September 23/24, 2006
Mark 9:30-37 and James 3:13-18

TOO GOOD TO KEEP IT SECRET

I've been waitin' for the chance to clear up something. Here's a case where the storyteller of the New Testament was faithful even to the point of causing us problems with contradictions in the story of Jesus. Today: "They were traveling through Galilee; Jesus did not want anyone to know it." Last week: "He sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him." The week before that: "Jesus ordered them to tell no one."

Now, I don't know about you, but every three years when we read the book of Mark, I find that theme of secrecy puzzling. It's a contradiction to a basic message of the Christian church from Day One: Tell others about Jesus! Spread the word! "Keep it quiet" is the opposite. It contradicts our own theme here this fall. 'S difficult to make disciples making a difference if we do what Jesus says to do and keep it secret. But St Mark wrote it like he heard it.

Well, of course, one answer is that Jesus was using reverse psychology. Like one of those resorts on a lake up North: "We have condos for sale, but it's such a nice place, we're not advertising 'cause then everyone would wanna buy here and it wouldn't be the same." "Well, lemme get out my checkbook!" This is a happy church, authentic, spiritually and intellectually honest, humble enough to be a servant church, and we have good music besides. Don't spread the word, folks; let's keep it to ourselves.

Or... Jesus did not want simply to be known as the miracle man. They loved him for feeding them (five loaves and a few fish) but his sermons were too long. "Hey," they said, "show us another miracle!" when he wanted to show them another way to live. And they weren't interested. His miracles had been useful at first, but now they were losing their effectiveness. Miracles were all they talked about, so Jesus said, "Don't let's talk about it."

"They were traveling, passing through Galilee..." on their way to Jerusalem, to a cross awaiting him. Running out of time, now, Jesus had to make some choices, and he chose quality time to get through to these disciples in particular. After he was gone they would be the ones to make the difference. He chose to avoid the crowds because he was teaching his disciples.

"They came to Capernaum, and in the house he asked, What were you arguing about along the way? But they were quiet because they had argued with each other over who was greatest." They don't get it, do they? They're in on the secret; "Whoever wants to be first must be last of all- like the Son of Man who is heading to his death for us..." It's been explained repeatedly by now; and they still don't get it. Jesus talks about serving and they think that means they'll HAVE servants, not BE servants. They just don't get it.

And that's actually good news, because it occurs to us that WE are in this story. We don't get it, either, not really. Christian discipleship doesn=t come naturally - for them or us. We aren't born into it. We're called, and called repeatedly.

See, I'm saying that if you don't believe what you=re hearing in church these days C or you don't like it C or you don't understand how discipleship can work C or don't think it applies to you C or you don't want to use it as your theme in life C you're in good company. It took the original twelve disciples several times C more: it took a death and resurrection C before they learned to live with it. It usually takes us a lifetime, in fact, one reminder after another. We're in good company.

Time out for a minute, though. Time out for a warning, or at least a disclaimer. The statement Jesus makes today (about putting ourselves last after everyone else) can be criticized. That's not good news if it means unhealthy attitudes about ourselves or self-esteem so low it hurts. Battered women, a lot of immigrants, chronically-unemployed black males, American Indians generally, gay and lesbian persons, abused children, and others already are put down enough and they don't need something from the Bible to keep them there.

The same goes for you if you suffer from depression or emotional abuse or unhealthy humility based on a childhood of pain. Today's central theme of the gospel is not for you just now, if you read it is that Jesus and the rest of us put you down and you should, too. You need another theme for your discipleship, another part of the "wisdom from above" that James talks about. "Draw near to God," James also wrote, "and God will draw near to you... without a trace of partiality," he says. THAT's what you need to hear, the liberating wisdom of God's welcome - a place at the Table for you, too - spiritual safety and security which help you distinguish between healthy self-sacrifice and hopeless, self-defeating emotional abuse.

Wisdom... we're hearing that in church these weeks... an important element for disciples that make a difference. "The wisdom from above" is both gained and given to us, gained by experience and granted as a gift to those who will receive it. Our pushing and shoving for position - as a nation, for instance - is at least sometimes the result of our lack of wisdom - not seeing our own limitations or the talents (and wisdom) of others, thinking more of ourselves than we have reason to.

About a hundred years ago the world's then most distinguished astronomer was convinced there were canals on Mars. In 1877 Sir Percival Lowell heard that an Italian astronomer had seen straight lines crisscrossing the surface of Mars. Lowell spent the next 25 years squinting into the eyepiece of his huge telescope in Arizona, mapping Martian channels. They were proof, he said, of intelligent life up there, possibly, he thought, an older, wiser race of human beings.

His observations were widely accepted. Everyone believed him. With his reputation, who would disagree with him? Now, of course, we know Mars is not like that at all. Our space probes have landed on the surface, and we've all seen the photos. The planet and its geography have been mapped and analyzed and no one can find a canal anywhere - and we know those great Ray Bradbury stories can't be true! How could Percival Lowell have seen so much that isn't there?

Two possibilities: (1) He wanted to see canals so badly that he did, repeatedly. And (2) we know now that Percival Lowell suffered from a rare eye disease that made him see the blood vessels in his own eyes. The Martian canals he saw could have been simply the bulging veins of his own eyeballs. In fact, today, that illness is known as "Lowell's syndrome." [1]

We have an infinite capacity to fool ourselves - spiritually, too - by what we want to see so badly, and by our own flaws and limitations. Knowing God, knowing God through Jesus on the cross, knowing resurrection, is a wisdom that we receive, like disciples do, from above, in bits and pieces and maybe different from what we might expect or want.

Jesus did not come to give us answers to everything we'd like to know; he came to give us himself while we're on this journey of discovery. I'm saying, we don't know (I certainly don't) and neither do you... know UP-FRONT... what "making a difference" will be. We don't know in advance what cross and resurrection will do in our lives; we live it and learn it. We discover how service, sacrifice, and self-respect will change our lives and benefit others; we discover the How because he is the source of it.

Now for something on the lighter side - because the wisdom of God especially beckons the young - and anyone who listens to the wisdom of the young. Dianne Hayes' husband was working in the yard when their 3-year-old Ryan came running to report that a baby duck had fallen into a deep fence-post hole and couldn't get out. Daddy tried several times but he couldn't reach far enough to save the little thing, so he began to break the news to Ryan that the duck might not live.

Unwilling to give up, Ryan said, "Dad, why don't we just float him out?" They gently filled the hole with water, and the ducking floated to the top and waddled away. [2]

The time we spend with the children of our families and in our church is holy time. I know some of us would describe some birthday parties, church school classes, or small group time in confirmation by another word or two. And sometimes you're right, because these are children, they are youth - and we are adults - who are not fully formed. Be patient, here; God isn't finished with us yet.

...Sorta like disciples somewhere in Galilee, who required some remedial tutoring before they got it. Once they did, though, once WE do, the secret's out and anyone can tell it. Everyone ought to. It's too good to keep quiet.

Nathan Castens
Chanhassen, Minnesota


[1] from Glenn McDonald in Leadership, Fall Quarter 1984
[2] Reader's Digest, March 1999