Online Sermons
The Fourth Sunday in Epiphany: February 1, Ellen Bruckner
Welcome to our website. You are here: The Word --> Online SermonsSeveral years ago a short parable in book form came out called, “Who Moved My Cheese?” It made the organizational development and management circles as a story about how and why people resist change. Mice, as the main characters, move through the story and the reader begins to identify with the mice who find themselves concerned, angry, puzzled, anxious or sad about change signified by someone else moving their piece of cheese from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Hence, the title, “Who Moved My Cheese”.
Let me tell you, I have been one of those mice many times in my life. I’m certain that the strong control issues that keep popping up are indicators of my desires to keep things as I know them and in my comfort zone.
I image the scribes and people in the synagogue in today’s gospel experienced these same feelings about change. Mark tells us that Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and taught and the people were astonished at his teaching. The scribes, as teachers, taught from the tradition, the same as their teachers had taught them and people went to the synagogue to hear that teaching. Jesus taught as one having authority, not as the scribes who’s authority was from the tradition but as someone whose authority is right now and personal. We know the message Jesus taught. We have been hearing it in our lessons and our readings and in our study of the Bible. I’m wondering if we are as astonished as the people in the synagogue by hearing the message or has the message become something we take for granted – have we become like the people listening to the scribes? In this passage Mark tells us that authority is part of the message. And that same authority to share the Good News is available to all genuine disciples. It is an authority grounded in a clear faith in God that comes from personal experience with God. It is the conviction that one must share the message with the same authority and it is the conviction of the truth of the message as universal.
In the middle of this scene in the synagogue is a man with an “unclean spirit”. It does seem like the others in the synagogue knew this man because no one seemed too upset by him being there. It is not clear what the “unclean spirit” possessing this man actually was. I’m sure the meaning has changed over the decades as we discover all the forms and conditions of mental issues that afflict most of us. Today we understand many more details about mental health than people in Jesus’ day. However, the point of the story is not dependent on diagnosing this man whom Jesus heals. We can believe that Jesus came into a demon haunted world. We also know that we live in a demon haunted world. Most of us have recognized some of our demons from time to time. Among other things, I struggle continually with the fear of not being liked. Others struggle with anxiety, with insecurities, with worry, with inordinate self-concern. These demons usually cause us to act in ways that seek to appease them.
Unlike the people in the synagogue, we know the message Jesus taught. It may no longer astonish us as it did the people in the synagogue, but we know Jesus brought, in himself, the power of God and of faith. This power frees people from the domination of evil spirits. It is the power that comes from a belief that God loves this world so much, loves each of us so much that God continually seeks ways to share this love and power with all of us. God, in Jesus, continually reaches out to each of us to share this love and to ask us to believe in the power that this love can give, thereby freeing us from our demons.
Now if you were an evil spirit wouldn’t you be challenged and frightened by God’s power? The cry, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” seems to be the cry of the unclean spirits – the evil spirits that say – go back where you came from, leave us alone, what business are we of yours? The unclean spirits recognized Jesus and the power and authority he brought. They really didn’t want Jesus messing in their “business”. These words, “what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth”, are the words of individualism in our culture – the words of “I have a right to live my own life” individualism. The language of entrenched power – of greed, of oppression, of worry, of insecurity, of self concern cry at Jesus, “What have you to d o with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”
And that awesome power of a life lived in God’s love said, “Be silent and come out of him.” No wonder people were astonished – here, in front of them the message lived. The message Jesus proclaims of the kingdom of God, of the power of love, of the wholeness experienced when God is the center of our lives is real, is right before them and is challenging the power of evil – kind of a spiritual show down.
And Jesus gives the same answer today to the question, “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” Everything – Jesus has to do with everything that affects us as humans – nothing is foreign or hidden. He is concerned with every burden – everything we carry that weighs us down.
Jesus brings us the hope and faith that frees us from the domination of evil. This power is available to us – freely given. It is our choice to be astonished! It is our choice to use the power as a resource to live a new way of life. To use this faith to liberate us, through forgiveness, from the past, to use this faith to lead us away from the merry-go-round of preoccupation with self into a liberating concern with others lives, to use this faith to overcome envy, jealously and hatred by love.
The people in our story recognized the choice. They asked, “What is this? A new teaching with – authority”. Seems like the two choices are: 1) to stay the same or 2) to step into the new teaching.
Staying the same means hanging onto the way things have always been, being content with the status quo, unwilling to take advantage of opportunities maybe because of some fears or not knowing the outcome; isolating oneself from expanding circles of acquaintances, and many other manifestations of choosing to keep things the same.
The other choice, stepping into the new teaching, means making some changes. It means opening oneself to the opportunities presented. For most of us it isn’t easy and it is sometimes fear-full, but for me the growth that results from this action is worth the challenge. The willingness to be still and listen to God, to notice God in one’s life - promises to deepen the relationship between God and oneself. Every time demons are faced with authority, one grows stronger and more able to understand and stand with others who are facing their demons. One’s knowledge of being loved by God allows one to love others, known and unknown. The feelings of joy and liberation grow as one intentionally moves away from a preoccupation with self and toward an active concern for others, as one moves from worry and insecurity to the calm assurance that God will never forsake us and will always support us.
So I think my cheese gets moved around as I spend more time with God. I believe it is Jesus who moves it with the teaching and actions available to me through the scripture and through my prayers and I am astonished and amazed with the power that grows as I learn more and more to live my life following Jesus.