Sermon - Pentecost 18, Year B

18th Sunday after Pentecost  

Mark 9:38-50, Numbers 11:24-29 

No Territory Battles Allowed

This section of Mark’s Gospel might be sub-titled, “How many ways can you get it wrong?”  There is a good portion of additional material in these chapters, but a quick look back with over the past two weeks reveals how many times and how many ways Jesus’ followers have gotten it “wrong”.  Two weeks ago it was the confession of Peter.  A wonderful exchange.  But remember what happens immediately after Peter’s strong statement of faith.  He rejects Jesus’ insistence that Messiahship means crucifixion.  Remember Jesus telling Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!”?

Last week, we had the argument among the disciples as to which of them was the greatest.  Jesus takes the little child, places the child in their midst, and tells them that if they want to approach true greatness they should be like this child.

Today, the disciples get into a territorial dispute.  They want to claim exclusive right to speaking for Jesus and in Jesus’ name.  Again, Jesus rebukes them, “Do not stop (the person casting out demons in my name);  for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.  Whoever is not against us is for us.”

How many ways can you get it wrong?  I don’t know.  There seems to be endless opportunities.

One thing I do know, we (God’s children) are nowhere near being done with our disputes over who is it that has the right to claim to speak God’s Word.  Nowhere near.  Not now, for sure.

It seems to be an age-old problem.  The readings from the Old Testament are selected as support for the Gospel reading.  The issue facing Jesus in Mark 9 was faced by Moses in Numbers 11.  Someone thought that somebody else was outstripping their pay-grade and doing something they were not supposed to do.  Eldad and Medad had not gone out to the tent meeting where the spirit had come to rest upon the selected seventy.  And yet, Eldad and Medad are in the camp, prophesying.  Moses is notified, with the expectation that he would call a halt to their actions.  Moses’ response is almost identical to Jesus:  “Are you jealous for my sake?  Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets.” 

Moses is not concerned that these two weren’t members of the selected seventy.  Jesus does not worry that the person casting out demons in his name has taken a somewhat different path than John and the twelve apostles.  “No one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me,” he tells his most faithful followers.

How many ways can they get it wrong?  The opportunities seem endless.

Of course, “getting it wrong” is what the debate is all about.  We would want to silence those who “get it wrong,” so that their testimony would not conflict with our own and confuse those whom we would prefer to be influenced by our concept of what it “right.”

“Getting it wrong” is the first step in heresy; and heresy results in death when the Church has the civil authority to carry out it’s decrees.

How are we to reconcile the danger of heresy as it stands over and against the nonchalant attitude of Jesus when he tells his disciples, “those who are not against us are for us?” 

The Congregational Council has a lot on its plate these days, but this past Thursday we engaged in the very important task of visiting with those about to present themselves for Confirmation.  Logan, Connor, and Garrett sat with the Council, and responded to a few of our questions.  Then, they asked us some questions.  One of those questions was about how we evaluate differences between seemingly conflicting interpretations of Jesus’ words.  I want to be careful using the word “seemingly,” because what may seem to be a difference to some is obviously a difference to others.  And the question had a lot of weight too.  It was centered on the question of who goes to heaven and who does not.

How do we settle such differences?  What do we do when we hear various prophets/preachers/theologians/Christians speaking – and their responses differ? 

It would seem prudent to respond in the way outlined by one Christian Pastor.  His call, for the church of this generation, is to respond with a generous orthodoxy.  We are never to stop asking questions regarding the minute details of our faith; but this does not mean that we get trapped in our own answers and fail to see the value and benefit of how others have answered the question.

We have more important battles to fight than those which seem to divide denominations.  The Church is under attack in that region of the world where Christianity took form.  Are we to ignore the pleas for help, because they come from Orthodox Christians rather than Lutherans? 

Most of us have watched news coverage of the U.S. visit of Pope Francis.  He has had many things to say, to American culture and American values.  Are we to dismiss these, because we are not Roman Catholics?

There will continue to be an endless number of ways in which we can get it wrong.  Let us stop pointing what is wrong in the messages of others and speak instead of what is right.

Jesus tells his closest followers, “No one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me.”   It is clearly time for us to set aside our theological litmus tests and join with one another in serving those whom God came to save.

Amen.