Tag: Sermon

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
Mark 10:17-31
October 20, 2024

At the beginning of worship:

One of my favorite C. S. Lewis books, which I have spoken about before, is The Great Divorce.^[1] This isn’t a divorce between a man and woman, such as what Jesus discussed early in the 10^thchapter of Mark.^[2] Lewis divorces heaven and hell. In the 18^thCentury, William Blake wrote the epic poem, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Two centuries later, Lewis decided a divorce was in order. 

In the book, hell is a gray drab place. But from hell, there is a bus that takes the residents up above the clouds to the outskirts of heaven. And those who travel on the bus are free to make their way on to the glorious eternal city. But they must leave everything behind as they are clothed properly for heaven. In Lewis’ allegory, most of those who get to where they can see heaven are like the rich man in our gospel story today. They just can’t do it. The blinding light of glory reveals their hollowness. They want to hold on to what they have, including their self-esteem and dreams, grudges and hatred. If we want to follow Jesus, we must realize he places a demand on our entire lives.

Before the reading of scripture:

As I pointed out a few weeks ago, Jesus and the disciples are now on a journey to Jerusalem. And we know what will happen there. But there are still times for ministry, which often happens along the road, as we see in today’s passage. 

One of these times for ministry is a man often referred to as the rich young ruler. Mark only tells us he’s a man of wealth. Matthew tells us he’s young and Luke identifies him as a ruler.^[3] Let’s hear the passage.

Read Mark 10:17-31

We like being in control. We want to manage everything, even our salvation. Yet, I suggest, that’s a dangerous idea. The Presbyterian and Reformed concept of election (or predestination) acknowledges not only God’s sovereignty, but that it’s much better to let God be in charge. We tend to screw things up. 

In our text, a man approaches Jesus. The man shows reverence toward Jesus, calling him “Good Teacher,” and asking what’s required for eternal life. At first, Jesus seems to play with the man. 

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asks. In the first century, those who were serious about the commandments only reserved the adjective “Good” or “Great” for God, not for individuals.^[4] And while Mark makes this case that Jesus is God, this hasn’t been revealed to this man.^[5]

Jesus then recalls the commandments which have to do with our relationships with others: don’t murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, or cheat, and honor your parents.

And the man, without irony, readily admits he has obeyed these commandments since his youth. I say without irony because Jesus appears to accept his answer as the truth, and he loves the man. He wants the man as a disciple. Let’s have a baker’s dozen, 13 disciples. 

But there’s just one more thing Jesus says he needs to do… sell everything and follow him. 

I don’t know why Jesus didn’t ask him to double or even triple his tithe. Well, I do know the reason, but think how much his doubling his tithe would increase the pot of money available to the disciples for mission. But Jesus doesn’t want a fraction of us. Jesus wants our total devotion, and the man couldn’t do it. There was something else he loved more.

Reading behind the text, we can see how this rich man essentially asks, “how much more do I need to do.” In other words, he asks, “What’s the minimum for me to get into heaven?” He obeys the commandments out of self-interest, not the love of God.^[6] That’s his problem. He looks out for himself. Even his love for God has to do with what is good for him.

Augustine of Hippo, the great theologian of the early church, suggested we either first love God or ourselves.^[7] Obviously, this man loved himself. It’s our love of God which allows us to properly love ourselves and others.

The last we hear from the man are his footsteps as he sulks away with a heavy heart. A very rich man, he just couldn’t do what Jesus asked. 

Jesus turns to the disciples who have witnessed this encounter. He asks them twice if they understand how difficult it is to get into the kingdom of God… Eyes opened wide in response. They stand aghast, desiring reassurance, not barriers. 

Jesus then tells the infamous camel and the eye of a needle parable.

From what we know, none of the disciples were rich. But maybe they saw riches as a sign of God’s favor. Unfortunately, there are still some people like that today, proclaiming a prosperity gospel. But this story undercuts the idea that wealth equals God’s favor. 

What does this story mean to us? Can I get into heaven a little easier by not being too rich? Like maybe for a middle-class person, it’d be like a dog or cat getting through the eye of the needle.  

It shouldn’t take us long to conclude, we don’t stand a chance. That’s the point Jesus drives at. Eternal life isn’t anything we can do on our own.^[8] So they ask, “Who has a chance for salvation?”

Jesus agrees that if we try to obtain salvation on our own, we’ll fail. But with God, everything is possible. 

Peter then reminds Jesus that he and the others have bet all they had on Jesus. 

Finally, Peter finds reassurance. Jesus says they’ll get it all back, many times more. But even here, Jesus doesn’t promise pie-in-the-sky. For he also acknowledges they’ll also be persecutions. This world in which we follow Jesus is not a utopia.^[9] But the “bonus” at the end is the kingdom, eternal life. 

Jesus concludes this section with a reminder of how God’s economy works. This is a phrase we hear over and over in the synoptic gospels.^[10] Many who are great, who are on the top in this world will end up last. And those on the bottom will be first. Do you want to be first or last now or later? It’s a paradox. 

Now, I want to go back to this camel going through an eye of a needle. I have vague memories of discussing this parable in a Junior High Sunday School class a few years ago. And I think we got it wrong. We discussed how molecules and atoms could be broken apart, slid through the needles’ eye, and reassembled. Obviously, we’d seen too much Star Trek. We were too serious to figure out how it was possible to get that camel through the eye as if our salvation depended on it. It doesn’t. 

What Jesus says is that trying to earn our own salvation is like a camel trying to get through the eye of a needle, not that we or God must get the camel through to obtain salvation. 

This is an example of Jesus using hyperbole for humor while making a serious point.^[11] One way to make a joke is to take an idea and blow it out of portion. That’s what Jesus does here, as he drives home the idea of our dependence upon God. 

Just try to image how silly this word picture looks—a camel, one of the larger animals in that part of the world, compared to such a minute opening, one I’d have to put on my glasses to see. This is funny, in a “Far Side” kind of fashion. You probably never considered The Far Side as a source of theology, have you? You should. 

Sadly, instead of seeing humor in the parable, people look for loopholes. It’s been going on for a long time. Older texts speak of rope instead of camel. Obviously, the scribes could accept the absurdity. But you can’t thread a rope through a needle’s eye. And then there are those who, instead of a needle, point to a camel’s gate in Jerusalem. This was the gate where the beasts had to get on their knees to pass through. There’s just one problem. In Jesus’ day, there wasn’t a “Camel’s Gate” in Jerusalem. That gate came about roughly 900 years later.^[12]

Consider the rich man of our story as an example. He can be any of us. Even the poor cling to our old dying world, to what they have, and are not willing to let go.^[13] Just think about those who ignore warnings to get out of the way from a hurricane because they want to protect their stuff. 

In this passage, Jesus reminds us that the call to discipleship, which I hope you all answer, requires priority over all other allegiances. We must shed our old baggage. Yes, wealth is a danger, but only one of many dangers. Anything we place between us and God is spiritually dangerous. 

It’s not by chance that this story comes on the heels of Jesus telling the disciples they must come to the kingdom like a child. Children are totally dependent on their parents, on adults. We must trust Jesus just as a child trusts his or her parents. 

Think about children and how they laugh. They laugh at the silliest of things. We adults think we must be more serious. I wonder if, when Jesus said that if we want to enter the kingdom of God we must come like a child, he meant that we must come laughing at his joke like a child?^[14] The great mid-20^th Century Theologian Karl Barth suggests that “laughter is the closest thing to the grace of God.”^[15] It’s something to ponder. 

So don’t worry about threading that needle. Instead, place your trust in God’s hands and follow his Son. This is the message of the church and the reason this congregation was established, 100 years ago. Things change, but our message remains the same. With God, all things are possible. It’s our job to continue to proclaim it. Amen

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^[1] C. S. Lewis, The Great Divorce (1945). 

^[2] Mark 10:1-13. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/10/06/jesus-and-divorce/   

^[3] Matthew 19:16 and Luke 18:18. 

^[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 310.

^[5] Mark’s early miracles from healing, raising the dead, controlling the weather, and driving out demons, along with his forgiving of sins,  builds to where an observer must acknowledge only God can do these things. 

^[6] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishing, 1997), 242

^[7] Han-Lven Kantzer Komile, “The Augustine Insights on the Law of Double Love” a lecture at the Theology Matter’s Conference, Providence Presbyterian Church, October 9, 2024. 

^[8] Jesus challenges a false sense of security here.  See William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament:  Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1971), 369.

^[9] Edwards, 316.

^[10] See also Matthew 19:30; 20:16; Luke 13:30. It is also found in the Epistle of Barnabas and the Gospel of Thomas. See Edwards, 217, n42. 

^[11] Hooker, 243

^[12] Edwards, 314.  The idea of a camel’s gate appears to have come about in the 9^th Century.  

^[13] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville, KY: WJKP, 1996), 126.

^[14] See Mark 10:14.  See also Matthew 19:14 and Luke 18:16.

^[15] https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/features/view/20120

I am supposed to be on vacation. The plan was to be in Pittsburgh, spending time at the Heinz museum, botanical gardens, the trolley museum in Washington, PA, Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Waters,” and the Flight 93 monument. Hurricane Helene wasn’t in the plan. But that all changed. My replacement preacher for the morning lives along the New River, which is at a near record flood. She can’t leave her house and called me on Friday.

The storm changed tracks. We had high wind and lots of rain and the power was out for 36 hours, just coming back on yesterday evening. Many people are still without power. Thankfully, we’re all a lot better than those along the coast and in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Our prayers go out for them.

So much for traveling. I sent word to JoAnn (the preacher who now lives on an inaccessible island), that I would pull out an old sermon and dust it off, since we weren’t going anywhere anyway… I first preached this sermon at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, MI in 2006. Because of power failures, I do not have a video of the sermon, so you’ll just have to read it!

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
September 29, 2024
Mark 9:38-50

Comments at the beginning of worship:

Philip Gulley, a Quaker pastor, has a delightful book titled Front Porch Tales. In one story, tells about Doc Foster, a man in the town in which he was raised. Doc wasn’t a physician. He was the trash collector and the only black man in Gulley’s hometown.  

For a dollar a week, he pulled up at our curb in his pickup truck, climbed out, threw our trash in the back, and drove away.  If we forgot to set our trash out, he’d drive back to our barn and get it himself.  When he had a truck full, he’d drive out to the town dump on Twin Bridges Road, unload, wet his finger, and put it in the air; if the wind wasn’t blowing toward town, he’d commence to burning…  

Gulley goes on to tell of other “good deeds” done by Doc Foster such as helping college kids with their tuition so that there could be more teachers in the community.  He sums up Doc’s work this way:

When out-of-town visitors would compliment us on our town’s cleanliness, we would swell with pride as if we ourselves had swept up the trash the dogs had scattered. Doc did what all good people do—made the rest of us look better than we really were.^[1]

I like Gulley’s definition of a good person, one who makes everyone else look better. That’s what we as Christians are to be about. 

Comments before reading the Scriptures:

We’re going to be looking at a couple of Jesus’ more difficult sayings this morning as we examine Mark 9:38-50.  Jesus has just intervened into the disciples’ dispute over just who was going to be greatest; remember Jesus was always saying that if they wanted to be great, they’d have to first become a servant. Then, holding a child, he tells them that in welcoming a child, they welcome him. It’s a message the disciples obviously have a hard time grasping, as we’ll see by what happens next.  

This is a difficult passage. It is the only passage in Mark’s gospel where Jesus mentions hellfire.^[2] It’s important to note that hell isn’t for the unbeliever but the one who causes another to stumble. The passage appears to contain a patchwork of sayings, but the theme of the passage centers around humility and suffering demonstrated by word and deed.^[3]

Read Mark 9:38-50

Twenty years ago, you may remember the shocking news out of Canyonlands National Park in Utah. A young solo hiker, Aron Ralston, whose arm had been trapped by a fallen boulder, saved himself by amputating his arm with his own pocketknife. He’d spent five days trapped in a three-foot slot canyon. With no hope of rescue and having run out of water; he felt he had no other option. Aron applied a tourniquet to this arm and performed the act. Then, with his good arm rigged up anchors and fixed a rope, he rappelled to the bottom of the canyon and hiked out. 

Aron was not the first to perform such drastic measures to survive. In 1993 a fisherman in Colorado cut off his leg at the knee after being trapped by two large boulders while fishing alone in a remote canyon stream. Yelling for hours, no one heard his cries. With the weather deteriorating, he used hemostats from his fishing kit. He closed the severed arteries and veins and crawled half a mile back to his truck.^[4]  

Such incidents may cause us to wonder if we could do the same thing if in similar circumstances. Not long after Aron’s self-amputation, I was out visiting in Utah and went on an overnight backpack with Bruce, a friend through Ashdown Gorge Wilderness. My friend, an internal medicine physician, brought the topic up. Both of us have done a fair amount of solo hiking. “I don’t think I could do it,” Bruce said. I agreed, but then we both acknowledged such a position required drastic action. If you want to live, there may be no other choice.

And maybe that’s what Jesus is saying here. Sin, which leads to death, requires drastic action. Now I don’t think he means that we’re to cut off our hands or pluck out our eyes. After all, if you use such logic, that will mean that if your sin begins as a thought in your head, you should chop it off or at least sign up for a lobotomy. Obviously, Jesus’ intention isn’t to create a bunch of handicapped, self-mutilated Christians. That goes against Scripture’s teachings that our body is a temple in which we’re to invite God to dwell.^[5]

Instead of taking this passage literally, we should figure out Jesus’ intention and what he’s trying to say.

Jesus uses outrageous examples to get his disciples attention and to force them to deal with their own sin and shortcomings. If we look at this passage, we’ll see Jesus extending charity to those considered “outsiders.” At the same time, he places a heavier burden on the “inside.”   Another way of getting at this comes from another of Jesus’ saying. Take the log out of your own eyes before you try to get a speck out of someone’s else’s.^[6] Let me explain.

Our passage starts with the disciples trying to look good.  “Jesus,” John says, “we stopped this guy from using your name to expel demons. We knew he wasn’t one of us and he shouldn’t be doing that.” 

The disciples expect a pat on the back from Jesus. “Well done good and faithful servants,” they hope to hear, “you’ve saved my good name.” But that’s not what they hear. Instead, Jesus tells them not to stop the guy. The rationalization is that someone who does good in his name ain’t likely to start badmouthing him. “He’s an ally,” Jesus essentially says.

Then Jesus gives two examples. If someone gives you a cup of water in my name, you’ll know they’re on our side and that God will notice their good deed. But if you give a hard time to one of these believers, or as the more familiar translation has it, “if you put a stumbling block in front of a little one who believes in me,” it’d be better that a millstone be fashioned to your neck, and you be thrown into the sea. Such a dreadful experience might have been on the disciples’ minds, for we know that the Romans used millstones to drown their enemies.^[7]

The resulting consequences of these two actions seem out of portion.  A cup of water gets a nod from God while tripping someone up (we’re not told that they fall, we’re just told that they are tripped) is so serious that we’d be better off dead.  Again, Jesus extends charity to those outside his inner circle while setting a tougher standard for those close to him.

Then Jesus gives a series of hyperbolic demands. These commands are outrageous. They’re given not as an absolute requirement, but to make a point that we need to be concerned with our sin. “If your hand or foot causes you trouble, cut it off.  If your eye distracts you, pluck it out.”  

In other words, sin requires serious attention. Don’t be worrying about who’s in and who’s out, Jesus says.  Don’t spend all your time worrying about the sins of others. Worry about yourself and what you can do to avoid sin. We can only change ourselves, we can’t change other folks, a lesson those of us who are married should have all learned by now, but the lesson doesn’t seem to sink in.  

Then Jesus closes this section reminding us that everyone will be going through the “refiner’s fire.” Take actions to preserve yourself and, interestingly, as verse 50 ends, “Preserve the peace.” Preserve yourself and preserve peace! And interesting way to end this set of troubling teachings, don’t you think?

Salt in the ancient world was one of the few preservatives available. Fire, on the other hand, as used by the prophets, purifies. The impurities burn away. Jesus says that we’ll be preserved, but our impurities (or sin) will be burned away. Jesus may have thought back on the temple sacrifice which required both salt and fire. Applying this to the disciples, the two symbolize the trials and cost of discipleship. ^[8]

There are two sides to this passage and if we consider both, we see that Jesus urges his followers to go easy on others and to be hard on ourselves. If we do that, we’ll avoid being hypocritical, a problem that all who strive to be religious are infected with at one point or another in our spiritual development. 

Let’s face it, churches must deal with hypocrisy. Sadly, you find it in our beloved rock churches. And every other church I know faces it. The problem extends, I believe, across the religious spectrum. When someone comes up with examples of hypocrisy in another church or even another religion, sometimes I want to laugh and ask, “Are we any better?”  

If we’re harder on ourselves than on others, we’ll less likely take a hypocritical stance. Then not only will we be humble, but the church will also look more like what it’s supposed to look like. In church, people should care for one another and strive, like old Doc Foster, to make others look good. 

Karl Barth, the great Swiss theologian, had a favorite story about a horseman who got lost in a snowstorm. Spurring his horse on, they galloped across a frozen lake.  Later, in the comfort and warmth and safety of a home, he learns of his fool-hearted actions, of how he ran across thin ice. The man breaks down in horror and fright. In a way, we’re like that. Only after we’re saved do we recognize our peril.^[9]   

We should know the dangers. Maybe this is why Jesus presses harder on those close to him. We should know that sin leads to death, and that we’re all called to let our sins die on the cross as we accept God’s grace and love and forgiveness. 

So, when you sit down to examine sin, go harder on yourselves than on others. But in the end, remember that we have a Savior who died that we might live. That’s the good news. Amen.

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^[1] Philip Gulley, Front Porch Tales (HarperSanFrancisco, 2001), 31-33.

^[2] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville, KY: WJK, 1996), 116. Hare points out that there are other passages which speak of punishment (8:38), but only here does he speak of hel. 

^[3] James R. Edwards, The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 282. 

^[4] Information on these two stories from http://hike.mountainzone.com/2003/news/html/030502_amputate-arm.html.

^[5] 1 Corinthians 6:19

^[6] Matthew 7:3-5 and Luke 6:41-42.

^[7] William L. Lane, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1974), 346.

^[8] Edwards, 295-6

^[9] Story told by Ralph Wood in Flannery O’Connor and the Christ-haunted South (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004), 152.

Jeff Garrison
Bluemont and Mayberry Church
September 22, 2024
Mark 9:30-37

At the beginning of worship: 

Ever been caught by an embarrassing question? The type that, if answered honestly, is incriminating? 

In the ninth grade, I fell asleep one afternoon. It was after lunch and was warm in a building without air conditioned. In the middle of a dream, somewhere in the twilight zone, I heard the teacher call on me. This teacher knew the tricks. She asked her question first, then called my name. When I jumped to attention it was too late. “I don’t understand what you’re asking,” I replied, reaching for a reprieve. She was on to me. “Admit it, Mr. Garrison,” she said in an accusatory voice, “You were sleeping.” Yes madam, I’m sorry.” I tried to sound contrite. 

Have you ever been there? Put on a spot. Maybe your parents asked if you completed your homework before you went out to play. Or, with the blue lights flashing, a police officer asked how fast you were going. Of your boss asked if you’ve finished a job that should have completed hours earlier. We’ve all have had embarrassing questions. And it was no different for the disciples. 

But we shouldn’t forget, there may be embarrassing questions coming at the final judgment. Will we be asked about mistreating others who we perceive as different or below us? Or, will we be asked to justify snide remarks we made or an offensive meme we’re dropped onto social media? Such behavior should call forth not just confession, but also repentance. Jesus, as we’ll see today, has a higher expectation of us. 

Before the reading of Scripture: 

In our reading today, we hear for the second time Jesus predict his death and resurrection. There are three such predictions in Mark’s gospel. All three follow a predictable pattern. As soon as Jesus makes the prediction, the disciples go off on a tangent showing their lack of understanding. At the first prediction, Peter challenges Jesus’ idea of the Messiah suffering.^[1] Here, all the disciples seem complicit. In the last prediction, James and John beg for an honored place.^[2]

Read Mark 9:30-37

Jesus and his disciples head south, through Galilee, toward Capernaum. Along the dusty road, Jesus again talks about his upcoming passion—his betrayal, suffering, death, and resurrection. The confused disciples don’t know what to say. 

Imagine them walking, kicking up stones. Soon they change the conversation and focus on their dreams. This was their first mistake. They’re to be following Jesus, not their own goals. 

In their dreams, they see themselves in the limelight as Jesus takes his rightful place on the throne of David. They envision riding in chariots, wonderful homecomings, and standing beside Jesus in his glory. And then it hits them… not all of them could be in seated at Jesus’ right side. There could only be one prime minister, one foreign minister, and so on. 

Or maybe they ponder who will take over when Jesus travels. Who’ll be assigned as “vice-messiah’? Who will Jesus choose as his right-hand man? Who’s done the best work and thereby earned a place of honor? The disciples seem to have included a bunch of type A personalities, guys who believe in themselves. Or at least they believe in themselves when there are no challenges. After all, all of them are a bit shaky in their faith. Here, safe on the path, an argument ensues as they each advance accolades as to why they are so good. They all want to be king of the hill, or at least right next to King Jesus on his hill.

I wonder where Jesus was during this conversation. Perhaps he was walking behind, chuckling with amusements, as adults often do when listening to kids trying to outshine each other. Or maybe he was up ahead, leading the way and could hear the disturbance behind him. Wherever he was, he waits till they reached their destination before commenting. 

Arriving at Capernaum, they entered the house. If you remember, the house in Capernaum served as a home base for Jesus. This will be his last time we’re told of him being there.^[3] Also, remember how in Mark, Jesus private teachings are often inside.^[4] This way, the disciples are away from the public. It’s a good trait, for they won’t be embarrassed. Jesus asks about their argument. 

Silence. No one answers. Perhaps they fear Jesus’ wrath. Jesus, however, knows the details of their argument and proceeds to teach. 

“Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all,” he begins. Sounds familiar? It should, this is one of Jesus’ most favorite lines. With slight modification it appears six times in the synoptic gospels—that’s twice each—Matthew, Mark, and Luke.^[5] Repetition, like this, implies importance.  

Certainly, we all know this teaching from Jesus, yet it’s one we probably ignore because we don’t know what to do with it. After all, shouldn’t we honor those who strive to be the best and not a servant? 

Most people don’t harbor desires of being a servant. Neither did the disciples. They wanted to be great. The Twelve weren’t interested in being a servant nor becoming a martyr, even though they’ll all get the chance to serve, and several ended up dying for Jesus. 

Jesus then employs an object lesson. He calls over a kid. Holding the child in his arms, he tells the disciples they must be able to welcome a child, for in doing so they welcome him, and by doing that they welcome the one who sent Jesus, our Father in heaven.

There is a different understanding of and appreciation for children in our society than there was in the first century. Children today aren’t only loved. They often become the focal point for the parents. They’re doted on. Think about it. If you have kids, what percentage of your conversations with your spouse focuses on your children. I bet it’s significant. The adage that children are to be seen and not heard went out the window generations ago. Today, we see and hear children. But it wasn’t that way in Jesus’ day.^[6]

In the first century, children had a lesser role. They were seen as property, as slaves. Paul reminds us of this in Galatians.^[7] I know some of us thought we were slaves when we had to mow the lawn, but that’s beside the point. 

In another way, children were the parent’s social security system. The reason to have a mess of kids was to have someone to look after you. Another reason was the infant mortality rate. One estimate is that ½ of the children died before they reached their 16^th birthday. Such a statistic discouraged parents from becoming overly attached. If you had a bunch of kids, you can’t worry too much about the sick one…

Now, Jesus’ teachings here aren’t anything new. The Hebrew Scriptures contain similar concerns. They were to take special care of the widows, orphans, and foreigners—in other worlds, those who didn’t have the means to care for themselves.^[8]

Somewhere I read that one good way to judge a nation, or a group of people, is by how they treat the lowest members of their society. If they are honored and cared for, it’s probably a good place to live. On the other hand, if the poor and defenseless find themselves trampled upon, it’s a society everyone will have to watch their backs. If we evaluated our nation by such standards, what grade would we receive?

Jesus models servanthood. He informs his disciples that, like him, they must be servants in the world. We must show hospitality to all, even to children who at the time would have had no status. Yet the disciples have a hard time understanding Jesus’ message. 

In the next chapter, we’ll see that children brought to Jesus were being sent away. Our Savior doubled down, telling the disciples that if they couldn’t be like a child, they couldn’t enter the kingdom.^[9] In other words, the disciples must be childlike, a humbling proposition to a society where children were not afformed much protection. 

The disciples argued over who was the greatest and we, in our own way, may argue the same. But let’s be clear, striving to be our best doesn’t upset Jesus. It’s the concern with being the greatest, as if we’re in some kind of competition with others for the position of honor. Such competition of leads to a willingness to walk over others. It’ll get us in trouble. 

Such an attitude causes us to see the world not as a gift for all to enjoy but as something solely for our own profit. The book of James tells us such desires lead to conflicts and disputes.^[10] Certainly, a few people excel in such an environment. Those who do are often bullies and become steamrollers. They make few real friends. But if we set our sights on being a faithful disciple, willing to serve others, we might surprise ourselves as we rise toward the top. 

Successful businesses know this. They focus on serving their customers. The customer comes first. Christians are to be no different. We’re called by God into the church to serve God’s customers, the people of the world. There’s a lot of hurting people out there, and they need to be loved, to feel important, and to know someone cares for them. 

The last point I’d like to make this morning is that being a servant doesn’t just apply to our personal lives. It also applies to the church. When we, as a Christian community, are hospitable, caring for folks and reaching out to others, we will become more attractive to the community. Hospitality is contagious and needed in our world today.

Have you fulfilled Jesus’ calling to be a servant. It’s not too late to start. Begin now. Look around. Find someone who needs a friend. Seek out people different from you, especially those others marginalize. Try to meet them. Greet them in a manner which they feel cared for. Advocate for their needs. 

Remember, our faith is based on relationships. Because of the relationship we have with God, showing us his love through his Son, we can respond by being in relationship with others. In doing so, we share and model our Father’s love. Amen.  

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^[1] Mark 8:27-33.  See also https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/25/who-do-you-say-that-i-am/

^[2] Mark 10:32-38.

^[3] After this passage, Mark doesn’t even mention Galilee until after the resurrection. James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 283. 

^[4] Edwards, 285. 

^[5] Matthew 20:26-27, 23:11-12; Mark  9:35, 10:43-44; and Luke 9:48 and 22:26. 

^[6] See Edwards, 287-288. 

^[7] See Galatians 4:1. 

^[8] See Deuteronomy 10:17-19, 14:29, 24:19-22, and 27:19. 

^[9] Mark 10:13-16.

^[10] James 4:1.

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry & Bluemont Churches
September 1, 2024
Mark 9:1-13

At the beginning of worship

About the time I was baptized at Culdee Presbyterian Church on Easter Sunday 1957, a man named Thomas Scott Cadden in Stokie, Illinois crafted the theme song for Mr. Clean. The next year, the song appeared in a commercial with a beefy baldheaded man in a white t-shirt and a golden earring. Proctor and Gamble discovered a winning combination. Was Mr. Clean a sailor? Or a genie? One could make a case for both, but whatever his background, he was known for wiping away grime and making things dazzle. 

Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute!
Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and everything that’s in it!
Floors, doors, walls, halls, white sidewall tires, and old golf balls!
Sinks, stoves, bathtubs he’ll do, he’ll even help clean laundry too!^[1]

Most of us have depended on Mr. Clean products during our lifetime, but if you really want to dazzle, baptism is the way to go. Only Jesus can really clean away the grease and grime of sin. In today’s passage, like three of the disciples, we’ll get a glimpse of the glory that comes from being made dazzling clean. 

Before reading the Scripture

I’m preaching on the Transfiguration today. When I have preached on the transfiguration in the past, it was because I was following the lectionary. This passage appears with minor differences in all three of the synoptic gospels. And it always comes up in the lectionary just before Lent. In the past, I had to force myself to preach on the passage. I’ve wondered what the big deal was about it.

But by working through Mark’s gospel, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, I find the passage to be more compelling. When it comes up in the lectionary, the passage sits out by itself.^[2] But by working through the gospel, we get to see it in context. Last week, we heard Peter profess Jesus to be the Messiah. Afterwards, Jesus begins to focus on heading to Jerusalem where he will be executed. The disciples, thinking as any human, don’t like this idea. What good is a dead Messiah? Besides, as we’ll see today, they have no frame of reference to understand Jesus’ resurrection.

In today’s text, after a phrase that just seems to hang out there in verse 1, Jesus provides three of the disciples a glimpse of his glory. Of course, they are not to share this experience until after Jesus’ resurrection. 

There’s a lot of unanswered questions in this text. How did the disciples know it was Moses and Elijah with Jesus? And what does their presence mean? Let’s see if we might find out.

Read Mark 9:1-13

Jesus, in the first chapter of the gospel of Mark, proclaims the kingdom of God has come near.^[3] Jesus in verse 1 of today’s text speaks about those not dying until the kingdom of God come with power. This confusing verse has created lots of debate. Some, interpreting it to mean the kingdom coming at the end of the age, wonder if Jesus didn’t get it right. After all, everyone alive in roughly 30 AM have long been dead. 

I think Jesus refers to his resurrection, not to the end of history. And many, actually most, of those who followed Jesus would still be alive for his resurrection.^[4] This also fits into the upcoming story of the transfiguration. In fact, this sentence in all three gospel accounts precede the transfiguration.^[5] Knowing this, we can understand the Transfiguration as a foretaste of the kingdom for those disciples closest to Jesus. 

The disciples are privy with the knowledge that Jesus is more than just a miracle worker traveling around doing good. Jesus comes with divine purposes that the disciples don’t fully understand. They don’t even seem to understand what happened on the mountain that day, but at least they know there is something special about Jesus. 

This passage follows a similar trajectory to the story of Moses on the mountain in Exodus 24. In both, there is a wait of six days. Mark doesn’t put much emphasize on numbers,^[6] but for some reason mentions six days passing between their time in Caesarea Philip and their climb up the mountain. These days makes it harder to pinpoint which mountain they were on. 

Traditionally, Mount Tabor is considered the mountain of transfiguration, but it’s not a high mountain and it was inhabited in the first century. So, it wasn’t a place where they could be by themselves. But they could have walked there within a few days. Mount Hermon is another option. It dominates the landscape around Caesarea Philippi. The disciples could have waited in the mountain’s shadow for a few days. But we really don’t know which mountain this took place. 

It’s obvious Jesus takes the three disciples away privately. He has something important to show them and doesn’t want the others to catch a glimpse of the glory to be revealed. 

They head up on a high mountain. Mountains in scripture play an important role in revelation. Abraham takes Issac to the mountain where he learns much about God providing the sacrifice.^[7] Moses encounters God at the burning bush, which changes the trajectory of his life.^[8] Elijah, whom these disciples also meet, found solace in the mountains.^[9] And now three of the disciples find themselves along with Jesus on the mountain with Moses and Elijah. 

Jesus and friends appear as if they’ve been bleached out by Mr. Clean. We don’t know how the disciples know it’s Moses and Elijah, but maybe it was from what they discussed with Jesus. Or maybe Moses had some tablets and Elijah the reins of a chariot. However they knew, the disciples are stunned.

Peter must say something. That’s his nature. He’s impulsive.^[10]He immediately suggests setting up some tents. These were probably more like a brush arbor which was used even early in Mayberry’s history, than a canvas pup tent. It would be a place for the three of them to rest out of the sun. Peter, also, I think, wants to hold onto this moment. But he speaks without thinking. After all, what did Peter and the disciples have which these “spirit-like figures” need? 

Peter still doesn’t get Jesus. The idea of three identical brush arbors, like they’d build during the feast of the tabernacle,^[11]shows his thinking is tied to the past. He essentially suggests Jesus is on the same level as Moses and Elijah. But that’s not the way it goes. That’s, as I said last week, putting new wine into old wineskins.^[12] While Moses and Elijah are important, their importance are not equal to Christ.

Soon after Peter’s silly remarks, a cloud sweeps over the mountain. They no longer can see. I’m sure many of us upon the mountain have experience how things can go from being clear to foggy in a minute. But then the cloud blows away. Only Jesus remains. The experience is over; it’s time to hike down the mountain and rejoin the other disciples. 

Along the way down, Jesus tells them to keep this a secret until after he has risen from the dead. This led to an almost comical discussion about Elijah’s coming (or return). Not knowing what Jesus was referring, they change the subject to ask about Elijah. And Jesus speaks about his on upcoming passion, before he lets them in on a secret, Elijah has already come. Here, Jesus probably refers to John the Baptist. 

In this closing discussion, the disciples are lost because nothing has prepared them to understand that the Messiah or Elijah would have to suffer. Yet, they learn both are destined to suffer. John the Baptist has already been beheaded. In the first century, suffering wasn’t seen as redemptive for Jews. You strove to avoid suffering. And here’s Jesus telling them that the path the Messiah walks leads to the cross.^[13] We’re like the disciples here. We can’t imagine suffering leading to redemption. It’s not what we think winning looks like. 

This passage leaves us with more questions than answers. Maybe that’s on purpose. After all, the future is not in our hands. We trust and put our faith in God. God is in control. We have no assurance the future will work out in a manner we desire. Certainly, the disciples didn’t think Elijah and the Messiah were destined for death in the short run. Our only hope is that in the end, God will be victorious and those who have faith in God’s Son will reign with him. The transfiguration remains as a mystery pointing to the glory to come. And with that, there’s hope. Amen. 

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^[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Clean  

^[2] The one other time I preached on the Transfiguration while at Mayberry and Bluemont was when working through the middle portion of Luke’s gospel. There, I had a little different take on the passage. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2022/08/14/5953/

^[3] Mark 1:15. 

^[4] James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids; Eerdmans, 2002), 260. 

^[5] See also Matthew 16:28-17:8 and Luke 9:27-36. 

^[6] Edwards, 262.

^[7] Genesis 22:1-19.

^[8] Exodus3:1-12.

^[9] 1 Kings 19:8-9.

^[10] We see Peter’s impulsiveness during Jesus’ passion. Peter pledges loyalty to Jesus, then denies him. See Mark 14:29-31 and 66-72. 

^[11] The feasts of the tabernacle or booths is set forth in Deuteronomy 16:13-17. During this time, Jewish men would flood into the temple at Jerusalem and would build “booths” in which to shelter themselves. 

^[12] https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/25/who-do-you-say-that-i-am/

^[13] Douglas R. A. Hare, Westminster Bible Companion: Mark (Louisville, KY: W/JKP, 1996), 107.

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
August 18, 2024
Mark 8:22-25

At the beginning of worship: 

How do you see the world? Are you an optimist who sees this glass as half full?  Or are you a pessimistic who sees it as half empty? 

As Christians, we should see the world differently. We have hope. Sadly, there is much in our world to fear. And if someone can make us afraid, we’ll often do things we’d never do in a rational world. This is the foundation of our consumer society and of most political campaigns. We do things or support candidates because we think they’re the answer to our problems. 

This even true in the church. From some pulpits, you’ll hear more about the problems of society and how the cultural war is out to destroy the church that the teachings of Jesus.^[1] It’s a call to fight back. But those of us who follow Jesus know he has our back. The Jesus we know from Scripture doesn’t issue such calls.  

Using fear to motivate misses the good news of the gospel. One of the most heard passages in scripture is “Fear not!” We shouldn’t fear for we know where our treasure resides. We shouldn’t fear because we know who is in charge. We shouldn’t fear for we know how the story will end!

Jesus proclaimed the gates of hell won’t prevail against his church.^[2] Jesus is the one who protects his church, not us. Now that doesn’t mean we can do what we want, but it does mean our loyalty is to him and we need to keep our focus not on the world but on him. The world, we’re told, is going to always have problems until it is brought into full redemption. Wars and rumors of wars, Jesus says.^[3] We know how the story ends. The ending provides the foundation for our hope. 

We need new eyes, hopeful eyes. And Jesus has the power to restore our sight in such a manner, as we’ll see this morning. 

Before reading the Scriptures:

Last Sunday, if you remember, Jesus was a bit upset with the disciples. “Do you have eyes and fail to see?” He asked. They were all concerned with not having lunch as they sailed, once again, on the lake. We can imagine them almost pointing fingers at one another, blaming others for their lack of bread. And when Jesus began to talk metaphorically about yeast, they assumed it had to do with their argument about the lack of bread. Because you need yeast to make bread, they put the two together.

Today, we’ll see that following this discussion about their “blindness,” a blind man’s sight is restored. This is not a haphazard healing. Jesus makes a deeper point than just healing a man. He shows that he is the one who can, as the old hymn goes, “open our eyes, that we might see.”^[4]

Our story today has a parallel healing which we’ve already explored. In the 7^th Chapter, Jesus heals a man who was deaf and dumb, giving him back his hearing and his speech.^[5] There are many similarities between these two passages. First, these are the only two miracles we find only in Mark and not in Matthew and/or Luke. Another similarity are the phrases used. The suffering man is “brought” to Jesus. His friends “beg” Jesus to lay on his hands or touch him. He takes both men away from the crowds to a private place. 

This passage ends the first half of Mark’s gospel. We’ve seen how Jesus is God with power over evil and the forces of nature, along with the ability to heal, raise the dead, and cast out demons. We also see that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who does things like feeding the hungry, giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. Next week, we’ll see the disciples begin to understand Jesus. As they do, Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem where he will go to die and to be raised on the third day. 

Read Mark 8:22-25

We’ve last seen Jesus and the disciples in a boat, sailing across the Sea of Galilee. In today’s story, we’ve learned they have sailed to the north end of the Sea, at the point the Jordan River enters the top of the sea, at Bethsaida. There, a blind man is brought to Jesus. His friends beg Jesus to touch the man, obviously seeking his healing. 

Let me point out one thing here. If we are not in need of having our vision corrected by Jesus, we should be the friends of the blindman. We can’t save anyone, but we can bring those in need of salvation to Jesus Christ, as the friends of his man did. 

Now, for some reason, Jesus decides to heal in private. He leads the man outside the village. As it was with the healing of the deaf man, Jesus uses salvia on his eyes, before touching them. When he removes his hands, he asks the man if he can see. 

The man gives what I can a most interesting response. “I see people like walking trees.” Obviously, this man wasn’t born blind, if he could differentiate between trees and people. But he still isn’t seeing clearly. 

Jesus then lays his hands again on the man, then asking again if he can see. How he sees perfectly.  Jesus sends him away, telling him to go home and not through the village. Jesus obviously doesn’t want the word to get out that he’s in town. 

There are a few unique things about this miracle which may help us better interpret the passage. First, nothing gets said about the man’s faith. The woman who reached out in faith to touch Jesus’ garment in to be healed is told by our Savior, “Woman, your faith has made you well.”^[6] When he heals the Syrophoenician’s daughter, it was because of the mother’s faith.^[7] But with this man, we’re told nothing about of his faith. He’s just a man in need and Jesus heals him. 

Second, this is the only miracle in which Jesus heals in stages. Other healings occur in an instant. But not here. It’s almost as if Jesus was an optometrist. You know, you’re looking into the machine. The eye doctor asks, “How’s that?” And from your answer, the doctor manipulates the lens on the machine a bit and asks again. In the optometrist’s office, this exchange continues until the doctor gets the prescription for the glasses just right. 

A lot has been made as to why Jesus didn’t get it right the first time. Maybe Jesus shows we’ll gradually gain sight. Our eyes, when it comes to faith, increasingly open. None of us are like Paul with a Damascus Road experience. Outside of a very few, like Paul and Moses, that’s not how God works even in scripture. As we come to faith, our eyes gradually open more and more to what God is doing in our lives and in our world. 

When I set out to complete the Appalachian Trail, hiking from Virginia to Maine in one summer, I carried one book for each section of the trail. The first book was Annie Dillard’s, Pilgrim at Tinkers Creek. It was the perfect book, as Dillard writes about discovering nature by looking, not at the larger vistas, but at the small things. Insects, bugs, frogs, things often overlooked. Dillard showed their amazing lives and how they fit into the larger world. When I’d break by a stream or a spring, I’d be on the lookout to the wonders Dillard described.

As a follower of Jesus, we need that same kind of wonder. When we look at a problem in society, we shouldn’t just complain and shake our heads. We should look for those who survive despite the difficulties, those who help others, those who show the light of Christ. As Mr. Rogers said when discussing disasters such as 911, look for the heroes, those who run toward the danger to help others. Those are the ones who have faith and who demonstrate a Christ-like obedience. 

And if we truly believe, when we see a problem in which we can help, we should jump forward. For we know that whatever happens to us, God is in control. While the present may look bleak, the future will be bright. Our eyes will be fully open, and we will see God, face to face. 

So next time you look at a glass like this, consider it half full. Have faith, for in the end, things will work out. 

We’re called to follow Jesus. As followers, we’re not to get too down about the things of the world. Instead, we’re to store up our treasure in heaven.^[8] After all, we are only temporary citizens of this world. Our kingdom is of another world, an eternal one. And that should give us hope. Amen. 

Commentaries Consulted:

Edwards, James R. The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002). 

Hare, Douglas R. A., Westminster Bible Companion:      Mark (Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1996).

Hooker, Morna D. The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishing, 1997). 

Lane, William L., The Gospel of Mark (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1972). 

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^[1] I was reminded of this recently while reading Tim Alberta, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism ((Harper, 2024).  See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/08/15/two-book-reviews/

^[2] Matthew 16:18. Many translations, including the NRSV and NIV, use hades instead of hell. Most paraphrase translations including the Message and the New Living Bible use hell.  

^[3] Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7

^[4] This popular hymn is found in over 200 hymnals. Clara H. Scott (1841-1897) wrote the lyrics and the music for “Open My Eyes” 

^[5] Mark 7:31-37.  See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/07/28/open-our-ears-that-we-might-hear/

^[6] Mark 5:25-34. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/06/09/7247/

^[7] Mark 7:24-30. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/07/21/crumbs-for-the-dogs/

^[8] Matthew 6:20.

Jeff Garrison
Mayberry and Bluemont Churches
August 11, 2024
Mark 8:11-21

At the beginning of worship: 

When I worked in the bakery, Sunday was a day of production. We made the bread, starting right after midnight Saturday and throughout the day. This was so the bread could be delivered to our trucks on Sunday night and then into the stores first thing on Monday. 

When I was a young supervisor, we had a problem one Sunday afternoon. The bread rose nicely in the proof box, where some 4,000 loaves waited for the oven. But then, as the pans left the proof box and moved across a conveyor to the oven, the dough dropped. This wasn’t good. I started checking everything and having my mixer operator test and record even more frequently than normal. My first thought was something happened to a brew, which would mean we’d lose 3,000 loaves of bread.

But nothing seemed out of normal. At first, I assumed the mixer operator left out something. I watched the clock, waiting for things to return to normal. After 45 minutes, I stood by the proof box, waiting. But things didn’t improve. At this point, I called the plant manager and the maintenance engineer in on their days off. They came in and alerted the general manager and the bakery owners. Soon, we were having a pow-wow, trying to figure out what was going on. Hour after hour, we produced loaves barely an inch tall. It all ended up wasted. 

We tried everything and nothing worked. Finally, we tried setting up new brews in the fermentation tanks and pulled all new ingredients from a different batch of materials. After tossing roughly six hours of production out the door, 24,000 loaves, things returned to normal. I was scared that I might be fired, as I had no idea what was wrong. But then, neither did anyone else. 

We collected samples to be sent to a lab. A few days later, we got the report back. I and the mixer operator were vindicated. The salt we used, which included the enrichment for the flour, had three times the amount of iron than required.^[1] The overly machined bread couldn’t handle the excess iron. The enrichment, which we went back to adding ourselves, was to blame. 

When we added the enrichment ourselves, the mixer operator took a half dozen capsules and dissolve them in a two-cup container of water. Then he poured it into the brew base that went into 3,000 loaves. Think about how small of an amount—six capsules, weighing maybe 2 ounces, could ruin so much dough. ^[2]

Jesus warns us to watch out for evil. It doesn’t take much (like a bit of yeast to make a loaf or a little too much enrichment to flatten one), to send us down the wrong road. We must be careful. 

Before reading the Scripture: 

In our passage today, Mark doesn’t provide us much context except that it occurs at the stop after the feeding of the 4,000 which we explored last Sunday. And the conversation with the disciples builds upon the topic of bread. But first, there’s an exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees.

We have already seen conflicts between Jesus and the Pharisees. Our passage begins with another one. But we’re not just shown how those in opposition to Jesus are on the other side, they also include those following Jesus. No one seems to “understand” who Jesus is. Mark builds up to the climax of his book, which-God willing-I plan for us to explore in two weeks.^[3]

Let me say a bit about yeast. It comes up in this story and is essential for bread. Yeast in a Biblical sense was mostly used as a metaphor for evil. That is certainly seen in the Old Testament, but also in Jesus’ teachings.^[4] However, Jesus also refers to yeast in a positive manner—as an example of the kingdom—in Matthew’s gospel.^[5] But here, Jesus speaks of the corruption effect of yeast. 

Read Mark 8:11-21

Our text begins with the Pharisees again trying to test Jesus. The word used for test isn’t about discovering Jesus’ competency. This isn’t an IQ test or the SAT. Instead, it means they’re trying to trip Jesus up, to get him to say something they can use against him. 

Today, this seems to be the strategy of politicians on both sides of the aisle. If you can get a sound clip of your opponent saying something you can use against them, you have a winning strategy. 

The word used here for “test” implies a stumbling block or an obstacle that they are laying down before Jesus. Mark uses this same word to describe the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness.^[6]

As a part of their test, or their attempt to trick Jesus, they demand a sign from heaven. Essentially, they want insight into Jesus’ authority.^[7] It’s not a miracle they’re asking for. There’s been plenty of miracles and it would be odd that they wouldn’t have heard about the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000. In addition, most likely they have heard the reports of Jesus’ healings and other miracles. Is Jesus’ power from God or from a more sinister source?

In a way, this passage picks up the argument Jesus had with the scribes from Jerusalem back in Mark 3, where they accused his powers to be from Beelzebul or the ruler of the demons.^[8] If you remember back that far, Jesus speaks of the one plundering the “strong man’s house,” must first “tie him up.” By confronting evil powers in the world, that’s what Jesus is doing. He binds the “strong man,” Satan, so that he can rescue us. 

But Jesus, who comes in weakness, requires those who desire freedom to accept him by faith. But that’s hard. The Pharisees can’t seem to accept it, nor can the disciples as we’ll see in a minute. I also suggest that we, too, have a problem with accepting such grace. We want to be in control of our destinies, and along comes Jesus who says, “Follow me,” “Trust me,” “Believe in me.” It all goes against our grain. 

I am looking forward to reading a book that has just been published this past week. Daniel Silliman has written a religious biography of Richard Nixon, titled One Lost Soul: Richard Nixon’s Search for Salvation. I have read several reviews of the book, which sounds interesting.^[9]

My friend, Robert, in Utah, who’s read almost every biography of Nixon, is also interested. We have agreed to read the book at the same time and discuss it. I’m still waiting on my copy to arrive. Robert lives in Salt Lake City. His copy arrived this past week, the day the book was released. Living in a rural setting, my copy won’t arrive until the middle of next week. But it’ll get here.  

From the reviews I’ve read, Silliman interprets Nixon as a man who tries to justify himself. Nixon is unable to accept grace. He feels he must earn approval. This idea of just trusting Jesus is hard. The Pharisees had a difficult time with it, as did the disciples, as did Nixon, and as do most of us. As I said, such trust goes against our grain. We feel we should be able to do whatever required to save ourselves, but that’s not the case. 

Jesus cuts the Pharisees off by saying that his generation will not be given any signs. Then he gets in the boat with the disciples, and they sail away, leaving the Pharisees to ponder what it all means. 

On the boat, and if you have noticed, sailing and rowing seems to be a major way of transportation in Mark’s gospel, we get into the second half of our story. The disciples now realize someone forgot to pack lunch! There’s only one loaf (and back then loaves weren’t that large). They’re blaming each other when Jesus steps in an warns them about the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. 

As we’ve seen throughout Mark’s gospel, the disciples are clueless. Jesus obviously refers to his recent encounter with the Pharisee’s, warning the disciples about how they and Herod could corrupt them. But they think Jesus mentioning yeast because of their comments on the lack of bread. 

The disciples are a lot like us. They think everything is about them. Jesus speaks of yeast, they immediately think “it’s because we’re talking about bread!” Jesus nips this conversation in the bud, as he asks if they still don’t understand despite all they’ve seen. Jesus recalls the two feeding stories and asks them how much food was left over. The disciples remember correctly, but still don’t seem to get Jesus. 

I don’t think the point of this passage is that Jesus can divide the bread and feed everyone, which obviously he could do. Instead, it’s more about their trust of Jesus. Do they know who he is, what he can do. Or are they still lost. Or, as Jesus asks at the end of this passage, do they still not understand? Faith, as we see here, isn’t done blindly. It requires understanding.

There is a parallel between this sailing trip up the lake and the Hebrew people in the Wilderness. Despite all God did for them, they Israelites had a hard time trusting God. It’s why they spent so much of the time in the wilderness.^[10] God wanted to teach them to trust in his providence, but they kept forgetting about God’s gracious care. 

When difficulties arise in our lives, are we not the same way? Do we not worry, thinking that we’re in over our head, not trusting God’s presence to get us through? If we can control things, we don’t have a need for faith. But we also don’t have a need for God. However, Jesus came to show the Father and invites us to trust him, through the good and the bad. Such faith requires us to have our eyes opened, which will be further explored in next week’s sermon. 

Jesus is the Savior. We should place our faith in him. He is the one we should trust. If you don’t know him, ask him to open your eyes and ears, that you might believe. Amen.

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^[1] This is because most bakeries figure one pound of salt for every hundred pounds of flour. Adding the enrichment with the salt was supposed to be easier on the operators.

^[2] I told this story earlier in my blog. See https://fromarockyhillside.com/2021/07/01/another-bakery-story-the-perils-of-working-on-the-christian-sabbath/

^[3] Mark’s climax is generally understood to be Peter’s Confession in Mark 8:29.

^[4] Morna D. Hooker, The Gospel According to Saint Mark (1991, Hendrickson Publishing, 1997), 194.

^[5] Matthew 13:33. 

^[6] Mark 1:13. See James R. Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2002), 235. 

^[7] Hooker, 191.

^[8] Mark 3:20-27.  See also https://fromarockyhillside.com/2024/04/07/the-unpardonable-sin-baseball-doing-the-will-of-god/

^[9] See https://currentpub.com/2024/08/08/review-richard-nixons-graceless-religion/ or https://chartable.com/podcasts/signposts-with-russell-moore/episodes/174677472-nixons-politics-as-a-substitute-for-god   

^[10] In addition to the Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy passages, see Psalm 95:8-11.