Mark 6:1-13
Proper 9 / Year A
One of
the features of our recent readings from the Gospel of Mark is Jesus constantly
on the move. After taking up residence in
the lakeside town of Capernaum he sails to gentile territory on the other side
of the Galilean Sea and then returns to Capernaum. Today finds him visiting to his childhood
home of Nazareth, some 25 miles to the southwest. All the while he has in tow a small group of
disciples.
Three
things seem to happen at nearly every stop.
First, Jesus is besieged. Second,
he is beset with requests for healing.
And finally, he is ridiculed and attacked either by authorities from
Jerusalem or people very close to him, his own family and friends. Now, I know this is not the typical picture
we paint of Jesus’ ministry. We tend to
think of him as being wildly popular and overwhelming successful. But, if we
are true to the biblical text – at least up to this point – we have to admit in
the early going there are bumps in the road.
Perhaps
the biggest bump comes in Nazareth. In
Jesus’ day it is a close-knit community not much bigger than a few city blocks
here in downtown Suffolk. It goes without
saying everybody knows you and you know everyone. Jesus returns and heads to the
synagogue. Everyone in town – and I mean
everyone – is there.
Jesus
teaches and the people who watched him grow up are astounded. Where did he get all this wisdom? Apparently, Jesus was not a Rhodes
Scholar. Where did he get this
power? After all, he is merely the son
of a carpenter! Now, in that day, the profession
of carpentry is near the bottom of the social ladder, even lower the field
peasant. Who taught him all these
things? Isn’t this Mary’s son? In Hebrew culture a man is always referred to
by his first name, say John, followed by the name of his father, son of
Zebedee. To refer to Jesus as son of
Mary casts aspirations on lineage, suggesting he is illegitimate.
Do
these insults hurt? You bet they
do. Jesus quotes an old adage: a prophet
is not without honor except in his own hometown. What a shock it must have been for Jesus to
be able to do no good works among his neighbors and kin and family. But more than being rejected personally,
Jesus is concerned (as always) with the spread of the Good News of the
kingdom.
In
today’s world we talk about Plan B. It
is a contingency for when things don’t go as expected. In order to institute Plan B you must embrace
the reality Plan A is not getting you where you want to go. It calls for reflection, learning, and
positivity – the notion you can overcome your challenges and accomplish what
you set out to do, only in a new way.
Developing a Plan B involves taking stock in your resources, doing more
research on potential strategies, and developing a new plan.
Mark
does not describe the self-reflection Jesus goes through, only the outcome. Based on the changes he makes, it seems
likely Jesus realizes the work is centered too much on him. As a result, wherever he goes he is either
mobbed or maligned or both. How can he
shift the focus from himself to the kingdom he proclaims?
As
Jesus takes stock in what he has, surely he realizes his greatest resource comes
from the power of God at work in him.
But he also discerns he has a tremendous resource in the energy,
dedication, and enthusiasm or his disciples.
If he sends them out to proclaim the words of the kingdom and to do its
works then the focus will shift from him to what he is trying to
accomplish. And so this is what
does. In groups of two they fan out to
all the towns and villages of the region and by all accounts they have great
success.
I
always notice Jesus tells them to take a staff and sandals (what they need for
traveling), but not bread or money (what they need to survive). They are to go forward with faith God will
provide for them. I also notice the
direction to stay in the home of a person who welcomes you and to shake off the
dust on your shoes from those who don’t.
It suggests some people will be with you all the way, while others are
not going to be willing or able to come along.
So be it.
Sean
Rowe, our Presiding Bishop-elect, has signaled to the church we are in a Plan B
moment. The clearest sign of this is his
desire to have a scaled down installation service on November 1. The savings to dioceses in travel time and
lodging of bishops alone will be enormous.
What Bishop Rowe is emphasizing is exactly what Jesus does in today’s
reading. Our church’s mission to
proclaim the Gospel is not changing, but under Plan B the methods we employ to
do it will change.
I can’t
recall a person at St. Paul’s ever saying, “We have never done it that way
before.” We seem to be open to innovation
(especially when it is accompanied by reflection). As your rector it has always been important
to me to follow the energy in the parish.
Where is there opportunity? Where
is there enthusiasm? Lets go with it
because this is where God’s Spirit is moving.
Where is the energy draining out of us?
Perhaps it is time to let go and move on… or at the very least to
consider a Plan B. Know this: the Spirit
is always at work in and through our parish.
It is our blessed opportunity to align ourselves with its stirring and,
as Jesus does in today’s reading, to adjust and to adapt to changing
circumstances in order for the mission to go on.
