Readings:
Proverbs 31.10-31; Psalm 1; James 3.13-4.3, 7-8a; Mark 9.30-37
Is Jesus wise?
When someone is predicting their death, their torture and they don’t change what they’re doing, it’s an interesting question.
This week’s readings, all of them, tell us what a life lived in wisdom looks like.
In Proverbs we have Lady Wisdom. In Proverbs 27 she is seen as a monarch, she pays proper attention to that which needs attention, things like crops and her people, because riches and crowns don’t last. Today we have Lady Wisdom in the role of a wife, she pays attention. She pays attention to not only to her household, but also to the needy, the poor.
The Psalm speaks of two different ways of being in the world and the outcomes of those two different ways of being. Those who study God’s law, prosper. Those who listen to wickedness, perish.
James speaks of two different kinds of wisdom, Godly wisdom and worldly wisdom. Wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle et cetera, but when we allow worldly wisdom to dictate, it leads to evil, and his examples are of murder and conflicts.
Our Gospel reading today tells us of the second of three predictions of Jesus’ death and resurrection that are recorded in Mark. Each of those predictions are very quickly followed by teachings on how to live if you are one of his disciples. In chapter 8, when they are at Caesarea Philippi, we had this last week, and he asks, “Who do they say I am?” And Peter has that one moment of clarity of the whole entire story, “You are the Messiah,” he says. And then Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. And the scripture says, “He’s quite open about it.” But Peter hated it, and tries to silence Jesus, he tells him, “No, you can’t say that.” Jesus rebukes him, calls him Satan. He immediately calls the crowd says, “If you want to be my follower, deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me.” Imagine hearing that in first century Palestine where people are literally picking up their crosses, being forced to because they’re about to be murdered. Imagine hearing from a rabbi, ‘pick up your cross and follow me.’
In chapter 9, this week, we heard that as soon as he predicts his death and his resurrection, with a little bit more detail, his disciples can’t understand. Not only can they not understand it, they are too afraid to ask. How often have we been wilfully ignorant because of the fear of what it might mean if we understand it properly. And of course they argue about, well, who of us is actually the greatest. Jesus says those who wish to be first will be servant all.
And then in chapter 10, again a bit more detail about what will happen to him, and then James and John come along and say, ‘Excuse me Jesus, can we please have those great seats right beside you when you come into your power?’ All the other disciples hear about it and get pretty angry, and Jesus says, ‘No, no, no, that’s not how we do things here. Whoever will be great will be servant, and whoever will be first will be a slave to you.’
Today’s reading and also between this and that third prediction we have stories about children. Today we heard that Jesus brings the child into his midst and says, ‘Those who welcome children welcome me and the one who sent me.’ And then in Chapter 10 people are bringing their children to be blessed and the disciples are stopping them from coming to Jesus, and it says, “Jesus was indignant.” I love it, ‘stop it!’
Today we have the reading where it says, ‘those who wish to be first will be servant of all,’ and then Jesus brings a child into their midst and says you must welcome children. And I have heard it preached that that was saying servants were of little value and children were of little value in the society. But that’s just not true. Children were cherished, as they are in every society, in every time and place. We can see that through the three miracle stories of parents coming to intercede for their children who can’t intercede for themselves, desperately seeking Jesus’ help. And immediately before our story today there was another one. So, we had Jairus and his daughter, a few weeks ago. A couple of weeks ago we had the Syrophoenician woman. Jesus tells her to go away, she says, ‘Uh uh, I’m not leaving! You help my daughter.’ And right before today’s reading another father comes and says, ‘Jesus please help my son he has a demon and your disciples couldn’t cast the demon out. Can you cast the demon out?’ If children were of no value, or of little value, those stories wouldn’t be powerful, they would not have the yearning in it. But children are cherished.
So, in that case, what does the child symbolise? If we are to become servants, and yes, ok probably servants had much lower status and much less power, what does the child symbolise? When we think of children, what we think of? Who takes care of them? Can they care for themselves? They are vulnerable, they are dependent. We are called to welcome those who are vulnerable and those who are dependent upon us, like the father who runs to Jesus to say, ‘Save my son, he has a demon who throws him into the fire and into the water.’ Because the child could not speak for himself, the child could not do this for himself.
James understands that our faith is seen in our actions. It is both different and not different from Paul who would say that we’re saved by Grace alone, which is true, because he was concerned about people being too concerned about following the letter of the law without faith. James says that faith without works is dead. Amy-Jill Levine says, “Looking at the cross should prompt us to recognise the suffering of others including the earth.”
We all have a sphere of influence. I have my family, I have you, we have each other. You all have your families, you have your friends, you have View Club, some of you are in Probus, we have spheres of influence. James says in chapter 2 that if a brother or sister is in need, if they are naked or if they are hungry and we simply wish them well and send them off with a “God bless you,” we’re not acting out our faith. Those brother and sisters are within the sphere of influence. In Proverbs, Lady Wisdom reaches her hand to the needy and the poor. Her community would’ve been much smaller than what we have so her being able to see those who are needy and who poor is helpful, and she can reach out her hand to them. And Jesus always acts within his sphere of influence, while bound by human limitations it was to those right in front of him. Jesus commissions us to welcome the vulnerable and the dependent.
So, what if we can’t see anyone? We have to zoom out.
We have an election coming up in five weeks. At this time, when you cast your vote, your sphere influence is a little bit bigger. We are called to consider the needs of the vulnerable and dependent when making our decisions. I believe that James would consider this part of our works of faith.
We know that homelessness is an issue. Research what the expert say is needed. Research how the parties propose to address it.
We know that crime is a hot button topic at the moment. I did a little research the other day and not much has actually changed since 2016, although last year’s crime rate was a little higher, but this year seems to be on track with most other years for the past eight years. Do the research. What do experts say about what will help? Things like lifting people out of poverty. Research how the parties will respond. Does it match the advice of the experts?
We know that climate change threatens. I quoted Amy-Jill Levine earlier, when she says that looking at the cross should prompt us to recognise the suffering of others, even the earth. And we can look to Romans 8.19-21: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God. For the creation subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” Do the research. What does the community of experts say? How will the parties respond?
When I speak about experts, I mean the people who are doing the actual research, the people who are doing surveys, the people who are on the front line. What are they saying is needed and how are the parties responding to what is needed? Will we consider the needs of our vulnerable island neighbours whose homes are already being lost to rising sea levels.
Will we consider the needs of all vulnerable and dependent people in our communities?
So, is Jesus wise?
Jesus calls us to live a certain way. A way that is demanding and it may lead us to places that we don’t necessarily want to go, like the cross. It may cost us our privilege. But as is becoming more and more clear to me, my privilege is not for me. We are called to use our privilege to raise up the vulnerable and the dependent, those without voice. Our vote is both right and privilege, so many people do not have that privilege.
Jesus calls on us to use it wisely.
Amen.