{"id":1458,"date":"2024-07-15T11:35:30","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T15:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/?p=1458"},"modified":"2024-07-15T11:35:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T15:35:32","slug":"so-much-so-little","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/2024\/07\/15\/so-much-so-little\/","title":{"rendered":"So Much, So Little"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Sermon for the Locust Grove United Church of Christ York, PA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">by Rev. James Eaton, Interim Pastor \u00a9 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Eighth Sunday After Pentecost\/B \u2022 July 14, 2024<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu\/texts\/?z=p&amp;d=64&amp;y=382\">Mark 6:14-29<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/So-Much-So-Little.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Who is Jesus? That\u2019s the question that ties together the bits of Mark\u2019s Gospel we\u2019ve been reading this summer. We read these like a serial, as individual episodes, but together they are meant to form a longer story and to invite us into that story. Let&#8217;s remember where we were at the end of last week\u2019s reading: Jesus, after being rejected at Nazareth, sends out his 12 disciples with specific instructions. Next Sunday, we\u2019re going to read about their return and how the crowds gather, hoping to find healing with him. Last week we heard Jesus\u2019 neighbors ask, \u201cWho is this that teaches with authority?\u201d Next week, he tries to go off privately with the disciples but people who\u2019ve never met him recognize him and gather around him. Who is this Jesus? He heals, but he also does something unique: he authorizes others to heal, he creates a community of healing and hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Story So Far<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So let me start today by going back to last week\u2019s reading and picking up one of the threads: the sending out of the disciples. He sends them out in pairs; no one goes alone. He tells them to pack light. I think I\u2019m a pretty good packer and I pride myself on traveling light. On our last trip, I needed clothes for about 10 days, toiletries, chargers for my earphones, phone and iPad, special converters to let me use Spanish plugs, a jacket, a tie in case we went out fancy, a couple of pairs of shoes. I take a bottle of water and toss in some snacks for the airplane ride.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It took a suitcase and a backpack to hold it. But listen again to Jesus\u2019 instructions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wow! Now that\u2019s traveling light. The staff is a walking stick and tool and in a pinch a defense against wild animals. But they have no airplane snacks. They don\u2019t have any money, no bag, not even a clean shirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You see what he\u2019s done? Many of the disciples come from prosperous families; they own boats, they own nets, they fish, one is a tax collector, which means he\u2019s kind of an accountant. But he\u2019s making them weak; he\u2019s making them vulnerable. When they get hungry, they can\u2019t stop at McDonald&#8217;s; they have to ask for food. When they get cold, they can\u2019t just get a hotel room; they have to ask for hospitality. He strips them of everything but the clothes on their back, the sandals on their feet and a staff and says, \u201cOk, now go share the good news.\u201d &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next he gives them instructions for dealing with people they meet. They\u2019re going to have to find places to stay and when they do, he wants them to appreciate that place. So no hoping they get a better offer! And he gives the best advice ever for dealing with those moments when someone turns them down, or they fail: \u201cdust off your feet.\u201d As a pastor of churches, I\u2019ve seen so many people offer ideas, only to have them shut down by someone who says, \u201cOh, we tried that; it didn\u2019t work.\u201d That person never dusted off their feet. They are still carrying the dust of that failure, and they can\u2019t see this is a new time, new people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So that&#8217;s where we were last week. Jesus had sent these people out and what&#8217;s coming next week is the return of these disciples. They&#8217;re going to come back and tell Jesus everything they&#8217;ve been doing and there going to be a great gathering of people who need Jesus and the disciples to heal them. That&#8217;s where we&#8217;re going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Today\u2019s Reading: John and Herod<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>So we know where we\u2019ve been, we know where we\u2019re going. How does this week\u2019s reading fit It starts with the same question, \u201cWho is Jesus?\u201d We\u2019re given a list of the possibilities: Elijah, the prophet it was thought would return some day, a prophet like the old ones or John the Baptist, returned from the dead. Wait a minute: what\u2019s this about John? Remember John the Baptist? He was a preacher who was baptizing people at the Jordan, including Jesus. Just like Jesus, John gathered a following proclaiming the Kingdom of God was near. Just like Jesus, he made the authorities nervous. He made some real enemies at Herod\u2019s palace because Herod got himself into a twisted situation. He divorced his wife, the daughter of another king, which causes a small war. Then he takes his brother\u2019s wife as his. John has been preaching that this is wrong, that it\u2019s sinful, and that rulers who commit adultery and sin before God shouldn\u2019t be obeyed. That got him arrested; that will pretty much get you arrested in any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I\u2019ve wrestled all week with how much about to say about Herod and this court. Herod was not supposed to be king; he had to out conspire four older brothers and his father to get there, probably getting some of them murdered along the way. He\u2019s king because the Romans made him king and the Romans made him king so he\u2019d keep taxes flowing to them. He\u2019s doing that and using his share to build a whole new city up near Galilee called Tiberius, where almost as an afterthought, he\u2019s throwing small farmers off the land. As to the court, I\u2019m going to assume we\u2019ve all seen enough of some version of \u201cLifestyles of the Rich and Famous\u201d to let our imaginations supply the details. You can bet everyone there has more than two tunics, most have a closet full. They have money in their belt, they not only have a bag, they have a set with designer labels. They\u2019re not worrying about hospitality, they\u2019re worrying about how to get ahead of whoever is just above them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The social life of these people is parties, where they can snipe at each other behind their backs, eat, plot, make deals. At one of these parties, Herod\u2019s step-daughter does an amazing dance and Herod\u2019s so pleased\u2014or so drunk\u2014he tells her he\u2019ll give her anything she wants. She\u2019s a smart girl; Mark calls her Herodias, but her name is really Salome. She asks her mom what she should ask for. Now remember, her mom is Herod\u2019s former sister-in-law who\u2019s now become his wife; she\u2019s the one John the Baptist was complaining about. So she tells Salome, ask for John\u2019s head on a platter; the girl goes back, asks for that, and Herod decides to give it to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;What\u2019s interesting is how Herod responds. Marks says, \u201cThe king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her.\u201d Think what that means. Herod respects John. We\u2019ve already been told,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>John is Herod\u2019s conscience. But Herod has other worries: he needs to look strong. He isn\u2019t really; he\u2019s only as strong as people think he is. They need to know he means business, so he has John executed, to prove how tough he is, how strong, how much in charge. The story ends, \u201cWhen his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.\u201d We\u2019re going to hear much the same thing after Jesus is crucified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who Is Jesus?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Who is Jesus? When he is crucified, there\u2019s a sign over him that says, \u201cKing of the Jews\u201d. The people that crucify him can\u2019t think bigger than someone like Herod. They think having so much means greatness. But even on a cross, Jesus embodies a kind of glory kings don\u2019t understand. There, it\u2019s the power of a king condemning him; there, it\u2019s the power of the love of God forgiving them. Herod eventually loses out in a power struggle and ends up exiled in the south of France. His life becomes so little. Jesus rises from the dead and gives hope for centuries, to us today; his life means so much.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who is Jesus? I was struck by a post on Facebook recently that said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want the war horse &#8211; Jesus rides a donkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want the eagle &#8211; The Holy Spirit descends as a dove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want to take up swords &#8211; Jesus takes up a cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We want the roaring lion &#8211; God comes as a slaughtered lamb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We keep trying to arm God = God keeps trying to disarm us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Herod the king is in his palace. He has so much, but he\u2019s afraid, so he kills a righteous man.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus is in a village. He has so little, but he\u2019s so confident of the power of God, he sends out his followers without a change of clothes.<br \/><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who is Jesus? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Who is Herod? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which one are you following?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rev. James Eaton&#8217;s sermon explores the question &#8220;Who is Jesus?&#8221; as seen in Mark&#8217;s Gospel, comparing Jesus\u2019 humility and mission with King Herod\u2019s corrupt power. Jesus empowers his disciples to heal without material needs, embodying God&#8217;s love. In contrast, Herod, despite his wealth, acts out of fear and selfishness, leading to John the Baptist&#8217;s execution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[146,52,3,2,130],"tags":[67],"class_list":["post-1458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mark","category-pentecost","category-sermon","category-worship","category-year-b","tag-jesus"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1458"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1463,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1458\/revisions\/1463"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstreflection.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}