Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Fifth Sunday after Epiphany – Year B (RCL) 2009
Isaiah 40: 21-31; Psalm 147: 1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9: 16-23; Mark 1: 29-39
St Stephen’s Episcopal Parish, Portland, OR
Sunday, February 7, 2009

YOU ARE THE GOSPEL

Let us pray: Gentle and loving Jesus you are the Word made flesh who dwells among us. You have asked us to be your word in the kindom you have created among us. In your example we learn the majesty of you, the King of Glory come to dwell in the kindom which is at hand. We are called to be your voice, your hands and your heart for all who seek your peace which passes all understanding. Help us to witness to the Gospel of your abiding love for all of your creation and created. Amen.

(SUNG) THE KING OF GLORY COMES THE NATION REJOICES
OPEN THE GATES BEFORE GOD LIFT UP YOUR VOICES.
IN ALL OF GALLILEE IN CITY OR VILLAGE
CHRIST GOES AMONG THE PEOPLE CURING THEIR ILLNESS.

Several old sayings might come to mind when we read this story about Jesus healing crowds of people and then going elsewhere instead of sticking around to make something out of the newfound community of believers. One of those sayings is, "don't have the sense that God gave a goose." I don't know where that saying came from, but it suggests that geese don't have much sense -- and that some people have even less. That might be what the disciples thought. Jesus came to Capernaum, attended the synagogue and drove out a demon. When we pick up the story in today’s text, Jesus enters Simon's house and healed Simon's mother-in-law; I’m going to resist the serious temptation to insert a mother-in-law joke here. The people flock to Jesus so that they might be healed. Jesus healed lots of people, and the crowd couldn't get enough. And then, just when Jesus had them eating out of his hand, off he goes to a deserted place to pray.

Of course, I would be the last person to criticize anyone for praying. We might think that Jesus would not require prayer. But Jesus gave out spiritual energy all day every day, so there was a needed time for renewal -- time alone with the Creator -- opportunity to recharge spiritual batteries so that challenges could be faced every time a new town was entered.

However, the disciples lost patience with Jesus. They found him missing, and began searching. The New Revised Standard Version translation says that they "hunted" for him. That is a good translation of the original Greek. That word is katedioxen. That is the word that people used to speak of hunting animals. It was as if the disciples had gone on a hunt looking for Jesus -- trying to figure out where Jesus went -- searching everywhere to find the Word made flesh who dwelled among them.

They finally found Jesus in a lonely place -- all alone -- praying -- seemingly oblivious to the crowds clamoring for attention back in Capernaum. This is when the disciples began to wonder if Jesus had the sense that God gave a goose. They couldn't believe that Jesus had gotten the people so stirred up and had then walked away from them. It didn't make sense. They had marveled at Jesus' teachings --and everyone was in awe of this healing power -- but the disciples silently wondered what Jesus was doing out here in the middle of nowhere when there was definitely all that need back in Capernaum!

Can’t you just imagine how they felt? Jesus had raised people's expectations -- and then had disappeared. With nobody else to turn to, I am sure that the people turned to Jesus’ followers. There were only four of them at this point – Simon (who would become Peter), Andrew, James, and John. But what could they do? They didn't know how to handle these crowds. They didn't know how to heal the sick. They had only recently begun to follow Jesus, and they certainly weren't qualified to stand in for their teacher. I'm sure that they were feeling the pressure -- that they were mystified and angry when Jesus disappeared -- just walked off and left them holding the bag.

When they found Jesus, they said, "Everyone is searching for you." I think they really wanted to say, "What's the matter with you Jesus! Everyone's searching for you. Come on! Let's get back to town! Let's get down to business!"

I imagine they also wanted to say, "By the way, don't do that again! Don't leave us alone! Don't get the crowds all stirred up and then disappear. It's not fair! It's not fair to them -- and it's certainly not fair to us!"

But Jesus was having none of it. Jesus answered:

"Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."

I'm sure that the disciples were stunned. "But what about all these people who are searching for you Jesus? They want to see you. Everyone wants to talk to you. There are people who need healing -- and there is a young man who wants to be your disciple -- there's a rich man who wants to build you a synagogue. You don't need to travel all over Galilee, Jesus. There are more opportunities right here in Capernaum than you can shake a stick at -- opportunities to last a lifetime!"

Another old phrase comes to mind -- "Let's strike while the iron is hot!" I don't know where that phrase came from either, but it means, "Let's take advantage of this opportunity! Let's not let this one slip through our fingers!"

(SUNG) THE KING OF GLORY COMES THE NATION REJOICES
OPEN THE GATES BEFORE GOD LIFT UP YOUR VOICES.
IN ALL OF GALLILEE IN CITY OR VILLAGE
CHRIST GOES AMONG THE PEOPLE CURING THEIR ILLNESS.

Then Jesus said:

“Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do."

"That is what I came out to do." Another old phrase comes to mind. Jesus was "keeping his eyes on the prize." That old phrase comes from a song of the civil rights era of the 50’s and 60’s. It means staying focused on the one thing that counts most. It stands for the tenacity and courage it takes to keep on keepin’ on, even when it seems safer to stop. For the context of this Gospel passage it means that Jesus is not going to be an example of taking the safe and sure way – but rather Jesus is going to be the example of doing the right thing simply because it is the right thing; of following the example of the Holy One of God who will lead us along paths of righteousness and grace. Following this type of example that Jesus leaves us allows us to be focused on the one thing that counts -- the prize, salvation -- the grace, freely given -- and most especially the good news -- the Gospel, available to all who would hear it. Keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused on the one thing that counts most.

Jesus had his eyes on the prize. "That is what I came out to do," Jesus said. What was it that the Holy One of God came to do? To preach -- to proclaim the message to the neighboring towns. What message was that? The author of Mark’s Gospel told us earlier that Jesus proclaimed "the good news of God" -- that Jesus preached, "The time is fulfilled, and the kindom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news" (1:14-15).

There is a lesson here for us. We, as Christ's church, need to be doing a thousand things, and it often seems that we are swallowed up in the act of doing them. We need to feed the hungry -- provide shelter for the homeless -- visit the sick and those in prison -- send blankets and money to victims of natural or man made disasters. But those things are not our first order of business. Our first order of business is proclaiming "the good news of God" -- preaching "Repent, and believe in the good news." That is what it means for us to have our eyes on the prize. If we are not preaching the Good News of Christ, the other things won't amount to much. It is MY job to preach the Gospel on Sunday mornings at Seven Forty Five and Ten O’clock. But it is OUR job to preach the Gospel the other hundred sixty-six hours of the week. It is OUR job to preach the Gospel in the many places where we have influence -- certainly in our families -- to our neighbors -- to co-workers -- to friends -- perhaps even (you can’t be serious) to the stranger that we meet on the street.

Do we need to be discerning about this? Of course! It is, as we all know, possible to alienate people instead of inviting them. Few hearts are won by trying to shove our faith upon strangers who might have their own ideas and issues with organized religion. But the problem for most of us isn't that we are likely to alienate people by being too pushy -- but that our witness is likely to be so low-key as to be invisible -- no witness at all -- and that is not what the Christ asks of us.

Let's start with the witness to our community. Surely we can let our friends and neighbors know that we are a follower of the Christ. Surely we can help them to know of our joy and fulfillment in our faith. Surely we can let them know that we have found a place where we are free to live within the questions and don’t necessarily need to find the concrete answers. How difficult would it be to invite a friend to join us at Church some Sunday – we actually do have a lot of fun here and we should share the joy.

I don’t think we’re talking about anything difficult here. We’re not talking about buttonholing strangers on the street and asking, "Have you found Jesus?" We are talking about our families -- the place where the Christ expects us to take the lead. It doesn't matter whether we are mother or father or child -- grandfather or grandmother – step-parent or God parent. We’re talking about our friends who trust us to share the good news of God’s kindom among us and who might be thrilled to know that there is a safe place for them to ask the faith questions they have always wanted to ask, but were afraid they would get in trouble for asking.

When the disciples found Jesus and asked him to take care of the crowds in Capernaum, Jesus said that he had to go to neighboring towns to proclaim the Gospel, because that was what Jesus had come to do.

That is what God has called us to do -- to proclaim the Gospel, the good news. Let us be faithful to that calling.

You are writing a Gospel,
A chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do,
And the words that you say.

All may read what you write,
If it's false or it's true.
Now what is the Gospel
According to you?

-- Author unknown