Finding Faith ... in Jesus being called into the fray with us

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past 3 1/2 years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on July 14, the eighth week after Pentecost. For the summer, we moved to live Wednesday night services, that were simultaneously livestreamed.

This week's preaching text: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Feeding the Five Thousand

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

Healing the Sick in Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Message:

Given the rush through the Gospel of Mark that we have experienced in the past weeks, tonight's gospel might seem like the lectionary writers threw in a breather for us all. ... You know, a sleeper text in which we all can sit back and take a much needed rest from all the action that we've so far experienced in Mark.

Because, after all, Mark is the shortest of the gospels, and so it necessarily moves along at a pretty good clip. ... I mean we're only into the sixth chapter and we've already been introduced to the John the Baptist beheading. ... 2.) We've witnessed Jesus Christ's baptism. 3.) Jesus named his 12 disciples. 4.) We've heard all of Jesus's parables. 5.) Jesus has taken his first mission trip. 6.) And then he returned back home again only to face rejection by his own people. 7.) So Jesus then says, "Well if I can't minister to my own people here, then we'll take our ministry on the road again. And so he sends the disciples out, two by two, if you'll remember from a couple of weeks ago. 8.) And then suddenly last week we come to a screeching halt with the gruesome beheading of John the Baptist.

And then there's tonight's gospel: a nice, slow read in which the disciples come back. And Jesus greets them and tells them that they need rest.

I think it's instinctual in us as readers to want to take a break as well when we hear Jesus preach about rest. ... Just take a pause. ... I mean Mark has had us on one heck of an adventure in the first six chapters. ... And so in this text, Jesus calls for a rest. ... He tells the disciples, "You've been working so hard." You know, his busy apostles had come back from the road to check in and tell Jesus all that they've accomplished. And Jesus says, quote: "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while."

And doesn't that sound good, Faith Family? ... A break for the disciples, and for us, the readers. ... A break from a gospel that just seems to barrel on and on, at breakneck speed. ... It's almost as if Jesus has called a staff retreat to give the disciples a moment just to eat, for crying out loud! They worked so hard, the text tells us, and so tirelessly to spread the gospel, that they couldn't even find time to eat! ... I mean, if there ever was a crew that deserved some time off, it was surely these guys: the 12 disciples.

And ever-the-good shepherd Jesus knows it. So he's going to take the disciples away into the wilderness and give them some rest. ... And hey, this might be a temptation for even us, as readers, to go to sleep on this text. ... Right? ... It's just a side text. ... A filler text in between all of the action here in Mark. ... What what a thoughtful gesture by Jesus to give his team a break! ... And by the lectionary writers to give us, the readers, one as well!

Ahhhhhh .... Doesn't that feel good, Faith Family?

But ... then what happens? ... Just as the disciples are getting into a boat to get away for that planned rest, many believers saw them! ... Oh, oh. ... Gotcha! ... Right? ... It doesn't look like things are going to slow down after all! ... For the many who recognized Jesus and the disciples hurried on foot ahead of them were told and they caught them at the next city when Jesus and the disciples landed in their boat.

Our text tells us that when Jesus came ashore he saw the masses and had compassion for them and he taught them many things. This is where the lectionary writers decided to jump ahead 20 verses or so, and you'll see that gap in your gospel text tonight.

But even as Jesus and the disciples leave this new place that they've landed and found the many and travel to a new port, the need for their ministry, their healing and their proclamation of the Good News is just as dire in the next port down the sea. ... People here in Gennesaret are just as frenzied as the last city. ... We're told that they rush about and people from all over the region bring their sick to be healed. They even begged to just touch the fringe of Jesus' garment in the hope that they would be healed.

And so it seems that Jesus and his disciples may never get a rest because there's just too much need. ... There's too many that need to be healed. ... There's too many that need to be liberated. ... There's too many people in need of hope.

And so that is why tonight, Faith Family, I implore you not to sleep on this text either! ... Oh sure, it may seem like a pretty benign text. ... A report back from the road from the crew. Jesus telling them, "Hey you gotta go take some rest." ... Jesus doing a few healings.

But you know what this text really tells me? ... It tells me that the need for Jesus' Good News, the need for people to hear the gospel, was as great 2,000 years ago ... as it is for us today!

Faith Family, there are still the masses today yearning to touch Jesus' garment in the hopes of being healed. There are many who are voiceless, who are cast to the edges of society, and who yearn to be heard by a savior.

In fact, our very own planet, the earth itself, calls out in distress for relief from the greedy urges to take advantage of it for only economic gain. ... There's still so much need today 2,000 years later from when the masses rushed at Jesus in every port he came to shore, Faith Family, that if Jesus were traveling city to city yet today ... can you imagine the throngs of people who would be chasing him and the disciples down?

We all know the need is just as great today as it's ever been!

And so, Faith Family, I urge you tonight: This is no time to sleep on this text! ... We are being called into action as a people of faith! ... We are the modern day heir apparent to the disciples' work, and we are being called out into this great, big world to be Christ's hands and feet!

But the promise Jesus makes to us is that he will be right there in the fray with us! ... We aren't called into this daunting mission by ourselves!

And that is the Good News for this Wednesday, July 14, the eighth week after Pentecost. ... Amen.