Mark 6:7-13 Proper 10, Yr B
One of my dirty little secrets is that I like to watch televangelists in the morning before I preach. They are great public speakers, so I get into gear to use inflection, gestures and look alive, but most importantly, they remind me by their bad examples to actually say something meaningful and relevant and true. Ol' Jimmy makes me feel better about the fact that sometimes I make myself cry, although I promise never to break into song or get obsessed with 'the blood.' Someone fairly new to me is Joel Ostrogoth Smiles Big or some such name-he really reminds me that I am not charged with making people feel good, I am charged with giving them substance, and while it often looks ugly, and it usually turns out to be to hard to do 24-7, Christianity is ultimately about finding TRUE JOY in responsibility to others, not in abdicating responsibility and falling into a vacuous daze.
So this sermon is a stream of typing that I did, and then refered to in a sermon that had most of the elements, but wasn't a straight read. I think it is an ok read, but I thought it really came off well with some hollering and hand waving.
In this gospel, Jesus is setting up the guidelines for the mission field.
This is really the breakdown of one statement:
Neither run off stupid into the field, nor advertise that God does not care for his own.
At first glance, it looks like Jesus is sending them out like a bunch of first time hikers in September. We wouldn't dream of climbing Mt. Hood or even wandering in Portland without a jacket, a bottle of water, a map, our cell phone, some layers of clothes.... you get the drift.
We mentally read this Scripture with the one about the birds of the field and the grasses being taken care of by God. And then we quickly think, nope, I am not a missionary.
St. Phillip the Deacon has a photocopy on the front door that says, Re-entering the Mission Field. Mother Boozer reminds everyone who walks through those doors, even people who aren't there for churching that everywhere we go, everywhere we are, is a mission field. And these rules apply.
And they are not advocating jumping off a cliff yelling, praise the lord. They are actually sound rules, not only for traveling outside your neighborhood, but they work to ground our lives, day to day, even if we never leave home. These rules keep us safe, they keep us focused on God, and they keep us in a state where we are by default of our actions, being a witness for Christianity. It is very easy, when we are at the grocery store or the library to let our Christianity slide, just not do or say anything to stand out. I am not advocating that we all start lugging our Bibles around and getting 'Jesus Saves Sinners' tattooed on our foreheads. But we must not forget that our Christianity asks of us to seek reconciliation and justice in the world at all times. Refusing to see the plight of others, even if we cannot fix it right that second, is denying Christ.
But if we realize, like that sign at St. Phillip's, that when we leave here today we are in the mission field, we can see these instructions are as good in the here and now as they were when the Apostles first stepped out on their own.
To start, Jesus says, Don't go alone. This is sound advice. This isn't crazy. And when we are together with other Christians we are always present in our Christianity. I have a parent friend at my children's school who is brave enough to say, “I am a Christian.” in a PTA meeting. And one of the blessings I have in spending time with her is that even in my soccer mom days of driving, I am talking to someone who shares my view of the world. Who is not looking for their own advantage and comfort, but understands and supports my attempts to live authentic Christianity every day.
That support makes the next charge easier. Take charge of the 'unclean spirits.' I don't see a lot of socially outcast people in the course of my day to day life, but I do run into people possessed of 'unclean spirits.' People who are virulent gossips, who need to put someone else down to build themselves us, and I will tell you, I get this possession all the time.... I meet people who have a goal or cause that incites them to tell me whatever it takes for me to agree with them, so I will buy their stuff or sign their petition. It is hard to be strong in the face of people so invested in their own self interest. So it is good to keep friends around who will understand why you aren't jumping on the bandwagon. It is good to have fiends to support you, because being a Christian is hard work. It is worth it, and it is joyful, but it is hard.
But as missionaries in our daily lives, we must do more than hide out with like minded people. We couldn't be missionaries if we weren't out in a mission field. And the best teachers are those who lead by example. Jesus led the Apostles by example, and then, he sent them out to be an example to others. What Jesus was modeling, for the Apostles, and for us, was dependence on God. The next set of instructions go against everything your mother ever told you about taking a trip.
Don't take snacks.
Don't pack a suitcase.
Don't set yourself up for pickpockets.
Take a stick (support) to help you over the rough spots in the road.
One pair of good shoes, and no cheating on the suitcase.
Oh, come on. What if I have allergies. What if it starts to rain? This is Oregon... I need to take money, what if my car breaks down? Well, that is answered right there-you are walking. You are modeling environmentally conscious living. And only one pair of shoes, well, I don't know about you, but I firmly believe in the right shoes for the right activity. If I am martyred, it will be because I stopped to take off my walking shoes and put on my running shoes on the way out of Antioch.
Seriously, there are buckets of good advice here. First, don't forget that you have a companion. And money is ultimately just an enticement for someone to get you to part with it. And, if they don't believe you are broke, well, you have a stick to beat them off with. And have you ever had to lug your suitcases from one end of the airport to the other? Exactly, and that was in air-conditioning with a smooth walkway.
Good advice if you don't want to be robbed, but what do you do when you get hungry, or tired or your shoe breaks? It may be possible to be in the mission field at home, with a good job, and not need any of these things when you are out shopping or at the library. But at some point, even if you don't think you are going to the beach to convert the cotton candy eaters, you are going to be in the mission field in Seaside, OR. So when your car breaks down, and your wallet washed out to sea, and then you lost your shoe trying to retrieve you wallet, what are you doing to do then?
Well, you are going to remember Mark 6:10, of course. It actually says, “He said to tehn, Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.” But what it says in English is - If someone is kind enough to offer hospitality, take it. Don't look to advantage.
When you are standing next to your broken down car, wet, in one shoe. Don't ask your Good Samaritan if he is a mechanic or a shoe salesman. God is going to send the right person for the right job. But that person may not be there to help you, you may be there to help them. You may not be the one in need. It might look like you need help. But you might be the help of someone else. You might be the example; of grace under fire. Of faith in God's good outcomes. And you may never know it.
Which is why we not only have a rule about taking hospitality, but one about jerks who drive by with rude comments. We are not allowed to curse their mothers, and we are not allowed to yell, “I'll pray for you.” which has to be the most obnoxious and least effective comeback of all time.
If someone doesn't offer hospitality, let them know by their own standards that they are breaking their own rules. I know it sounds like you ought to yell about their mothers, but really, you shouldn't. The Scriptures say, shake the dust off your feet because for Jews, that was how you let someone know, in their terms, that they had not been gracious. This is not a case of exchanging obscene gestures, but a pointed, specific, grounded response to inhospitality.
And it isn't to insult the person who insulted you. It is to draw the attention of bystanders, to leave them with some food for thought about their own response to the needs of others. One of the most interesting phenomenon of group behavior is the need for permission. A group of people will stand around and stare at a car accident until someone takes the initiative. Once that happens, people will start tripping over themselves to call 911 or to rip up their shirt for bandages. But it always takes that first person, that missionary, to step up and show the lack of action before action can occur.
So even this seemingly rude, unloving advice, is actually quite sound. All of the rules of missionary work, like all the rule of the Scriptures, is counter-intuitive at first glance. Don't take what you need. Take what help comes your way. Don't let naysayers get away with their rudeness.
When we first read this gospel, we all knew that we weren't missionaries, but that it is important for people who are missionaries to follow this advice, for it is the will of God, or sound practice among strangers, or a means of testimony. But what we may not have know, what we may not have realized is that when we sat down this morning, we were missionaries already. And in our gathering today, we are following rule number one, don't go it alone.
All the rest, they are hard, they are counter-intuitive, and they are scary and they go against all the advice of all the mothers I know, myself included. But all of those rules to not over-plan are grounded in our community, in our not being alone.
Everywhere we go, everywhere we are, is a mission field.
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