LIVE AND LET LIVE
(PART 1)
Mark 3:1-6
Sermon #5 of “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America”
Special Note: A singer is used repeatedly throughout the sermon to sing the six verses of “The Servant Song” (Hymn #679 in the Nazarene Hymnal). At the conclusion the congregation read responsive reading #680 and sings the hymn.
This is the fifth sermon in our sermon series, “Ten Cultural Myths that Drive America” from the first six chapters of Mark. Prior to Advent we looked at four from Chapters 1 & 2 of the book. We discovered that Jesus’ worldview goes against the grain of much of mainstream America. We are highlighting different adages or aphorisms that are imbedded into the American psyche and serve to reinforce our cultural philosophies. Specifically we looked at.
• Might Makes Right (Mark 1:1-12) – where we saw Christ’s counter-cultural ethic of serving humanity rather than working from a position of strength and manipulation.
• Image is Everything (Mark 1:32-39) – Jesus rejects this Western philosophy. Jesus had the crowds eating out of his has but walked away from the populace specifically because their ambitions did not coincide with those of the Heavenly Father’s.
• Shop ‘till You Drop (Mark 2:13-17) - Jesus reminds us that there are better ways to find meaning in life than materialism.
• Rules are Made to be Broken (Mark 2:18 – 3:6 -) Jesus rebukes and challenges the worldview which says the ends justifies means. Jesus says there is no place to bend or violate God’s eternal law. Period.
In coming weeks we will look at other slogans that have become embedded into the American psyche, other idioms that define us and motivate us as a people. We will look at:
• You are Only Young Once - Mark 1:14-20; 3:13-19
• If You Want Something Done Right, Do It Yourself - Mark 3:13-19; 31-35
• If it Feels Good, Do It - Mark 5:1-20
• God Helps Those Who Help Themselves - Mark 5:25-34
• Stand Up For Your Rights - Mark 5:17, 6:1-6
The passage in Mark from 2:1 through 3:6 places Jesus on a head-on collision course with “the powers that be.”
His Good News challenges the drudgery of the Law
His Authority threatens the legitimacy of the scribes
His concern for human need tears at the threads of the established religion
By merely loving people he is compelled into contending for the truth against dead orthodoxy and deadly opponents
Today our focus in on Mark 3:1-6
Chapter 3
1Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."
4Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.
5He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
We frame it very skillfully. We are good at making it seem noble. But it breeds self-centeredness and indifference.
There are many adages used to illustrate it.
• “Looking out for number #1”
• “To each his own”
• “I did it my way”
• “Be true to yourself”
• “If it feels good do it”
• “Express yourself”
• “I’ve got to be me”
• “Live and let live”
Such a value system is prevalent, indeed ingrained, into the American psyche.
We are taught it from kindergarten. It has various shades (not all are bad) but when it reaches its potential conclusions it tends to be highly individualized and selfish. When this happens the slogans are a bit more “base”.
• “Dog eat dog”
• “May the best man win”
• “Only the strong survive”
Such a value system is prevalent, indeed ingrained, into the American psyche …. But maybe Jesus works from a different ethic. Maybe Jesus is not about “Looking out for #1.” Maybe Jesus is about community.
Maybe Jesus would use slogans like:
• “It takes a village to raise a child” (I understand that this slogan has been hi-jacked by certain political personalities in recent years but that does not negate the adage’s original truth)
• “The common good”
• “There can never be good for the bee what is bad for the hive.”
• “A rising tide lifts all ships.”
Maybe.
Have you noticed the posturing that the cast of characters in today’s Scripture reading assume?
Have you noticed how they maneuver themselves and others like pieces on a chess board in hopes of achieving a desired effect rather than looking at the situation as it is and determining what God might want to do or what God might be doing?
It seems they never give much consideration to the thought that God might have arranged things like they were so that there would be a desired end … they seem more concerned about accomplishing their own agenda.
Think about it; if the religious leaders walked into the place of worship and there was a fellow-worshipper with a need that could be met, might it be a natural conclusion to think that meeting the need should become the priority? Might it be a natural deduction to think this would indeed honor God and, well, actually be an act of worship?
It seems apparent that the religious leaders assumed the Christ could (and probably would) heal. But it is also obvious that, to them, this was not the ideal response. In fact, to them it was unholy!
By their spin, it was unholy on many levels.
• Their religious traditions objected to such an act
• Their own hearts chaffed to such an act
• They, in fact, we looking for ways to commit an even more egregious sin – murder.
To them, the man in question was a mere pawn; he was not a human being. His dignity and need were even on their radar. Neither was God’s will.
Do you know who was on their radar? Only themselves! They were only looking out for number one!
• Jesus challenged their manufactured authority
• Jesus was a threat to their pompous positions
• Jesus exposed their cloaked self-centeredness
• Jesus disclosed their contempt for humankind … the very ones they pretended to serve
• They had a good thing and Jesus was spoiling it by
o by loving people
o by giving people permission to be free
o by delivering people from oppression
o by treating people with dignity
o by pardoning sin
• This had to stop! At any cost!
I learn some important lessons from watching this cast of character. I especially learn some important lessons by watching Jesus in this story.
1. SERVING AND BLESSING OTHERS IS AT THE CORE OF LOVING GOD
We speak of this frequently. At least once a month – the third Sunday of each month of “Compassionate Ministry Sunday” and we often emphasize ways that we love God by loving people. We also talked about this one when we looked at this passage in a larger context during the sermon “Rules are made to be Broken” so I will only mention it briefly.
It would be comical if it wasn’t so tragic. A man in the synagogue suffering and the synagogue had the means of alleviating the pain (Jesus Christ was there) and rather than introduce the man to the Healer the calloused leaders use him as a game piece. The entire scenario is repulsive and corrupt and god-less.
I think God’s word explains this better than I can. Listen to James 2:8-26 (portions)
8If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right. 9But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. … 12Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. … 26As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
We are privileged to use what we have to serve others. It seems to me that as the Father brings people into our lives, and as we have the means to help them, that it is an ideal way to show God (and them) our love.
God loves people!
If Jesus’ actions are any indication of God’s actions (and we know they are) then it deeply grieves the Father when we respond with indifference.
It would be comical if it wasn’t so tragic.
1. SERVING AND BLESSING OTHERS IS AT THE CORE OF LOVING GOD
But what I really want to focus on today is my next lesson:
2. COMMUNITY TRUMPS INDIVIDUALITY
This is such an important lesson that I want you to say it with me; are you ready? COMMUNITY TRUMPS INDIVIDUALITY
Ralph Waldo Emerson: once said, “There can never be good for the bee which is bad for the hive.”
Paul Tournier makes it relevant to the believer when he writes: "There are two things we cannot do alone. One is to be married and the other is to be a Christian."
Community is a group of people living a common life. Community is a group of people with a common identity who interact, share, participate, and fellowship. It is essential to a proper understanding of the People of God … the church.
In Scripture there are at least 4 elements of community:
1. Memory
a. For the Old Testament saint it usually focused around the Exodus event or the temple.
b. For those of us who live on this side of the cross it is our relationship in Christ
c. In both cases, there are experiences that uniquely define and identify
d. When you think “community” think “common”
2. Ritual life.
a. The ritual clarifies, enforces, and validates the memory / experience.
b. In the Old Testament it was events like, circumcision, Sabbath and festivals.
c. For the Christian the ritual is baptism, congregational worship and the Lord’s Supper. All of which reinforce the truth of God’s work and plan through the cross.
d. When you think “community” think “communion”
Wrap-Up
We must stop here for today. We will pick up with this thought next Sunday. But let me close with a few parting comments.
Do you know what will truncate the divine power and grace found in community?
• Living with a “to each his own” attitude
• Choosing to “live and let live”
• Acquiescing to “looking out for number one”
COMMUNITY TRUMPS INDIVIDUALITY
Say it with me again … COMMUNITY TRUMPS INDIVIDUALITY.
In the book, Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony, William H. Willimon, says the following:
Modern people usually seek individuality through the severance of restraints and commitments. I’ve got to be me. I must be true to myself. The more we can be free of parents, children, spouses, duties, the more free we will be to ’be ourselves,’ to go with the flow, to lay hold of new and exciting possibilities. So goes the conventional argument.
Yet, what if our true selves are made from the materials of our communal life? Where is there some ’self’ which has not been communally created? By cutting back our attachments and commitments, the self shrinks rather than grows. So an important gift the church gives us is a far richer range of options, commitments, duties, and troubles than we would have if left to our own devices.
Without Jesus, Peter might have been a good fisherman, perhaps even a very good one. But he would never have gotten anywhere, would never have learned what a coward he really was, what a confused, then confessing, courageous person he was, even a good preacher (Acts 2) when he needed to be.
Peter stands out as a true individual, or better, a true character, not because he had become ’free’ or ’his own,’ but because he had become attached to the Messiah and messianic community, which enabled him to lay hold of his life, to make so much more of his life than if he had been left to his own devices."
Stanley Hauerwas, William H. Willimon
Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony
(Abingdon Press, Nashville, 189), p. 64, 65
Maybe Jesus works from a different ethic? Maybe Jesus is not about “Looking out for #1.” Maybe Jesus is all about Community.
God’s greatest gift to the redeemed is the community of faith … the church. He offers this gift to anyone and everyone! It comes as part of the package we commonly call “Salvation.” You can experience the fullness of God and His people by giving yourself to Him in faith today. A relationship with this Jesus who champions an alternative ethic to independence and “going it alone” is available even now.
Let’s close by turning in the hymn book to hymn #679. Afterwards we will read the Responsive Reading number 680, “Loving from the Heart.”
