Last week, I discovered that the roof fan in our attic had burned out. That meant only one thing. Someone was going to have to go up on the roof and replace it, and I knew it wouldn’t be my wife. So I went to the store and bought the fan, and began planning which tools I would use.
For most people, the only thing worse than climbing up high, is giving a speech in front of people. I’ve pretty much gotten over that fear, so climbing up on a roof should be a piece of cake, right?
When the temperature cooled off at the end of the day, I prepared for my ascent. I wrapped a rope around my waist and attached it to a little bag of tools so I could pull it up when I got there. Sue brought out her lawn chair to keep an eye on me while she read the paper.
All I needed to do was to climb the TV antenna tower on the east end of the house, step onto our second-story roof and take about 3 steps to the peak where I knew I would be o.k. I started up the tower, making sure I had a good grip with my hands and solid steps for my feet. I hadn’t stretched those muscles that much for a long time.
I got to the roof line and I needed to step over onto the steep roof and take my hands off the tower. But I couldn’t. I just couldn’t do it. My hands were sweating. My knees were shaking. I was afraid. If only I had someone to ahead of me, to reach for my hand. The only thing I could do was to abort the project. So I climbed down. I took my tools into the house and Sue folded up her newspaper.
That was the end of the story for that day. Even though I had been up there before, even though I knew the tower was safe, and even though I knew there was no one but me to do it, fear had kept me from doing what I needed to do.
I don’t know if you noticed, but the book of Mark ends on a note similar to my experience on the roof. I say that because many scholars think that verse 8 was the last verse in Mark’s gospel originally. According to that verse, fear had kept these three women from doing what they needed to do.
If you are familiar with the story of the resurrection, you know that after Jesus died, his body was placed in a tomb on Friday afternoon. Three women went to the tomb on Sunday morning to complete the ritual of applying spices and perfume to the body. They expected the body to be there. And they were alarmed to see the tomb empty except for a young man. He told them that Jesus had been raised and he gave them an assignment and a promise. “Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: ‘He is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him, just as he told you.’” (7) But verse 8 says that after hearing this message, these three women “went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” Instead of taking the message they had been given, they zipped their lips. Even though they saw that the tomb was empty, even though they knew the message was reliable, even though they knew they were the only ones who knew it, fear kept them from doing what they needed to do. And no one heard the good news that day.
I puzzled over verse 8 for a long time this week. Why would Mark end his gospel with this story of fear, frustration, and failure?
We all know that fear motivates a lot of our behavior. Last week I heard of one woman who ignored a court summons because she was afraid the judge would do something to her. (He did.)
And how many people do you know who don’t go to the doctor because they are afraid of what the doctor will say?
Do you remember the story of the talents in Mt. 25? Two men invested their money and realized financial gain. One hid his money in the ground. Why? Because he was afraid.
Why were these women afraid? Were they afraid that no one would believe them? Were they afraid that some one might think they were crazy? Were they afraid that something bad would happen to them, too? What kept them from doing what the young man asked?
Here at Elm Street, the first line of our mission statement is To study, follow and share the Word of God. Our Sunday school classes and Bible studies accomplish the first part. For the second part, we try to live our lives in accordance with Biblical principles to follow Jesus. But how well are we doing when it comes to sharing the Word of God? What fears keep us from doing more to carry out our mission? Is it fear of failure? Do we fear getting out of our comfort zone? Is it fear of meeting and accepting people who are different from us? After all, the Gospel is for everyone. And people need to hear it.
I remember reading about a missionary who told the story of redemption to a tribal chief and after hearing it, the chief asked, “How long have your people known about this?” The missionary said, “Oh, about 200 years.” “Then why did you wait until now to come?” he asked.
Today is the fourth week of looking at the book of Mark. This gospel is a missionary book. Yes, it serves as a record of Jesus’ activity, but it also serves as a pattern, a handbook, for the missionary activity of the church. It helps us understand not only who Jesus is, but who should find out about him.
Jesus was a Jew. He lived in a Jewish country. His disciples were Jews. But his message about the kingdom of God was not limited to Jews. It was for everyone.
Early in the book of Mark already we see that Jesus did not limit his ministry to Jews. Three times he crossed the Sea of Galilee into Gentile territory to heal and to teach. As we follow him on the road to Jerusalem, his emphasis becomes even clearer. When he got to Jerusalem and saw what was going on in the temple, he drove out those who were buying and selling. What was going on? Were they playing Bingo and selling raffle tickets? No. People who came to the temple for worship first had to change their money into coins that the temple authorities would recognize. Roman coins were unclean. Then these worshipers had to buy animals for their sacrifice and offering.
Suppose on Sunday morning you had to pay for your bulletin when you came into church. But you could only buy a bulletin with special Brethren tokens. So when you came in, you had to exchange your money for those tokens. And the finance committee would make it convenient for you by providing a money changer, but they would gouge you. That kind of activity was going on in Jesus’ day.
Jesus got upset. Mark 11:15 says Jesus overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the stools of those who sold pigeons.
To understand this you need to know that the inner part of the temple was only for Jews. The Gentiles could not enter the inner part of the temple. They could only go as far as the courtyard. Let’s say that corresponds to our entrance out there. Let’s say that only people who grew up in this church could come through the sanctuary doors for worship. The rest of you would have to stay on the other side of those doors and participate as best you could. That is as close as you could get. Where were the moneychangers? Out there in the entrance. They were occupying the space where outsiders were supposed to be able to gather for worship. So, these money changers were keeping these outsiders, the Gentiles, from worshiping.
What’s more, they were ripping people off by overcharging. Some people could only afford a pigeon for their sacrifice. Those were the poor. They couldn’t afford more than that. And Mark records that Jesus would not let anyone carry anything through the Temple courtyards, the place where Gentiles gathered. Jesus laid down new rules for the temple.
Look at 11:17. That verse comes from Isaiah 56. Mark isn’t the only gospel writer who says Jesus called the Temple a “house of prayer” but he is the only one who adds “for people of all nations.” He was quoting a verse just as it was written in Isaiah. Hundreds of years earlier, the prophet Isaiah had written that all nations would be included in God’s plan. Jesus was saying that this place of worship must be available to all: Jew and Gentile, rich and poor. And because the Jews had excluded people, God would bring judgment on the temple and destroy it. And, as we know from history, the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.
There are several other ways Mark makes clear that the Gospel is for everyone.
1. We read in chapter 15 that when Jesus died on the cross, the curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. What does that mean? I don’t know if it was the curtain in the outer court that separated the Gentiles from the Jews or the one in the holy of holies where the priest could enter just once a year. Either way, it means that all people, Jews and Gentiles, are invited to Jesus and to worship God. Jesus is the Messiah for the whole world, for all the nations.
For those of you who may wonder why we don’t have a flag in this church, here is the reason. We take Jesus seriously when he talks about a house of prayer for all nations. Jesus is Lord of every nation, not just the United States. We pledge our allegiance to Him. And everyone, from any nation, is welcome to worship here.
2. Another thing Mark tells us. All through Mark’s story of Jesus, almost from the beginning, the Jews rejected him. The religious leaders rejected him. His own family rejected him. But when he died on the cross, who said in 15:39, “This man was really the son of God!” It was a Roman army officer, a Gentile. Do you get the picture? The outsiders accepted the message of Jesus. It was for them, too.
3. One more thing – the importance of Galilee. Mark 1 says that Jesus began his ministry in Galilee. His home was there. The disciples were appointed there. Most of his ministry was there. Galilee served as the crossroads of the east and west, north and south. International traffic crossed it. It was the gateway to the world.
In 14:28, Jesus told his disciples that when he was raised to life, he would go to Galilee ahead of them –not to the temple in Jerusalem, the religious center, but to Galilee, the crossroads of the Middle East.
And what did the young man at the tomb tell the women in 16:7? “He is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him, just as he told you.” Do you see why we call Mark a missionary gospel?
Four weeks ago, we looked at the first verse of Mark. The NRSV says “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark understood that the story of the Gospel had just begun. He tells us about the beginning, but not the end. Why? Because it isn’t over yet. The work goes on. The work of the gospel calls you and me to join the ranks and we too become fishers of men 1:7. It is our job to continue the work of Jesus. Mark shows us the direction of the gospel but he does not close it off. He leaves it open for the disciples and for us. He expects that we will come, help and finish the mission begun by Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Jerry Rankin, International Mission Board president, said recently, “God’s heart breaks for multitudes all over the world who are dying without ever hearing about abundant, eternal life in Christ. And the only response a child of God can make is total abandonment -- a "whatever it takes" commitment to take the gospel to all the nations”
He said, “The greatest barrier keeping the gospel from all peoples is not false religion or oppressive government. The greatest hindrance to the gospel is the unwillingness of Christians to make a "whatever it takes" commitment to the one who commanded them to make disciples of all the nations.
Many people "have subconsciously drawn a bottom line beyond which they are unwilling to go," Rankin said. "That will hinder getting the gospel to all people. You can hinder the gospel by succumbing to fear or limiting how far you are willing to go in a sacrificial lifestyle. But the consecration that influences others to the gospel is one that is willing to endure all things.”
We don’t know why Mark’s gospel ends the way it does. Maybe he wrote it this way so everyone would realize it is an unfinished Gospel. Maybe he died a martyr’s death. Maybe somehow a piece of his scroll got lost. We don’t know.
But one thing we can be sure of. Just as Jesus promised to go before his disciples into Galilee, he will go before us into our world, whether it is here in Lima or some other place in the world where he might call you to do his work. They were not alone. We are not alone.
And we know that sometime between the early morning darkness on Easter Sunday and the beginning of the Christian church, the message got through. As the psalmist said, “Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Ps. 30:5) And we know that after the resurrection, the disciples were not afraid. Peter and Paul were not afraid to speak. Stephen was not afraid to die. And a long line of witnesses for Jesus down through the centuries have not been afraid of chains, prison bars, persecution and death. So what are we afraid of? And besides, if we don’t do it, who will?
As we carry out our mission, Jesus will go before us. Let’s follow where He leads.
As for the attic fan: after a good night of rest and time for a new perspective, I climbed the tower, stepped over to the roof, and began my work at 6:30 the next morning. I stretched muscles, hit my thumb with a hammer, and cut myself, but I was no longer afraid. I knew how to fix it because I’m the one who put the first one up there. I had been there before. And I knew it was my job because no one else was available.
And if heaven is up from here, then for a little while I was closer to it than any of you.
