Transforming the World through Service and Witness

21st Sunday after Pentecost, B

United Methodist Laity Sunday

October 21, 2012

Graphic courtesy of the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church.

Foreword: Every third Sunday of October, The United Methodist Church celebrates Laity Sunday, which is a celebration of the ministry of all Christians, especially the laity. This is part of a larger context called “A Season of Saints”, which begins on World Communion Sunday, a celebration of the unity of all Christians at the Lord’s Table. The season covers Clergy Appreciation Sunday (second Sunday of October), the Feast of St. Luke (October 18), Laity Sunday, Reformation Sunday (Sunday nearest October 31), and finally ending on the Feast of All the Saints (November 1 or the first Sunday of November).

Introduction

Today we celebrate Laity Sunday, which is a celebration of the ministry of all Christians, especially the laity. The theme for this year is: “Disciples Transforming the World: Through Service and Witness” (Filipino: Mga Alagad na Binabago ng Daigdig: Sa Pamamagitan ng Paglilingkod at Pagsaksi). The yearly themes for this quadrennium come from four (now five) of the promises made in our Baptismal Covenant: Disciples Transforming the World: Through Prayer (2009), Through Presence (2010), Through Gifts (2011), and finally, Through Service and Witness. (The fifth one, Service, was added by the 2008 General Conference being an “outward” action in addition to the other four which were seen as “inward” actions.) The main theme was adopted from the mission of The United Methodist Church: “The mission of the Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” (The Book of Discipline, 2008, ¶120).

In today’s Gospel reading, we see that people do not always want “service and witness”. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, asked Jesus for the right and left seats in the kingdom of God. This made the other disciples angry; but in the end, Jesus gave them—and all of us—an example to follow.

I. Leadership is what everybody wants.

According to the Gospel of Mark, it is James and John, the sons of Zebedee (Zabdi) who asked for the left and right seats in the Kingdom. In the Gospel of Matthew (20:20-28), it is their mother (not named in this text but traditionally identified as Salome) who asks Jesus for these places.

James and John asked for the places of honor at Jesus’ side—“Grant unto us that we may sit, one on your right hand and the other on your left hand, in your glory” (10:37). In other words, they wanted to be prime ministers in the Kingdom of God! The word “sit” here is from the Greek word καθιζω kathidzow, which literally means ‘to sit (on a throne)’. That is, “that we may be enthroned”!

II. “Followership” is not what everybody wants.

When the other disciples heard of the request of James and John, they became “indignant”: “When the ten heard about it, they began to be indignant with James and John” (10:41).

“Leadership” is a buzzword in many businesses in the world today. It has even become a buzzword in the Church. One evangelistic/discipleship model has a “leadership course” to train people to be leaders of small groups. Perhaps one word would never be a buzzword in the world, and that is the word “followership”. Everybody wants to lead but not everyone wants to follow! Nobody would want to attend “obedience training”—that’s like a training course for dogs!

III. Jesus is the model for “followership”.

Jesus “called his disciples unto himself” (10:42) and laid down two models of leadership: a) the leadership model of the world (v. 42) and b) the leadership model of servanthood. He uses two words for servanthood: a) διακονος diakonos which means ‘servant’ and δουλος doulos which means ‘slave’. Everyone wants to be a ruler (αρχος archos, ‘chief’), a great one (μεγας megas), or first (πρωτος protos) (the leadership models of the world) but not everyone wants to be a servant (diakonos) or a slave (doulos)!

Finally, Jesus set himself as a model of servant leadership: he came not to be served to but to be served, and give his life as a ransom for many (10:45)

Conclusion

Jesus is a model of transforming the world “through service and witness”. Service: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve”. Witness: “gave his life as a ransom for many”.

The Best Things in Life are Out of this World

20th Sunday after Pentecost, B

October 14, 2012

Mark 10:35-45

“Christ and the Rich Young Ruler” by Heinrich Hofmann (1824-1911)

Introduction

In today’s Gospel reading, it is tempting to think that the rich do not deserve to have eternal life. It is the poor who are the chosen people of God. It is not riches, per se, that is a hindrance to eternal life, but rather the attachment to the things of this world that is hindrance to eternal life. So we cannot say, “They are rich; they will go to hell,” and “I am poor, I will go to heaven.” No matter one’s socioeconomic status is, when one is attached to the things of this world, one cannot have eternal life.

Bishop Emerito P. Nacpil, in his book, Jesus’ Strategy for Social Transformation (1998), correctly states that the mission of Jesus was to “the last, the least, the lost” (pp. 25-53). But Jesus also came for the “elites” of society, the rich and the righteous (pp. 54-80). And these “rich and righteous” are represented by the rich young man in the Gospel reading today.

I. Some people get the best things that the world can offer.

As Jesus was going on his way, a man came running unto him, fell on his knees before him asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. According to all three of the synoptic Gospels, the man was very rich—“he had great wealth” (Mark 10:22). The Gospel of Matthew portrays him as “young” (19:22); which means he was strong and healthy. On the other hand, the Gospel of Luke calls him a “ruler” (18:18); meaning he was powerful and influential. In addition to all of these, all three Gospels also agree that the young man was also righteous: he knew his Torah and practiced it ever since he was a boy (Mark 10:20-21)—in short he was an observant Jew. He had everything that the world can offer: wealth, power, good health—and even righteousness.

Is this not what we all secretly wish for: good health, having enough money for all our needs (or, a lot of money), some political power, and on top of all of these, we want to be righteous in the presence of God?

In spite of all these things, the rich young man knew that there is something missing—or he wanted to added something to all the other good things he already has. He wanted eternal life.

II. But the best things in life are not enough.

Jesus did not condemn the rich young man for being young, rich, young, powerful, or even being righteous. Only the Gospel of Mark records these small details: “Then Jesus looked at him and loved him”. John Wesley notes that by looking at him, Jesus was “looking into his heart” and by loving him, Jesus was “doubtless for the dawnings of good which he saw in him” (Notes upon the New Testament, Mark x.21). So Jesus told the young man how to inherit eternal life: There is only “one thing” that he has yet to do, and it is:

Go on your way, sell everything that you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, take up your cross, and follow me. (Mark 10:21)

Jesus was telling the rich young man to get rid of the only thing that is keeping him from inheriting eternal life. The young man was attached to the things of this world. John Wesley said on his sermon on Luke 9:23,

…the means to heal a sin-sick soul, to cure a foolish desire, an inordinate affection, are often painful, not in the nature of the thing, but from the nature of the disease. So when our Lord said to the rich young man, “Go, sell that thou hast, and give it to the poor,” (as well knowing, this was the only means of healing his covetousness,) the very thought of it gave him so much pain, that “he went away sorrowful;” choosing rather to part with his hope of heaven, than his possessions on earth.

The rich young man could not “take up the cross” of giving up all that he has to follow Jesus. He went away very sad, for he had great possessions (v. 22).

III. The best things in life are out of this world.

A. If a rich young man cannot surrender all his worldly possessions, what hope is there for us who are not even as closely rich? After the young man left, the disciples were “astonished” at what Jesus has to say about riches:

Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches 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 into the Kingdom of God. (vv. 24-25).

So Jesus was not condemning wealth per se, he is stating the simple truth that, rather, the problem is putting one’s trust in wealth, not in wealth itself.

B.        This saying made the disciples “astonished beyond measure”: If the rich cannot save themselves, even if they have great riches, and because they cannot give these up, “Who then, can be saved?” Jesus answers succinctly, “With men it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” (vv. 26-27), We can only renounce of attachment to worldly things and put our trust in God ONLY with the power of God himself!

C. Peter began to say, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” Does this have a touch of self-righteousness? Nevertheless, Jesus reminded him of all the things which are prepared for those who had left everything to follow him, but these include persecutions.

Truly I say unto you: No one who has left house, or brothers or sisters, or father or mother, or wife or children, or lands, for my sake and for the gospel shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution but in the world to come, receive eternal life. (vv. 29-30)

--meaning, we may receive all these things in life, but we must be ready to accept persecutions also. Wesley notes (in Mark x.30) that these things are generally not “of the same kind”, i.e., our rewards are not in this world (in Hebrew, עולם הזה ‘olam hazeh), but “in value: a hundred fold more happiness than any or all of these did or could afford” in the world to come (עולם הבא ‘olam haba).

In the end, there will be a great reversal (10:31):

            “But many of the first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”

Instructions for Life Together, Family Edition

Mark 10:2-16

19th Sunday after Pentecost B

World Communion Sunday

October 7, 2012

Bread and chalice used at the 2012 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. (Photo courtesy of the UMNS.)

Introduction

In today’s Gospel readings, Jesus deals with two kinds of family relationships: the relationship between husband and wife (Mark 10:2-12) and the relationship of adults with children (10:13-16). Today, as we celebrate World Communion Sunday, we remember that churches around the world are united as they gather around the Lord’s Table. We will see that Jesus’ instructions for life together—“family edition”—is also applicable for our life together as the church, the household of God (I Timothy 3:15).

I. No to divorce, Yes to faithfulness

A. The first part of the Gospel reading concerns a question about divorce. The Pharisees asked Jesus whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife—perhaps they are testing his obedience to the Torah. Jewish law permits divorce, and this is found in the Torah itself:

When a man takes a woman and marries her, and it comes to pass, that if he finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found an unseemly thing in her, he shall write for her a bill of divorce, give it unto her hand, and send her out of his house. (Deuteronomy 24:1)

In the Mishnah, there is a whole tractate on divorce, called tractate Gittin. It actually concerns itself with the written instruments or bills (gittin; singular, get) of divorce but also with the purchase of items and the emancipation of slaves. The following section is an exposition on what the Torah says is on when a man finds “an unseemly thing” in his wife. Surprisingly, the traditionally strict school of Shammai permits divorce only on the grounds of unchastity—the very same ground which Jesus permitted (Matthew 19:9)! The traditionally more moderate school of Hillel permits divorce if the wife spoils her husband’s dish, or if the husband sees someone prettier!

The House of Shammai say, “A man should divorce his wife only because he has found grounds for it in unchastity, `“since it is said, Because he has found in her indecency in anything Dt. 24:.” `And the House of Hillel say, “Even if she spoiled his dish, `“since it is said, Because he has found in her indecency in anything. `R. Aqiba says, “Even if he found someone else prettier than she, `“since it is said, And it shall be if she find no favor in his eyes Dt. 24:1.” (Gittin 9:10)

B. Jesus did not question the Mosaic authorship on the provision for divorce in the Torah. However, he reached back into the beginning of the Torah itself, unto the institution of marriage itself:

Therefore a man (אִישׁ,‘ish) shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife (אִשָּׁה ‘ishah, also translated as ‘woman’) and they shall be one flesh (בָשָׂר אֶחָד, vasar echad). (Genesis 2:24)

Then Jesus declares what the Church has always proclaimed in her wedding liturgy: “What God has put together, let no one out asunder!”

C. The relationship of God and to Israel, and of the Messiah to the Church, has often been compared to marriage. The Song of Solomon has often been seen as an allegory of the love of God to Israel. In talking about the relationship of husband and wife, St. Paul states that marriage is a mystic symbol of the relationship of Christ and the Church.

Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33)

What the Bible says on the submission of the wife to the husband may be offensive to modern-day (read: feminist) sensibilities, but it also says that husbands have to give everything, even their very lives, for his wife! (Again, a husband giving his everything to his wife is also offensive to modern-day sensibilities: Do you mean “just because” the husband gives his everything to his wife, so the wife should submit  to him?)

D. If the relationship of God to his people and of Christ to his Church is compared to that of a husband to his wife, I propose the following:

1. Just as a person is to be faithful to his/her own spouse, so should a person be loyal to the denomination and local church that one belongs to.
2. Just as a person can be friends with other men and women, a believer may be friends with other believers and other denominations and local churches. There are certain occasions where one can attend services (weddings, funerals, other special occasions) at another local church, or of a local church of another denomination, while still retaining loyalty to one’s own denomination and local church.
3. A person who willfully tries to be a “member” of two local churches (that is, regularly attending both), either within the same denomination, or from differing denominations (e.g., two local UM churches; or one local UM church in the morning and a “mall church” in the afternoon) is like a person who commits adultery. The reasons for unfaithfulness to one’s spouse and church are the same: to be still seen as loyal to one’s wife/church while having ones owns “needs met” with the other woman/church (whether it is better preaching, music, etc.)
4. A person who willfully commits division and schism within one’s local church or denomination is as guilty as one who commits divorce. The reasons for divorcing one’s spouse and church are the same: when one finds “an unseemly thing” in one’s spouse/church, (whether it is bad preaching, bad music, ill feelings towards one fellow member or the pastor, etc.), one creates division and schism instead of helping to remedy the situation.
5. Just as Jesus allowed divorce only on the grounds of unfaithfulness, the only reason can one separate from one’s local church or denomination is when this church has become unfaithful to God and the Scriptures in its doctrine and practice. (However, Hosea the Prophet remained loyal to Gomer, his adulterous wife.)

Just as the relationship of Christ to his Church is represented by the marriage of husband and wife, so is our relationship with our local church and denomination!

II. No to adult pride, Yes to childlike humility

The latter part of the Gospel reading regards with children. (Much of our discussion on children was given last Sunday.) People were bringing their children to Jesus to touch and to pray for them, but the disciples rebuked them. This made Jesus indignant so he said,

Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Mark 10:14)

This is a classical text used by our Church to justify our practice of infant baptism. By baptizing children, the Church shows the sacramental nature of Holy Baptism. Baptism is a sign of grace; and by “grace” we mean God’s unmerited favor towards us. Children have not done anything to be worthy of baptism; by their nature, they are simply qualified: “for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. If baptism is only for those who are able to “profess the faith for themselves”, this turns a sign of grace into just another “good work” or a reward for good works. Jesus seems to warn against rejecting this means of grace and turning it into a reward for good works: “I tell you the truth: Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child shall never enter it” (Mark 10:15). So even if an adult is baptized, it is not a reward for good works: it is still a sign of God’s grace which moved this person to be a child of God. By practicing Holy Baptism as a sacrament, a sign of grace for both young and old, the Church proclaims God’s grace to the world!

Instructions for Life Together, II

Mark 9:38-50

18th Sunday after Pentecost B

September 30, 2012

Today’s Gospel reading appears to be a jumble of narrative and teaching. It has a narrative of an unidentified exorcist, amputating oneself, and salt. But I believe these apparently disparate passages, just like

I.  Do not be envious of the ministry of “others” (9:38-40)

The apostle John reported to Jesus that they, the disciples, saw a man casting out demons in the name of Jesus, and they forbade him, for he is “not one of us”. Often, we are envious with the ministry of others, especially those who are “not one of us”. On this, John Wesley notes,

How often is the same temper found us? How readily we also lust to envy?… But to confine religion to them that follow us, is a narrowness of spirit which we should avoid and abhor (Note on Mark IX.38).

The apostle Paul rejoiced when Christ is preached, even by his enemies.

Indeed, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will…. What then? Notwithstanding that in every way, whether in pretense in truth, Christ is preached. And therein I do rejoice, yes, I will rejoice. (Philippians 1:15, 18)

We should not be envious of the ministry of others, even though they are not “one of us”, for Jesus said,

Do not forbid him, for no one who does a miracle in my name can afterward speak evil of me. For he who is not against us is for us. (Mark 9:39-40)

Anyone who is not against us is not our enemy!

II. Serve one another (9:41)

We do not have to perform miracles in the name of Jesus in order to serve him and one another. Any simple act of goodness (“works of mercy” as Wesley terms it) is rewarded by the Lord.

For whoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ: truly, I say unto you, he shall nit lose his reward. (Mark 9:41)

III. Do not offend your neighbor (9:42)

The word to “offend” here is ςκανδαλιζω skandalidzō, ‘to cause to stumble’, where we get the words “scandal” and “to scandalize”. Specifically, Jesus was talking about offending the “little ones”, (probably the little child in verse 36, from last Sunday’s Gospel reading). Perhaps “little ones” means all those who are new to the faith, young or old (“the very young Christian,” note on Mark IX:42). Jesus uses a very strong figure of speech, a hyperbole: “It is better for him that a millstone was hanged on his neck and he be thrown into the sea.” While children are examples for us in the kingdom of God, it is also true that we adults are examples for them here on earth. We grownups can be hardly scandalized by the behavior of children, but grownups may have behavior that could cause these “little ones” to stumble. What sort of example are we showing?

IV. Do not hold on to something that causes you sin (9:43-47)

Not only are we to keep others—especially the “little ones”—from stumbling, but we are to keep ourselves from stumbling. Jesus used very strong words for this: “If your hand causes you to sin (ςκανδαλιζη, skandelidzē, ‘offends’), cut it off… If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off… If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out… It is better to enter into life maimed than…to go in Hell.” According to Wesley, the things that causes one to sin are not literally body parts but persons and things that “slacken thee in the ways of God” (note on Mark IX:43).

Jesus uses very strong words to describe Hell: the word he used here is γεεννα, Gehenna, from the Hebrew גיא־הנם Gay-Hinom, ‘the valley of Hinom’, a valley outside Jerusalem used as a garbage dump). He describes a place in which “the fire that cannot be quenched, where their worm does not die…” By “worm” here, Wesley says, “that gnaweth the soul, (pride, self will, desire, malice, envy, sorrow, despair)” while the “fire” is “either material, or infinitely worse!...that tormenteth the body….” (note on Mark IX:44).

We are to get rid out things which causes us to stumble, so that others may not stumble because of us!

V. Do not lose your saltiness (9:49-50)

What does “having salt” have to do with having peace with one another? Jesus makes a reference to sacrifices being “salted with salt”. In the Torah, meat that is offered to God is to be salted with salt: it is forbidden to offer sacrifices without salt.

And your every offering you shall season with salt; neither shall you allow the salt of the covenant of your God be lacking from your offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. (Leviticus 2:13)

Wesley offers the following paraphrase of this “obscure text” that summarizes what we have talked about so far:

As every burnt offering was salted with salt, in order to its being cast into the fire of the altar, so every one who will not part with his hand or eye, shall fall a sacrifice to Divine justice, and be cast into hell fire, which will not consume, but preserve him from a cessation of being. And on the other hand, every one, who, denying himself and taking up his cross, offers up himself as a living sacrifice to God, shall be seasoned with grace, which like salt will make him savoury, and preserve him from destruction for ever. As salt is good for preserving meats, and making them savoury, so it is good that ye be seasoned with grace, for the purifying your hearts and lives, and for spreading the savour of my knowledge, both in your own souls, and wherever ye go. But as salt if it loses its saltness is fit for nothing, so ye, if ye lose your faith and love, are fit for nothing but to be utterly destroyed. See therefore that grace abide in you, and that ye no more contend, Who shall be greatest (note on Mark IX:50).

What are we doing so that we can have life together as the church of Jesus Christ? Let us not be envious of the ministry of other? Let us serve one another, even in little ways. Let us not cause people to stumble. Let us keep ourselves from stumbling into sin. Let us have among ourselves the characteristic of salt, that we may have peace with one another. Amen.

Graphic courtesy of Misioneros de Sagrado de Corazon en el Peru.