Jesus is Still Lord of All - Mark 9: 38-50

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The text is the first portion of this morning’s Gospel reading, Mark 9: 38-41.

I hardly need to tell you that the election cycle is in full boil. Our phones, email, social media, internet home page, radio and tv stations, and whatever other media you use are all beating the drum of political warfare, directly or indirectly proclaiming that the Answer – with capital A – the Answer is this candidate, this party, this platform and that the opposite side of the aisle will bring gloom and doom and destruction, tohu wobohu, sheer and utter chaos, the likes that hasn’t been seen since Sodom and Gomorrah.

Don’t misunderstand: elections are important, from the candidates and platforms down to the ballot you cast. Like me, you have friends who vote straight red and others who bleed blue. Although we are on opposite ends of the spectrum with people whom we deeply and dearly respect, we agree on some things while we disagree on others. I have a few friends who get absolutely jazzed by politics and I have others who want nothing more than for Wednesday, November 6, to arrive so that, at least in theory, the political circus can be over for a while.

I confess I am getting more and more into the latter group. My chief reason is that I very much dislike what politics does to individuals and relationships. I don’t see politics as much a national, state, or community problem, as I see it a people problem. You are probably familiar with the Latin E pluribus unum that is stamped on our money. It means “From many, one.” That sounds great. But more and more, what I see is less about oneness and more “us verses them.” And Satan rejoices. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because of what He knew was coming in its fall. Rather than citizens weeping over this kind of social hostility and separation, what I often see is a zeal to fight the fight, Red vs Blue, Donkey vs Elephant. In decades past, it was about policies and struggling together and alongside each other to advance ideas and solutions to complicated and complex problems of our society, our nation, our world. Now, it seems like it is personal, not politics, and the problem is the other person who is on the other side. Our goal, then, becomes much like Commodore Oliver Hazzard Perry in the War of 1812, to meet the enemy and make them ours.

Yes, God calls us to work for justice and mercy and to use our socio-political process to do this, and yes, He calls us to be good and faithful citizens. But this kind of political talk and thinking elevates The Cause – think capital letters, here – the Cause, the Answer, the Process, The Candidate, The Party to be the next savior and god with the election process to be to their ascendency as Palm Sunday was to Jesus. This is idolatry. Remember: an idol, a god, is anything in whom you place your faith, hope and trust. Listen to how people talk, perhaps even how you speak: we must stand against them; we must hope and pray that our position, our candidate, will win the day against theirs. It’s our only hope to save the nation. Thus, the hope of our country, of justice, the very future of freedom – and then, this extends to the Church of Christ and the Gospel itself (which is a specific idolatry called Nationalistic Deism) – all depend on our working to get this candidate elected, this bill passed, and that bill stopped. And, because there are so many uninformed and uneducated voters out there, we (pick your side) must be the bearer of the message against them. The list of idols grow: my candidate, my party, my platform, me. And, at the end of the day, it all boils down to the unholy trinity of taking power, blocking power, maintaining power, and I gotta do my part. 

But, if we are honest, in the words of the cartoon character Pogo, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”

This morning’s Gospel reading picks up from last week’s reading. Last Sunday, we heard Jesus make his second Passion prediction, that He must be delivered into the hands of men who will kill Him (9:31). The disciples were so busy arguing about which among them would be first in the Kingdom (v.34) that they missed it. Jesus talks about going to the cross; they are worried about who’s number one – a “me verses you eleven” way of thinking. Then, in this morning’s Gospel lesson, they are still thinking about confrontation, a “us verses them” mentality. “Teacher, someone was casting out demons in your name,” they reported. It was like they were saying, “Who is in and who is out, Jesus, who is with us and who is against us!” John tries to boast a bit, leaning on their title of disciple to draw a party line, “we tried to stop him because he wasn’t one of us.”

There it is – John shows his colors. His words betray his idolatry. He assumes that because God is working through the Twelve, He can only work through the Twelve. Better shut him down, Jesus; he doesn’t know the secret handshake. John has forgotten that God works through the disciples, yes, but not just the disciples. Jesus’ reply to John, “Do not stop him for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able toon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us,” shows that God does not need to gain John’s or the Twelve’s approval before extending His power, might and kingdom. God is at work. The Lord reigns. Jesus is the Lord of His Kingdom and it shall have no end.

Jesus continues, “For truly I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of cool water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward.” Just a cup of cool water. It’s a symbol of, a visual image of the humility of the Kingdom. The Kingdom and reign of God in Christ is not marked by beating an opponent into a verbal pulp, by finding out juicy tidbits from a sordid past, or legislating financial and physical rewards or punishments. The Kingdom and reign of God in Christ comes in lowliness, in humility, setting aside power and might, surrendering, laying down one’s life, dying.

The Kingdom comes when Jesus is arrested, tried and executed – ironically, to the civil authorities who are more worried about expediency and keeping their jobs than seeking justice. Jesus has all power in heaven and on earth, but He sets it all aside, humbling Himself to stand before Pilate. He who spoke all things into existence with “Let there be,” opened not His mouth in defense. The King’s throne is declared: “Crucify Him!” The Kingdom comes as Christ dies on an unholy hill, hoisted between two criminals, trading His life and His holiness for the unholy sins and failings of unholy people who deserve condemnation. In His final cry, “It is finished,” the Kingdom comes and Jesus fulfills the perfect justice and righteousness of God. Peace, restoration, is made with the Father through Christ. In Christ, we are one with the Father through the Holy Spirit. And, united in Christ, we are then one with each other.

You will notice, Jesus does not flex. He doesn’t rally the troops. In fact, when Peter tries to defend Him, Jesus tells him to stop and put the sword away. Jesus doesn’t call for petitions, or elections, or impeaching Pilate and Herod. Instead, Jesus dies. He loves the world with such great love that He is willing to trade places, dying for the world. He surrenders His rights, not demands them, so that we would have unity with Him and in Him.

This was all according to the Father’s perfect will. God is Almighty. You know the old children’s song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands”? That’s absolutely true. The Psalmist declares “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.” As God told Job at the end of Job’s trials, He is working in ways beyond our seeing, our knowing, our control. He is God; we are His people.

So, John doesn’t need to worry about what the others are doing in the Lord’s name. He is simply called to trust in Jesus and do what the Lord has called Him to do.

Here is what that means:

·        John can rest in the fact that the reign of God is bigger than him.

·        You can rest in the fact that the reign of God is bigger than you.

·        John can trust that even when we do not understand what God is doing, or why He is doing it that way, God is still Lord of all.

·        You can trust that even when we do not understand what God is doing, or why He is doing it that way, God is still Lord of all.

As the political seasons continues to push forward and as the world draws deeper and wider battle lines in the sand, remember: you are God’s people whose citizenship rests in a greater Kingdom which is in but not of this world. Behave as Kingdom citizens. Treat others as Kingdom citizens. See things through Kingdom eyes. Work to care for the poor. Work to safeguard the unborn, the weak, those who cannot defend or speak for themselves. Do good, faithful and honest work. Protect your neighbor’s life and property while being content with what the Lord has given you. Speak well of those with whom you disagree. Love those who see you as their enemy. But most of all, greatest of all, seek unity. Work towards unity, particularly the unity that is ours in Christ. Remember: this gift is ours and all who receive His grace by faith – including those who vote differently than you. Labor towards this end, and in this, and in whatever happens at the end of the day on November 5, trust that the Lord reigns. Amen.