Growing a community of God's love
Rosthern Mennonite Church
Are you listening carefully?
February 12, 2012
Craig Neufeld
Scripture: Mark 9:2-9; Exodus 34:29-35; 2 Kings 2:1-11
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get frustrated. After five weeks of going through the book of Mark I am starting to get fatigued and frustrated. I am frustrated with not getting it. I am frustrated with asking questions and not getting any answers. I am frustrated with meeting a Jesus in Mark who is very veiled in what he says. After all, aren’t we supposed to get it so that we can follow him? I am frustrated with meeting a Jesus, who doesn’t match who I imagine Jesus to be. I am frustrated with Jesus not being very clear, and this week’s scripture passage doesn’t help me any!
In this week’s scripture passage, Jesus doesn’t talk! How am I supposed to learn anything from him if he doesn’t talk? With Jesus being quiet in this scripture passage it makes very difficult to follow. I don’t think I’m the only one feeling this way. Many of the people helping with this worship service have mentioned that they felt that this was a difficult passage too.
I’ve heard questions, like, What’s the purpose? What’s the point? Who’s this for? How do you tell others about this? All of these questions are valid. All of these frustrations are valid too.
I think there are at least a couple reasons for this difficulty, first, it’s such a familiar story, I bet most of you could tell me this story, but because of how familiar it is, it has almost seemed to dry up in meaning.
Language as Barrier
I also think that because of some of the language used it’s hard to find meaning in it. Sometimes it’s not the story that gets in the way but the words of the story. In this passage there is a particular word that in its familiarity it tells the entire story, however it is also one of those word`s that we`ve lost the meaning to. Transfiguration. I`ve talked to people and mentioned that I`m speaking on the transfiguration and most who I talked to know the story, they could tell me the story, because it’s THE Transfiguration. The problem is that when you ask them what transfiguration means, many people draw a blank. I don`t think many of us know what the word transfiguration means. I think that if we use a word and don’t know it’s meaning anymore, what good is that word?
So, I looked into it. I went back to the Greek to find out what word was originally used, and to my surprise I learned that it’s Greek a word that’s very familiar to me. Transfiguration in Greek is mete-morph-o-mai.
When I hear metamorphomai, I think of metamorphosis, change, I wonder if is this helpful for us to ponder today. To imagine that Jesus is going through a metamorphosis of his own, a transformation, a change. Going back to the Greek, the definition of meta-morph-o-mai, means to be changed in form, be transformed, it seems reasonable to consider that this is perhaps a story of transformation, of changing.
A Different Set of Eyes
So we’ve worked through two things that get in the way of finding meaning in this passage, it’s familiarity, and some of the language, I also think that there is a third thing that’s inhibiting our engagement with it. I wonder, might more be revealed if we were to read this scripture in a little bit different way.
What I Read
In the course of a given day, we read a number of things in different ways. I read a cooking recipe as a guide to help me make a delicious dish for lunch, supper, or desert. I read a instructions to put something together properly, I read a newspaper or a magazine in such a way that I try to extract information from it. I read fictional novel to be captured by the story. I read poetry to become lost in the imagery. I different writing asks that I read them differently. So if I read all of these in all these different ways, I wonder, in what ways can we read the bible? Is there just one way, or are there many?
So often, I’ve noticed that I read the bible to extract information, I try to twist and turn the scripture so that it makes sense, I try to transform it in such a way that I can get something from it. Spiritual author Richard Foster suggests that there may be another way to read scripture. He suggests that instead of transforming scripture to meet our needs, such as searching for a specific formula to solve a problem, or for specific information, or a specific answer to a question, what if we scripture in such a way that we allow it to transform us. What if, we begin to read scripture devotionally, allowing it to speak to us, to illuminate us, to bring light to us, without us putting anything onto it.
Perhaps some of the difficulty is that I, or we’re, are trying too hard to extract information from this passage. Is this a passage where we have to imagine and experience it? Perhaps rather than study the passage, I need to listen to it instead. So I sat and read it over and over, listening to the words, and you know what, I noticed some things as I listened.
An Extra-ordinary Experience
The first thing that struck me as I listened was that I have a place in this story. This story is not something that we experience from a distance; we’re near by for this story. We’re right along side Peter, James, and John. We’ve joined them up the mountain and we’re watching this take place just as they are.
We’re watching Jesus being transformed in front of our eyes. We’re seeing this divine light radiate out from Jesus. We’re watching his clothing be bleached, whiter, and whiter, and whiter. We’re present there seeing Elijah and Moses appearing from nowhere. We’re there as a cloud descends and envelops everyone, have you ever experienced anything like this. And then, we hear a voice, I can’t imagine what it would sound like, but a voice, telling us Jesus is my Son, I love him, Listen to him! I get chills telling the story.
This is an incredible story, and incredible experience. This is a story that is eerie, it’s a story that’s frightening, it’s a story that is just about unbelievable. It is a story that is stunning and amazing. Maybe we don’t need to extract all the meaning from it; maybe we just need to sit with this experience. This is an extraordinary experience. Maybe we just need to let it be, after all, Jesus tells us not to tell anyone until he has risen. But if we were to read on, the disciples can’t help but ask questions. After all they’re just like you and me, when we see something amazing we want to understand it.
Echo`s from the Past
This is another thing I noticed; this story has echoes to other stories on the bible. By echoes I mean that this story reminds us of names or events that touch on things that have happened in the past. These echoes reminded me of other stories I’ve heard before. On the surface it doesn’t seem to be a big deal, or it seems confusing that both Elijah and Moses join Jesus, but I think that the appearance of both Elijah and Moses makes this an even more powerful encounter. Both Elijah and Moses played significant roles in the Jewish history, Moses being the prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, was also the one of the few who have seen God’s face, it was also Moses who brought the Law to the Israelites. Elijah on the other had was one of the principal prophets in Jewish history, Elijah is also anticipated to come prior to the arrival of the Messiah.
Beyond these two echoes the appearance of Elijah and Moses, I am reminded how both of these men have intimate experiences with God. In Exodus 34, which was read this morning, Moses is transfigured not in the traditional Charleston Hesston way, but his face is transfigured in a such a way that his face was radiant, from the presence of God. So too, Elijah was transfigured, while Elijah didn’t glow, he, instead, was taken up to heaven. In an equally visual and startling way, a chariot of fire with horses of fire and separates Elijah from Elisha following which Elijah is taken up to heaven, in a whirlwind.
So How Does This Transform Me?
Reading this passage without trying to extract meaning, has led me to remember stories that I might not have remembered before. Listening to this passage has placed me in line with the disciples, watching in awe of what happened to Jesus, and being comfortable with not being able to explain it. I am with the disciples in a moment where we encounter a truly divine Jesus. I am with the disciples at their most human, completely awestruck, and speechless, save for Peter. I think that this is a passage that should also leave us speechless, in the size, beauty, strangeness and awe of it all.
The story of Jesus’ transfiguration is focused on Jesus’ physical change, a divine metamorphosis, a holy transformation. I don’t think that’s the only change that’s happening in this passage. I think that there is a greater and lasting change, because I also think that we’re changed in some way. By listening to the scripture rather than trying to scrape out a meaning, I have allowed myself to be taken in by the visual wonder of this story. I think the greater and lasting change in this story is the change, which can take place within each of us when we allow scripture to shape, change, transform or even transfigure us.
Of Seed and Soil
January 29, 2012
Scripture reading and presentation: Mark 4:1-20
So, don'’t you understand? The truth is, I’'m not sure I completely understand. This is a difficult passage. Even in planning this worship service, there were multiple ways that this passage could be interpreted. Parables are like that. Jesus says himself, that Parables are meant to confuse, Parables are meant to confound, I think, parables are meant to make us question more. I think that there’'s a very good reason for this.
This parable is the start of a series of five parables in Mark, so it makes sense that the Disciples after hearing this one are wondering, what do they mean? Indeed, today, we still ask the same questions, what do parables mean? We turn them around, we ask questions of them, we try to place ourselves in them, we try to do anything we can to have them make sense to us and we’re still left with questions in the end.
So, today, let’'s try not to solve but instead to maybe make some sense of this parable, the one entitled the Parable of the Sower, or as I’'ve come to call it, the Parable of the Seed and the Soil. What I offer is one interpretation, one possible meaning for this parable, there may very well be others.
As an outsider looking in, this parable is difficult. It seems like just a common farming story. Where there is a sower, a farmer, who isn’'t all that concerned where they sow their seed. Those listening now might be thinking, "“What a silly farmer this one is."” We have soil that is in a variety of conditions, we have hard compacted soil from being walked on, we have rocky soil, we have soil that is full of weeds, and we have soil that’'s just right for this particular crop. This sower just spreads their seed all over the place and then they till it in to wait to see what happens. We don’'t know the reaction of the sower when they see their harvest, however, we know that the crop only grows in ¼ of the area where it was sown. In the quarter of land that they sow the yield is great (at least for that time).
And after hearing the parable, this is all that we'’re left with, so like the masses that heard this parable originally, we are left with questions. What or who’'s the seed? What or who’'s the sower? What are they sowing? What’'s the deal with the soil? I imagine that you probably have other questions too.
The disciples and the others with them also had questions. So they asked Jesus, “"What’'s the story about?”" and he takes them aside and explains it. Jesus is clear “the sower sows the word” (v. 14). In my bible it’'s lowercase, however in the Greek, it is logos, which can be translated as a word or the Word. I’'m sure you’'ve heard this before, it’'s used in the first chapter of the Gospel of John to describe Jesus. The sower is sowing the Word, because of the definite article, the, the word that is being sown then is a particular one, and coming from Jesus we can assume it to be the Word of God. So we know that the seed is the word, and now we know that’'s what'’s being sown. Perhaps we can guess then at the identity of the sower. Who is or are the one or ones spreading the word.
Now this is where we get into some tricky space. One of the theories is that Mark was written to encourage the early church. The early church in the first century were finding themselves under a great deal of persecution, and they were trying to spread the word the best that they could, but they were often finding themselves hitting different roadblocks. People were getting discouraged. So this is where, depending on how we read this parable, we could easily mix ourselves up.
If this parable was written for the early church then perhaps the sowers are those apostles or disciples who are trying their best to spread the Word. Now, I can buy this, listening to it, it’'s telling me that for all I say and for all I do about ¼ of the people I minister to are going to get it and have the message sink in. That also means though, that ¾ of you aren't, so don’'t worry about it. It doesn'’t sound that hopeful. There is another perspective.
If this parable were for the time when Jesus was speaking this, then perhaps the sower is not us, humanity, but instead God or Jesus. I suppose this could be reflecting some of what Jesus was feeling as he was trying to minister. Let’s hang onto this thought.
The question that remains for me, though, is what’'s the story with the soil. Depending on how we look at who the sower is, it changes who the soil is. If we see the sower as the apostles, or ourselves, then the soil is those who hear the Word. If we see the sower as God or as Jesus, then I think, we have to look at ourselves as the soil. I think this parable becomes most meaningful if we look at ourselves as the soil. I also think that’'s the more difficult reading of this parable, because it demands a certain degree of self-reflection.
The soil, as far as I can tell from this parable, simply receives the seed, or the Word. It doesn’'t do anything, but it’'s the condition of the soil that makes the difference.
Now this is where my imagination takes off. I am almost certain that the soil that Jesus is speaking of in this passage is humankind. As receivers of the Word, we all hear the word, we all see it with different eyes, and we all hear it with different ears, and we ponder it in different hearts. More than once while reading Mark, and I wonder if you'’ve noticed or picked up on this phrase yet, Jesus wonders, or asks, or comments on the “hardness of hearts” of different people. Has anyone else noticed that image? I wonder if there is a connection here, this phrase the “hardness of hearts” and the first kind of soil share this same hardness and the connection is a little too loud for me to ignore.
I am convinced that the soil has something to do with us, what part I don'’t know but I wonder about if it is our hearts. This connects back to how well the Word can germinate within us. Are we so hard that we just let it bounce off of us? Are we so hard that it doesn’'t take root? Or are we rocky so that when we hear the Word we just let it get under the surface but when we’re pushed it doesn’'t hold? Or do we have some weeds already growing within us that when the Word is sown it is choked out by our other passions and priorities, other worries and concerns, other loves and lusts? Are we all good soil perhaps, and need not worry about such parables? (I know I’'m not good soil. I’'d have to say that I’'m pretty rocky and thistle covered.)
I think that it is good for us to ponder what kind of soil we might be, I also think that it might be easy to identify what kind of soil we might be, but I think it’'s harder to accept which soil we are. After all, soil doesn'’t change on its own and claiming to be any other soil than good, means that we'’re not perfect soil for God.
I think that’'s one of the purposes of this parable. I think Jesus is simply calling it as it is, there will be some of us who don'’t accept what God offers, there are others who will lightly hold the Word but when pushed will reject, there are others who are consumed by other distractions and so the Word gets choked out, and there might be some who allow the Word to grow. That’'s only 1 in 4 of us, as far as farming is concerned that’'s pretty poor return on investment. This isn'’t very encouraging, rather, it sounds pretty hopeless.
So If I can'’t change what kind of soil I am, and all this seed is being sown that I don'’t get, and that doesn'’t take root, what do we do with that, is it hopeless? I think once we recognize that each of us aren'’t the ‘good soil’, our natural human reaction is to want to do something to become ‘good soil’. We want the weeds pulled, we want the rocks gone, we want to be tilled so that we'’re soft and ready, we want to become the ‘good soil.’ But we can’'t become the good soil by ourselves. It has to come from outside of us.
It feels difficult to hear that there is little I can do. As any farmer will tell you, soil can'’t change itself. So in this case if we find that we'’re rocky, hard, or already occupied soil, then we have no hope of changing ourselves.
Let’'s not kid ourselves, we like to do things, if we can change it, if we can do the work, it’'s easier, we know the job gets done if not right, then at least it’'s done my way. If we have to wait for someone else to make changes we get antsy, we get frustrated, we get uncomfortable, and with this parable, the change isn'’t up to us. We have to leave it in the hands of God. God, who is very much outside of our own control. God who works in God’'s own time and in God's own way.
If we are to change, then we have to open ourselves to God and to allow God to change us, perhaps we need a little “'Holy Manure'” to change the nutrients in our soil. Maybe we need to be cultivated, maybe we need to have God’'s hands digging deep into our hearts and souls, grabbing hold of the roots of the weeds that are already growing inside, maybe all we need is the desire and want to be changed. And maybe there is more grace out there. Just because we’'re rocky soil today doesn'’t mean we can't be a different kind of soil tomorrow. Maybe the soil is just a snapshot of who we are this moment.
Maybe it'’s that desire to be good soil that means we are good soil. If we truly long for the Word to be sown in us, perhaps God will help prepare the soil so that it’s ready for the Word. After all, Jesus'’ followers, they were fishermen, tax collectors, religious zealots, and shepherds, as far as we know, they weren'’t the best soil at that time either.
The ending of this parable is left ambiguous, that is, it doesn'’t give us a tidy answer, and it leaves us with more questions than answers. Which I think is the purpose of the parable. It gives a chance for the Word to be tilled in, to germinate, to start to grow, especially as we sit and wonder, and ponder, and think about over and over and over. The more time we spend with this parable the further it takes root in us. Maybe that’'s the point. Maybe it is our desire and our hearts that God is looking at, after all, in the Parable, we forget that God is the sower, and I doubt God would simply sow and step back. While we might be hard or filled with weeds, or rocks, I believe that God is willing to do a little work. I believe that if we are open and patient, that God will work on us, and maybe even turn us from less favourable soil into soil that is productive.
Amen.
l
Who is Jesus here for anyway?
January 15, 2012
Scripture: Mark 2:17
Opening Comments
This past week I audited a course taught by Matthew Thiessen at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon. In the course of one week we traveled through the entirety of the book of Mark; in addition to making it through the entire book of Mark we were also taught about some of the mysticism at the time regarding the beliefs surrounding demons, we were made more sensitive to the ancient Jewish purity customs, and we looked for those trends in the book of Mark.
This morning, and this past week, the scripture was from an area of Mark known as the controversy stories. In this section there are five controversy stories that happen in quick succession, typical Mark fashion. Each of these stories has a different question or controversy to them, but I will only speak to two, you’ll have to wait for Sunday School to unpack the other three.
I want to focus on the first two of the controversies, the story of the man with the withered hand, whose controversy is the question of why does Jesus speak in this way, and the story of Jesus and Levi, whose controversy is the question of why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners? So, let’s get into it.
Why Does Jesus Speak in This Way?
What we have here is a passage that is largely narrative, it’s funny to note that here and in future Mark will make a point to say that Jesus is preaching and teaching , and was drawing a great crowd of people, and we have no idea what it is that Jesus is saying, none whatsoever: Mark doesn'’t make a point to write down what it is Jesus is saying. So we don'’t know what it was exactly, that Jesus was teaching except to say that it was the Word. We can assume that this might have been the Torah, the Law, but beyond that we have no idea how Jesus was commenting or extrapolating on it.
What happens next is a fantastic story; there is a man, who was a paralytic. Something has happened to this man in the past that has caused him to be paralyzed, to be unable to move. One should note the stories that occur prior to this text, in the latter chapters of Mark 1, we hear a number of stories of Jesus driving demons out of people. So one possible interpretation of this text is that the paralyzed man, may be under some kind of demon possession. In our contemporary culture we can look at it and say that there is some medical condition that is causing this man to be paralyzed, so I don’'t necessarily want to make the connection that anyone paralyzed is under some demonic oppression, I think that’'s an extreme connection. For the sake of this particular story, it is a possible interpretation, given the stories that precede it.
The paralyzed man has four friends, who care for and about him, somehow, since Jesus’' return from the wilderness, and despite Jesus’' careful quieting of people, word has gotten around that Jesus is healing people. So they bring their friend to be healed by Jesus. But they can'’t make it to him, there are too many people there, so they got a bright idea, if we can'’t go through the front door, and if we can’'t go through the back door, if we can'’t get in through the windows, let’'s go through the ceiling!
I suggested earlier that this paralyzed man could have been suffering or have been under and demoniac attack. The purpose of demons in ancient Judaism was understood as something that brings death, or causes death. So a suggestion in our interpretation of this scripture could be that this paralyzed man is someone who is dying, or who is under the control of some death forces. It is also interesting to notice that they take this paralytic up on top of a roof to lower him down. Much like when we lower a coffin into a grave. Something I notice as I sit with this scripture is that there is a lot of death and dying imagery happening here.
And so Jesus speaks, finally! Forgiving sins and immediately he is under question, while no one hears the question, it is a question that the Pharisees are thinking and not verbalizing; “why does he speak in this way?” The problem that the Pharisees have is not that this person’'s sins are being forgiven; the issue is “whether Jesus can know that the person is being forgiven by God apart from any of the prescribed ceremonies and sacrifices— - apart even from an explicit confession on the part of the sinner.” For only God can know that for sure. This is not about withholding forgiveness, but rather the manor in which forgiveness was received. In ancient Judaism, forgiveness was found in only one place, and it came only from God.
So Jesus' assertion that the paralytic is forgiven, suggests to others listening that Jesus has either some divine connection to God, or that Jesus is God, either way, this is a problem for the Pharisees. In addition to this, Jesus has granted forgiveness outside and away from the temple, the central site for absolution. We see here, Jesus opening the Jewish tradition of forgiveness of sins.
Even more significant than that, I think, is instead his command to the paralytic. He tells the paralytic to Rise, the greek for this, ‘'egeire'’, is the same word used when Mark talks about Jesus’' resurrection. This use of resurrection language, three times in a few sentences, coupled with the image of the paralytic being lowered, is incredibly striking for me.
It’s striking because; this is a mini resurrection happening here. Where, by many standards, this individual was perceived as dead, indeed some ancient sources speak of being paralyzed as being a corpse; Jesus has now brought this individual life.
The result of all this, amazement, and with these few insights, this healing, becomes even more amazing for me.
Why Does Jesus Eat With Tax Collectors and Sinners?
We don’'t get to stand very long in amazement because Jesus is on the move yet again. This time we find Jesus walking by the sea, when he so happens to pass by the local tax office. In there he noticed Levi, the son of Alpheaeus, now to the curious, we would ask the question, what about Levi, catches Jesus’ attention? Why him over everyone else? What is it about Levi that makes something in Jesus’ head click and say…him, he’'s the one, I want him to join me and follow me?
As a tax collector Levi is viewed as someone who has sold out the occupying power, Rome that is. I think it’'s interesting to pair the previous story with this one, where Jesus is eating with individuals who would have been ‘demonized’ by ancient Jewish society. It would not be uncommon for people to say “tax collectors and sinners in the same breath.” As far as Jewish cleanliness laws, Levi would have been seen as permanently unclean.
It’'s important to notice that Jesus is spending his time here, by the sea, with people who are considered tax collectors and sinners. Jesus was not, unlike the Pharisees, trying to avoid places that could potentially make him unclean; rather, Jesus was seeking out this kind of company. Because of Levi’'s perpetual uncleanliness, the language used here is again something to take note. Levi is in a state of death, because he cannot again become clean, because he is considered a sinner, he will never be able to enter into the temple, his sins will never be absolved, and when he dies he will be condemned in death. Now, the language that Mark uses is again this resurrection language.
When Jesus calls on Levi, he rose, again, Jesus brings life to someone who would have been condemned to eternal death. This tension between life and death is just beginning, keep this in mind as you read further in Mark, you will notice this rising language over and over.
Soon after being called we find both Jesus and Levi at a meal together, who the host is, is unclear whether it is Jesus or Levi, is not as important as who the company gathered are, at least that'’s the case for the Pharisees. They are the ones who are inquiring about Jesus, and why he’'s eating again with tax collectors and sinners. Now they don'’t ask Jesus directly, rather they choose to go, instead, through the disciples, who, as we will see, don'’t have any more a clue to Jesus’' motivations than we do as readers. Though Jesus quickly catches wind of this, and responds to it directly and quickly. Later we will see Jesus discussing these things, but this time, for one reason or another he gives a very quick, terse response. "I am here not for the healthy but for the sick, I come not for the righteous, but for sinners."
Jesus is not terribly concerned with how much we have it together, Jesus is not concerned with whether we are pure or impure, clean or unclean, Jesus doesn'’t care about what our status is, rather, Jesus is more focused on people, who we are. He’'s not concerned about whether he’s going to become impure by being with us. I think this is important for us to hear. Sometimes we're judged, and we judge one another because of the company that we keep. So this is a good reminder, the Jesus that we look up to, the Jesus that we follow, sat, ate, and partied, with tax collectors and sinners. May we remember this.
Conclusion
There are two things that I wanted you to see going on in these passages this morning. First I wanted to you to see how Jesus takes situations where death is present, and brings life to them. Jesus is the life bringer in the Gospel of Mark. In a world and a time where death was always present, Jesus is the beacon of life for those who believe and wish to follow.
Second thing I wanted you to notice was Jesus'’ movement to the margins of society. I alluded last week to the Holy Spirit descending like a dove, or pigeon, I wondered last week if the commonness and the associated uncleanliness of the pigeon as perhaps an indicator of where Jesus’' ministry might lead him. This week we see clearly Jesus sitting and eating with those who are marginalized and considered ritually unclean by the Jewish authorities.
In both of these passages and the others read this week, we notice that already controversy is being stirred up, that the character of Jesus is one who speaks truth. Jesus moves to the margins and eats with the marginalized. Jesus is presented as one who brings light into darkness, life into death.
As we continue this journey through Mark, may each of us begin to adopt the character of Jesus, one who is compassionate, willing to venture to the margins, and ones who walk with the hope of the resurrection. I leave you with the words of Henri Nouwen, who wrote in his book In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, “"Jesus has a different idea of maturity, it is the willingness and the ability to go to those places where we would rather not go.”"
May Jesus continue to lead us to the places we would rather not go, and may we be willing and able to follow Jesus to those places.
Never The Same Again…
January 8, 2012
Scripture: Mark 1:1 -11
This week is the beginning of our 6-week series on the book of Mark. Before we delve into the scripture selected this morning, and focus on Jesus’ baptism, I want to offer you a few thoughts on the book of Mark as a whole. This will help us set the stage for the upcoming weeks.
A Broad View
Here are some interesting tidbits that I have gleaned from my reading. You might have noticed that Mark is the shortest of all four Gospels. It has only 16 chapters in it, with two different endings. Mark is also commonly believed to be the oldest of the four gospels, and some believe that Matthew and Luke used Mark as a source in their composition.
As far as the story goes, the Gospel of Mark narrates the Ministry of Jesus from John the Baptist's baptism of Jesus, where we start today, to the Ascension of Jesus following his resurrection. The Gospel of Mark concentrates particularly on the last week of his life (chapters 11–-16, the trip to Jerusalem), as part of this series, we will be focusing up to chapter 13, so as to leave the Passion narrative for Lent and Easter.
Mark is swift, many things happen with an air of immediacy, in fact, Mark is famously known for his frequent use of the word ‘immediately’. There is a lot of movement, many things happen immediately after something else has occurred.
An important theme of Mark is the Messianic Secret. Meaning that Jesus strives to keep his identity as the Messiah a secret from the public. We will notice this even today, with the vision Jesus receives after his baptism. Jesus silences the demoniacs he heals, keeps his messianic identity secret, and conceals his message with parables. The disciples also fail to understand the implication of the miracles of Jesus. We will notice how the disciples are often used as a teaching element, a foil. The disciples represent people who hear but don’'t exactly ‘get’ what Jesus is teaching.
With these tidbits in our minds, lets return our focus now to the specific selection for this morning.
Setting the Scene
This scripture starts out in a way that’s very much down to earth, it's grounded in reality, it’'s tactile, it’'s concrete, and the author of Mark is doing their best to help us place ourselves in this world, to have a sense for it. One commentator writes, “"In a few verses are references to river water, clothing from camels, diet from bugs, a bird analogy, and an interesting weather phenomenon.” "
Starting in verse 9, the world of the reader shrinks. Our focus is drawn specifically to a small place in time. We are observers focused on Jesus and John the Baptist. One verse moves us from the wide scope of geography, a reference of where Jesus came from and where Jesus went; from Nazareth in Galilee to John in the Jordan. As readers we have one sentence to cover roughly 30 km. Mark doesn'’t give us a lot of hints as to the setting, in some way’s it’s assumed that we know what the Jordan River is like, and we have some sense of what it was like with John the Baptist there. From what can be gathered it wasn'’t a serene scene, John was known to have followers, and what we can glean from other gospels, John also had a strong following, he too was challenged by the religious authorities at the time as well, so an educated guess suggests that this could have very easily been a busy scene.
Quickly, the author takes all of this context and pushes it to the sides because in the next line, the deed is done, Jesus is baptized and we are taken to an even more focused perspective. The language here is significant, as a casual reader we make the assumption that what occurs here is something that everyone see’s. If we read Matthew and Luke it is suggested that what follows is something that everyone witnessed, however, on a close reading of Mark, what follows is seen just by Jesus, the author of Mark gives us a window into what Jesus see’s here but it's important to notice that what follows is for Jesus'’ eyes only.
The author of Mark has taken us readers and has put us in the privileged position of seeing what Jesus see’s and offers us secret information that no one else knows.
Heaven’s Opening
The vision that Jesus sees evokes a lot of striking imagery which references back into known scripture at the time. The first part of Jesus’ vision in verse 10; “he saw the heavens being torn apart” ; refers us back to Isaiah 64, a scripture which we read on first Advent; “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down.” Tying the old testament prophesy of the coming of the Messiah to Jesus’ baptism lends credibility to who Jesus secretly is. This is also very visceral and vivid imagery, and it allows our imaginations to take off. The heavens are torn open. The greek word, used for torn can also be translated as split, ripped or divided. When I first read this my imagination goes to the image of cloth tearing, complete with the the sight and the sound. A tearing noise, the ragged edges just hanging, for me this is not a clean breaking. Rather a violent ripping, like the tearing of bread. This tearing also foreshadows an event that will happen on Good Friday, the tearing of the temple curtain from top to bottom.
This tearing of the heavens can also be understood as a metaphor for a revelation. A revelation that heaven, which was once closed, has now been opened, perhaps even forced open. This is something to hold in the back of our heads as we continue to read over the next few weeks.
Spirit’'s Descent
Following the rending of the heavens the Spirit descends. Spirit is capitalized, so it is safe to assume that this is the Holy Spirit descending to Jesus like a dove. In seminary during one of my Greek Exegesis classes, a friend of mine who was a bit of an ornithologist, that is, someone who really enjoys birds, noted that the translation of the Greek word for dove, is also the same word used for pigeon. This really caught my attention because, for me, it turns this passage around for me. When I think of a dove, I think of the white birds, usually used as a symbol of peace, we even use the image of the dove as part of the Mennonite Church logo.
When I think of a pigeon, though, I think of the dirty birds usually found in downtown city cores, feeding on the trash and other things that we throw away, pooping everywhere, and generally making a mess.
Since then, what I’'ve learned is that doves and pigeons are related. They are a part of the same bird family; in fact a dove is just a particular kind of pigeon. So for me to imagine that the bird descending from heaven might not be this pure spotless white animal, but an animal that I commonly associate with dirt, brings new meaning for me. It dispels the myth that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are images of perfection, but rather it suggests to me that they are willing to get dirty and to be with us in the muck and grime of daily life.
It is also important to note that it was “like a dove” that the Holy Spirit descended. This is where grade school English shows up. For the English teachers out there, you can see where I am going, because the important word here is ‘like.’ It was LIKE a dove, this scripture doesn'’t say it was a dove. Common perception is of this dove descending and landing on Jesus, but here, the Spirit is descending LIKE a dove. The scripture uses the word ‘like’, which when used in this way, turns this image into a simile, a comparison. So rather than the Spirit appearing to literally be a dove or pigeon, the Spirit is descending like a dove or a pigeon. This is more about the Spirit’'s descent rather than the Spirit's appearance.
If seen in slow motion, a dove or pigeon's descent is a majestic image, their wings are spread out to their fullest, moving forward and backward trying to slow the animal down, but when witnessed in real time, its anything but majestic, instead it’s a flurry of flapping feathers. This descent then, is not elegant. Rather it appears as chaotic.
Divine Acceptance
So the heavens are torn apart, the Spirit has descended, and how we have an affirmation of Jesus’ identity from Heaven. We have a voice from heaven, which speaks “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.”
In this I hear God is saying to Jesus, “You belong to me, I love you, I am happy with you.”
Isn’'t this something that we all want to hear; an affirmation, not just of what we do, but of who we are. Look at the words, You are my Son. This evokes ownership and belonging, God is saying you are my child.
As children, isn’'t this something that we look for, to belong? Is this not something that gives us safety and assurance? As we grow up, we look for different places to belong, we look for different places to call our own, and for places to be accepted, for who we are. Here is God’'s divine acceptance.
In the scripture, Jesus is not just God’'s Son, Jesus is also the Beloved. It’'s like a parent embracing you and saying, “You are my child, and I love you.” Isn'’t this what we long for, we yearn to hear this. We look for this. That side of us that is still a child, and will always be a child, looks for and still needs to be told we belong and we are loved, and not for any other reason that for who we are.
Finally God says to Jesus, “with you I am well pleased.” Doesn’'t that sound like I am happy with you. We always want to hear when we’'ve done a good job, we naturally look for affirmation. It’'s good to know when things are going well. So this is a divine affirmation of God approving what Jesus has done. Though there’'s one problem… when I look at the scripture, what has Jesus done up to this point. In Matthew and Luke, we have stories of Jesus’ childhood, of things that have happened, but in the book of Mark the only thing that Jesus’ has done is be baptized. As far as Mark tells the story, Jesus has said nothing, and done even less.
Ignorantly, we say that until this moment of Jesus'’ baptism, he has done nothing that merits such affirmation, except be baptized. So what is it about Jesus'’ baptism that merits such an affirmation. Certainly Jesus didn’'t need to be baptized for the same reasons we are baptized. Jesus' baptism has nothing to do with his own salvation, rather, I would suggest, that Jesus'’ baptism was more about him setting himself apart, and solidifying his identity than anything else.
In being baptized, Jesus is accepting his divine calling as God’'s Son, the Messiah. In Jesus accepting his divine calling, God is pleased, and loves who Jesus is choosing to be. God’'s affirmation is not about the deeds or actions that Jesus performs, up until this point Jesus has not done anything, but it is about who Jesus is choosing to be and who Jesus is choosing to become.
In the same way, I believe that at our baptism, God is also pleased with us. God knows that we will make mistakes, God knows that we will mess up, but I believe that God is pleased and loves us because we are making a choice in our baptism to accept the identity of one of God’'s own. We choose to claim our identity as a child of God, one who God can love, and it is my hope, one day, to hear from God, “with you I am well pleased.”
So What? Why is our Baptism significant?
Our baptism, like Jesus’' baptism, is about claiming an identity. Yes, it is about our seeking redemption and forgiveness of sins, but that’'s not all. It is also about making a claim of who we are.
When we are baptized, we are publically announcing that we are followers of Jesus Christ. We are setting ourselves apart. We take this cue from this whole story, and also from the early Anabaptists, who did the same, with full knowledge that their baptism signaled the end of their earthly lives. When the Anabaptists in the 16th century first chose baptism, they knew that they could count the days, weeks, and months if they were lucky, that they had left to live. They were choosing a life of persecution, and choosing a life that would ultimately lead them to a violent death, for the sake of their beliefs.
In the comfort of North America we have lost the risk of baptism. Becoming a Christian, and choosing a life to follow Christ has become mainstream, it has become easy to be a Christian. It almost feels like the norm.
This is beginning to change. No longer is everyone we meet as we walk down the street a Christian, we are seeing other faiths, and no faiths as we interact with people on the street. The risk is beginning to return. When I meet people and they ask me what I do, conversations sometimes quickly end when I mention that I am pastor. I am sure that you’'ve had conversations that end abruptly when you mention that you’'re a Christian.
Christianity is moving back to the fringe, and I think that’s O.K. I think that’s OK because it is going to force us to be clear about who we are. It is going to force us to live as a distinctive people. We are going to be forced to be different, and not only do I think that’'s OK, I think that’'s exciting. Because I believe that we are a distinctive people, a unique people, I believe that God calls us to be different; I believe that God calls us to live lives that demonstrate the love of Christ. I believe that our baptism is a public act that sets us apart, and tells the world who we are, and who we follow.
Wrapping it Up
Our baptism, like Jesus'’ baptism, sets us apart from those around us. Our baptism is a claiming of an identity. The water poured on us makes us a distinctive people, a people who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, who live in a way that is faithful and consistent with Jesus'’ teachings. We are a people who see the world with a different set of eyes.
This passage from Mark sets the stage for the rest of the Gospel. In the weeks ahead, let’'s keep our eyes open to see the way that Christ grows into his identity of God’'s Son, the Beloved. Let’'s keep our ears open to hearing how Christ is calling each of us to live in a way that is different than the world around us. Let’'s keep our hearts open as we join Jesus in this journey.
