July 8, 2012 6th Sunday After Pentecost

Mark 8:1-13

1 Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits.8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”
12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.


We need to hear what we don’t want to hear; see what we don’t want to see; believe what we don’t want to believe.  We can become too comfortable in our faith and then we lose the cutting edge.  We are called to follow Jesus which means we are to proclaim liberty to the captive, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed.  That is, we are to speak and be a word of hope to those who have no hope!  This is our mission!


It’s hard to be a prophet among those you grew up with; those who remember the pranks you pulled and find it hard to believe you could amount to much of anything.
Who did Jesus think he was?  GOD!
God can’t be this human, this close, this real!

When God comes to us in too human a way and challenges us to change our ways, we too “take offense at Him”.  We like to keep God boxed up in our rituals where we are in control.
But God will not let us do that.  God is not a rabbits foot, a good luck charm, an easy way out of the difficulties of life.  God desires to enter into the changes and chances of life with us, and there make a difference not by offering new power or easy answers which eliminates all the bad and protects us from suffering, but offering a power make perfect in weakness - the power of love…of grace which is sufficient for all our needs.

“I asked God for strength that I might achieve,
I was made weak, that I might learn humility to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things,
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy,
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men,
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things,  that I might enjoy life,
I was given lie, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing I asked for--but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men, most richly blessed.”
Anonymous Civil War Soldier