Epiphany 5b 2009 Sermon Notes

In The Gospel According to Mark, Jesus maintains a frantic pace. His ministry is marked by rapid shifts from scene to scene. In fact, Mark's Gospel employs transitional words that note the shifts. "Immediately" is a word that appears often in the Gospel. Little phrases jump out at the reader paying attention like "again," and "then." These phrases give the attentive reader a true sense of Jesus' pace. Grasping the pace of Jesus' work gives us a feeling for the rhythm of Jesus' life and ministry.

We also gain a sense of what Jesus is about, as we explore the vignettes that the Gospel of Mark connects. The portion of the Gospel we just heard has four distinct shifts. We begin with Jesus leaving the synagogue. He enters the home of Simon and Andrew. He heals and casts out demons at the doorstep. In the morning, he seeks a deserted place to pray. We might think of Jesus' work as teaching and debate in the synagogue, domestic health and wholeness at Simon and Andrew's, public ministry outside the home, and private prayer alone.

The way the story is told, we see the focuses of Jesus' ministry, because they are connected. A balance of study and teaching, home, community and individual emerge. This balance is reinforced by the fact that most of the action occurs on the initial day of Jesus' ministry. It is easy to miss, but the Gospels from the last two Sundays reflect Jesus' work on a single day.

At this point, it would be very easy to make some trite point about time management. I have something more significant and substantial in mind.

The challenge is to become self-reflective and self-aware. If I claim to be a follower of Jesus, there has to be some reconciliation with who I am and what I say I am. So this balance of the Christian life, the one Jesus lived and called disciples to live, is the life we are called to live, if we are to be his followers.

A good first question is "What are we doing?" Jesus and his disciples were actively going from place to place engaging individuals on some occasions and crowds on others. Are we active enough as the body of Christ? Are we available, in appropriate and authentic ways to make the love of God known?

Next, are we united in a worshipping community seeking knowledge and a deeper understanding of God?

Are we seeking health, wholeness and love at home, with our intimates?

Are we open to life just outside our doors? Surely our homes and families aren't barriers to the world as the family of God.

Am I maintaining my personal relationship with God?

The answers to these questions will tell us if we are becoming who we claim to be. The Good News is that Jesus offers us the power to grow into our identity. It is not about perfection or being some kind of goody-goody. It is about living a life of congruence and integrity. It is about living a desiring life with God as the object and knowing we are objects of God's desire.