the saints only reach when the coast is clear...

damaged goods

 

The HolyGospel According to St. Mark, the tenth chapter!

I have a friend who has this annoying habit. He kills jokes. You see, when you start to tell a joke he starts asking questions.

 

I'll say something like, "Why did the chicken cross the road." And he will say, well what I want to know is how did that chicken get loose?

No! That's not the point, I'll tell him.

Trying to get back on track I'll say, let's just imagine the chicken has been free for a while.

So, why did that chicken cross the road, I'll ask. And then he will come back with, what kind of a road is it. Is this a busy road in the city or a country road?

 

At this point I've just about lost my patience.

Why? What does it matter, I'll ask.

Never mind, it is a country road. So, why did this chicken that has been free for some time cross a country road, I'll try again.

Then he will say something like, what time of day is it. What kind of a chicken is this? Can this chicken read? Is the road gravel, blacktop, asphalt?

 

Exasperated I'll shout never mind, and storm out of the room.

 

Try it, it works.

If you want to kill a joke, just start asking a lot of question that don't immediately apply.

Asking all those questions is so annoying because they completely miss the point of why someone tells a joke.

 

Now, maybe none of you all have experienced the frustration of someone killing a joke by asking a bunch of hypothetical, non-related questions. But I bet you've had similar experiences.

For instance, have you ever been telling someone about an idea you're really excited about, and instead of having them share your excitement they ask all these hypothetical questions. The person you share the idea that has you so excited about immediately starts planning for the worst case scenario...

 

What do we do if it rains, they ask. What if no one shows up? Do you really think we can pull it off? Have you thought about doing something simpler, and so on.

 

It is frustrating, right? It takes all that budding enthusiasm right out of you. It bursts your bubble, as we say.

 

These hypothetical, supposedly well-intended questions are frustrating because, like asking a bunch of perimeter questions of a joke, they miss the point altogether.

 

Yes, there will come a time for preparing and considering how to deal with missteps. When you're first sharing excitement it is time to share that excitement, not plan for the worst. No one plans for a successful event by preparing for failure.

 

Or, and it hurts me to make this analogy. The Cardinals did not make it to the playoffs by preparing not to get the Wild Card berth. There was that good story in the paper after their win about how they went home instead of staying up late counting on a loss by a competitor. No, to succeed they planned for success.

 

All those questions are frustrating, because rather than sharing in the simple excitement of a new idea, only failure is planned for. All the reasons that idea may not work are focused on. Those kind of questions are so frustrated for the starry eyed dreamer because, rather than noticing all the merit in an idea, only the potential risks are considered.

 

In college we had a term for this type of person, "haters."

 

And, while it not be easy or pleasant to admit, most of us here have done some enthusiasm sinking ourselves.

Someone has suggested some idea their excited about, and immediately we brush the excitement aside. Someone comes up to us with some plan they're excited about and we ignore their excitement and focus on why the plan won't work.

 

For whatever reason, all too often when we're presented with a plan, we just focus on all the negatives; ignoring all the potential positives.

That, ultimately, is why all those questions are so frustrating; they miss the point. These kind of questions ignore all the potential an idea may have, and instead obsess over the negatives.

 

This tendency to focus on the negatives is a perennial behavior, annoying as it is. This behavior is so common because, like it or not, we don't seem to be too good at trusting. We're much better at being skeptical, of doubting, of being afraid.

 

Yes, sometime this fear or skepticism can be harmless enough. In fact, there are times when it can be helpful and strategic. More often than not, though, this negative perspective is just tedious and tragic.

 

This doubt is especially tragic when it comes out in our journeying with Jesus. This skepticism is not helpful in our prayer lives, in our lives as disciples, in living out life with God. These negative lenses do not help us see all the ways God graces and mercies already surround us.

 

The Pharisees demonstrate how these misapplied questions, motivated by skepticism, fear and doubt miss the point entirely.

 

These folks come to Jesus, is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife, they rhetorically ask. So Jesus asks what Moses commands, and their wrongheaded approach comes out in their answer.

 

They reply that Moses allowed that a man may write a certificate of divorce.

 

Did you notice that?

Their answer shows they missed the point of the question altogether!

Jesus asked what Moses commanded, not what Moses allowed.

Moses never commanded anyone to get a divorce. Yes, it was lawful for a man to write a certificate of divorce, but Moses never commanded anyone to get a divorce.

 

Right there in the Pharisee's behavior we see why this doubt isn't helpful in life with God. Rather than trusting all the mercies of life with God, they focus all their time and attention to the hypothetical "what ifs." Focusing on those what ifs aren't going to help them live out their faith, it isn't going to help them experience all of God's grace and mercy that surrounds them.

 

This behavior is akin to actually looking the proverbial gift horse in the mouth! Yes, rather than gladly accept a gift, we go right about to the meticulous "what ifs."

 

Now, for those of us who know how prone we are to focus on the what ifs when given a promise; take heart! Take heart because it is not only the Pharisees who show us how common it is to focus on fear and doubt...

 

After Jesus goes with the disciples and explains in private how patriarchy, that is rules and laws that only focus on men, and is sinful, the disciples immediately go about missing the point too!

Some people come with children in tow, to have these young ones blessed by Jesus. Rather than letting these presumably sick children come before Jesus, the disciples try to send them away.

 

Thank heavens Jesus will not let anything, even well-intentioned but fearful disciples, keep him away from people in need.

 

Both the Pharisee’s and the disciples show our perennial temptation to focus on the negative what ifs when given a promise. Not only do they show us how common this behavior is; they also demonstrate why it is so unhelpful in our life with God.

 

They show that when we always act from a place of fear, all religion can ever be is a set of restrictive rules. When living out our faith from fear, we will always be focusing on the what ifs and ignoring all the mercies and graces of God that surround us.

 

When all religion is about is rules, we can only imagine God's grace for a second, and the we'll spend the rest of our time focusing on the particular rules that need to be applied for the what ifs.

 

In other words, when we always hear Jesus' words with fear, we are showing that we do not think God is enough.

 

There has been a sentence projected this entire sermon. "God's grace and mercy surround us! Where have you experienced or witnessed that grace today?"

 

When those Pharisees were asking Jesus these what ifs, and when the disciples were sending away those children, do you think they were thinking about all the ways God's grace and mercy surrounded them?

 

Obviously not.

No, in their words and actions they are showing that they cannot trust God's mercy surrounds them.

It is kind of sad, isn't it?

 

The same is true for us. When we dash the excitement to those starry eyed dreamers, when we repress our own genius, little by little we ignoring all the ways God's mercy and grace surrounds us.

 

This is stewardship month. We have started with a question that begins with God's work on purpose.

 

There is no way any of us will be good stewards, live out our faith well, if we leave it to ourselves. To muster up that courage, fearful people like ourselves first need to experience God's abundant mercy.

 

The disciples did try to send those children away at first. But later they witnessed that risen Jesus, and then they experiences that not even death can hinder God's grace and mercy.

Slowly these disciples began to see that God's love is enough. They spent the rest of their lives living in that incredible promise that God's grace and mercy did surround them, and that change of perspective changed everything, it lead them past all those "what ifs."

 

The same is also true for us, fellow disciples. If we are to live out our calling. If we're to be good stewards of our time, talent and treasure, then we first we must grasp that God's grace and mercy does surround us.

 

So, think. Imagine. Where have you experienced God's grace or mercy this weekend? Have you seen it in the changing leaves? Have you seen it in the kind gesture of a friend? Have you seen it in someone who has forgiven you? Have you seen it in a child? Have you seen God's grace and mercy in this service?

 

There are no wrong answers.

 

Where have you witnessed or experienced God's grace or mercy?

 

Write your answers on the cards you got at the beginning of the service. We will collect your answers during the offering.

 

These answers will be a part of our offering to God, part of our thanksgiving for all the ways God is at work in our lives.

When you put your answers in that offering plate, though, do not forget them. Think about your answer. Let that way that God has surrounded you with grace and mercy lead you.

 

Let that way God's grace or mercy surrounds you, show you all the other ways God's surrounds you. Let that work of God lead you past skepticism, fear and doubt. Let that Work of God create you into the disciple you long to be.

 

God's grace and mercy surrounds you. Trust that.

Amen