Jesus Is…But Am I?

Mark 4: 35-41

Sometimes a bit of scripture jumps out at me in an odd sort of way and makes me wonder why it has been included in a passage. That happened as I read today’s selection from Mark 4. “On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was” (Mark 4:35-36a). What is the significance, I wonder, of the disciples taking Jesus with them “just as he was”? How else would they have taken him? How else is there to take Jesus?

I was curious so I googled the phrase “just as he was Jesus.” One response popped up that pertained to this passage, a blog post by a pastor named Ron Edmondson. Edmondson writes, “Too many times we try to take Jesus, as we want Jesus to be, not as He intends for us to be. We like Jesus to do things on our terms, not His terms. We try to put our stamp on Jesus rather than allow His stamp on us” (http://www.ronedmondson.com/2009/06/taking-jesus-just-as-he-is.html). That’s a great point. And it led me to consider things a bit further. Personally I have a hard time figuring out who I should be sometimes. I play different roles, put on different guises, assume different personalities almost. Sometimes I am funny when I should be serious. Sometimes I am disengaged when I should be paying attention. Sometimes I lack confidence when what I need to do it to trust God. With Jesus there is none of that. Sure, we can say different things about Jesus: the Son of God, the Word Incarnate, the Alpha and the Omega, the Lamb of God, and so forth. But Jesus is still Jesus, just as he is. I may waver or drift, I may get tossed around by the wind and the waves, I may give into fear and doubt, but Jesus remains steadfast and sure, the calmer of storms, the Lord of all nature.

Jesus is. And there really is no other way to take Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, open us up to your grace and your peace that we may see you as you are and live as you would have us live. Amen.

It’s Not What You Know…

Mark 4:21-34

Much has been learned about agriculture in the centuries since Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, but the value of Jesus’ parables has in no way diminished. "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,” Jesus said, “and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29). The farmer in Jesus’ parable had no idea how seeds become plants. All he knew was that there was a time of growth and development at the end of which the crops would appear and need to be gathered. Nowadays it is not uncommon for elementary school students to study the growth of plants or for science fair participants to demonstrate how various factors affect the process. To say that we do not know how the seeds sprout and grow would not be truthful.

But what we know or don’t know is not really the point of the story. Jesus’ parable is really about trust and patience. To plant a seed is to anticipate that which is to happen at some point further on. While there are things to be done while the plant is growing the process is ultimately dependent on the work of God in creation. So it is with the kingdom. To look forward to God’s reign in its fullness is to anticipate a future event. There are things to be done in the meantime, work to which we are called, but ultimately the process is dependent on God alone. Indeed, the more we learn about growth and development in nature the more we marvel at the intricacy of the process. And the more we attend to Jesus’ words about the kingdom the more active we become in our waiting.

The beauty of Jesus’ parables is that they remain vivid as they continue to offer guidance for our living.

Prayer: Lord, we depend on your grace alone, for which we give you thanks. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

On Spreading Mustard

Mark 4:21-34

To be honest, I wouldn’t know a mustard seed if I saw one. I don’t know how big they are or what size plant typically grows from them, or whether it would be a bush, tree, plant, or vine for that matter. But I still have an appreciation for one of Jesus’ most famous parables about the coming reign of God, Mark’s version of which we read today. “[Jesus] also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade’” (Mark 4:30-32).

Here is the meaning that I find–and which is not original to me–in these words. The coming reign or kingdom of God may begin in the most insignificant of ways. An act of kindness, for example, may seem almost meaningless to the one who performs it but may convey tremendous meaning to its recipient. Not to trivialize Jesus’ image, but think of the number of contacts you make each day, the number of people with whom you interact at the store, at work, at school, on the bus, in person or by e-mail, by text or by Skype. Consider how you as an individual might affect any or all of those people. Think of each contact as setting off ripples through the lives of others. Kindness–godliness if you will–can spread and grow and develop and take new shape all because we choose to reflect God’s love in the world instead of sharing messages of gloom or anger, rumors or innuendo about others and the struggles they may or may not face. Even the slightest gesture or comment may make a great deal of difference in a life, may help to enliven the good news for others while a slightly different word or gesture may impede God’s will from being done.

A mustard seed may be as big as a walnut as far as I know, but as a parable of the coming reign of God it demonstrates the importance of all we do, for at the end God’s will is done and God’s glory shines all around. Do we wish to plant seeds of goodness in God’s field, or are we willing to plant something else?

Prayer: Lord help us to live in such a way that our actions help to spread the good news instead of deterring it. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Give It Some Thought

Mark 4:1-20

Generally speaking, I prefer for prospective church members to take time in deciding whether to join a church or not over those who come a Sunday or two and then make a quick commitment. Why? Let me use a part of Jesus’ parable about the sower from Mark’s gospel to explain.

“And these,” Jesus said, “are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while…” (Mark 4:16-17a). Let me stress that I am making only a general statement here, not one that I believe to be absolutely true in all cases. The fact is that faith is serious business. It does not work best when based on a quick response time or on knee-jerk reactions. Faith deserves thought and, above all, prayer. What is God doing in my life and how can this particular congregation can help me with it? Is this a community of faith where my skills and talents can best be put to use? Am I making a decision on what I wish were true, or what God is really saying to me? These are the sorts of questions that help one develop roots, to find endurance for the ups and downs that every gathering of God’s people will go through from time to time.

This is why I, as a pastor, do not object to a family or an individual taking time to decide about joining a church. God deserves thought and care. Questions like which congregation to join are important. We should try, to the best of our ability, to be planted in good soil so that we may produce much fruit to the glory of God.

Prayer: Lord, help us to consider our lives of faith carefully and not make hasty decisions based on arbitrary factors. And as communities of faith, may we learn to respect and to nurture the thoughtfulness of others. Amen.