Who are God's people?
Commentary
Is the world bad or good? It's an old theological argument, focusing usually on the relative merits of asceticism. Should Christians avoid the distractions of worldly pleasures or enjoy with gratitude God's good creation?
Jesus himself is often portrayed as acting in ways that are considered worldly, to the point that he comes to be called "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19). But then, he often directs us to seek that which does not perish, to store our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).
Such considerations form only a backdrop for a theme in today's lessons. The focus, primarily in the Gospel, is not so much on worldly things but worldly people. The question, then, becomes, "Are God's people found only within the church, only among believers?" Or does God work also through others, in ways that we may neither expect nor detect?
Our lessons hint at an affirmative answer to those questions, but then they rather quickly change the subject. "Mind your own business!" seems to be the prevailing word to the church here. God's plan is bigger than us. We can't take it all in. So, Jesus suggests, let us focus on what we have been called to do, without assuming that everything starts and ends with us.
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
These few verses provide a skeletal outline for the climactic event of this book and for the origins of the Purim festival it commemorates. A fifth century B.C. holocaust is averted when Haman's plan to exterminate the Jewish race is revealed and the would-be Hitler is hanged on gallows he had built for another. There are two possible connections to the other lessons and to the dominant theme of the day: 1) Esther's persistent pleas (see also 5:1-8; 8:1-3) are almost a parabolic example of the effective intercession of the righteous one referred to in our second reading (James 5:16). If even an earthly ruler can be swayed by such, how much more would God, who delights to give (cf. Luke 18:1-8)? 2) King Ahaseurus is but one of many biblical examples of "pagans" whom God uses to advance the divine will. The people of Israel, while considering themselves to be God's chosen ones, do not forget that their Lord works through others as well.
James 5:13-20
Directions are given here for the internal life of the church, a theme picked up in the Gospel reading. As a community of faith, the church is to be marked by at least three things: 1) prayer and praise toward God; 2) forgiveness and healing for its members; and 3) commitment to the mission of saving the lost. In this case, the latter concern focuses especially on those who have been among the community but have strayed. Thus, the church is expected to look after its own first, not as a matter of selfishness, but of integrity. It cannot expect to save the world if its own house is not in order.
There is no priority given to "maintenance" over "mission." That famous dichotomy is a false one. Clearly, a church that is not involved in mission to the world is not maintaining its status as church. But the reverse can also be true. An essential part of mission is the maintenance of communities of faith where life is experienced differently than it is in the world at large.
Church leaders are often frustrated by laity who view church as some sort of retreat or refuge from the world. We want to tell them that Bible and church send us into the world, compel us to go, witness, serve, and make a difference. Yes. But we should listen to these parishioners. Most of them spend a lot of time "in the world," quite a bit more than we do, typically. The church does send us out, but it doesn't just do that.
There are lots of texts in the lectionary that deal with the external work of evangelism and social action. If those texts tend to be among your favorites, restrain yourself for a week, and preach on this lesson. It will be good for you and probably for your congregation.
Mark 9:38-50
Mark 9:40 has never been a favorite Bible verse. It doesn't turn up on needlepoint wall-hangings or bumper stickers. It hasn't been a slogan for Christian movements. "Whoever is not against us is for us!" Imagine how different church history might be if this one had caught on!
Jesus' disciples object because somebody who doesn't answer to them is delivering people from the power of Satan. Jesus responds initially by indicating that those who legitimately "bear his name" cannot be simply identified with the followers of any particular human authorities. But then he goes on to direct his disciples (who no doubt stand for "the church" here) to look to their own affairs.
The words are harsh. Indeed, they are hyperbolic, and must be understood that way. Origen and others missed the point when they tried to apply verses 43-47 literally and then, discovering that hands and feet were not so much the problem, began cutting off more troublesome body parts. What is called for is radical self-denial (see Mark 8:34), renunciation of the quest for personal fulfillment.
Note that the opposite of "hell" (literally, gehenna, the garbage dump and dung heap outside Jerusalem) is not "heaven" but "life" (vv. 43, 45) or the "rule of God" (v. 47). Jesus is concerned that we enter into authentic life, life ruled by God, here and now. Self-denial can be the paradoxical path to such life.
In essence, then, Christians are to be 1) tolerant, even affirming, of what good seems to be done by those outside the community; but also 2) strict, extremely disciplined, in their own lives. Interestingly, all the talk of judgment in this passage is in reference to those within the community. It is as though Jesus is saying to his disciples, "If you must be judgmental, judge yourselves, not others!" (cf. Matthew 7:1-5).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By James A. Nestingen
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Hollywood couldn't have staged it any better: a gorgeous queen laying claim to the king's heart, oppression lifting, and a bureaucrat getting his comeuppance, all in the course of a luncheon. It's enough to make a person wonder about the sequel.
Several years ago, when feminism was gaining a stronger grip among seminarians, a group of women conducted a worship in which, among other things, they prayed for "the spirit of Esther." Some of the older faculty, more familiar with the contours of Esther's story, later acknowledged silently editing the communal prayer -- part of Esther's spirit, her courage, for sure, but not her submission, especially among candidates for ministry.
Esther's blessing and curse were the same: she had the kind of attractiveness that would qualify her for grocery store checkout magazine displays. The editors of such publications may regard beauty as an unqualified good. Maybe Esther did, too, for a while. But it also restricted her options. For all of her glamor, she found herself in a distinctively chauvinistic beauty contest in which the king arrived at his verdict on the basis of both sight and extensive touch. Esther won, to Hollywood's delight maybe, but not by following the usual standards.
There is something about a minority in virtually every society that draws oppression. Having lost power in Jerusalem, increasingly dispersed, the children of Abraham and Sarah had become visible targets -- like Indians in Africa, ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia or African-Americans and Jews in the U.S. The rhetoric against them was undoubtedly the familiar stuff: disloyalty, greed, corruption. It came off Haman's tongue like it sounds from the mouths of bigots throughout the ages; his plots followed the same pattern.
So the stage was set. Haman came to lunch full of his plans and projects. He had read earlier versions of How to Win Friends and Influence People; he knew the whys and the wherefores of power. Exploiting people's prejudices, currying the king's favor, undercutting rivals while never missing an opportunity for self-promotion, he had arrived at his golden moment.
"So, the king has a new wife, a real knockout, I guess," somebody said.
"You bet," Haman replied. "And guess who's going to lunch with them? Just remember my name -- nobody fools with me."
There was just one problem. Neither the king nor Haman had bothered with Esther's genealogy. God remembered, as God does. Her submission may not be admirable, but Esther's courage is something else again -- worth unlimited sequels, and prayer.
Jesus himself is often portrayed as acting in ways that are considered worldly, to the point that he comes to be called "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19). But then, he often directs us to seek that which does not perish, to store our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20).
Such considerations form only a backdrop for a theme in today's lessons. The focus, primarily in the Gospel, is not so much on worldly things but worldly people. The question, then, becomes, "Are God's people found only within the church, only among believers?" Or does God work also through others, in ways that we may neither expect nor detect?
Our lessons hint at an affirmative answer to those questions, but then they rather quickly change the subject. "Mind your own business!" seems to be the prevailing word to the church here. God's plan is bigger than us. We can't take it all in. So, Jesus suggests, let us focus on what we have been called to do, without assuming that everything starts and ends with us.
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
These few verses provide a skeletal outline for the climactic event of this book and for the origins of the Purim festival it commemorates. A fifth century B.C. holocaust is averted when Haman's plan to exterminate the Jewish race is revealed and the would-be Hitler is hanged on gallows he had built for another. There are two possible connections to the other lessons and to the dominant theme of the day: 1) Esther's persistent pleas (see also 5:1-8; 8:1-3) are almost a parabolic example of the effective intercession of the righteous one referred to in our second reading (James 5:16). If even an earthly ruler can be swayed by such, how much more would God, who delights to give (cf. Luke 18:1-8)? 2) King Ahaseurus is but one of many biblical examples of "pagans" whom God uses to advance the divine will. The people of Israel, while considering themselves to be God's chosen ones, do not forget that their Lord works through others as well.
James 5:13-20
Directions are given here for the internal life of the church, a theme picked up in the Gospel reading. As a community of faith, the church is to be marked by at least three things: 1) prayer and praise toward God; 2) forgiveness and healing for its members; and 3) commitment to the mission of saving the lost. In this case, the latter concern focuses especially on those who have been among the community but have strayed. Thus, the church is expected to look after its own first, not as a matter of selfishness, but of integrity. It cannot expect to save the world if its own house is not in order.
There is no priority given to "maintenance" over "mission." That famous dichotomy is a false one. Clearly, a church that is not involved in mission to the world is not maintaining its status as church. But the reverse can also be true. An essential part of mission is the maintenance of communities of faith where life is experienced differently than it is in the world at large.
Church leaders are often frustrated by laity who view church as some sort of retreat or refuge from the world. We want to tell them that Bible and church send us into the world, compel us to go, witness, serve, and make a difference. Yes. But we should listen to these parishioners. Most of them spend a lot of time "in the world," quite a bit more than we do, typically. The church does send us out, but it doesn't just do that.
There are lots of texts in the lectionary that deal with the external work of evangelism and social action. If those texts tend to be among your favorites, restrain yourself for a week, and preach on this lesson. It will be good for you and probably for your congregation.
Mark 9:38-50
Mark 9:40 has never been a favorite Bible verse. It doesn't turn up on needlepoint wall-hangings or bumper stickers. It hasn't been a slogan for Christian movements. "Whoever is not against us is for us!" Imagine how different church history might be if this one had caught on!
Jesus' disciples object because somebody who doesn't answer to them is delivering people from the power of Satan. Jesus responds initially by indicating that those who legitimately "bear his name" cannot be simply identified with the followers of any particular human authorities. But then he goes on to direct his disciples (who no doubt stand for "the church" here) to look to their own affairs.
The words are harsh. Indeed, they are hyperbolic, and must be understood that way. Origen and others missed the point when they tried to apply verses 43-47 literally and then, discovering that hands and feet were not so much the problem, began cutting off more troublesome body parts. What is called for is radical self-denial (see Mark 8:34), renunciation of the quest for personal fulfillment.
Note that the opposite of "hell" (literally, gehenna, the garbage dump and dung heap outside Jerusalem) is not "heaven" but "life" (vv. 43, 45) or the "rule of God" (v. 47). Jesus is concerned that we enter into authentic life, life ruled by God, here and now. Self-denial can be the paradoxical path to such life.
In essence, then, Christians are to be 1) tolerant, even affirming, of what good seems to be done by those outside the community; but also 2) strict, extremely disciplined, in their own lives. Interestingly, all the talk of judgment in this passage is in reference to those within the community. It is as though Jesus is saying to his disciples, "If you must be judgmental, judge yourselves, not others!" (cf. Matthew 7:1-5).
FIRST LESSON FOCUS
By James A. Nestingen
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Hollywood couldn't have staged it any better: a gorgeous queen laying claim to the king's heart, oppression lifting, and a bureaucrat getting his comeuppance, all in the course of a luncheon. It's enough to make a person wonder about the sequel.
Several years ago, when feminism was gaining a stronger grip among seminarians, a group of women conducted a worship in which, among other things, they prayed for "the spirit of Esther." Some of the older faculty, more familiar with the contours of Esther's story, later acknowledged silently editing the communal prayer -- part of Esther's spirit, her courage, for sure, but not her submission, especially among candidates for ministry.
Esther's blessing and curse were the same: she had the kind of attractiveness that would qualify her for grocery store checkout magazine displays. The editors of such publications may regard beauty as an unqualified good. Maybe Esther did, too, for a while. But it also restricted her options. For all of her glamor, she found herself in a distinctively chauvinistic beauty contest in which the king arrived at his verdict on the basis of both sight and extensive touch. Esther won, to Hollywood's delight maybe, but not by following the usual standards.
There is something about a minority in virtually every society that draws oppression. Having lost power in Jerusalem, increasingly dispersed, the children of Abraham and Sarah had become visible targets -- like Indians in Africa, ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia or African-Americans and Jews in the U.S. The rhetoric against them was undoubtedly the familiar stuff: disloyalty, greed, corruption. It came off Haman's tongue like it sounds from the mouths of bigots throughout the ages; his plots followed the same pattern.
So the stage was set. Haman came to lunch full of his plans and projects. He had read earlier versions of How to Win Friends and Influence People; he knew the whys and the wherefores of power. Exploiting people's prejudices, currying the king's favor, undercutting rivals while never missing an opportunity for self-promotion, he had arrived at his golden moment.
"So, the king has a new wife, a real knockout, I guess," somebody said.
"You bet," Haman replied. "And guess who's going to lunch with them? Just remember my name -- nobody fools with me."
There was just one problem. Neither the king nor Haman had bothered with Esther's genealogy. God remembered, as God does. Her submission may not be admirable, but Esther's courage is something else again -- worth unlimited sequels, and prayer.
