The disciples have a request of Jesus in our Gospel today: Increase our faith.
We can understand why they asked Jesus for an increase in faith. They are no doubt feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole “following Jesus” thing. Immediately prior to our Gospel reading today, when asked how many times they should be expected to forgive someone who has sinned against them, Jesus says 70 x 7. In other words, like INFINITY. That’s a lot of forgiving especially when they were probably expecting him to say TWO times! Maybe three tops. Always forgive? That’s a lot to ask.
This past Monday afternoon I watched two funeral processions. Like many of you and like over 4 billion people around the world, I watched Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral. I was moved by many things but one thing I found especially poignant was the drive from Westminster Abby to Windsor castle where she was laid to rest. People lined the 25 mile stretch of roadway and by the time the procession reached the castle, the hearse was covered with flowers mourners had tossed out along the way. Queen Elizabeth was the daughter of a king and mother to one. She was a nation’s mum and deeply admired by the entire world. The other funeral procession I saw that day was along interstate 94. A hearse led a much smaller procession to a cemetery somewhere on the east side, I assume. There were about 5 cars following the hearse two of which were rusty, beat up pick-up trucks. I have no idea who this person was because THEIR funeral was not a televised global event. And I’m guessing very few people witnessed it. Whoever was in that hearse may have been someone’s spouse, or parent or sibling. And they were, of course, someone’s beloved child.
There was a great divide between these two deceased – at lease from a human perspective. So many eyes on one. Hardly anyone noticed the second. God saw both. And loved both. Today’s Gospel is about seeing people. It’s about how God sees and loves. And how he gives us the same eyes to see and love. Lazarus, the poor man in Jesus’ story, sat outside the rich man’s gate every day begging. He would have been hard to avoid and difficult to miss. Beggars by nature have a keen sense about heavy traffic areas and high visibility locations. But the rich man doesn’t see Lazarus sitting right at his front gate. Even in the afterlife, the rich man recognizes the beggar, even calls him by his name but still only sees him as someone to be used for his own needs. He continues to treat Lazarus as if he were a servant, asking that Abraham send him to bring a drop of water and to warn his brothers. The rich man fails to see Lazarus as a person, as an equal, as one deserving of compassion and regard. It’s obvious that we struggle to see past the labels we put on people who are different from us. But we even fail to see the person at our gate. Those in our everyday lives. Those inside our doors. In our families, in our schools, at work, in our congregation. There are those among us . . . who are hard to avoid and difficult to miss … that we simply do not see. We do not see what they suffer and what they need. When we are frustrated or angry or hurt, when we get busy or self-absorbed, we ignore our neighbors, we do not see them, even when they are close by. In Jesus’ parable there was a great chasm that separated Lazarus and the rich man. It’s that chasm that prevented the rich man from seeing Lazarus as a person, as someone beloved, as someone’s son. And that great chasm lies between us and the people God has called us to love. We can feel it. It damages our relationships. It creates disappointment and alienation. It keeps us focused on self and it is no life. But Jesus stepped into that chasm – into that lonely darkness. He left the riches of heaven to become poor for our sakes. No one saw him for who he really was. But Jesus had eyes to see. And he saw what others overlooked.
In the gospel of Luke we have stories of the lost sheep – the lost coin – the prodigal son. Only Luke tells us these stories – none of the other gospel writers includes these wonderful little parables! Last Sunday at the park we heard a couple of these little gems: the lost sheep and the lost coin. Each story emphasizes God’s desire – so clearly manifested in Jesus — to find the lost one – to reach out to the fringes to find each ONE and how important that ONE is to God. There is much love for that ONE and much joy over just ONE who returns to God.
Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and the beginning of a new season. It feels very much like a transitional time. And today I’m thinking of people I know and love going through transitions. A new baby in the house for my daughter’s family. New jobs starting for several others. I’m thinking of some of our young people here at Grace of God staring college. I’m thinking of my grandson starting preschool. I’m sure you have people you are thinking about who are in very similar transitional points in life right about now. Maybe YOU are at such a point.
Why are you here? I mean, what brought you to worship today here at Grace of God? Why did you tune in on the live stream?
You know you can read your Bible at home, right? You can pray at home. You can say the Apostles Creed at home. You can even sing at home by yourself. Even if it’s only in the shower. Sometimes we have no choice but to do these things at home by ourselves. But you made a choice to be part of this gathering today. And what is the value of THIS?
What would you say is the most important part of Jesus’ story? Mark is the original author of what we call a “Gospel” — a story of the life of Christ. He was the first one to write down the stories of Jesus. We have been hearing readings from the Gospel according to Mark this past year and especially these past several weeks. What would you guess to be the highlight or the climax of his Gospel?
Today’s Gospel is one of the few times Jesus talks about marriage! So you’d think it would be the perfect choice to be read at a wedding! And actually, there is a line from this Gospel that has actually become part of the Christian wedding liturgy. At every wedding I’ve been a part of, right after the couple exchange their vows, the officiant is directed to repeat words of Jesus from today’s Gospel reading. “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” Or as the older translation put it: “Let no man put asunder!” which sounds much more dramatic!
Most of what Jesus is quoted as saying in the Gospel accounts is wonderful and beautiful and comforting and lifegiving. Some of it is downright confusing. If we were to compile o list of “Difficult Sayings of Jesus” we would HAVE to put today’s Gospel on that list. Jesus talks about salting with fire, gouging out an eye and cutting off a limb! That’s some wacky stuff.
Brothers and sisters can argue about the dumbest things! I’m embarrassed to think about some of the things my brother and sisters argued with ME about! Being the youngest, I may have instigated some pretty dumb arguments myself. When I was a kid, I seem to recall hearing from them that I always had to be right. The adult “me” has also heard that criticism.
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