Sermon by Reverend Dr. John W. Mann | September 29, 2024

Mark 9:38-50

One time my wife Lindsay admonished a young man in the neighborhood for driving his car in a reckless manner. He responded by cursing at her and yelling, “Go back to America!” When she told me about it, my reaction was like hers: Oh well, another day in the city. But it occurred to me that in that city, not being in the America to which she was told to return, there were different laws regarding what constitutes free speech. Legal speech.

In America, we enshrine in the constitution our right to freely speak our minds. Even if our words are offensive to some people, we still have the right to say them or write them. There are limits of course, boundaries that can be crossed and laws that can broken, but in this country telling someone to go back to where they came from is not illegal.

I told Lindsay that technically what that young guy said to her constituted a crime according to the laws of the land. If she wanted to drive home her point about his reckless driving in our neighborhood, then she should report what he said to her to the police. We went over to the police station and a police officer took Lindsay’s statement. They actually followed up and wanted to know to what extent she wanted to press charges. She didn’t want the guy arrested; she just wanted him to be made aware of his bad driving.

The police followed up by talking to the young man, who as it turned out had just gotten his driver’s license and his parents were none too happy with him. The police officer said, “Oh aye, I put the fear of God into him.” The police also sent Lindsay a letter stating that since she was the victim of a crime, she was entitled to victim’s compensation and counseling services. Neither of those were needed.

In our American landscape we may well wonder why people say the things they do, think the way they do, support the candidate they do, do what they do or be what they are. We don’t have to look far or listen long to find disagreement and disagreeableness. So many areas of life – politics, religion, education, culture, life, work, history, just about anything someone can have an opinion about will be an opportunity for a fight. It’s our tendency as human beings. We can rise above it or we can dive into it.

In our story for today, the disciples of Jesus, his chosen followers, were disturbed because there were other people acting in the name of Jesus. They didn’t know these other people and they were not part of the inner circle, so the disciples tried to shut them down.

For some odd reason, people think they have to defend Jesus. Here’s a guy, the Son of God no less, who gave up his life willingly and died a horrible death, and yet there are people who get very upset when someone doesn’t believe in Jesus the same way they do. But it’s been like that from the beginning. Many of the stories we read in the Gospel of Mark tell of how Jesus reminded his followers, constantly it would seem, of who he is and what his mission is about.

Part of the issue involves the nature of faith. Faith is not about logic and reason. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the certainty of things not seen. Faith is heartfelt and becomes enmeshed with our emotions. It’s understandable why people get upset about their religion. An attack on God can feel personal.

It would be a whole lot easier to be a preacher if there were no difficult subjects. If all we had to do was talk about love and lilies of the field, sunshine and happy endings, then being a preacher would be easy; easy, but not as much fun or as interesting. The problem is the bible. The bible is filled with stories and teachings on tough subjects. The bible doesn’t avoid the reality of life. Sure there’s a few references to sunshine, lilies of the field and happy endings. It’s just that for some people to experience their happy endings, some hard truth must be encountered. It’s called living life in the real world.

Every so often people send me letters. Sometimes people thank me for something. Those letters are humbling and if ever I have a bad day, I might just take out some of them and read them over them as a reminder of why I do what I do and as a reminder to just keep doing it.

I also appreciate the letters where people take issue with something I’ve said or done. Those letters are also humbling and, in a way, they too are a source of inspiration. If something that I have said or done makes someone so angry that they take the time to write a letter telling me about it, then I am willing to listen and consider their viewpoint.

Some letters remind me that there are times when you know that if you upset certain people, you must be doing something right. These letters usually include what people, often total strangers think about me as a human being, as a Christian or as a minister. I might take them out as well and read over them as a reminder of why I do what I do and as a reminder to just keep doing it.

After 9/11 I received a letter from a member of the congregation I served. The letter was also sent to all the session members. In it, this man described how angry he was with me. On the Sunday following 9/11 some folks wanted to sing the song “God Bless America” in worship and I said there’s a time and a place for that sort of music, but a worship service wasn’t it. This individual who wrote the letter listed among grievances that I needed to get over my “outdated 1960’s philosophy.” I took that as a compliment. He also never spoke to me again. I took that as a blessing.

When I had to conduct a very difficult and very public funeral service, I struggled with what to say, knowing that no matter what was said, someone would take offense. Friends and colleagues advised to say what needed to be said. Tell the truth, speak the good news, stand as a witness to the resurrection and let God do the rest. There is no way to make everyone happy all the time. Sometimes telling the truth means choosing whom you will displease.

One woman wrote to inform me that she thought my words are a disgrace to the church and that I am a disgrace to the cloth!! (double exclamation point.)

Another writer wanted me to know the following: “What galling and shameful remarks that you have expressed.   Do you not know that there IS a God in heaven and that there will be a day of justice and that one day YOU will be held to account for every idle word that one has spoken? Why is that as I witness for Christ that I have to continually explain and apologize for careless remarks that church people make when I am challenged about them?  The shame is on you on dear friend. The shame is on you for being so cowardly and dishonoring your duty in serving God, the people that you’ve been entrusted with and thereby playing into the hands of a Godless and biased media who like nothing more than to undermine the governments and authorities of the day.” This writer concludes his remarks with the sign-off, “In Christ.”

One writer included the phrase “shame on you” a total of eleven times in his letter, accusing me of promoting the enemies of God, preaching a sermon of hate and fury, not praying for our world leaders, seeking revenge and retribution, and of being unwilling to forgive as Jesus forgave me. Also, this writer advised me that I should not be a Christian minister because I am not saved. He concluded his letter by saying “I could name another 50 shames on you, but I shant go on” and suggests that I repent of my actions and do the job that God sent me to do, namely to represent him and not “your own ideas or those of the romantic left, who are no friends of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Jesus told his disciples in effect that his work was bigger than them; it was beyond their reach and thus not something they could own and control. He takes some common wisdom ideas and turns them around for added impact –

“Whoever is not against us, is for us.”

“Whoever gives you a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ will receive their reward.”

Those are ways of saying, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

He also implies that if someone wants to be offended, then they should begin with themselves. Does your hand cause you to stumble? Then cut if off. Does your eye lead you astray? Then pluck it out. Does your foot cause you to stumble? Then cut it off. The message being that if one is offended by something about the body of Christ to the point of wanting to destroy that offense, then there won’t be any body left to cause offense. He encouraged his followers to be at peace with one another.

A Scottish hymn titled, “Inspired by Love and Anger” asks a lot of questions about this –

“Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,

informed of God’s own bias, we ask him once again:

‘How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?

How long dare vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?’

God asks, ‘Who will go with me? Who will extend my reach?

And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?

And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?

And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?’

Amused in someone’s kitchen, asleep in someone’s boat,

attuned to what the ancients exposed, proclaimed and wrote,

a savior without safety, a tradesman without tools

has come to tip the balance with fishermen and fools.”

It seems to be saying that if we want to defend God, then the best way to do that is to follow Jesus in his way, his truth and his life. That may cause offense, but the best defense is a good offense. Amen.