Sermons for the Month
"Making Christ Know" Through Radical Lives
DATE: September 21st, 2003
SERVICE: 15th Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Mark 9:30-37“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN (The "Making Christ Known" through Faith Lutheran Church power point presentation is shown before the sermon.)
I brought a radical book with me today. In fact, the picture on the cover of the book - and the ones in the first chapter - are so radical that I felt compelled to carry the book in a sack. I'll bring it out carefully and show it to you. Here it is … can you see what's pictured here? It's a depiction of Jesus talking with three children, And, at the beginning of the chapter titled, "Friend of Children", he's walking with some 1950's vintage children, and even is carrying one of them. Now, I ask you, how can we mild-mannered Lutherans allow such radical books in our church? Do you know that I found this one in a room upstairs, a room in which our own beloved, innocent sixth graders sit? Maybe the Church Council should do something about this!!! By now you may be wondering if the Pastor has lost her mind. Why am I making such a big deal about these images of Jesus with children? Why in the world would I say this is radical? Well folks, here's the real deal. Over the centuries we have turned the words and actions of Jesus in today's Gospel lesson - when he took the child into his arms and said, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me…" - into a sentimental image.
While there certainly is nothing wrong with remembering Jesus' love for children, there is something that we often forget. When Jesus did this it was a radical act and conveyed a radical message.
This event did not occur in a time when, as is true in our society, children were valued. We must remember that in first century Palestine children, along with women, tax collectors and sinners were second class citizens at best. They were considered unimportant, totally without status and certainly did not deserve special attention or even fair treatment. When Jesus acknowledged that child's presence, placing him or her among his disciples, and then took the little one into his arms saying that to welcome this child is the same as welcoming God, he turned the standards of that day upside down. This was a radical, radical thing.
He said it in order to illustrate another radical concept, that one must lose in order to win. Jesus had to provide a concrete illustration because the disciples just are not getting it. Jesus has once again told them about the suffering that he will endure. He says clearly that he will be betrayed into the hands of sinful people and killed. Obviously, the disciples do not understand the significance of this sacrifice because as they walk along the road, they are discussing who will be greatest in the coming kingdom.
If we let our imaginations run away with us, we can picture them walking in single file down the dusty roads of Palestine - following behind Jesus - trying not to be overheard. Peter speaks up, "I'll be the greatest because I first confessed that Jesus is the Messiah!" (He must have forgotten the firm rebuke that Jesus spoke when he did so.) Then another disciple says, "No, I'll be the greatest because I healed a woman in Jesus' name." Then a third follower would claim, "No, I'm the greatest because I was the first to respond when Jesus directed us to pass food out to that crowd of 5000 people."
This sort of debate continued until Jesus had had enough. He then sat down to teach them and tried to make it clear for the 100th time that God measures greatness by one's willingness to serve. Then, he reinforces that teaching by saying that one way of serving is to welcome vulnerable, unacceptable people, like children.
All this boils down to the fact that we are all called to serve. Or, to quote last week's sermon, to become a means rather than an end - to become the conduit through which the Gospel is proclaimed using the gifts that we have been given. Or, let's think of it another way. We are not only the transformed people of God, we are the radical people of God who do that which our culture neither supports nor commends. We lose in order to win, and we seek greatness through serving.
It was fun to see all those photos in today's "Making Christ Known" through Faith Lutheran Church presentation. Did you realize that you were looking at a bunch of radical people? I say that because any ministry that has been accomplished in this congregation over the past 50 years, and all that we continue to do, occurs ONLY because people give of their time, talents and money to make it happen. It does not just materialize. There is no magic wand to wave to bring ministry into being, as much as we wish that was true. Instead, people live radical lives making sacrifices so that ministry happens in this place. (Give examples of people at Faith who are living radical lives.)
Now, some would say that such sacrifices are foolish. But I'm reminded of another quote from last week's sermon. He/She is no fool who gives up what he/she cannot keep in order to gain what he/she cannot lose. In other words, we give up that which is not ours to keep in the first place - ourselves and our resources - in order to bring the Kingdom of God into being in this world and to enjoy it in the life to come.
I love these pictures of Jesus welcoming the children, and remember imagining I was one of those who he actually held in his arms. But today as I look at these illustrations I see much more than a comforting image. I see the Savior of the world calling his disciples to live sacrificial, radical lives and by doing so to welcome God into our midst.
AMEN