesus is simply saying to us that if you will follow him, then everything changes. The temporary changes to the eternal, the worldly changes to the ethereal, and things that are passing away become everlasting. Even your marriage will look different if you follow Jesus. |
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Rev. Bill Kruse And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother." And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." At that saying his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!" And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." Mark 10:17-27 In today's gospel passage, Jesus only recites 5 out of the 10 commandments -- only those that have to do with relationships, or how we relate to one another. Maybe that was most appropriate for this man, who had trouble with relationships. In order to enter the kingdom of God, we must have a relationship with the king. After Jesus recites the commandments, the young man says, "All these I have observed from my youth." And perhaps we also would say the same thing, that we have kept the law from our youth. But obedience is not the most important thing; loving relationships is where it is at. Another thing we learn from this passage is that Jesus is asking us for everything. We sometimes have a tendency to bring a concept down to a level or a size that we can handle. But Jesus says to sell everything, give to the poor, and follow him. In fact, at this point in the gospel of Mark, Jesus in on his way to Jerusalem. He is in effect saying to us, pick up your cross and follow me. Jesus does not back off on hard sayings -- he sometimes even makes the hard sayings harder! He talks about entering the kingdom of God using imagery that contains the largest animal the people had ever seen and the smallest aperture that they could comprehend. We can contrast this passage with another saying -- The kingdom of God is like a child. We are to enter the kingdom of God with the love and the trust of a child, not necessarily just out of faith and obedience. It does seem that Jesus wants more than obedience; he wants it all. He wants our hearts, emotions, marriages, relationships, families; our minds and our wills; our businesses, careers, checkbooks and portfolios. Everything must be given over to the kingdom of God. St. Antony of the Desert was an example of a man who gave everything for the kingdom of God. People came to the desert to seek out Antony and his simple lifestyle, and they came away with solace, love, harmony, peace and even eventually healing. Antony did not have a special gift of healing, but he had Christ living in him, as we all do. He was able to free himself of the obstacles that were distracting him from what was most important, and he was able to open himself to the peace and quietness of God. Antony was actually tormented by demons for a good part of his life, which took the form of depression and discouragement. Every time he felt that he was being tormented, he would go through a process of confession of sin, turning his back on the demons, and focusing on the brotherhood and the spirit of God moving in his desert community. And each time he did this, the depression would become more manageable, then the darkness would begin to lift, and eventually he would be back to focusing on the fellowship and love amongst the people in the community. What do Antony of the Desert, and the rich young man in our story, tell us today? The story is not a prescription of what we all must specifically do. In the case of the rich young man, selling all of his goods was what he needed to do to overcome his personal obstacle. The story tells us that each of us needs to determine what our barriers are to our personal spiritual growth. There is a different message for each of us. We need to seek out the Lord through prayer and meditation. We need to be vulnerable before him in silence. We need to discuss it in our families. God has given each of us a mission for our lives, and we need to determine what barriers we have in front of us that are preventing us from living out our calling. Don't walk away sorrowful, like the rich young man; allow God to help you overcome your obstacles, and the Holy Spirit will guide us as we seek to listen to God's message for us. |
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Rt. Rev. Victor Scantlebury
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:35-45 How complicated it must have been for Jesus to have 10 men walking around and doing ministry, and at the same time needing to be told how God wants them to live. What ends up causing a breakdown within their relationships with each other is the "me-ness". In today's passage, two of the disciples are thinking ahead to the future, and are wishing to sit at the right and left of Jesus in heaven. But Jesus said, whoever would be great must be a servant, and whoever would be first must be slave of all. The disciples wanted to control and to manipulate the situation, but Christ says no, it can't be like that. Whoever wants to lead must prepare himself to serve. As a bishop, you learn the element of humbleness. Some bishops see themselves as a figure of authority and power, when they really should be serving. In the elections, we see candidates saying they will serve people, but then when elected, they instead serve SIG's. All of us must learn to have a regular commitment to serve, and in that we will benefit people. We must not forget the poor when we are in a high position. All of us are on a spiritual journey. We will all face situations where we will question our faith. We will all have struggles in our relationships and with our loved ones. No one person is alone in these struggles. When you are facing a seemingly insurmountable struggle, come and see your priest, and allow him or her to walk on the journey with you. In the ministry, there is a readiness to serve at all hours. And if your pastor cannot help you any further, he or she can refer you to someone else -- someone who specializes in your area of need. And the bishop has a special ministry of being a pastor to the priest, when he or she has times of special need. The element of service is always there. We are not placed in a high position to have people come and reverence us; we are placed there to serve others. As you listen to today's gospel message, how do you see yourself asking Jesus for something special? What would you ask of him? When the thief on the cross asked Jesus to remember him, Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." In today's story, Jesus instead says, "It is not mine to grant." There is a difference between the two. If Jesus was here right now, what would you ask of him? Will you ask for a special favor? Or instead of asking, will you give thanks? Will you ask for power, or will you ask to be a humble servant? |
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Rev. Bill Kruse
They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimae'us son of Timae'us, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" Jesus stood still and said, "Call him here." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart; get up, he is calling you." So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man said to him, "My teacher, let me see again." Jesus said to him, "Go; your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. Mark 10:46:52 This story is important in the narrative of the book of Mark, for one reason because it is the last healing that Mark reports in his gospel. Jesus and the disciples are only 15 miles away from the triumphal entry into Jerusalem at this point. Presumably the healing ministry is over for Jesus now. He is now marshalling all of his strength for the one task that lay ahead of him in Jerusalem. Nothing can deter him, delay him, or hold him back; this is what Jesus was born for and what he has been heading towards for so long. Nothing can stop him now -- except for a public nuisance of a blind man sitting against the wall! Bartimae'us cries out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And whether or not he knew it, Bartimae'us seems to be on to something. This is the first time in Mark's gospel that someone proclaims publicly that Jesus is the Son of David. "Son of David" is a type of code word -- it means that Jesus is the Anointed One, or the Messiah. What does the name of Jesus mean? It means literally, "Yahweh saves," or "Yahweh heals." Jesus is the instrument of Yahweh; he is sent to save and to heal people. As the crowd is moving toward Jerusalem, they tell the blind beggar, "Be quiet and shut up!" They don't want anything to ruin the grand procession. But Jesus says, "Call him to me." And the people then say, "Get up! Go up! Go to Jesus! Get whatever it is that he wants to give you!" If there ever was anyone who was ready to receive from Jesus, it was Bartimae'us. He immediately throws off his cloak and springs up. Probably there were coins that he was collecting that were lying on his cloak; but he throws it off without a care. There is no mention that someone has to lead Bartimae'us to Jesus; we can imagine Bartimae'us standing up and moving towards the place where he heard the voice of Jesus, and the people separate before him and make a path for him. Jesus says, "Bartimae'us, what is it that you want me to do for you?" The Lord is never satisfied with vague and indifferent prayers; he wants to know specifically what we want him to do for us. Bartimae'us replies, "Rabboni, restore my sight." And Jesus looks at him, and appreciates the way he enthusiastically sprang up and confidently came to him, and he says to Bartimae'us, "Your faith has made you well." And then Mark wraps up this amazing story with just a few simple words: Bartimae'us received his sight, and followed Jesus on his way. Most healings that we read about offer very few specifics: we don't know the person's name, or where he was from, when it took place, or where the healing took place. But in this case, we do have the specifics. We are told that it happened just outside the gate on the way to Jerusalem, and the man's name was Bartimae'us. The reason why we are given specifics is that Bartimae'us came to be a very well-known disciple. He may have been one of the many in the upper room on the day of Pentecost; or he may have been one of the thousand who were baptized in the Spirit. We don't know for sure about these things; but we do know that he followed Jesus in the way, and came to be a very well-known disciple in the church. What does this story mean to us? It first tells us that Jesus had a tremendous love for everyone in need. Last week, we read about how the disciples had asked for special seats of honor in the kingdom of God. Jesus said that this was not for him to grant. But today, we see Bartimae'us not asking out of ambition, but out of real need, and Jesus gives an instantaneous answer in the affirmative. Bartimae'us somehow understood Jesus' message, and was ready to become a disciple and to follow Jesus in the faith. A beggar had become a pilgrim; and a pilgrim became a disciple. Look up, get up, go up; receive what the Lord has to give you. Isn't that what all of us are called to do? This also can be an invitation to the Healing Mission that will take place at our church in two weeks. Our modern culture may have convinced some of us to be embarrassed by the fact that we are even having a Healing Mission. Some of us don't like to think that we have the same job description that the disciples' did in the first century; but we are called to follow Jesus, and to do the same works that he did. But it isn't just about healing; the core message of the Healing Mission is God's love -- God's never-failing love for every single person on the planet. Jesus didn't ask, "Are you going to Jerusalem? Do you attend Synagogue regularly?" If you are need, then you can ask him for help and for his love. It's about that core reality of God's infinite love for every single person, regardless of who they are or what they do. And we are all like Bartimae'us. We all need healing, and we all need the Lord. He is saying to all of us, "Cheer up, look up, get up, go up; receive from me what I have to give you." |
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that "he is one, and besides him there is no other'; and "to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and "to love one's neighbor as oneself,'--this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question. Mark 12:28 "Don't just stand there; do something!" We've all at one time or another heard someone tell us this. What would God have us do spiritually? What would the Lord have us teach our children? In this wonderful summary of the law in today's reading, Jesus tells us that there are four things that we need to teach our children: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. One of the greatest American fairy tales ever written is found in "The Wizard of Oz." If you can recall the movie, you will remember that there are four people who need something. From our gospel lesson, we are reminded that God provides for our every need. The first character that we meet in the Wizard of Oz is the Scarecrow, who wanted and needed a brain. We all want to be wise and to think clearly. We all go through life not quite sure at times what the next step is that we should take. What we really need is God's wisdom. In today's passage, the man asks, what do I have to do to get to heaven; what do I have to do to get to God? Jesus answers, "Love God with your mind." Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that we know what God wants us to do. Sometimes we run ahead of God and take matters into our own hands. As we raise our children, we need to pray that they have God's mind. The next character we meet is the Tin Man, who wanted a heart. Sometimes the hardest thing for a believer to do is to make the connection between the mind and the heart -- to transfer what we believe intellectually to something that we completely believe in and have faith in with our whole being. Jesus is saying in our passage, "Love God with all your mind, and with all your heart." We all want to live life with a passion. We all experience times of incredible highs and discouraging lows. We especially see this in our teens in our families. The promise of the gospel is that with God in our heart and Christ dwelling within, we will have hearts that beat with passion for him, for the people we love, and for the world God created. One of our responsibilities as parents, grandparents and friends is that we help our children fall in love with the God of the universe. The next character in the movie is the lion, who wanted courage. We all want to do the right thing at the right time, and have courage doing it, which is not easy. The disciples themselves did not have much courage right after Jesus died. They were worried that at any moment they might end up with the same fate that Jesus did. As they were hiding in the upper room, Jesus appeared to them, and promised the Holy Spirit. At the moment that they received the Spirit, those believers were changed, and became bold and courageous and proclaimed Jesus' name everywhere. We know that life is filled with difficulties, and so we know the importance of ensuring that our children experience the power of the Spirit in their hearts, which brings courage for life. Jesus must be the Lord of our lives if we want to live lives of courage. Jesus says to us in our passage today, "Love God with all of your mind, with all of your heart, and with all of your strength." The fourth character in the movie was of course Dorothy, who wanted to go home. We all long to be home -- not only home with family, but home with God. Our souls are refreshed when we are at home. Dorothy would never be satisfied with staying in the Emerald City; and our souls will never be ultimately satisfied with the things here in this world. The promise that we as parents, Godparents, family members, and friends make, is that we will raise our children so that they will love the Lord our God with all of their mind; that with their heart they will love the Lord; that with courage they can serve the Lord; and that with their souls they can know a place that is theirs forever. Jesus said that he was going to a place that he would prepare for us -- his Father's house, that has many rooms, or many mansions as some translations put it. We baptize babies -- not because they at this time completely know God, or love God with their hearts, or have courage; but because they have a soul that longs for a better place, and longs to be home with God. Don't just stand there; do something. Pray for the children in our families and in our church, and help them to love God with all of their mind, with all of their heart, with all of their strength, and with all of their soul. |
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Healing Mission Weekend
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Rev. Dr. Mark Tusken
"But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything away; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his mantle. And alas for those who are with child and for those who give suck in those days! Pray that it may not happen in winter. For in those days there will be such tribulation as has not been from the beginning of creation which God created until now, and never will be. And if the Lord had not shortened the days, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he shortened the days. And then if any one says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. False Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But take heed; I have told you all things beforehand." Mark 13:14-23 As we come to the end of our study on the gospel of Mark, we come to an amazing passage that speaks of the end of time. This is a passage that has often brought confusion to those who read it. Looking at today's events, no one would have ever guessed that almost two weeks after the presidential election, we wouldn't yet have a president-elect. As we watch the coverage on television, we see that even the media can't decide on how to report the events, and even the lawyers and courts are arguing about the correct action to take. A similar picture is being painted in today's passage from Mark. At this point, the disciples have been in the School of Learning with Jesus for 3 years, and now they are coming to the last weeks and days that they will spend with Jesus. And we see them begin to ask him some tough questions. They ask him what is on their minds -- what will the end of time look like? And Jesus replied, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (v32) He continues to warn them, "Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come." (v33) But the disciples wanted to know when the time will be. And there is a sense of hunger in all of us to know about the end times. If we only knew when the last day would be, or the last day of our life, that information would change us. In all of us, there is a God-given gift of life. There is something in all of us that drives us forward. The disciples wanted to know, "When are you coming back?" We would all live differently if we knew the exact day of Jesus' return. And the lesson in this for us is that we can't predict when the last day will be. If someone says, "Look, there is the Christ," then we can't believe him. The point is not to predict the exact time; the point is simply to be ready for whenever it may be. An example that illustrates this point comes from the book of Exodus in the life of Moses. In Exodus chapter 3, Moses encounters God in a burning bush. At this point, Moses had been in the desert for forty years. It was a dry, barren, desolate place. It was here that Moses was learning the lessons of the desert. He was learning patience, humility, strength, dependence on God, and most of all, that God was always with him in the midst of the desert. For forty years, Moses was living an ordinary and unexceptional life in the desert, tending sheep and doing normal day-to-day activities. He was no longer a great son of Pharaoh, but a humble shepherd. On that day that he was to meet God in the burning bush, he was going about his normal duties -- getting the sheep ready, and taking them out to pasture. He never would have guessed that today was the day that he would hear God's voice. And there is a great spiritual lesson in this for us: God operates much more out of the ordinary than we tend to think. God's method is often to speak to us and to work through us in normal day to day activities, rather than in a great spiritual event. God rarely gives us an exact spiritual blueprint for what is to happen in the future of our lives. Usually God speaks to us through one or two coincidences that come together in a particular way. The burning bush that Moses encountered was probably not some spectacular, magnificent sight that sprang up before him. It was probably just a glint of light that he saw out of the corner of his eye from across the desert. He had the choice of ignoring it, or of acknowledging it and saying, "I will go over and see what it is." It is in this way that God is often trying to catch our attention. We need to have a listening ear to that still, small voice, and be ready to say, "Maybe God is trying to tell me something." There is a certain sacrament of the ordinary. Often we will hear God speaking to us as we go about and reflect upon the normal tasks of the day. This is the model for our lives. Don't start each day by saying, "Today is the day my life will be transformed." Rather, start each day by saying, "Today I will pray and be faithful." Spiritual maturity is not marked by knowing ahead of time the exact date and time of future spiritual events. Spiritual maturity is marked by always being ready for whatever God might bring to you each day, and being faithful with those things. Be ready today, and every day. Don't miss the voice of God in the ordinary tasks and coincidences of the day. And if you today are in a remote, barren place, like Moses was in the desert -- and perhaps you feel like you are in a place where you feel abandoned by God -- remember that God is always with you. God knows your needs and hurts. Jesus has told us everything we need to know about the end of time. We only need to watch and be ready. |
that he had
enemies there who were falsely accusing him, and he knew that once in
Rome,
he would face many difficulties and challenges. After a long journey
he came to the river Rubicon, which was the dividing point between Gaul
and Italy. At that point, he still could have turned back, but instead
Caesar gave the word confidently to cross the river. "We have crossed
the Rubicon!" he shouted. At that point there was no turning back. It
took great courage and determination to cross that river. When we as
believers come to a dividing point, a point of no return, it is like
crossing the Rubicon. So far in our studies of the gospel of Mark, we have
seen Jesus say, "Come and see." Jesus made such a difference in
the lives of people. We have read about a man with leprosy coming to Jesus
and begging him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me
clean." Jesus was filled with compassion and said, "I am
willing," and he healed the man. We have read about a paralyzed man
whose friends lowered him through a roof of a building where Jesus was
teaching. When Jesus recognized their faith, he said, "Son, your sins
are forgiven." Jesus healed the man, and the man took up his mat and
walked out on his own. In yet another story that we have read, Jesus and
his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a violent storm rose
up. Jesus stood up and said, "Quiet! Be still!" And the wind
died down and it was completely calm. The disciples said, "Who is
this? Even the wind and waves obey him!" Again and again, we see
Jesus telling the people, "Come and see." He made an impact on
everyone around him; he had compassion on the suffering, he forgave the
sinners, and he demonstrated power over creation. But then in the
second half of this gospel, we are beginning to see Jesus say "Follow
me." We are now being presented with the challenge of crossing the
Rubicon. We have seen now what can be done, and in light of this, how then
shall we live? We are called to respond to him, regardless of how the
culture around us is pressuring us. Anyone who wishes to follow Jesus must
take up his or her cross. In the passage from Mark for today, we see Jesus
saying, "If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; If your foot
causes you to sin, cut it off; If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it
out." This passage obviously makes us uncomfortable! What is Jesus
saying here? He is saying, it is better for a small part of the body to
suffer for a short while, instead of the whole body suffering permanently.
It is not about just getting rid of the bad part -- it is the whole body
that needs healing. We have moved from the "come and see" phase,
to the "follow me" phase. It is now time to be disciples of
Christ. A disciple listens. When we are faced with a challenge, we must
listen to what Jesus is saying to us. And this will ultimately lead us to
peace. Here is the challenge for today: Some of us may still be at the
"come and see" place. Some of us may not have made a commitment
to Jesus, and are just here to see what it is all about. If you are here
to just see what this is all about, then you should know that God honors
that. This is a courageous first step. But if you are beyond that, if you
recognize that you are in the "follow me" stage, then you are at
the point where you need to listen to Jesus. If your foot is causing you
to stumble, then you know that you are in the wrong place in your life.
Jesus is telling us to make the changes that we need to make so that we
are not stumbling. We need to listen to him so that he can guide us out of
that place. Oftentimes we find that we have given our hearts to God, and
we want to do God's will -- but we want to do God's will our way.
We may find ourselves needing to learn this lesson over and over
throughout life! We need to come to the point where we want to do God's
will, and we are willing to do it God's way. The challenge for each
of us today is: What spiritual Rubicon do you find yourself at right now?
In which way do you feel Jesus leading you away from something that causes
you to stumble? Listen to Jesus, and allow him to lead you across your
Rubicon -- and he will give you peace.
