“Be Careful Out There” (Mark 9:38-50)

The story was told by the author through many years of regret as to what happened on that fateful day when he was allowed to go hunting with his father and his friends.  It was a day of great anticipation because he had never gone hunting with his father before . . . and, because they were taking their new hunting dog out for the first time.  This was a dog that the author’s father was quite proud of . . . constantly bragging to his friends how great a hunter the dog was.  Best in the county, he would tell them. 

Then there was the reality.  The poor dog did miserably on the hunt.  It was constantly running off and causing all sorts of trouble.  The boy and his father did not kill a single bird that day.  They spent most of their time chasing after the dog.  The father was frustrated.  The boy was embarrassed.

At the end of the day all the hunters had gathered around their pickup trucks.  They were all showing off their trophies for the day . . . and, they were teasing the boy’s father quite hard over the “best hunting dog in the county!”  They were all giving him suggestions as to what to do with the dog.  The boy felt bad for his father.  Then suddenly his father turned towards him and asked, “What would you do with the dog?”

Without hesitating, the boy blurted out: “Shoot ‘em!”

A gunshot rang out . . . and the dog dropped to the ground . . . dead.

The author explained how he had lived for years with the guilt and remorse for those words that had escaped his mouth . . . even as an adult.  How he regretted how those words caused the death of beloved pet . . . one that was probably still very much a puppy when it was placed into the role of hunter.  It was his words that brought about its death . . . a death well before its time.  He said that he learned that day to be careful with the words that he spoke . . . words could hurt, they could even kill.

Our scripture reading is a continuation of the story what we began last week.  As you remember, Jesus has brought a child into the discussion with the disciples about what they had been talking about on the road to Capernaum.  You know, the conversation about who was the greatest.  With the child next to him, Jesus tells the disciples: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”  It was a teaching moment for Jesus with the twelve.

Do you also remember how they were embarrassed to answer his question about what they were talking about . . . they just stood there silent.  Well, whether they understood what Jesus was doing or not . . . that it was a teaching moment . . . they weren’t ready to admit to any wrong-doing.  Instead they attempt to divert the subject and shift the blame.  They don’t hop onto the lesson being taught or the lesson needing to be learned.  No, they point their fingers at a rival exorcist who was using Jesus’ name to throw out demons.  They tell Jesus that the man was not one of “them” and that he shouldn’t had been doing what he was doing.  So, they tell him to stop.

I guess they figured being tattle tails would win them some points with Jesus.  It didn’t.  In fact, Jesus basically tells them to lay off, because “whoever is not against us is for us.”  There were no brownie points earned for their finger pointing . . . in their judgment of this outsider who was acting in Jesus’ name.  No, what Jesus wanted them to focus on and pay attention to was their own behavior.

In a flash, Jesus turns the tables on the disciples.  He turns the spotlight on the disciples themselves . . . warns them that they are the ones in danger of doing harm.  Jesus is not concerned with those who are outside of the group, he is more concerned with those within the group and how they can be the problem by getting in the way of the gospel . . . of making others stumble.

Have you ever caught yourself in that hypocritical moment with another where you are urging them to do what you say, while at the same time you are doing the exact opposite of what you are telling them?  You, like that famous parental statement made to children of all generations . . . “do as I say, not as I do.”  We all know that our actions speak louder than our words ever do, even if we shout them.  That is why children imitate adults . . . why people imitate those in power . . . and so on down the line.  Even though it is preached against, it must be okay if it is being done.

This is Jesus’ warning . . . do not cause others to stumble.  Through that whole section about drowning one’s self or lopping off body parts, Jesus is telling them that it would be better for that to happen than to make another stumble because of one’s behavior or actions.  And, Jesus wants them to know that these stumbling blocks are not other people or things that are outside of the disciple, but they are a part of who they are . . . they are the hands, feet, and eyes.  Things that we hold dear . . . things we think we need.  Through these bodily images, Jesus makes it clear that it is not things that are outside, but that they are a part of us.

I think of it as a matter of congruency.  Our actions need to match our words, and our words need to match our actions.  If they do not, well then there is a good chance that someone . . . somewhere . . . will notice it.  And, based on what they see or hear, they will decide on what they will believe and do . . . especially when it comes to matters of faith and living the faithful life.  If that incongruency makes another stumble . . . to cause harm, then it would be better if that person were drowning in the sea with a millstone around his or her neck.

Thus, it is that Jesus encourages the disciples to “be careful out there.”  In order for us to “be careful out there”, we need to be examine our faith through the words that we speak and the actions that we take . . . examine whether these things are stumbling blocks among those we encounter, especially those who are the most vulnerable—like children—among us.

As the followers of Jesus we must be careful . . . we must be careful because words can hurt, they can even kill.  We must be careful in remembering that we are called upon to love . . . to love God . . . to love one another . . . to love all of God’s children.  We must be careful in understanding that we are called to build up and not tear down . . . that we are to seek the best for those who are loved by God . . . all of God’s creation.  The consequences are not worth the risk to do anything less.

If I remember correctly, the title to that little story I shared at the beginning of the sermon was Loose Lips.  Everyone knows what loose lips do . . . they sink ships.  In the story the loose lips cause the dog to lose its life.  If we are not careful, our behavior can do just as much harm when it comes to us following in the footsteps of Jesus.  We must be careful . . . love is not something to play around with.  It is serious business . . . God business . . . and, if we are going to do it, we had better do it well.  May our words and actions of loving faith be one and the same.

I don’t know about you, but I am kind of favorable towards my body parts.  Be careful out there . . . God is depending on you.  Amen.

“Like a Third Grader” (Mark 9:30-37)

As Jesus and his entourage are on the road heading towards Capernaum, the disciples are having a conversation.  It was just idle talk, nothing major . . . it was just something that they were talking about.  They were just talking among themselves as who was the greatest.  Upon arriving at Capernaum, Jesus was curious about what the disciples had been discussing. 

Of course, the disciples are not quick to answer because they were embarrassed.  They were embarrassed to have been caught in such a conversation . . . socially this is not a topic that one should go about in public.  Tooting one’s own horn is a social mistake.  And, they were embarrassed that Jesus had caught them having such a trivial discussion.  So, they kept their mouths shut . . . hemming and hawing around like someone caught with his or her hand stuck in the cookie jar.

But, Jesus knew.  Jesus does not reprimand them.  No, he sees this as a teaching moment.  As he sits down, he calls the twelve to him, saying: “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”   Then he had a child come and stand beside him, taking him in his arms, Jesus demonstrates what he means as he states: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”  Through such an act one discovers that greatness is not gained in smartness, wealth, status, or even power . . . it is gained in how others are treated.

In the movie, Philadelphia, Denzel Washington plays a lawyer who is called upon to take a controversial case for the character played by Tom Hanks.  As they meet for the first time, Washington tells Hanks, that he needs to explain his case like he is talking to a third grader.  He tells Hanks that if any third grader can understand the case, any jury in America will also.  Think of the words and actions of Jesus in our reading this morning putting it into terms that even a third grader could understand.

At the dedication of the Hubert Humphrey Building dedication in Washington, D.C., on November 1, 1977, former vice-president Hubert Humphrey spoke about the treatment of the weakest members as a reflection of government.  He said: “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped.”  In other words, how we treat children, elderly, and those with disabilities is a reflection upon society.

Children occupied an interesting place in the first century household for Jews and Romans alike.  They represented the future—they would carry on the family name, provide for their aging parents, and produce the next generation.  But in the present, they were a liability.  They participated in the household labor, but were not yet fully productive, and still represented another mouth to feed.  Many historians of this time period compare the status of children in such a situation to that of a slave.  However, the power dynamics were more powerful than that.  On the one hand, an adult slave could be “worth” more in the present; on the other hand, even the smallest child was a member of the “household”—an honor to which a slave was unlikely and unable to attain.

Children were insiders left on the outside.  And they are the ones Jesus commands us to welcome.  On the one hand, this is just another instance of Jesus turning the expectations of the world upside down.  It is a great reversal in the name of justice, which the Gospel of Luke is famous for. But on the other hand, here in Mark’s gospel we also experience something else.  With children, at least, the power dynamics are not so black and white—it is not so much a question of who is great and who is not, but instead it is a question of welcome.

Put another way, Jesus isn’t interested in who we say is the greatest or even in who acts like the greatest or looks to be great.  Jesus is interested in who acts with the greatest grace, compassion, and love.  He demonstrates this in a way that even a third grader would understand.

Kids get this.  At least they get it until they start picking up all the “bad habits” of adults that begin to separate and divide people into the “in and out” groups.

Throughout my ministry I have always told the congregations that I served to welcome the children into the worship service.  And, through the years, that has been answered with a variety of responses.  It always seemed that whenever there were small children in the pews, there were also a lot of anxious adults—parents and grandparents—who were trying like crazy to keep the kids quiet and under control.  But kids are kids . . . they make noise, they squirm, they giggle, and they blurt out loud . . . and, why wouldn’t they.  Most worship services are not designed for children, they are designed for adults.  The end result is usually some child being hustled out of the sanctuary . . . typically kicking and screaming the whole way!

As I said, kids are kids.  I usually attempt to ease the anxiety by declaring that . . . kids are kids, and they are just expressing what we adults have been taught not to express when we are bored.  I know the truth . . . about this time in the service there are those of you out there who have had enough!  If you could you would act just like a kid.

So, are we really welcoming to children when we take them out of the worship service?  Are we welcoming when we keep giving the evil eye to the family in the third pew with the squirmy children?  Probably not, but as is usual with Jesus this is about more than children . . . it is about welcoming . . . about showing grace, compassion, and love.  About showing grace, compassion, and love to all of God’s children.

Children get this.  It comes down to how we treat one another . . . how we treat ourselves.  This is not rocket science that Jesus is talking about . . . it is simple grace, compassion, and love.  It is stuff we all learned a long time ago . . . probably even before we got into third grade.  But we learned it. 

I think that Robert Fulghum said it best in his little essay called, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.  Fulghum wrote:

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

·     

• Share everything.

• Play fair.

• Don't hit people.

• Put things back where you found them.

• Clean up your own mess.

• Don't take things that aren't yours.

• Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

• Wash your hands before you eat.

• Flush.

• Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

• Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

• Take a nap every afternoon.

• When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.

• Be aware of wonder.

• Remember the little seed in the styro-foam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

• Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die. So do we.

• And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK.

Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or

your world and it holds true and clear and firm. Think what a better world it would be if all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put things back where

they found them and to clean up their own mess.

And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

     Jesus took a little child and had him stand among them.  Taking him in his arms, he said to them: “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”  I think that even a third grader can understand this . . . let us act with grace, compassion, and love.  There is no greater way.  Amen