This morning’s message is about Jesus as teacher,
and the need for the church and each of us to teach and learn God’s will for this world.
Thursday evening was one in which the life of a life-long school teacher was honored.
Betty Graham taught science at EJ Martinez for over 40 years! First Presbyterian Church was packed and many in attendance were former students.
Comments shared by former students:
she was the best teach I ever had.
She believed in me.
Because of her, I wanted to learn and discover!
We’ve all had teachers:
be they Sunday School, Middle School, or After school programs.
Some leave lasting impressions
Ms. Perry, in the third grade made math click for me.
Ms. Foskie, a former nun, walked around the room with a ruler in her hand - whack!
Mr. Middleton - had jerry curls and stood on the table!
I’d imagine all teachers, and preachers, coaches, mentors, want to do there best,
but there are some,
who can turn any subject matter they are passionate about, into something transformative.
When teachers passionate about their subject, and when they teach something we sense is true, we cling to every word they say.
Think Dangerous Minds,
Dead Poets Society, even School of Rock!
THeir message convicts our souls, speeds up our hearts, and inspires us to literally change who we once thought we were,
in order to become a different but somehow more fulfilled person.
We refer to jesus in many ways: Savior, Lord, Master, Miracle worker, Son of God. What about Teacher?
We continue our study of Mark’s gospel:
His first act after calling disciples:
he goes into the synagogue,
They were astounded at his teaching, (Mark 1:22:)
he casts out a demon! more on that later
They were all amazed.... “What is this? A new teaching — with authority! (Mark 1:27)
Teacher Jesus - For many of us,
yes, Jesus teachings have transformed us, and as students, we seek to constantly apply those lessons to our lives...
admittedly some are easier than others - we can learn the prescriptive Lord’s prayer: our father, who art in heaven...
And then the more difficult ones, they form a long list:
How many times am I to forgive?
Just who is my neighbor?
when someone asks, give...
Because the harder teachings are hard to wrap our head around, the church and many who claim to be Christians find it easier to focus on other aspects of Jesus’ life:
I believe in Jesus Christ, born of the virgin mary, suffered under pontious pilate, was crucified died, and buried....The third day he rose from the dead.
Born, suffered and died.
Hey, if the apostle's creed doesn't bother with the teachings, why should I?
I'm saved! Heaven bound.
It seems that once church finds itself arm and arm with empire- the teachings of Jesus, unless they served the interest of empire, were not useful, and most likely quite threatening to both entities
Think constantine - under this sign you shall conquer
Ferdinand and Isabel - the Spanish inquisition
Think Henry VIII - hey, so I want to have a few wives beheaded...is that so wrong?
no matter I’m the Head of the Church of England...
Think Barack Obama - someone counted that Obama invokes Jesus’ name more often than President George W. Bush did.
And yet, Jesus taught, love your enemies.
In the state of the Union speech, Obama opened, cheering the death of Osama bin Laden;
he closed by saying the politics of navy seals didn’t divide them in their mission to kill Osama bin Laden; we can achieve great things in this country as we focus on the common enemy...whoever that may be.
{incidentally, I came across a quote by David Shulman, professor of humanities at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, who wrote: "There is nothing more precious than an enemy, especially one whom you have largely created by your own acts and who plays some necessary role in the inner drama of your soul." (as quoted by Morris Berman - Dark Ages in the US, Nov 2011)
Does that characterize a lot of what’s going on in the US?
Back to Jesus. The teachings of Jesus have been skewed,
blurred, watered down, manipulated, and dragged through the mud by both empire and the church.
He never said a word about homosexuality or abortion,
- favorite topics of the church.
He did teach, clothe the naked, feed the hungry, tend to the sick, and visit folks in prison.
He did teach, unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains a single seed.
He did teach, "don't worry"
Uff: Shall we spend a little time talking about atonement theory?
Teacher Jesus - this is how Mark’s community told the Jesus story.
They were astounded at his teaching - for in those teachings,
they found truth, meaning, direction, purpose for life and all of it's mystery.
Judge ye not; do unto others; take up your cross.
Last week we talked about Jesus’ call for people to follow to begin a movement. This call is:
- absolute and disruptive, drop your nets!
- It’s uncompromising in declaring a “break with business as usual.” Follow me
- it is to a life of a new kind of fishing: I will make you fish for people.
And this week, we see that inherent in that call is being a student and learning from the teacher, as well as teaching what he taught in words and actions.
Jesus enters the synagogue and.... teaches?! Seems innocent enough.
Today class, we are going to look at Genesis chapter 27:13
Oh, my, there is a demon possessed man...Pardon me, demon, I’m sending you to the principle’s office. Oh, not fair...well, I think it’s for the best.
But, this is no innocent act.
Look at what’s going on here: Jesus walks into the center of the religious establishment, and declares that establishment has lost its way, and calls for a new order.
When I say the establishment seemed to have lost its way, I mean that the religious institutions which claimed to be the very agents of enacting God’s will on earth, had become corrupt; as these institutions established an oppressive and discriminatory social order:
people outside the system were called unclean, impure, outcast; they didn’t fit in...
Jesus came to teach a new way...right in the synagogue...
right in the heart of those who taught the old way of the establishment.
A new way, it is not what goes into the mouth that makes unclean, but what comes out of it, for that precedes from the heart.
A new way, come to me all you who carry heavy burdens, learn from me.
Jesus’ teachings are not necessarily ones which help the comfortable to remain comfortable,
nor, the afflicted to remain afflicted,
but as has been said,
Jesus’ teachings afflicted the comfortable and comforted the afflicted...
because it was teachings about God’s reign on earth, which turns the tables of power and wealth, and calls for radical justice, abounding in love....
And Jesus casts out a demon.
This is his first miracle in Mark, an exorcism in the synagogue-- the center of religious community life--do you even wonder how that demon got in there?
Instead of skipping over this act, dismissing it as a case of epilepsy or some other mental disorder...
Consider for a moment what Mark might be doing.
The demon possessed man is symbolic of the authority which presided over the religious establishment, and Jesus in an act of confrontation, speaks truth to power - in God’s reign there is no lording over others,
He teaches with authority an alternative social order....
and the man possessed recognizing truth, can no longer contain the falseness about who he was which was within.
The casting out of the demon said in effect wake up,
this religious establishment has become corrupt,
it is not doing the will of God,”
the “demon” possessed the man previously thought he was a good religious person; he followed the rules and went to synagogue every saturday and tithed, unlike those other people.
”Be silent, and come out of him!” Make room for the truth of God’s reign....
That demon could not longer reside in that man’s heart,
because truth had been spoken there....
If this is the case, without question, the demon cast out in this scene,
presides in our world this day....
When those who are part of or seek to establish a social order which cultivates oppression, division, marginalization,
these are possessed...
and need to have truth spoken into their hearts.
A prostitute, who was seeking to break free from that life, when asked why she didn’t consider going to church, her response was: church, why would I go there?
Don’t you think I already feel bad enough....?
And yet, Teacher Jesus had for students: prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners.
He taught the truth of a new way based on generosity, not greed
He taught the truth of a new way based on forgiveness, not revenge and bitterness
He taught the truth of a new way based on unconditional love, even love of enemies, not war.
He taught the truth of a new way based on faith in God,
not faith in ourselves driven by our own desire to control, manipulate and exert our own will....
Where is Jesus teaching today?
How can we learn about what Jesus taught?
Where do we begin to teach this message?
That was Barbara's question at bible study
It is easy to look at public political figures and systems -
like corporate banks-- who seem to be all about self serving interests for that which ails us..and they need to be targeted.....
John Stewart is probably one of the best truth tellers in that arena.
(check out his critique of Romney’s tax strategy here)
But it seems that Jesus answer for how to change aspects of our society that are fundamentally broken was to march right into the religious establishment and teach;
and cast out demons found in those spaces.
I want to be careful when I talk about demon possession,
Let's not leave out of here thinking that everyone is possessed
(unless they’re current or former Santa Fe High students - the demons:)!
In case I haven’t made it clear already
(still working on my teaching)
Mark is using this demon-possessed man as a symbol of an institution which claims to act according to the will of God,
but is very far from doing God’s will.
If ever the church interprets scripture or establish practices which exclude, oppress, divide, and declares anyone an outcast....is that church doing the will of God?
or is it demon possessed?
You better teach- speak truth to power, and cast that demon out!
And going even further into the religious community,
Jesus’ teachings penetrate the heart of each individual who is willing to listen.
It was a man who was possessed by the demon.
On an individual level, if you ever see me or any other person in the community, teaching or practicing a message that excludes, oppresses, divides, and declares anyone an outcast ,
particularly in an attempt to gain power or influence ....
You better teach- speak truth to power, and cast that demon out!
Jesus, like a good teacher, identifies the student in need....
And reaches out to that student and says, let me help you along.
Let me bring you out of whatever you’ve been through,
and teach you the truth of who you really are.
The man is not destroyed, but restored.. and made whole.
In community we are teachers and we are students.
Older people teach younger people
Children teach the elderly
We are reformers and in need of reformation
None of us is beyond learning,
None of us is unqualified to teach.
What are we teaching?
what are we learning?
Let's be an inspiration for one another.
Let's be the vessel God uses to bring about transformation.
Let us be diligent students of Teacher Jesus
Jesus Teacher!
The demon possessed man rightly called him: "The Holy One of God".
He breaks into our world of possessions to free us to live in his authority to exorcise the powers of this age.
Amen.