The text of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL on July 5, 2009

“They Took Offense at Him” podcast 

This morning’s Bible reading is from Mark 6:1-13

By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat,

Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,

Sit down you’re rockin’ the boat.

Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down,

Sit down you’re rockin’ the boat.

(From “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” by Frank Loesser – © 1950 (1978) Frank Music Corporation, USA)

Ah yes – that bouncy tune and the ever-present smile of Nicely Nicely from the “Guys and Dolls.” The song will probably be in your head for the rest of the day.

Hey — We’ve always learned not to stand up in a small boat (especially a canoe) and that rocking a boat is a dangerous thing.

Those who ‘rock the boat’, even though history often views them as visionary, are usually seen as trouble by whatever people or forces are powerful at the moment.  Pastors denounced the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s call for nonviolent protest. As we speak religious leaders in Iran are threatening violence against citizens who gather or march in protest to the election results and corruption there.

But in this week’s reading – it’s not some kind of protest or human anger that is literally rocking the boat. In this week’s Bible reading, it looks perhaps as if God is somehow active in the storm that rocked the disciple’s boat. Jesus woke up during the storm and, probably a little crabby after just waking from a nap, he told the storm to STOP.

I do not, now will I ever, blame God for hurricanes and tornadoes and earthquakes and other disasters or tragedies. Any time someone stands up and says that storms appear because God is punishing folks for something or other my response is a succinct:  “That kind of thinking is full of (insert your own word here.)”

So what am I to do with a Bible passage where it is definitely possible to think that God is rocking the boat? What’s the teachable thing here?

Well – nowhere in this week’s reading does it say that God brought on the storm. It does say that Jesus rebuked the wind and told the sea ‘Peace! Be still.’

But the Bible is filled with “God caused” moments

God caused the great flood

God caused the plagues

God caused the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

And maybe I can explain those things by saying that the events of the Old Testament reflect God’s people trying to make sense of the evil they did and the hardship they endured as punishment. Maybe I can go further and say that when the tragedies and hardship aren’t related to any kind of wrong living by God’s people and the expected punishment they are a way for God’s glory to ultimately be shown. Maybe I can say that bad things happened because of the presence of evil in the world. God is the author of all things good and Satan is the author of all things evil.

But all of those ideas ring hollow to me.

I don’t know why bad things happen. I don’t know why good things happen. I’ve got no satisfactory answers on the whole “Why” front.

We thank God for God’s blessings

We ask God for deliverance from our trials.

There is an obvious – if not too simple idea:

God is not the one who brings the storm. God is the one that brings us through the storm.

Those words are comforting and hopeful to me. I think that those words are comforting and hopeful to anyone. They aren’t an answer to the reason why. They aren’t words upon which everyone agrees. But they are words of comfort and hope.

Peace. Be still.

But what if the ‘storm’ I’m talking about isn’t something huge. What if it’s things that are smaller, ‘less’ devastating.

In the spirit of the phrase ‘smooth seas do not make a skilled sailor’ let’s ask the question: When our boat is rocked, does it always serve to make us stronger?

Waves of illness. We are healed. We are stronger for the experience

Waves of financial troubles. We make it through. We are wiser for the experience.

Waves of panic. We learn how to address the symptoms. We find that we can provide immeasurable help to others.

Peace. Be still.

When Jesus woke up as the wind and the waves threatened to swamp the boat. His first words were “Peace. Be still.” After the storm was over he said “Why are you afraid?” He didn’t say “Why were you afraid?” His words – to the wind and the sea were “Peace. Be still. I’ve gotta think that as he said those words, the disciples heard them as well.

There’s something the disciples said before Jesus quieted the wind and the waves that I haven’t addressed here today.  I’m not going to say much – it’s a topic for another sermon.

“Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

“Don’t you care?”

Why wouldn’t the disciples feel that way? The boat was about to sink and Jesus was taking a nap.

But he did care.

And I think what’s teachable in this week’s Bible reading does let us know that Jesus cares. It doesn’t have to do with what causes the wind and the waves.

It has to do with Jesus’ words – “Peace. Be still.”

It’s about Jesus saying “Trust me – we will get through this.”

“Peace. Be still.”

“Trust me – we will get through this.”

“Peace. Be still.”

Amen.

Just suppose . . .

That we re-imagined this week’s Bible reading from Mark 6:1-13 and wondered how it would play out several different ages:

Early Middle Ages (used to be called the dark ages): The time period that included Muhammad, Charlemagne and the Vikings

Jesus traveled to the place he was born, followed by those who many thought were his subjects. It was the day to worship and he disrupted the rules by teaching without permission. The things he said amazed the ones who heard. They could not understand how someone who lacked any kind of respectable upbringing could have any knowledge or power at all. They took offense at him. Jesus said to them. Your respect and honor is for anyone except the ones that come from here. He was disturbed that they would not believe. He went out to the smaller areas and healed a few people. Then he called the ones thought to be his subjects and sent them out to the towns all around. He told them to take nothing with them and to expect hospitality from those they met. If the welcome was absent, he instructed them to leave town while making insulting gestures against those who refused hospitality. So they went out and told people to turn from their wicked ways. They cast out demons and cured those who were sick.

How about the High Middle Ages – or what have been more commonly known as the middle ages: The time period of the Crusades, the Magna Carta and the Mongol invasions. Some things will be similar . . .

Jesus came to his hometown with a band of followers. It was the high holy day and he came to the place of worship to teach. Those who were there did not understand. “What is he talking about?” they said. “What is all this about love and forgiveness? What is all this with healing without total submission to God on high? They took offense at him. Jesus told them that their ways of expressing love were completely wrong, but that they had no way to see that from him, because he wasn’t one of the elite. He did heal a few people, but no one really noticed. He went and taught in the surrounding provinces. Then he gathered his band and sent them out, not to conquer in his name, but to share love and healing. He told them that they would be taken care of, but if they weren’t – they should leave. So they went out without any weapons and they preached about love and healed those all around/

Or how about the time of the reformation — where folks like Martin Luther, Jean Calvin and Huldrych Zwingli lived and preached:

Jesus left where he was and ended up, with his disciples, where he was from. He went to church and started talking to the folks as if he knew something special. They heard him – but he wasn’t speaking about the rules and customs they knew and understood. He even healed people who were sick! They argued with him and ultimately told him that he must not speak of such things. He had no business doing so, because he was not authorized to speak – and furthermore he was just a child who grew up with them. They tool offense at him. Jesus told them that if he had come from the outside telling them the things he said, they might listen, but they couldn’t see through their pre-conceived ideas. He stopped at that point, though he did heal a few people later. He went to the surrounding towns and spoke with the people there. Then he called his disciples and sent them out with only the clothes they were wearing. He told them to trust the people in the surrounding towns to take care of them, but if they didn’t that they should belch loudly and leave. So the disciples went out and told the people that God’s love was for them and that no one could take it away from them, no matter what. So they went out and preached about faith in and from God and they brought healing to many.

Move ahead to the time near the US Civil War – With folks like Owen Lovejoy and Abraham Lincoln giving voice to a movement to end slavery in the United States.

Jesus had been on the road and he took some time to come back to his hometown. He had quite a following with him. He went to the church and began teaching that all are part of God’s family and that no one should be treated as less than a person. Many agreed with him, as they had on the road, but others were skeptical and even angry. “Where does he think he is? Washington?” they said. “We know who he is – he’s a nobody from nowhere – just like us. He can’t say or do anything that will matter a bit!” They took offense at him. Jesus told them that folks everywhere heard him and trusted in what he said, but that here nobody could see past their ideas that he was just a local kid. He didn’t do anything really impressive in his hometown, though he did make a few sick people well. He was amazed that they wouldn’t listen to him. Then he went out to the local towns and continued telling his message. He called together those who were following him and he sent them out to teach and to heal. He told them to do no fundraising in preparation and to go without any supplies – that the townsfolk would take care of them. If the townsfolk rejected them, he said they should move on and not let the door hit them on their way out. So they went out and preached love and equality for all the people. They brought restoration and healing in towns all over.

How about the civil rights movement – with folks like Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., Otis Moss jr. and Jesse Jackson.

Jesus came home, joined with friends from all different backgrounds. He went to the church and started to teach about the equality of all people. He told them that he came to upset the apple cart of power. They were amazed at what he said. They wondered how this local child could know things of such magnitude. They didn’t think he had the right to speak, being a person who didn’t have the right color skin. They took offense at him. He told them that they couldn’t see past their worn out ideas of race and power. He didn’t try to impress them, but he did heal a few people. Then he went out to the places where the descendants of slaves lived in small homes and he started preaching. Then he called his friends together and he sent them out to the small settlements and to the towns. He told them to just go – nothing with them at all. He said that the people out there would care for them. If they didn’t, then they should kick up some dust and head on out. So they went out and told the people that they needed to get things right – that justice for all people was on its way. They found that people were changed by their presence. They preached and prayed and people were healed.

What about in today’s i.culture?

Jesus finished up blogging and went to the Facebook group where he and his closest friends would gather to chat. He posted some profound things in the main community pages and some of the folks there were amazed that someone who had no business writing profound things was doing it. Several made snarky comments about his family and his upbringing, and pointed out that someone ought to talk some sense into him. They took offense at him. Of course, Jesus responded to their comments by saying that “folks outside our community like me – what’s your problem?” And he decided that he wouldn’t write much more at all for them. Then he went back to the Facebook group where his closest friends would gather to chat and he told hem to make lots of new groups –on Facebook and myUCC and Myspace (though he rethought Myspace when he saw the usage trends) and many other social network sites He told them that they should even join Twitter! He wrote to them to just make the groups – no intense web design and no pre-planned discussion questions. And he also said that if they made the groups and the folks there started making an overabundance of snarky comments and hate messages that they should make an “I’m closing this page” announcement and go on to the next opportunity. So they made the groups and welcomed folks – offering them a reason and a way to turn towards the stillspeaking God. They prayed with folks in real-time prayer chapels, offered words of encouragement and healing with posts and comments and forum discussions. Many people experienced a reconnection and a restored awareness of faith in their lives.

In any age, Jesus message of God’s love for all the world is a subversive one. It threatens those who see power as something to push others down. It threatens that those who abuse power will become powerless. It promises healing and restoration for the ones who live in places of powerlessness and hopelessness. It promises unconditional love for all. It is not about patriotism or any form of national pride. God’s love knows no boundaries and God’s blessings are not reserved for any nation. Jesus’ message of God’s love for all is a subversive one. And we are sent out to share that subversive message of God’s unconditional love for all the people. We are sent out to share the story of how Jesus has changed our lives. We are sent out because of Jesus.

And there will always be some who take offense at him.

Close with prayer.