And Now, A Word About Seeds

Sermon production is a strange craft.  Preaching a sermon in a series like "Jesus Through the Eyes of Mark" begins by wrestling with the text seeking to understand it's meaning.  The next step is determining exactly what message from the text  the congregation needs to hear.  Finally, the preacher must decide the best way to communicate with his audience.  These steps are not so much walked through in sequential order as they are always in my mind as I work on a sermon. 

This week's sermon seemed to be particularly difficult to put together.  What do the three seed parables mean when read together?  What is the proper interpretation of that strange Isaiah quote where Jesus essentially says he speaks in parables so outsiders will not understand and thus be unable to repent?  How does the statement about the lamp and the bowl fit into the three seed parables?  What is to be made of the repetition of the words "hear" and "listen"? 

As I worked on the sermon it just didn't seem to be coming together until it finally hit me that since the germ of life is in the seed, and sense the seed is the message, then the seed needs to be envisioned as Jesus himself.  He IS the message.  Life is found ONLY in him.  With that revelation, the message of the sermon took shape. 

Are you crazy?

Following Jesus is sometimes difficult; but often we make it more difficult than it should be. We do this when we allow our expectations to blind us to God's desires. We do this when we let our ideas form our decisions instead of Jesus' teachings. As we continue to study Mark's Gospel we will see the Twelve fail in just these ways over and over and over.

In this morning's sermon we examined the threefold commission Jesus gave to the Twelve from Mark 3:14-15. In our eagerness to prove our worthiness to God we often jump ahead of the Holy Spirit and attempt to do something wonderful for God's kingdom. Our triumphant expectations eventually splatter against the reality that working with people is hard! We then begin to experience resentments, anger, bitterness, and a whole host of other unpleasant attitudes. Finally, we turn our disappointment to God in utter disbelief that He would let these things happen to us after ALL we have attempted to do for him.

At this point (as the disciples would have to learn) we need to go back to EXACTLY what it is that God has called us to do. Yes, God did call the twelve to preach and to exercise authority over the enemy. But, before they were to even attempt to do any of that they were to "be with him." As we spend time with Jesus he makes us into the people who can do his work. He shapes us and forms us. He supplies us and equips us. He also clarifies the work that he specifically has in mind for us.

THEN, when we do our work; it may be difficult at times, but it fits who we are, and the gifts God's Holy Spirit has given us. As we spend time with Jesus he transforms us into people through whom he can work by means of his Spirit. If people think we're crazy because of how we live and love, may it not be because we've run ahead of Jesus on our own ideas; but because we have come to know him so well that we are like him. After all, Jesus was accused of being crazy himself (Mark 3:21).

Follow Me

Today's sermon was an experiment with narrative preaching or preaching in the first person. It seemed appropriate to try this type of sermon since Mark was written in a style that invites the reader to join in the journey. After living in Palestine for awhile, watching Jesus at work and listening to his teaching; it's time to come back to the 21st century and live in our world again. The real question is not what DID it mean to follow Jesus; but what DOES it mean today?

One thing we learn from studying Mark's Gospel is that NOBODY follows Jesus without experiencing changes. Following Jesus requires changes in thinking, changes in attitudes, changes in what's valued, and changes in actions. In other words, when someone follows Jesus they experience, not just a make-over, but a complete do-over!

As we study Mark's portrayal of Jesus, it is encouraging to me that EVERYONE is in the process of discovery. We, as readers, are invited to join in as learners, students, and disciples. Nobody has Jesus all figured out (and the people who think they do are the most scary). We are always to be following and to continue learning.

I'm looking forward to our continued journeys together with Jesus. So, grab your walking stick and let's keep following him wherever he leads. And when you go to your 21st century workplace tomorrow - remember who you are and keep following your leader.

What Did You Expect?

Expectations are normal in every walk of life. They create problems for us, however, when they fail to be fulfilled. Especially are they problematic when they are unspoken or even unacknowledged. One way you can discover your expectations is when you become angry, depressed, frustrated, etc.... ask yourself, "What did I expect?" Answer the question in writing (I journal a lot for this reason) and be honest. The answers might surprise you.

When we get angry, frustrated, or disillusioned with God it probably goes back to our unmet expectations. As you write out answers you may discover something like the following:

• I expect God to allow me to maintain my standard of living.
• I expect God to keep me and my loved ones free from sickness, especially terminal illnesses.
• I expect God to keep my marriage happy.
• I expect God to make my children obey me.

On and on we could go. The list is endless. By acknowledging our expectations we can get honest with God about our disappointments. We can also invite him to help us develop expectations based on His Word (not what we assume he's said but what he's actually promised us.)

Living in the kingdom of God may be quite different from what we've thought it was. However, when we truly follow Jesus we can be assured that everything he has truly promised us will come to pass. The kingdom of God is indeed GOOD NEWS! Let Jesus teach you what that Good news actually is.

On a related note, I am excited to have so many join our weekly reading of Mark's Gospel. Send me your email address if you want to be included in reading this "short" Gospel each week for the duration of the sermon series.