Opening Our Eyes

October 28^th, 2018                 “Opening Our Eyes”                     Rev. Heather Jepsen

Mark 10:46-52

         This morning our gospel reading picks up right where we left off last week.  Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem for his final days.  He has told the disciples repeatedly about the suffering that awaits him there, but they still are unable to hear and understand his message.  In our reading for last Sunday, the Zebedee brothers James and John asked for seats of honor in Jesus’ kingdom.  Jesus made it clear that they will suffer a similar fate to his own, but that places of honor were not his to give.  He reminded everyone that the path to greatness in the kingdom of God is the path of service.  As the crowd passes on we have our healing story for today, which is immediately followed by Jesus’ triumphal entry into the city.

         At first this appears to be just one more healing story.  Jesus heals a man who was born blind, and you might wonder what I could find to say about such a thing.  But, if we examine this story closer, we can see that it is a metaphor for both physical and spiritual blindness, which is something that Jesus’ disciples were suffering from at this point in the story.  I believe we too, suffer from blindness today.  Let’s examine the story closer.

         We have three main characters or figures in the story; Bartimaeus, Jesus, and the crowds.  As the writer of Mark tells us Bartimaeus is a blind beggar, and while sitting by the side of the road, he hears the commotion of Jesus and his friends passing by.   He may be lacking physical vision but Bartimaeus has spiritual sight as he calls out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  This is the first time the Son of David title has been used in Mark’s gospel, so even though he can’t see Bartimaeus clearly knows what’s going on. 

         When he finds out that Jesus is interested in speaking to him Bartimaeus wastes no time at all.  He jumps up, drops his coat, and runs to Jesus’ side.  Jesus consents to heal Bartimaeus and makes it clear that the healing derives from Bartimaeus’ great faith.  That faith continues as instead of returning to his begging corner, or running off to start a new life with his new eyes, Bartimaeus chooses to follow Jesus on the way.  He is one of the only people in the Gospel of Mark that does this. 

         We cannot understand this story without looking at the role that the crowd plays.  As Bartimaeus calls to Jesus for help, the crowd repeatedly tells him to keep quiet.  They actively try to block Jesus from seeing Bartimaeus and they try to prevent Bartimaeus from being healed.  Their reasons could be many.  Perhaps they want Jesus’ attention for themselves, perhaps they think that Bartimaeus’ blindness was a result of sin and he didn’t deserve healing, perhaps they simply thought he was making too much noise and they were annoyed with him.  We can’t really know their motivation, but we can probably assume that their desire to block out Bartimaeus came from selfishness.  No one really wants to see or hear about another person’s suffering.

         Jesus of course, is our other main character.  Jesus sees Bartimaeus, he hears him, and he calls him to his side.  Jesus won’t be swayed by the voice of the crowd.  And even though he is in a position to help, Jesus doesn’t assume to know what Bartimaeus wants.  Instead, he asks, “What do you want me to do for you?”  How often do we remember to ask such things when we are in a position to offer help? 

         Jesus heals Bartimaeus and the Greek word used here is sōzō which refers to both physical and spiritual healing and salvation.  Jesus saves Bartimaeus from a physical blindness and he saves him, and all of us, from a spiritual blindness as well.  Bartimaeus is a character in direct contrast to the disciples who still can’t see who Jesus really is. 

         The overall message of this story is that Jesus has the power to heal blindness.  It could be the physical blindness that Bartimaeus suffers from, or it could be the spiritual blindness that the disciples were suffering from.  Jesus has the power to heal our blindness.  Jesus is the one who will show us mercy, by helping us to see our world more clearly.

         Of course, as I am sure you can imagine, there are a lot of ways that we have become blind.  In some things we are spiritually blind, and I would argue, in some things we are physically blind as well.  From where we are standing, we just can’t see our world very clearly.

         Let’s take one news story as an example.  And if I offend you today by getting political then let me apologize in advance.  Feel free to plug your ears, I will not be offended.  I want to talk about the “caravan” of migrants traveling from Central America supposedly to the United States.  Now, migrants traveling in groups are nothing new.  Migrants travel in groups for safety.  This happens all the time, and this group is not exceptionally big.  In fact, this group would hardly be worth notice except that this is an election season, and this is good fodder for those who are seeking election. 

         What can we see and what can we know about this group of refugees and migrants?  Well, the loudest voice in the country is our President, and he will tell you that this migrant group is something to be afraid of.  He will say that there are gang members in this crowd who are coming here to hurt us.  He will say that there are “middle eastern” people in this crowd which is also meant to cause fear.  As if we should be afraid of a whole category of people.  Our President will say that these people are acting illegally.  And, he will suggest that the correct response to this group of desperate people is military action.  Are these the words of truth?  Or is this simply the loudest voice out there, the voice of the crowd, trying to block our vision?  Is our President deliberately telling lies to try to keep us blind?

         Reporters in the crowd of refugees can tell us what they understand and what they see in this group of people.  They tell us that these are mostly families, people and their children.  They tell us that they haven’t seen any “middle eastern” people, again assuming that this is a whole category of people we should fear.  Those that are there tell us that the things the President is saying are not true.  They tell us that these people are looking for work, they are looking for safety for their families.  They might stop in Mexico, they might go back to Central America, or they might walk over 1000 miles to the California border.  They are simply looking for a new life in anyway they can find it, because their families are suffering and they fear for their lives and the lives of their children.

         When we open our eyes, we can see that these are not people out to get us, rather these are people just like us.  They are people with families, they are people who want better lives, and they are people in a desperate situation.  They are not people trying to break the law, or trying to enter the country “illegally”.  They are people who are seeking amnesty which is a human right and part of international law.  To respond to these people with fear and violence would be a tragedy. 

         There are those in our administration who say that these people deserve to go to prison because they are breaking the law.  And they dare to suggest that the Bible would support such treatment.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  When we open our eyes, we see that the Bible supports migrants and refugees more than any other group.  Throughout the Old Testament the Israelites are told to remember that they themselves were once refugees from the land of Egypt.  What would it mean for all of us white Americans to remember that we ourselves were once refugees and migrants whose ancestors came to this land seeking a better life? 

In the Old Testament, how you treat the refugee directly affects how God will treat you.  In the New Testament, Jesus tells us that how we treat the stranger will determine our salvation.  How could a Christian possibly support such demonization of a whole group of people?  You can disagree with me about our immigration policies but don’t you dare use the Bible to support the view that immigrants should be incarcerated, that children should be torn from parents, or that the correct response to those seeking asylum in our country is military power.

         Now, I am just using this as one example of a way that our world tries to keep us blind.  And again, I apologize if you are offended by politics in a sermon, but some things just need to be said, and sometimes it is my job to say them.  There are many voices out there that like the crowd in our gospel reading, try to keep us from seeing the truth of our world.  When we come to a place where truth and facts are suddenly up for debate, we come to a place where people would prefer that we be kept blind.  But, if we continue to seek our God, our eyes will be opened. 

If we are willing to really look at our world we will see many things.  We will see many ugly things like suffering, racism, injustice, hunger, violence, poverty, greed, and wrath.  And we will see many beautiful things like love, peace, compassion, generosity, the glory and value of nature, and the fellow humanity of our neighbors.  Jesus has the power to open our eyes, to offer us a spiritual salvation, and that includes the ability to really “see” the world around us and those that we share this world with.

         This is stewardship season, and one thing that our faith helps us to clearly see is the power of how we use our money and other gifts from God.  This is a time to consider how we might invest in this wonderful family of faith.  We open our eyes and we see this place clearly, our blessings and our flaws.  Sure, there are some things we could do better.  But here in this community, we are trying to be our best selves.  We can pool our resources to make a difference in the lives of the unseen people in Warrensburg, like at the Food Center, and around the world, like in Malawi.  We can form a community where we work together to open our eyes.  Through educational opportunities for adults and children, we learn together, study our faith, and grow in our love of Jesus.  We want to really see our God, and who we are, and who our God is calling us to be.  Investing in this family of faith, is an investment in our vision of the future.  This is the community where we challenge each other to really “see” the world and grow in our faith.  And this is the community where we can really be “seen”.  A place where people really know who we are, and really welcome us with the love of Christ.

         As you go out into the world this week, I encourage you to really look and see the world we live in.  Don’t simply listen to the loudest voice out there and don’t believe the lies.  Words matter; and how we say and do things matters.  We have seen this week that lies and hatred have a violent end.  It’s not OK.  Don’t let the crowds keep you blind and block you from Jesus.  Seek Jesus out, call to him, and let Jesus open your eyes.  May we all look together at the real world around us and may we see clearly what is really going on.   

This week I pray that Jesus would show us mercy through his gifts of healing.  May we be rescued from physical and spiritual blindness, and may we go out into the world, opening our eyes, speaking the truth, and willing to open the eyes of others we meet.  Amen.

The Community that Heals

September 30^th, 2018            “The Community that Heals”           Rev. Heather Jepsen

James 5:13-20 with Psalm 124

          This morning we are taking a break from the gospel of Mark and taking a moment to consider the letter from James to the early church.  While I appreciate the challenge of crafting a weekly sermon on whatever gospel reading comes up, I think this week’s lectionary reading from the epistles seems more suited to our church context.  You may remember that we did a Lenten sermon series on James a few years ago and that the book of James is more of a sermon or collection of moral teachings then it is a letter.  In this book, the author is offering lessons, advice, and encouragement to the early church. 

         In the reading for today, James is talking about how the community should lift each other up in prayer.  Throughout this letter, James has offered encouragement to the Christian community in how to live in ways that are different than the ways of the world.  In this passage James is encouraging the community of faith to share the truth of their experiences with each other.  Those who are suffering should be lifted up in prayer.  Those who are blessed should lead the community in singing songs of praise.  And those who are ill should call the church to their bedside.

         Sometimes it can be hard to be honest with each other about what is going on in our lives.  I know I had a hard time deciding when I was going to share with you about the mass that was in my ankle.  On the one hand, I didn’t want to burden you with worry if it was nothing.  But on the other hand, I wanted you to understand why I might have seemed a bit stressed or not really myself.  I have often felt in my ministry career that one of my greatest assets is my honesty.  I have promised to always be real with you, and so I invited you to share in my period of waiting to find out if I had cancer or not.  Just as James calls us to do, the community lifted me in prayer.  And we are all relieved to have a good diagnosis.  I am confident that this community will support me in my surgery this week, and will take care of me as I recover.  I know I can also count on you to take care of each other in my absence, leading worship and offering care as if I were here with you, which of course I will be in spirit. 

         James encourages us all to be honest with each other about our pain and suffering.  In this way we can minister to each other and lift each other up in prayer.  Christians in the first century were just as reluctant to share their suffering as we are today.  In fact, in the early Christian community, sickness was a very taboo subject.  Sickness is a threat to any community, as it can spread among us and harm us all.  In a world of competition and closed resources, the natural response is to leave the sick person behind rather than to risk the spreading of sickness.  James is revolutionary then, when he calls the community to gather around the sick person instead.  We are to pray together, to touch each other, and to show that the sick person is a vital member of the community of faith.  We come together in solidarity, even when it may put the community in danger, as a sign of our faith in God and our rejection of the ways of the world.  James was really pushing boundaries with his teaching, but he is confident that it is within the community of faith that we will experience healing.

         Those of us within the faith community know that the community’s power to heal is real.  When we feel lifted up, when we feel like someone has our back, then we are better able to face the challenges ahead of us.  Even if I had received a cancer diagnosis, I was fully confident that we would make that journey together.  We have done it before for each other and we will do it again.  This is a community that has healing power.      

Experiments have even been done to test the healing power of the church.  In one of my favorite articles in Feasting on the Word, theologian PC Ennis discusses a recent experiment which was designed to test the efficacy of prayer.  He writes . . .

“The members of one group, located on the east coast, were each assigned the name of an ill person on the west coast with whom they were not acquainted and instructed to pray every day for the person’s health.  The members of the other group were each given the name of an ill person whom they knew personally and who was a member of their own church.  Similar instructions were given, to pray for the ill people every day.  The patients who had no personal relationship with their prayer partner showed no significant difference in improvement from the general public, whereas members of the group who had developed a social relationship with their prayer partners through the church, indicated a decided difference in improvement and quality of life.”

So it’s great to have members of say, my uncle’s church, pray for my ankle.  But it matters so much more to have members of my church community pray for me.  When we know each other and lift each other up in prayer, than our prayers are answered and we experience healing.  Healing, spiritual growth, and wholeness all happen here within the church community. 

Of course, when we talk about pain and the need for healing we aren’t always talking about the body.  There are many emotional pains that we can suffer from and the church is called to be a community that heals in those painful situations as well.  In his letter, James encourages the community to confess their sins to each other.  This is a call to be honest about who we are in our private lives, when we come together as a community of faith.  We are called to pray together, so that the community itself may experience healing and grace.  James mentions the power of prayer Elijah experiences and suggests that the Christian community can share in that power as well, if we are willing to be honest with each other and to pray together.  Again, we have to have the courage to share our lives with each other, but if we can do that, then we will be rewarded with the care of this community that heals.

         James also encourages us to bring back into the fold any that may wander from the faith.  This is a form of healing the community itself, the body of Christ.  Of course, this is a bit touchy, as James is asking us to correct each other when we see sin.  This was a common moral teaching in the time of James though it can be a bit of a challenge in our modern time and place.  Rather than engaging in slander, judging, or grumbling against one another; if someone is causing problems in the community or headed in the wrong direction, we are encouraged to gather around them and patiently help them redirect.  I am sure you can imagine this resulting in anger and hurt feelings, but in James’ mind, this is the way the ideal Christian community would operate; mutual confession and mutual correction, all within a culture of support and honesty.  All of these things, prayer, confession, and correction help us to be the community that heals.

         While James reminds us of our need to be in a Christian community, our Psalm this morning reminds us of our reliance upon God.  “If the Lord had not been on our side . . . everyone say it with me . . . if the Lord had not been on our side, we wouldn’t have made it!”  the Psalmist writes.  Without God we would be nothing.  Without God we would be lost.  I love the poetry of this Psalm.  “We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and we have escaped.”  I can almost hear the frantic flapping of the bird’s wings as it takes flight in a panicked fury.  We were this close to cancer, but it is only a benign tumor.  We were this close to death, but we escaped.  We were this close to being alone and in despair, but the community has grabbed our hands and lifted us out of the pit.  If not for God we would be lost.  “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

Sometimes I think of going to church as a form of investing.  You’re not going to get rich coming here, but you are making an investment in your future.  All those Sundays that you are feeling good and would rather go golfing, but come to church instead, are an investment in the community that heals.  When we gather in worship together, we are investing in our unity and our future together.  When hard times come for the church, we will stand strong, we will lift each other up, the Lord is on our side.  And when hard times come for us as individuals, we are here for each other.  There are rides to the doctor, and casseroles to beat the band, and friendly cards to cheer our day, and balloons to welcome us home from the hospital.  If the Lord had not been on our side we would have been lost!  But the Lord is on our side, and the community is on our side.  Look around you; all of these people have your back!  We are a community that heals, and when you come on Sunday to invest in your faith, you are investing in this community. 

As I said earlier, I’ll be gone for the next three Sundays to recover from surgery, but things will carry on here as usual.  There will be sermons and songs, prayers and welcome.  I will pray for you and you will pray for me and we will continue to hold each other in this community that heals.  And together we will remember that it is the Lord who is one our side through it all.  “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”  And our help is in the church community that stands together and lifts each other up in love.  Thanks be to God for this wonderful community of faith, the community that heals.  Amen.