Mary Mallon was a very ordinary woman. She had the same desires as you and me. She was born in 1869, died in 1938, and because of that the career options opened to her were different, but the impulse was the same. She just wanted a better life.
She had been born in the aftermath of the Irish Potato Famine and emigrated to America like so many others. And, like so many others, that meant starting at the bottom – in the hot, wet, laborious job of the laundry. But she was hard-working and caring, and so, she slowly rose through the ranks of the servant ladder, until by the turn of the century, she was a cook – in effect the head servant for any family she that hired her.
Like any of us, she was driven by mixture of emotions. She had a desire to succeed; she had a fear of failure. After all, being stuck in a New York slum isn’t something I’d look forward to. In fact, the only man I knew whose ambition was to spend his life on such as those had been crucified 1900 years earlier. In short, I’d have to tell you, Mary Mallon was just like any one of us. She didn’t want to rock the boat; she didn’t need to the Queen. She just didn’t want to lose out on the American Dream.
Contrast that, if you will, with this morning’s text. I had promised you that we were going to get back to Daniel. Now, I suspect most of you have heard this story. I have the text in your bulletin, and I’d encourage you to read it, but I’m going to simply summarize the action this morning for you, if you’ll indulge me.
We begin where we left Daniel – uprooted from his conquered home and sent off to a Babylonian Boarding School – the Oxford and Eton of its day. There, they are going teach him what it means to succeed in their world. There they are going to accustom him to the decadent pleasures that are the reward of living by their rules.
The king wasn’t a fool. He knew that if he could convince these kids that they had a stake in his empire, he’d be well rewarded for their labors. So, just as a matter of course, he lets these kids eat his kingly food.
Now, if you’ve ever worked in an office, you know that every few days, somebody brings in donuts. If you’re really lucky, they bring in pizza. Only once have I ever seen somebody bring in tomatoes, and never anything healthier than that. Let’s face it, for a certain segment of the work world, that’s the real motivation for coming into work. I’ve wagered my bosses that you could cut a programmer’s salary by the cost of a pizza per week, but if you spent that money on a pizza a week for him and the whole office, he’d feel like he was getting a deal. That’s what this king was doing. He was simply giving out the leftovers as motivation. Not a bad system, even if it does play havoc with the old figure.
So, anyways, these kids are munching on the king’s leftovers – and sometimes are even invited to the table itself. Talk about great face time with the boss. It’s an opportunity to move up and fill out all at the same time. What’s not to like?
Well, Daniel found something not to like about it. He didn’t want to participate. Likewise, his buddies – you remember: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? They wanted no part of the system. So, very politely, Daniel talks to the guard.
He simply says, ‘I just don’t want to be a part of this.’
‘Are you trying to get me fired,’ the guard responds. ‘You know, if you don’t eat this, you’re going to look like I’m starving you and the king’s probably going to think that I’ve been stealing your portion! So, umm, no!’
Well, Daniel’s pretty reasonable, so he suggests a compromise. ‘What if we just try this out for a few days?’ You keep your caviar and your croissants; just give me some good old carrots and lettuce and cucumbers – maybe hold off on the bagged spinach. Let’s see how I look in a few days.’
And, so, the reasonable guard sees this as a reasonable request. If Daniel and his friends are bound and determined to miss out on this stuff, who is he to stop them?
Ten days pass, and per the terms of the deal the guard takes a look at them. Now, in those days, they didn’t read all those studies from the CDC – they just assumed that the better the food tasted, the better it was for you. Oh to live in those times, eh?
Well, the guard was pretty shocked at what he saw. You see, not only was Daniel not looking all sick and disheveled – he was looking a lot better than everyone else. Turns out, his diet was better than Atkins! What Daniel had hoped to convince Ashpenaz was simply an accommodation was actually a leg up. It may not have looked good, but it was actually better.
That good old Jewish diet was, for Daniel, one of those things that under sells itself. Don’t you love it when you discover things like that? I have never known Madison Avenue and my TV to deliver more than they promised. I love how my God promises so little, but delivers everything.
But that’s how he works.
Now – notice I’m saying that’s how he works, not necessarily how we work when we presume to speak for God. If you ever want a good a laugh, head out to http://www.cliffscott.com/bible_bar.htm and see how even well intentioned Christians can screw this up. You see, he has this thing called the ‘Bible Bar’ which is composed only of foods mentioned in the Bible. Okay, only stuff mentioned in the Bible, plus stuff that he felt should be added. But if you eat this bar, you’ll lose weight, because that’s what God intended. Balderdash! God never ever promised to make you lose weight. That’s reading something into that simply doesn’t exist!
Sorry for that.
Anyways, as great as this story is, there’s a problem with it. And, frankly it was one I hadn’t picked up on Here’s the problem: There’s nothing that indicates that God had prohibited any of the stuff the king was serving. It wasn’t like the king was putting a big old hunk of bacon in front of them. So, what was Daniel objecting to?
Well, interestingly enough, one person suggested something about the king’s table itself. You see, when the king invited you to the table, the food may have been nice – but guess what was better – you got the King along with it. Imagine you’re a senior at Oxford and Queen Elizabeth just happens to drop by.
I’d wager the dinner menu could be month-old liver and onions, and you’d still see it as worthwhile to go. Why? Because it’s a great career opportunity! How often do you get to schmooze with the boss? You wouldn’t want to miss out on that. After all, it isn’t what you know, but who you know – and who knows you.
So, in rejecting the king’s table, it’s not so much that Daniel is concerned with his diet as he is concerned that something else is trying to be the King. Daniel already has a King – the King of Kings – and he doesn’t want anything, or anybody to take that place. Career-wise, any guidance counselor in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court would have advised Daniel not to miss out on such a great opportunity. But Daniel’s real courage here – was that he was able to keep things in perspective.
What was important wasn’t his status before the king – it wasn’t even his status in the world – it was his status before God.
Rather than fearing what he was losing out on in terms of worldly wealth, Daniel was fearful of losing God’s supremacy in his life. And sometimes, we have to choose. As James reminds us, sometimes, friendship with the word is enmity with God.
Sometimes, that extra hour spent in front of the TV comes at the cost of an hour with your family. Sometimes, choosing that third éclair comes at the cost of a higher cholesterol count. Sometimes, we have to choose between things that seem good and things that are good.
There is always are war within us between the things of the flesh and the things of God. Often, they fight to a stalemate. But choosing what is best is a life-giving proposition.
Status is really big in our culture. You have to have the sneakers or the bling-bling or maybe even just the fanciest clothes. After all, if this is all there is, you better get it all while you can. But if there is more than this life, does that still true? What do our actions say about what we really think is important?
It may be ignorance of how things work, but it can also be a conscious choice. Which is more important, our status in the world or our status in the eyes of God.
You’ll remember we began with Mary Mallon, a simple cook. She had the status of chief servant. She was going to be somebody. Well, somebody she became. You see, within her body, she harbored a disease. But her body was able to fight it to a stalemate. As such, she carried the disease, but was not killed by it.
But unfortunately, as a cook, she could carry that to anything she prepared. By the time in 1907 when the health authorities finally caught up with her, she had already, unknowingly infected 22 people and killed 1. For the health of the public, she was forced into isolation for nearly three years. Finally, an act of kindness had her released, on the condition that she check in regularly, and become something other than cook.
At first, she complied. She went back to the laundries. But she wasn’t satisfied. Secretly, she denied there was anything wrong with her. It was only a setback. She wanted her life back. She wanted her status back. She still wanted to be the cook. And so, she changed her name to Mary Brown, and began to work at hospital. But when in 1914, another 15 people became ill and 2 died, the gig was up. She could have pursued her desires in better ways, but the consequences could not be denied. She was simply too dangerous to be catered to.
She was arrested and confined for the rest of her life on North Brother Island in the middle of the Hudson River. Whether out of vindictiveness or simply ignorance, because she could not choose to pursue her desires in a responsible fashion, she forever lost the things she thought she wanted. Mary Mallon was isolated, impoverished, and basically a nobody. But for killing 3 and sickening 37, Mary Mallon’s status is enshrined forever as Typhoid Mary.
We too live with a disease. It’s called sin. It tempts us and lures us to choose anything or anyone other than the only one who can ever cure us of it: Jesus Christ. The question is, will we choose what appears to be good, or will we hold out for the best?
Let’s pray.
RR
- Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die…
o Ecclesiastes
- James 4:7 (Friendship with the world is enmity with God)
- Choose this day whom you will serve
- Set your minds on things above
- Search for ‘choose’
o What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul?
o Phil 3.8
o 1 Cor 15
;
This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. Likewise all to whom God gives wealth and possessions and whom he enables to enjoy them, and to accept their lot and find enjoyment in their toil—this is the gift of God.
There is a grievous ill that I have seen under the sun: riches were kept by their owners to their hurt, and those riches were lost in a bad venture; though they are parents of children, they have nothing in their hands. As they came from their mother’s womb, so they shall go again, naked as they came; they shall take nothing for their toil, which they may carry away with their hands. This also is a grievous ill: just as they came, so shall they go; and what gain do they have from toiling for the wind?
Ec 5:18-19;
Ec 5:13-16;
Long Branch Baptist Church
Halfway, Virginia; est. 1786
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Enter to Worship
Prelude David Witt
Meditation Psalm 1
Invocation Michael Hollinger
*Opening Hymn #10
“Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”
Welcome & Announcements
Morning Prayer [See Insert]
*Hymn #12
“Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
*Responsive Lesson [See Right]
*Hymn #345 (tune #375)
“Satisfied”
Offertory Mr. Witt
*Doxology
Children’s Sermon: “The Chocolate Bar and the Kiwi”
Scripture Daniel 1:8-21
Sermon Mr. Hollinger
“The Fear of Losing Out”
Invitation Hymn CH#506 [See Insert]
“I’d Rather Have Jesus”
*Benediction
*Congregational Response
May the grace of Christ of Savior / And the Father’s boundless love
With the Holy Spirit’s favor / Rest upon us from above. Amen.
* Congregation, please stand.
Depart To Serve
RESPONSIVE LESSON
For thus says the Lord: To those who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant,
If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth,
Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
Do not envy the violent and do not choose any of their ways;
They hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and towns that you had not built, and you live in them; Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness;
Choose this day whom you will serve,
Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose.
What does it profit them that gain the whole world, but lose their soul?
Whatever gains I had, I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.
More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this thing I do:
forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.
Is 56:4;Col 3:1-2; Jas 4:4;Ps 65:4;Pr 3:31;Pr 1:29;Ps 25:12;
Lk 9:25-26;Jos 24:13-17; Php 3:7-11;Php 3:12-16
MORNING PRAYER
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; Forgive us for focusing on the things that distract us from you, please take them away and purify our hearts. Purify us from these things, we pray:
PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SIN
Lord, bound as we are in our earthliness, we have earthly concerns. Lord, we are concerned for Martha. We pray that she and those she loves could be made whole. Lord, we praise and thank you for Mac Murray and his work with Marian. Lord, as he moves on to Boston, we are concerned for Marian. Be a presence with her we pray. Lord, we thank you for Susan. Five years ago, you gave her a new lease on life. We pray that you would extend that life and make it even more abundant than it is now. We pray her family too that your peace would reign. Father, we lift up Warren and Chester, Kathy and Mark, Irene and Cindy and Lee, and these others, too:
PRAY FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS
Lord, we praise you for what you have done in this church, both in the past and for what you will continue to do with us in the future. We pray specifically that today you would be glorified both in this place and in our lives. Be gracious to us. Lord, we pray for our country as well, that you would guide it. Let us not to live not in fear but rather in your truth. Bless our enemies, but protect us. Let us be yours in all things
PRAY FOR YOUR COUNTRY AND CHURCH
Lord we praise you for who you are. We praise you for what you have done. We praise you for your grace and mercy for the things that you have not done. We praise you because we are wonderfully and fearfully made. We praise you for teaching us of you and even teaching us to pray, as we pray together: Our Father …
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Thank you for all your work preparing for Homecoming!
Sunday School 9am. What’s So Amazing about Grace?
Does anyone know where the new vacuum is?
Mac Murray has left for Boston / Marian Triplett
SCRIPTURE READING
But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the royal rations of food and wine; so he asked the palace master to allow him not to defile himself. Now God allowed Daniel to receive favor and compassion from the palace master. The palace master said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king; he has appointed your food and your drink. If he should see you in poorer condition than the other young men of your own age, you would endanger my head with the king.” Then Daniel asked the guard whom the palace master had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “Please test your servants for ten days. Let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. You can then compare our appearance with the appearance of the young men who eat the royal rations, and deal with your servants according to what you observe.” So he agreed to this proposal and tested them for ten days. At the end of ten days it was observed that they appeared better and fatter than all the young men who had been eating the royal rations. So the guard continued to withdraw their royal rations and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. To these four young men God gave knowledge and skill in every aspect of literature and wisdom; Daniel also had insight into all visions and dreams. At the end of the time that the king had set for them to be brought in, the palace master brought them into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar, and the king spoke with them. And among them all, no one was found to compare with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they were stationed in the king’s court. In every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel continued there until the first year of King Cyrus.
Daniel 1:8-21.
