What about Them? Reflections on Mark 1 and beyond … Part 1

If you’re going to be in ministry—a person or church joining Jesus in his ongoing mission—you are going to disappoint people from time to time.  You will not—cannot—satisfy all the expectations that people have.

Every time we travel out of the U.S. we have new adventures in disappointing people.  We walk through a marketplace and stop at one place to look at the curios and immediately we are swarmed by people expecting us to visit their shops.  They wonder, what about us?  Or a little child crowds around our legs with a hand held out.  We give them something, almost nothing of value really, and immediately one hundred others come from nowhere with their hands out stretched. They are wondering, what about us?

Jesus had just finished a day of vigorous though exhilarating ministry—just the sort of comprehensive, holistic ministry that warms a Wesleyan’s heart.  He began by proclaiming kingdom come.  The long anticipated time when God—Creator and Redeemer—would at last rule, where his good will, his excellent way would prevail over his people and all people, over Israel and all nations.

And, this good news was taking shape right before the eyes of Simon, Andrew, James and John, and now the people of Capernaum.  He taught them the way and he showed them the way, with authority.  I.e., surprising and stunning power.  He expounded the Scriptures as though the stories and commands were his own,  He did so in a way that invited them into the story, as though it was really also their story.

But he also challenged the powers that threatened people, that if unchecked would destroy people.  Sometimes the powers can even be found in church.  At least it was so in Jesus’ day.  Jesus amazes the people with his teaching.  One could feel hope rising in the room, when all of a sudden, a man screams, “What are you up to Jesus?  You’ve come to destroy us”

It was hell questioning the motives of heaven.  The spirit in that man was half right: Jesus had come to destroy the evil one, unraveling what he’d twisted, mending what he’d broken, reclaiming the captives, restoring them to a kingdom life.  Jesus had come to silence the word and to destroy the works of the devil.  “Shut up!” Jesus said, “Ánd get out!”

The spirit didn’t leave quietly or without protest, but it did leave! And, you’d better believe Jesus had gotten their attention.  Quickly, the news spread. If he banishes the evil one, then think about what he might do for the hurting, the wounded, the outcast, the weak, the vulnerable and poor? 

All over Galilee that question made its rounds and people began to come.  So that evening (v.32) the sick and demon possessed came or were brought, a whole town’s worth.  And Jesus healed them, decisively undoing the havoc and chaos of the evil one in people’s lives.

The news continued to spread and the people continued to come.  You can imagine some walking and carrying their loved-ones for many hours, to bring them to Jesus, to be included in the good news he declared and demonstrated. I can imagine how it could have been.  Late the night before, Jesus and his helpers reach exhaustion.  They call it a day, a long, long day.  They retire for some rest. 

Meanwhile, the people continue to come.   The line forms and lengthens through the night.  At dawn both the sun and their hopes are rising.  Then, imagine, Simon Peter’s panic.  He wakes to the noise of the crowds at the door, but Jesus is nowhere in sight.  None of the others have seen him.  What are they going to do?  What will the crowds do when they find out Jesus is not there?  Where is Jesus?  The people are waiting!

Simon organizes a search party and slips out the back way to look for Jesus.  Finally he discovers him.  “Everyone is looking for you!”  But Jesus doesn’t respond as expected.  He says, in effect, “Our work here is done for now, let’s move on,” (v. 38).

I’m telling you, there were many people disappointed that day, probably some of them angry.  No doubt they wondered, what about us?  Indeed, what about these people?  They were just as tormented, just as ruined, but had missed the ministry of Jesus by a day?  They’re asking, “What about us?”

Have you noticed that very often Jesus answers a question with a question?  Someone once asked, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  Jesus answered, “What does the law say, how do you read it?”

I suggest that Jesus responds to this question, “what about us?” by turning to us who follow him, who were there the day before, for whom Jesus has cast out the demons, healed our hurts, restored and reconnected us to God and others—we were there the day before, and Jesus turns to us to  ask, “what about them?”

HOW WE READ THE BIBLE

If I could I would require every Free Methodist (and encourage all other serious followers of Christ) to read Scot McKnight's, The Blue Parakeet.  Let me tell you why.

One of the crises, perhaps near (if not at) the root of all our crises, in the church is the inability to make good on our claim that the Bible is, in fact, God's Word.  We're not even sure what it means to say that.  When I say "we" I'm talking about most of our people and some of our pastoral leaders.  In what sense is this book–The Holy Bible–God's Word?  And, so what? What differencee does that make?  Aren't there as many interpretations as there are interpreters?  Doesn't everyone just support what they already think by finding it somewhere in the Bible?  The list of questions goes on.

Scot McKnight observes that no one applies everything in the Bible and everyone "picks and chooses," or "adapts and adopts."  That is, everyone treats some parts of the Bible as God's Word for today and totally binding, and other parts as not applicable any more, and for various reasons "safe to ignore."  In some cases, totally binding portions are to be found surrounded by numerous portions that most confidently ignore as no longer of consequence for today.  For example, the second command to love neighbor as self is found in the book of Leviticus (see 19:18).  On no less than the authority of Jesus we recognize the claim this command has on any serious Christ-follower, at the same time we ignore most of the specific commands surrounding it in Leviticus.

We all pick and choose–that's a fact we cannot deny.  We all also recognize the principle: "That was then and this is now" when it comes to the application of the Bible.  Though all of us who take Scripture seriously do this, we seldom pay attention to how or why we do it, and we often disagree in our treatment of specific texts in the Bible.

McKnight notes that many people read the Bible primarily as:

  • a collection of laws or
  • a collection of blessings and promises or
  • a Rorschach inkblot onto which we can project our own ideas or
  • a giant puzzle that we are to puzzle together or
  • orchestrated by one of the authors in the Bible as the Maestro for the others.

The problems with each of these are clear upon reflection:

  • The Bible is more than laws, and each law connects to a context.
  • The Bible is more than blessings and promises; there are some warnings and threats as well.

  • The Bible is something that comes to us from God and not something onto which we can impose our wishes and desires.

  • The Bible is a story to be read, not a divinely scattered puzzle to be pieced together into a system that makes sense of it all.

  • The Bible is a collection of retellings of the Story (McKnight calls them "wicki-stories of the Story") and each author, each Maestro, is but one voice at the table (see p. 209 for both lists)

In The Blue Parakeet, we have an excellent description of how to read the Bible that makes sense of the whole Bible as God's Word.  He elaborates the themes of Story, Listening, and Discerning as key components for God's people to read the Scriptures with tradition (not through tradition) so that we may faithfully tell the story in our day in our way (i.e., in a way that is appropriate for the current circumstances facing us.  Scot McKnight offers here not only a description of how to read and apply the Bible, but then also shows us how it works in relation to the question of women in ministry.

As I say, if I could I would make it required reading.  But, then, I really can't do that.  And, I'll leave it for you to learn what all of this has to do with blue parakeets!

TRIUMPHAL ENTRIES AND SALVATION FOR THE WORLD

As our new President journeyed to Washington D.C. and to his inauguration I have thought often of Jesus.  There are similarities between them.  Both came from relative obscurity and quickly rose to prominence.  Both inspired crowds of people with soaring rhetoric and engaging presence among people.  Both connected in ways unlike most other leaders.  Both led a movement that enlivened ordinary folks with hope.  Both made people think a new day had come.

Both journeyed to the capital to fulfill their destinies.  Both were greeted with joyful welcome.  Both entered the city in ways that gathered up and re-energized a storied but threatened heritage—Jesus recharged a long but tired expectation of Kingdom-come while President Obama has embodied the dream that most embraced (at least in public) but feared might never quite come true.  Both made people think that maybe this time it’s for real.  Both went to the city at a time when the world really needed the good news their arrival signaled.

Of course, President Obama is not the Messiah.  And, of course, much of the wild enthusiasm that attends his presidency (which, remember, has hardly begun!) is likely misplaced.  Despite the enormous, even cosmic, differences between them, still I’m quite sure we will look back and see that both disappointed their most enthused partisans.  And, I’m fervently hoping we will also look back and see that both made good on their promises precisely through that disappointment.  Let me explain.

Jesus disappointed by staying true to his Father’s kingdom-way, which is not of this world.  He disappointed by insisting that serving self (whether the individual or corporate self) and seeking to save self leads only to disaster.  He insisted that “pouring out” or “losing” self leads to kingdom-dream-come-true or “salvation.”  Then he led his followers to the place of death which turns out also to be the place of resurrection.

I hope and pray that President Obama will pursue Jesus’ way as he leads our nation; that he will call us to lose ourselves for the sake of others, to lay down our lives in love even for our enemies, to champion the causes that God so clearly champions in the Scriptures.  I believe there are ways a nation can do such things.  I hope and pray our President will lead the U.S. to reflect the values of a kingdom-not-of-this-world. 

Two things make me optimistic so far.  First, President Obama has already acted in ways that make a lot of people from all sides of the ideological divide mad (e.g., he included religious leaders in the inaugural events from polar opposites of the spectrum).  That is, he demonstrates so far a freedom from party ideology.  Second, he has spoken some hard truth that nobody wants to hear (e.g., it will get worse—perhaps much worse—before it gets better).

Christ-followers do not have the option of being cynical or even negative.  We have the calling to pray, to remain people of hope, to speak good whenever possible, to disagree graciously, and to lean into a future that may lead to a cross in the short term, but eventually will lead to resurrection.  A kingdom people do their citizenship in the light of Easter.

THE WORST AND THE BEST–A GOSPEL VIEW

When I look back on 2008 I think of Dickens' famous line, "It was the best of times and the worst of times."  Surely the year ended on the down beat, the worst of times.  Economic markets tanking and new outbreaks of violence in the Middle East threatened the automatic optimism of a new year dawning.  But not only the end of the year, all throughout the year plenty of bad news plagued us–the earth quake in China, the devastations of hurricanes in Haiti and the U.S., the deepening of famine in much of Africa, continuing deadly tribal conflicts all over the place, the worst ever outbreak of violence against Christ-followers in India.  These represent tips of an iceberg of glacial proportions.  More personally, I recall the challenge of caring for aging parents, the miscarriage of what would have been our first grandchild, the death of two wonderful young friends in what seemed like the prime of their lives, the loss of other loves ones and friends in ministry, and several disappointing or devastating setbacks in ministry.  The list goes on.  Plenty of bad news.  So much, in fact, one might wonder if the iceberg is all there is.

Even so, it was the best of times.  Every crisis became the showcase for beatiful expressions of greace and powerful initiatives for the good.  Natural disasters called forth unnatural and heroic sacrifice to meet the needs of people.  Untimely deaths revealed the values and verities of LIFE that is abundant and above time itself, and promise to accomplish more in time for the good.  Demonic persecution of Christ-followers has only stiffened their resolve and demonstrated God's power overcoming in and through human weakness.  More personally, God has consistently given wisdom and grace when most needed, another baby has been conceived and we will welcome him as our first grandchild to be born this spring, the loss of our friends has clarified our commitments and brought new focus to our living, and more times than I can count God has manifested his presence and power in mind-blowing ways as we have made room for him to do what only he can do.  This has happened, in fact, so often that one might wonder if the end-that-is-really-the-new-beginning isn't just around the corner.

As 2009 begins what are we to make of this duality–the worst and best of times?  Where will we focus?  Is the world primarily the place where Murphy's law rules–if something bad can happen it will–with occasional exceptions to the rule?  Or is the world the place where the Kingdom of Jesus has taken root, grows surely with increasing power, on a trajectory to recreate all that is, even as the vestiges of an old and dying age still resist? 

It strikes me another way to ask the question is: will we fully embrace the gospel as our perspective for living?  The gospel is the good news of what God has accomplished in the gift of Jesus, and all that his accomplishment means for all people and the whole universe.  On the night Jesus was born the angel choir sang this good news to the shepherds, good news that would change everything.  Most immediately, however, nothing much actually changed.  At least, it seemed that way.  It was still a world where both the best and worst of times occurred. Yet, in fact everything had changed.  You had to have eyes to see and a heart to accept it, but everything had changed.  Years later, enough years for the Christ-child to become a young adult, it was still that kind of world.  When Jesus announced the good news (gospel) that the Kingdom was present and powerfully at work in his life and ministry, it was much the same.  You had to have eyes to see it and a heart to accept it.  Jesus finshed his ministry, offered his life in sacrifice on the cross, rose from the dead, commissioned his followers, poured out his Spirit on them, sent them and it still often looked the same.  Any given year thereafter had its share of both the worst and the best of times.  In every one of those years Christ-followers had to have eyes to see it and hearts to accept it.

In this respect, 2009 is no different for us.  Everything has changed.  The good news of Jesus conditions everything.  The light shines in the darkness and there is simply no way the darkenss can overcome it.  We have to have eyes to see it and hearts to accept it, but it is true nonetheless.  Though the worst of times will come along with the best of times, the latter trumps the former.  God is up to something so huge and so amazing that even the very worst of times pose no threat to his Kingdom and its certain triumph.

Will we have eyes to see it and hearts to accept it?

AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME IN JUST THE RIGHT WAY

In lamenting the sudden, tragic passing of our friend Ryan Bartlett (see Dec. 3 post, “Lament … ) I joined the people of God who through the ages have asked, “Why?” and “How long?”  In asking these questions we acknowledge that things are not as they should be and that change is coming.  In Christ we confidently assert that God will right all that is wrong.  We also acknowledge our need not for answers or explanations, and certainly not for a “theology,” but for Presence.  Only the Presence helps.  We lament in hope of the answering Presence.

I write now on the third Sunday in Advent and the day before Ryan’s memorial service.  The Bartletts and their many loved ones will join countless others for whom Christmas will never be the same.  From now on Christmas will remind us of what happened and, at least for a while, Christmas will be tinged with sadness.  For countless people this is so.

As I was reflecting on these things, I thought what a lousy time for a funeral–as though timing could ever be “good” for a young missionary’s death!  Then, I thought, Christmas will not only never be the same, maybe it has been recked altogether.  How could we sing those songs, watch the programs, observe the traditions as we once did?  How could the warmth and joy of the season ever by ours again?  What a lousy time and what lame ways to observe the season!

Then again, I thought, what does Paul mean when he tells the Galatian Church, “When the time was right (that is, “full”) God sent forth his son, born from a woman, under law, in order to redeem … ” (Gal. 4:4, my translation).  That is, Paul says, “at just the right time in just the right way.”

Hmm, at just the right time?  Yes, of course it was and it is.  The Light of the world shines in the darkest night.  The Bread of life comes to those most famished.  The Living Water flows to the driest of places.  The truth appears just when it seems the lie has won.  The Way opens up negating the dead-end.  The Resurrection and the Life rises like the dawn upon the shadows of the tomb.

It occurs to me that Christmas celebrates precisely the Presence that somehow responds to the cries-for-help masked by our “why” questions.  Precisely into such lousy times the Presence comes.  Precisely when we are layed low–or our loved one is layed into the lowest place, into the grave–the Presence enters to be with us in just the ways demanded by our need and pain, and to stay with us, and then to walk us to the time and the place where His Presence permits again the joy of our loved one’s presence we now so sorely miss.

St Matthew identified the gift of Jesus as “Immanuel”–God with us.  When the Word became flesh the Presence came, the Presence stays, and the Presence fills our loss.  At just the right time in just the right way.