(Lay Ministers in Happy Valley/Goose Bay, Labrador are Commissioned for Service)
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
The 18th Sunday after Pentecost
By Bishop Chris Gielser
The assigned texts:
- Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16, 24-29
- James 5:13-20
- Mark 9:38-50
I can promise you one thing: Jesus’ kingdom is larger than our definition of it, and today’s text from Mark gets to the heart of the matter. So, how big is your kingdom? Can you stretch it to be larger?
In today’s Gospel lesson, Jesus’ disciples are angry because of an itinerant preacher/healer who was not part of their number. Therefore, by the disciple’s figuring, this outsider must be stopped. But Jesus tells them that the kingdom is bigger than just the twelve of them. In fact, Jesus says those who care for others in his name are doing God’s will. Jesus then goes on to instruct them regarding their approach to being a leader. The worst thing a leader can do is be a stumbling block to others. Stumbling blocks impede forward progress or, in this case, entrance into God’s kingdom.
We find it very easy to set limits on who is in and who is out. Some of us might say that those who enjoy a more traditional worship service are in, while others might say that using an organ in worship makes you stuck in the past. Some of us might say that only “Sunday Best” attire is acceptable for worship, while others might say that coat and tie or dresses and hats just do not work anymore. On a deeper level, some of us might say that a church with people who look, sound, and believe like we do is far better than one with different colors, ethnicities, races, accents, and beliefs. Jesus might just be asking you, “How big is your kingdom”?
For Jesus, outward appearances, worship styles, and even lifestyles are of little consequence. What truly matters is your sense of mission to help others. “For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.”
The passage from Numbers was indeed selected to complement the Gospel for today. Here, we see a lot of loud complaining aimed at Moses as the wandering Hebrews make their way through the wilderness. As oppressing as their slavery in Egypt was, the memory of their food in Egypt was beginning to taste pretty good. They complain by saying, “Now all we have is this manna!”
The passage continues with a frank and honest conversation between Moses and God. Moses is not pleased because it appears he is getting all the blame for something God caused in the first place. Moses cannot live up to the demands of this wandering crown and pleads with God for help. The answer to Moses is that he should share leadership with 70 Elders selected from among their number. As these elders gather at the tent for their installment, God takes a measure of the spirit that had rested on Moses and distributes it to those in attendance. The spirit moved them, and they prophesied, but only once. This must have been a powerful experience! However, two of the 70, Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp rather than attend the tent gathering. But even while being absent, the spirit rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp (where the people were). Moses’ second in command, Joshua, complains about these two who had not been a part of what he thought was the official sanctioning event. Moses indicates that God can call and inspire those outside of their number. How big is your kingdom? God’s is far larger than we could ever imagine.
Our Moravian forefathers and mothers, while not perfect, had a much larger sense of the kingdom than their peers did. Following Hus’ teachings, members of the early Unity saw the inclusion of local languages and full admission to communion as central to the Gospel message. The Herrnhut community saw the mistreatment of slaves in St. Thomas as counter to the love of Jesus, a stance that was far outside the boundaries set by the society and church teaching of their day. Today, we understand that those first Missionaries, and Zinzendorf himself, supported the institution of slavery, but their belief that the slaves were deserving of God’s grace was a giant leap forward in inclusivity.
Back to our Gospel lesson for today, we hear Jesus go on to say, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better if the great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” Jesus is blunt and to the point here, “Don’t be a stumbling block!” How big is your kingdom? As you ponder your mission, whom does it include?
