Sunday July 16th, "A Nasty Way to Live"

Mark 6:14-29 “A Nasty Way to Live”.
Grandpa was always going on about the good old days, and the lower cost of living, in particular. "When I was a kid, my mom could send me to the store, and I'd get a salami, two pints of milk, 6 oranges, 2 loaves o' bread, a magazine, and some new blue jeans -- all for a dollar!"
Then Grandpa said sadly, "You can't do that anymore -- now they got those video cameras everywhere you look."It has been said that a thread will tie an honest man better than a rope will tie a thief.
Point- trying to get away with something
Let’s Pray
Mark 6:14-29
[Context: Jesus had sent his disciples out to do ministry. Jesus and His ministry was becoming well known. It is during this time of early ministry growth that John the Baptizer was executed. And as Jesus’ movement continues to grow, it causes Herod to fear that the powerful prophet that he executed had come back from the dead. We know about this Herod, Herod Antipas- not just from the Bible but also from other historical sources, such as the Jewish historian Josephus. The picture history paints of Herod is not a pretty one. Josephus also confirms that Herod held J-Bap as a prisoner. Just a brief note- Herod was not king. He was a Tetrarch, a ruler of a specific area- but he had superiors. Mark is being ironic. Let’s read the text...]
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying,"
John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
15 Others said, "He is Elijah."
And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias [her name is Salome] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23 And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." [This a ridiculous promise that he did not have the authority to utter- it was the promise of a drunk man.]
24 She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"
"The head of John the Baptist," she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Main Points:
A Nasty Way to Live:
Foundation of Selfishness
Who’s selfish in this story?
Salome
- Likely an adolescent 12-14 years of age. Any way you slice it, this story is not a healthy one. We don’t know if this girl was forced to dance for Herod and his buddies- but Mark does not tell us that. She is all too willing to take advantage of Herod’s ridiculous offer.
- using your sexuality to manipulate others is not healthy-
- She knew she had Herod trapped. Now- let’s think about it- if she was an unselfish person looking to do something good for her mother, she could have said, “Herod give my mom a nice necklace- or a new horse” or something like that. But she wanted to take this favor to her mother, a classic adolescent move of favoring one parent over the other- and in this case making the step-father look foolish
- Then she asks not just for the head, but for it immediately and on a platter- likely to impress Herod’s military guests- maybe she was scouting for a husband and thought that her brutal demand might be appealing to some of them.
Herodias
- Herodias was liking eating in a different room (keener) as Herod’s palace had separate rooms for men and women
- not correcting your child’s misbehavior- and indeed benefitting from it- is unhealthy-
- she was a willing party in this relationship and conspiracy. She despised John. He said things that irked her. Things that gave her a guilty conscience- she believed that her life was more valuable than his life- that her not having to hear any more of her speeches was worth killing another human being- one of God’s children. Extreme selfishness does not tolerate correction.
Herod
- Herod had married his brother’s wife- and was now “pleased” by who his niece who is also his stepdaughter
- being controlled by your sexuality is not healthy- Herod
- being controlled by a need to impress others is not healthy. These party goers were likely officials from Rome and people of influence- though Herod was “afraid of the people” and didn’t at first execute John, he was more afraid of being embarassed in front of his powerful party goers.
the good news- is there is another way to live.
A good way to live- on a foundation of selflessness
Who’s being selfless in this story?
John the Baptizer
How was Jbap looking out for others by calling Herod and Herodias on their sin? He wanted Herod to be a good leader and focus his energy on governing fairly and justly- his personal life was a hindrance to his leadership role. Jbap believed the tunic thing- Luke 3:11
"The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." The church has since taught that if you have much and someone has little, and you don’t share- you are guilty of stealing from that person. John was radically selfless.
John’s Disciples
v. 29 Tells us that John’s disciples recovered his body and put it in tomb. This was likely risky. They placed the honor of the teacher over the risk involved- possible arrest and jail time. They were doing the right thing despite the consequences the world’s power might lay on them.

This story can be applied to our own families, community, nation even churches. If you have some of the nastiness in your self, your family, work- whatever= you are not doomed to that. If we as a nation are manipulative, violent and controlling- we are not doomed to that. Start working on it. If you manipulate others, power plays, so on- there is another way to get things done in relationships- and it has to do with speaking the truth.

- Herod was a poor leader- he ended up in exile
- Though Herod is a ruler, he is not a king- he is a sham. Who is the real king in this story?
- We should follow JUST laws- and always speak out against injustice
- I am afraid of a church that is 1. Unable to look at the injustice in the world, like the party goers who probably know something bad is happening- but they don’t want to rock the boat and upset the party atmosphere. and 2. A church who looks at it and dismisses it, because like Herod, though they might find the speaker or topic interesting- changing the situation would adversely effect their lifestyle.
- God wants a church- that does the right thing, no matter the consequences
- Families have problems- BUT- the point with a story like this is not to go, boy I am glad I am not like Herod’s family- NO- the point is to see how does my family have situations where we do unhealthy things to each other- what part am I in my family system. How do I perpetuate a negative family trait- or how do I let it continue
A good way to live is to follow the true king- the humble, servant king Jesus Christ- a king who does not kill evil doers- but loves us and forgives us- not a king who kills, Jesus who loved each one of us so much- he died for us. What a king of Glory. What a savior.

Sunday July 16th, "A Nasty Way to Live"

Mark 6:14-29 “A Nasty Way to Live”.
Grandpa was always going on about the good old days, and the lower cost of living, in particular. "When I was a kid, my mom could send me to the store, and I'd get a salami, two pints of milk, 6 oranges, 2 loaves o' bread, a magazine, and some new blue jeans -- all for a dollar!"
Then Grandpa said sadly, "You can't do that anymore -- now they got those video cameras everywhere you look."It has been said that a thread will tie an honest man better than a rope will tie a thief.
Point- trying to get away with something
Let’s Pray
Mark 6:14-29
[Context: Jesus had sent his disciples out to do ministry. Jesus and His ministry was becoming well known. It is during this time of early ministry growth that John the Baptizer was executed. And as Jesus’ movement continues to grow, it causes Herod to fear that the powerful prophet that he executed had come back from the dead. We know about this Herod, Herod Antipas- not just from the Bible but also from other historical sources, such as the Jewish historian Josephus. The picture history paints of Herod is not a pretty one. Josephus also confirms that Herod held J-Bap as a prisoner. Just a brief note- Herod was not king. He was a Tetrarch, a ruler of a specific area- but he had superiors. Mark is being ironic. Let’s read the text...]
14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus' name had become well known. Some were saying,"
John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
15 Others said, "He is Elijah."
And still others claimed, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago."
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, "John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!"
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias [her name is Salome] came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.
The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." 23 And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." [This a ridiculous promise that he did not have the authority to utter- it was the promise of a drunk man.]
24 She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"
"The head of John the Baptist," she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Main Points:
A Nasty Way to Live:
Foundation of Selfishness
Who’s selfish in this story?
Salome
- Likely an adolescent 12-14 years of age. Any way you slice it, this story is not a healthy one. We don’t know if this girl was forced to dance for Herod and his buddies- but Mark does not tell us that. She is all too willing to take advantage of Herod’s ridiculous offer.
- using your sexuality to manipulate others is not healthy-
- She knew she had Herod trapped. Now- let’s think about it- if she was an unselfish person looking to do something good for her mother, she could have said, “Herod give my mom a nice necklace- or a new horse” or something like that. But she wanted to take this favor to her mother, a classic adolescent move of favoring one parent over the other- and in this case making the step-father look foolish
- Then she asks not just for the head, but for it immediately and on a platter- likely to impress Herod’s military guests- maybe she was scouting for a husband and thought that her brutal demand might be appealing to some of them.
Herodias
- Herodias was liking eating in a different room (keener) as Herod’s palace had separate rooms for men and women
- not correcting your child’s misbehavior- and indeed benefitting from it- is unhealthy-
- she was a willing party in this relationship and conspiracy. She despised John. He said things that irked her. Things that gave her a guilty conscience- she believed that her life was more valuable than his life- that her not having to hear any more of her speeches was worth killing another human being- one of God’s children. Extreme selfishness does not tolerate correction.
Herod
- Herod had married his brother’s wife- and was now “pleased” by who his niece who is also his stepdaughter
- being controlled by your sexuality is not healthy- Herod
- being controlled by a need to impress others is not healthy. These party goers were likely officials from Rome and people of influence- though Herod was “afraid of the people” and didn’t at first execute John, he was more afraid of being embarassed in front of his powerful party goers.
the good news- is there is another way to live.
A good way to live- on a foundation of selflessness
Who’s being selfless in this story?
John the Baptizer
How was Jbap looking out for others by calling Herod and Herodias on their sin? He wanted Herod to be a good leader and focus his energy on governing fairly and justly- his personal life was a hindrance to his leadership role. Jbap believed the tunic thing- Luke 3:11
"The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same." The church has since taught that if you have much and someone has little, and you don’t share- you are guilty of stealing from that person. John was radically selfless.
John’s Disciples
v. 29 Tells us that John’s disciples recovered his body and put it in tomb. This was likely risky. They placed the honor of the teacher over the risk involved- possible arrest and jail time. They were doing the right thing despite the consequences the world’s power might lay on them.

This story can be applied to our own families, community, nation even churches. If you have some of the nastiness in your self, your family, work- whatever= you are not doomed to that. If we as a nation are manipulative, violent and controlling- we are not doomed to that. Start working on it. If you manipulate others, power plays, so on- there is another way to get things done in relationships- and it has to do with speaking the truth.

- Herod was a poor leader- he ended up in exile
- Though Herod is a ruler, he is not a king- he is a sham. Who is the real king in this story?
- We should follow JUST laws- and always speak out against injustice
- I am afraid of a church that is 1. Unable to look at the injustice in the world, like the party goers who probably know something bad is happening- but they don’t want to rock the boat and upset the party atmosphere. and 2. A church who looks at it and dismisses it, because like Herod, though they might find the speaker or topic interesting- changing the situation would adversely effect their lifestyle.
- God wants a church- that does the right thing, no matter the consequences
- Families have problems- BUT- the point with a story like this is not to go, boy I am glad I am not like Herod’s family- NO- the point is to see how does my family have situations where we do unhealthy things to each other- what part am I in my family system. How do I perpetuate a negative family trait- or how do I let it continue
A good way to live is to follow the true king- the humble, servant king Jesus Christ- a king who does not kill evil doers- but loves us and forgives us- not a king who kills, Jesus who loved each one of us so much- he died for us. What a king of Glory. What a savior.

Sunday July 9th- "Ecstasy and Agony"

Sorry this is so late- lots going on...
Let’s Pray:- Context- Chap. 11 is talking about Paul’s authority to teach and warning against false teachers. Paul establishes his preaching credentials in 11:23, by saying he has suffered more for the Gospel. False teachers are in Corinth
2 Cor 12:2-10, 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows. 3 And I know that this man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
[We see here that Paul is obviously writing about himself, but does not want the be thought of as a bragger. The revelation or vision occurred early in Paul’s Christian life. 3rd heaven means beyond the atmosphere, and beyond the stars- the 3rd heaven is the way of saying God’s home. ]
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
[Speculation on Paul’s thorn- physical, heresy, mental]
Reflections/Questions:
- Have you had a spiritual dream or vision? You are in good company and you ain’t crazy.
- Have you had a very trying experience, problem that you prayed would stop or go away- and it just stayed? You are in good company- and you are not evil simply because this trial was not removed. There are trials in life, some come and go and some we receive complete healing from, but there are others that stay and we are made stronger by being reminded of our inability to control everything, our humanity
-How do the ecstatic vision and the “thorn” relate?
- What can we learn from the ecstasy?- Mystical and yet historical= 14 years ago- but not perfectly able to describe it. Words cannot describe all of life. Ecstatic and mountain top events- are not other worldly necessarily- but just beyond description- God is real and more than our language and normal daily experience can fully handle
- Did you know that Nevaeh is becoming a popular name? What is it? Why is it popular?
- What can we learn from the agony?
- Are troubles “sent” to teach us to pray?
- Sometimes God answers prayer with “no”’s and tells us to carry on- Our “agony” is not meaningless
- Someone else prayed three times, Jesus on the mount of olives Matt. 26:39-44
What is the Christian idea of power and strength?
Vv. 9-10 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Just like David conquered the Jebusites by entering through their weakest point- so God can enter into us through our weaknesses- We as the Church- are not to exert force like Israel did- we are to persist in good and resist evil by doing good- this is our strongest witness.
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Amazing Christian growth
The Inquisition and the crusades have resulted in amazing Christian decline and division
We do not pretend to be strong where we are weak. We are called to be honest with our weaknesses. We realize through trusting that Jesus is God’s son and that we need his death and resurrection
Good News- God is real- and our experiences matter to God. God is with us in the depths and the heights

Mark 5:21-43, Broken-ness and Healing

Sorry for the delay in posting. The holiday caught up with us!
July 2ndMark 5:21-43- “Broken-ness and Healing”. Green
Mark 5:21-43 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet 23 and pleaded earnestly with him, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak [prayer shawl], 28 because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"
31 "You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?'"
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
36 Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
(from New International Version)
The story of this little girl– and the story of a desperate father- Jairus a leader of a synagogue- a prominent person- a pastor so to speak- a keeper of the tradition- all that yes- but also a human- a father- a broken-hearted desperate man looking for a miracle- a man who fell at Jesus’ feet
Whereas he may have cared about being seen with Jesus- before his daughter got sick- that kind of stuff just doesn’t matter now- prestige and embarassment aren’t on his radar- all that has fallen away and he is on a mission to get healing for his daughter- it says he fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded- and Jesus’ response is immediate- the scripture says “so Jesus went with him” no questions- no issues- challenges- he just goes
People had gathered near Jairus’s home to see if the girl would die- in fact they were mourning and wailing before he even got back home. Having people come in to wail and mourn was a custom- but I sense in this crowd- because of the way they laugh at Jesus and just seem to be in the way- that they may be seeking to be seen favorably by Jairus- not sincerely mourning for this child- but wailing to impress the pastor
The healing though had already began- it began when the father sought God honestly and desperately- falling down in humility he was praying for healing- he knew he was broken, he knew his daughter was sick- and he believed that this Jesus could do something about it- He had deep needs - when we have deep needs its best to draw from a deep source of power, love and healing- but our human tendencies are:
1. To keep doing the same old thing- expecting different results (we think we know better)
2. To half-heartedly pray and not completely, humbly give up and submit
We have a problem with surrender- it should not be a last resort- but a spiritual first resort
We are made to need God-
We are made to need each other
The story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years
According to the Law popular religion she was unclean
She had a stigma of shame- she had sought the doctors- but nothing worked- she was likely told that she deserved this problem. She was not married- it would not be allowed- she was alone- broken- but she too, like any one of us, was made in the image of God- and that day she heard Jesus was near- she believed there was more to her story her destiny- and she broke through all the religious rules- touching people in the crowd- and received the power of God. She lived out her faith and was healed.
We are to be a people who don’t push people out to the margins. The point of the church is not to discard people, push them by our judgments into lonely shame filled lives- no our mission is to open wide the way to Jesus Christ- so they can see, feel, and experience the love of God- we are to blur the boundaries of us and them- indeed the church is a collection wounded people- we are them- we are not more deserving of God’s love or healing than anyone still in broken ness or need. We need each other- we were healed in order to invite others into the healing God has for them. We are to have Christ in the center- and not block Christ for others
What do Jairus and the woman have in common? They have a lot not in common- but they both “fell at his feet” Independence is a myth- it is a pathology if truly lived out- unabomber syndrome
We were created for community- for interdependence- this week when we celebrate our 230 years or so of independence from the British monarchy- let us not get confused and buy into the myth that independence is a Christian value- Desperation/Dependence for God- not independence
Independence has never, never been taught as a Christian virtue
meant for individuals and families and churches- indeed the scriptures- OT through the NT- tell us we are to be dependent on God- Stubborn independence is always seen as a negative- not a positive
The essence of the original sin- was trying to “know better” than God-
We live still in the broken reality- of daily fooling ourselves into believing we know better than God- Adam and Eve rationalized- “yeah, God said not eat the fruit– but it won’t be a big deal....” and we say “yeah, Jesus said love your enemy- but he didn’t really mean it.” Paul said, “forgive others just as in Christ, God forgave you...” but he doesn’t know the depth of pain- he doesn’t know the hurt my family member did to me... We know better than Paul, Jesus, Yahweh
It is time for the bleeding to stop... It is time to reach out for the power of God- and believe that Jesus can heal the wounds in our life- the broken relationships in our families- You can’t do it- But God’s power can flow through you
We have two stories here of desperate people
God does not look down at desperate people- seeing them as weak and “less than” others
No, with God in our weakness we are strong- we don’t hope in ourselves- but in the Word promise and reality of God
We believe that in God- all things can be made well- it may happen in this life- and it will definitely happen in consumation of all things- in the redemption of all things-
What way are you choosing to live?
Are you pretending that you have no broken-ness in your life?
Are you not allowing God in to some of the bleeding of your life- assuming that the wound will always be with you? That you deserve this wound? That it is a private thing?Maybe a cut off family relationship, a friendship ended, a habitual sin you have chosen to not work on,
Friends it may be your day to push through the crowd and believe that even touching Jesus just a bit through time and the scriptures will help- rushing to Jesus though it may seem late to all the naysayers- who say there is no hope- just like the mourners in the story-
Seek after God- fall at God’s feet- lean on your friends of faith- admit that you don’t know better- admit that life isn’t manageable on your own- that we weren’t made to be rocks or islands- but to be humble servants in a community. There is good news friends. Friends its never too late to reach out to Jesus- With Our God is unfailing Love