Mark 5v21-43, Acts 2v42-47, Pentecost 6, Fascism

 

Bridges and Barriers 

The magpies near my garden can often be heard collectively complaining about my 

cat, sometime joined by the robins. When a magpie dies, the magpies that live in that 

area, come together, check it is dead and then engage in a long mourning process 

standing around the body. It is a well reported phenomenon. Magpies have 

empathy, collective empathy and they mourn their dead. 

So we humans are not the only ones to have empathy for our loved ones and our 

fellow species. Jesus uses his empathy always, to demonstrate Gods concern for us 

and it is often the pivot of his interaction with people in the gospels. 

In the gospel reading in Mark we hear that Jesus has been begged by a religious 

leader to go and heal his little girl who is very ill and he goes off to do just that. The 

man was a male, a leader in the synagogue, head of his family, therefore socially 

acceptable and talks to Jesus as an equal, but also worships him. But on the way to 

the mans home, Jesus is touched by a woman who has been haemorrhaging for 12 

years. She is a woman, she is unclean, poor and an outcast, anonymous. She has 

been exploited by private health care. She touched Jesus, breaking the purity code. 

He feels the energy goes out of him, something I’ve only come across very rarely: 

the woman is healed. Finally he continues on his way to Jairus home. The mourners, 

outside the religious leaders house, laughed when Jesus said the girl was just 

sleeping. Their disbelief wasn’t helpful. So Jesus put them out of the house and 

heals her. 

The pivot for all Jesus actions was compassion. Compassion for those who were in 

need, emotionally (demoniacs), physically (healing miracles and feeding of 5000) 

and spiritually (the rich young man). But he was opposed by many religious people. 

2,342 Mexican children have been separated from their parents on the Mexico/US 

border between May 5 and June 9th. The children have been held in cages, 

temporary shelters and tents. The older children are looking after the younger 

children, some who are in nappies. 

This week a US senior judge laughed at the stories of separation and called critics, 

lunatics. 

So in these strange and disturbing times what would Jesus do? It seems that this 

question is very divisive. There are two realities in the US and in the UK and across 

Europe. Our ideologies divide us. 

Some 18 months ago I preached about the Church under Fascism. As we 

increasingly encounter people giving Nazi salutes on our streets this is more relevant 

than ever. Madeline Albright has recently written about populism and Fascism. So 

have others. 

What is Fascism? 

Fascism developed in Europe, in the early 20th century. Instead of focusing on class 

conflict, like the socialists, fascists focus on races and nations, purity of nationhood 

and citizens. Fascists talk of national rebirth. Oppressive policies deliver national 

rebirth. 

The church under Fascism divided into two camps; 

Firstly those who supported the idea of a Church composed of just pure white 

people, ein Volk, one people. One American leader has talked this week of regaining 

a “White” America. 

Secondly there were those who protested against the Fascism and said it was anti-

Christian stance, and anti-Semitic, discriminating against Jews. Jews were being 

murdered along with gypsies, gays, black people-over 7 million were gassed to purify 

the nation. 

We are in the same situation today. 

Muslims, migrants and asylum seekers are associated with being criminals, visually 

in the press with big front page headlines describing people as swarms and through 

narratives/stories gossiped by the media. 

So you have a narrative of denigration. They are less than us, these people. 

Therefore we do not treat them as equals. Therefore we can treat them without 

compassion, even babies and children. The law is superior to grace. The law says 

they are subject to authority. 

The passage in Acts tells us how Christians lived shortly after Jesus died. These 

were holy people, amazing things were happening, and they shared what they had 

with one another, They sold stuff to give to those who were in need, They ate 

together, prayed together, and were good to people they met. And their number 

grew. 

The Roman historian Eusebius has a vivid description of these people some 100 

years later. (Stevenson, J.S, The New Eusebius, p58) 

They were accused of being cannibal’s because it was thought they were eating the 

body and drinking the blood of Christ. When they shared wine they remembered that 

Christ had died for them and his blood had been shed as he had predicted in the 

Last Supper. 

Jesus came to abolish the Law and replace it with Grace, with love and with

compassion. “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your soul, with all your mind, 

and love your neighbour as yourself” Mark 12v28-34

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/18/us-border-families-separated-

audio-recording

What would Jesus have us do? 

I think that Jesus would want us to build bridges and not create barriers or build 

walls, or detention centres. I think he would want us to do what those Christians in 

Acts were doing, to pray, to share, to give to others, to help those in need. As the 

Roman historian Eusebius shows us that was a political act that undermined the 

Roman Empire and people were arrested and killed for simply living as Christians. 

So be wise my friends, because these are difficult times and there are strong strident 

voices and people once again raising hands in Nazi salutes and talking of taking our 

country back and telling people they are not welcome. We like the magpies have the 

choice of empathy or apathy. 

Ask yourself what would Jesus do? 

Pentecost 6, Mark 6:1-13, Sending out of twelve disciples

In this part of Marks gospel there is growing trouble. 

The passage occurs after the raising of Jairuses daughter.

Jesus leaves Capernaum to preach in the villages of Galilee and begins twenty-five miles away in his hometown of Nazareth. At first his teaching in the synagogue astounds them but they cannot forget that though he is a good teacher now, and popular he grew up with them and was a carpenter like his father. There is a shift of mood as Jesus' ministry begins to deepen.

Jesus left his hometown Nazareth, with a group of disciples. When the Sabbath came he began to teach. In the early part of Jesus' ministry he went to the local synagogue and was invited to speak. Most people were amazed-amazement being is a key response in Mark. This amazement quickly becomes rejection and unbelief. They become scandalised by his teaching. "Where did this man get these things? Does his wisdom and miracles come from God or Satan?" There are references to Jesus brothers and sisters and his mother Mary, and then to his father Joseph and his own trade, a carpenter-builder. They are local. They are suspicious of him.

Jesus would normally be "Joseph's son" even if his father were dead. So they refused to believe in him and his teaching. "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country."
Would you accept someone you knew from childhood telling you how to live your life!

He had limitations and could not do anything there except heal a few people by laying hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. So he went around teaching from village to village.

And because it was so difficult to do anything there...he called twelve of his inner circle of disciples and sent them out in pairs to give the good news, taking a walking stick, no bread, no bag, and no money in their pockets. "Wear sandals, but only take only the clothes you are wearing", he told them."When you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.
If the people in a certain place refuse to welcome you or listen to you, leave that place. Shake its dust off your feet as a warning to them."

So the disciples went out. They forced many demons out and put oil on many sick people and healed them.

There is a theme here of rejection in the synagogue and of his clan, to withdrawal and itinerancy, like many after him. Who are the family of Jesus, the Christ, what is his parentage, who gives him authority, his class, his tribe, his religion?

The calling of 12 gives them the authority with an almost monastic charge to the disciples and this is the last public performance in his hometown.

Discipleship consists of calling/naming/sending. There is a

theme of engagement/withdrawal and we are introduced to a 

missionary lifestyle of wandering charismatics.

Discipleship depends on hospitality for sustenance-entertaining angels unawares

Sandals are a metaphor of discipleship. But also you have the 

importance of households as the local base for ministry, like

safe houses, a popular base, so stay and establish. But there is no force here. It is non-violent. They are to become sojourners like Jesus

July 24th 2011, Pentecost 6, Ordinary 17, The parable of the Mustard Seed, Mathew 13

Fred Pearce, a British environmental journalist, wrote a book entitled "When the rivers run dry". In it he says that because we waste water when we are irrigating our crops we are running out of water, most of which comes from underground reserves and so we will also lose the ability to grow our own food and be net importers of food and water, as will also occur in India and China soon.

This year I have battled to keep everything going in one of the worst areas of the country for rainfall. Im lucky I dont depend on the vagaries of the weather like the first century subsistence peasant farmer in our story. He sowed everywhere, even on paths, had no irrigation methods and relied on the weather for his yields and his supper. This farmer in the story however had fantastic yields though he did nothing special. At that point the reapers we are told will come in, reaping the good harvest-maybe the same for us in some way. Life has an endpoint, maybe even a reckoning for all that is wrong and unjust.

Kingdom parables like these were designed for people with ears that do not hear. They serve to draw out the true seeker, while confusing the rest. They usually begin with the phrase "the kingdom of God / heaven is like....." They are similar to an Old Testament riddle, told in an environment of sceptism. The kingdom of God references the reign of God over Israel, in defiance of all secular powers.

The mustard is a small seed, but not the smallest but all of Israel will find shelter in it. Even the birds will nest in it. And so it is with us. Great events often have small beginnings. So we are encouraged to keep sowing however small the seed. In this skeptical age this is encouragement, to hope and be patient because however insignificant we may be, we can have great influence, even against mighty political clout! Even against the News of the World and the Rupert Murdochs!