Reading: Mark 11:20-25

Reflection – The fig tree

This is a day when lots happens. In the gospel according to Mark it takes us over the course of three chapters and 115 verses. Thursday will cover 60 verses and Friday will cover 47. This will be a full on day for Jesus and most of it is spent in conflict with the temple authorities and their side kicks. The day begins by taking us back to yesterday when the focus was, quite rightly, set on the clearing of the temple but before that encounter Jesus, you may remember, stopped at the fig tree and now we hear Peter is amazed that it is withered to the roots. Only days away from the end of life for Jesus and still we witness that tension of faith and understanding by those who have been closest to him. This encircling an event is common practice for Mark. Throughout the gospel he begins a story, moves to another and on completion of that one moves back to the original story. Biblical scholars do actually call it the Markan sandwich.

We have arrived at Tuesday. Jesus and his followers are returning to the city for the third day in arrow.

Remember as we journeyed through the gospel I said Jesus spent most of his time and his ministry in villages and rural settings. He only came to the city when he absolutely had to. With that in mind, I suppose going even once would be bad enough but three days in a row certainly not enjoyable as he knew the rest of the week, indeed the rest of his life, would be spent there too. There is going to be no let up for Jesus this week. Overnight the fig tree has withered. Look back to Sunday and see the crowds who welcome Jesus. Look forward to today and see the authorities who challenge him. Look further forward, to the end of the week and see how the crowds wither away also. They, like the fig tree, will bear no fruit.

Jesus has used this fig tree as a visual to underscore the verbal. If you have faith enough then whatever you ask will be done. All things are possible with God. That is not to say that praying in faith to God through Jesus is some form of magic formula, it must never we adopted as some ritual to be performed in a set manner using a set of prescribed words. To pray in faith allows us to wait and see how God will answer these and sometimes we are surprised at the outcome. We will go with Jesus on Thursday evening as he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane and there we will discover in the words of Jesus, a prayer of faith ‘Father everything is possible for you. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’ And that is the seal on any prayer of faith. Father God if it is according to your will then let it be so. Jesus will give some great teaching in the next few chapters before leaving the city in the evening again to return to his friend’s home in Bethany. By the time we return tomorrow Jesus will have been challenged over and over again. We will join with him tomorrow in that friend’s house.

In the light of the continuing restrictions that we’re dealing with, I’ve created a digital resource that runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Day – a journey through Holy Week. It will air across the Church of Scotland’s various channels at 8am each morning or can be viewed later.

Each episode features a short reflection presented by myself, as Moderator of the General Assembly, together with the appropriate daily reading from John’s Gospel, a prayer and a piece of contemplative music.

Colleagues from across the Church have contributed these various elements, the episodes can be viewed directly from the Church’s platforms or you can visit https://stream1.churchofscotland.org.uk/worship/holy-week-2021

Introduction

After the service last week when we were sharing news with each other a comment was made, forgive me if I misquote, ‘your face is telling a story.’ That sparked off my thinking for this week’s service. Palm Sunday and indeed Holy Week contains so much imagery that there is no need to use too many words.

This week I want us to think on how the visual is backing up the verbal. How often when we are telling or retelling an event we try to get the listener to create a pictorial image in their mind’s eye. We use adjectives to describe the most basic thing in an attempt to somehow give it life. When writing a sermon, for example, I don’t want it to sound like a boring dry old stick. (I will leave you to decide how successful I am at that) I want it to have life and vibrancy. Probably none more so than since we have been on zoom for our services. I have been using videos for the hymn words and images during prayers or as part of the service in other ways. The words and the images have to combine for those who are listening in on their landlines and not able to see the screen I am sharing with others. I would rather use less words than more. I would rather encourage people to arrive at their own conclusions instead of giving every solitary word and detail that leaves no room for imagination or indeed for the spirit to move us and challenge us.

We have seen this unfold on several occasions throughout the gospel according to Mark. The disciples and the crowds who are on the fringes have heard verbal teachings by Jesus and they do, or do not understand what they hear. When the gospel moves forward to the visual things the people are left in no doubt for they quite literally have seen with their own eyes.

Reading: Mark 11:1-11

Reflection

As Jesus enters this complex and volatile city the crowds are waving and greeting him. It is there for all to see, this exterior celebration, but the unseen cannot be denied either, we cannot ignore the underlying tensions. There may be a disconnect between verbal and visual as far as the crowds are concerned.

Remember there are religious tensions as the Pharisees and Priests have already judged Jesus as a threat to their positions of power. There are political tensions as the campaign to free their nation is in full swing and zealots like Barabbas are in prison. There are nationalistic tensions as Jesus is welcomed as a king in a land that is governed by an empire that towers over all it has conquered. It was a noisy world then just as it is now. I think then just as now sometimes the volume of the shouting may have been more forceful than the quality of the argument being pushed forward. Our world of today informs our attitudes and decision making process by sending voices and images directly into our homes via the Internet and social media. Big business spends a great deal to communicate many messages, and more recently the effect of social media can be seen to have a potentially powerful impact and not always a positive one as we have witnessed lately. Perhaps crowd-based influence such as we witness on that first Palm Sunday is giving way in a technological world to cloud-based influence. The world might have changed a lot and become more inter-connected by technology, but there is always great energy and power created when a crowd gathers. The scene from our reading is set to place the crowd in some sort of euphoric state but remember deep down their emotions would have been in turmoil. Some would have been hoping for home rule, to see the soldiers go home. Some would be believing that the one who comes is from the Lord acclaiming their saviour, their king. Hosanna to the Son of David. Others would want an end to the killings and see Barabbas freed. Others would quite simply be there cheering hosanna and not fully recognising what is going on or why. Yet others would be defiantly saying no to Caesar. The triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem has been celebrated with particular solemnity since the first centuries of Christianity. From ancient times, palm-branches were symbols of victory and triumph. The Romans used to reward champions of the games with palm-branches military triumphs were observed with palms. It seems that the Jews followed the same custom of carrying palm-branches on their festive occasions. Jesus’ presence sets Jerusalem in turmoil, just as it was at His birth, and would be at His crucifixion, several days later.

Jesus was not entering a foreign city. He was entering the city which symbolised everything about His faith and His scriptures, God’s promise to Israel. To confront one’s own faith and its traditions is painful. This is part of the drama of the event. The Scribes and the Pharisees became alarmed and decided to stop Him at any cost. One final piece of imagery for us to ponder. Imagine you are the Roman officer charged with checking out this report of a parade headed up by someone who is being claimed as king of the people before and over Caesar. You have attended many processions in the great city of Rome and you know how things are done properly. The leading general sits on a chariot of gold, wheel spikes flash in the sun, as great stallions strain at the reins. Flags and banners taken from the defeated armies are proudly displayed and then right at the end of all this pomp and ceremony comes the stragglers, the slaves, the prisoners in chains as a reminder of what happens to those who defy the might of Rome. As you approach this so called rebellious kingly procession, you cannot identify it as an unruly mob, you look around for the general who is leading and you see a man sitting on a donkey. This procession is full of adoring followers; the lame and the blind, the children and the peasants, these are the ones who fill the ranks of this parade. You now have to report back on the vision you have witnessed. How will you find the words that will adequately explain the visual? But don’t worry yourself too much or for too long. There are a lot more than you going to experience that same feeling over the next few days. This rather strange subverted model of power, exercised in gentleness and compassion challenges the systems of reason and understanding, not only in the first century Roman world but also their equivalents in our own world today. However weak it may first appear a radical Jesus, who is the rightful king, has now entered the city and approaches the heart of all that stands against the kingdom of God. The issues are about obedience and fulfilling the work of God.

Jesus continually reminds us of the true signs of servant-hood they have much less to do with glory, and more to do with acts of healing, wholeness, justice and compassion. It is this subversive, radical power that Christ unleashes on the world through the events of the coming week.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord make His face to shine upon you, the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and bring you peace.

Amen

Reading: Mark 10:46-52

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Reflection

The journey is all but over. Jerusalem is now within touching distance. But we stop as Jesus and his disciples did. There is one more thing before we enter the city and all that will follow on from there. Ingrid and I visited Jericho when we visited the Holy Land as we journeyed South to North, Jerusalem to Tiberius. The account of the giving of sight also appears in Matthew and Luke. Matthew tells us there were two blind men sitting by the roadside but we are given no names. Luke tells us it happened as Jesus approached Jericho, there was one blind man and he was begging but still there is no name and then he tells us that well-known story of Zaccheus climbing up the tree to see Jesus passing by, an account that none of the other gospels has. Mark by contrast tells us they were leaving and the man’s name was Bartimaeus who was sitting begging. I said during the first sermon in this journey that some critics question, what appears on the surface, to be different or conflicting gospel accounts. You may remember I said that 90% of the Gospel according to Mark appears somewhere in the other three gospels. Mark becomes the source material, the others have the same gospel but their message is to different audiences. Different people communicate in different ways. Different people receive information in different ways. For some minimal is ample yet for others every minute detail is required. Add in to that mix how we ourselves witness events then retell the story with quite different detail from one another either included or omitted. Was it a red saloon or estate car? Was the man wearing a brown hat or black hat or no hat at all in fact was it not a woman rather that a man. Some detail is important, some is surplus. The important thing in this giving of sight is that the main event is consistent across the board. Bartimaeus or unnamed men know who Jesus is ‘Jesus son of David’ they all declare and mercy is what is asked of Jesus. In all three accounts Jesus accepts that messianic title ‘Son of David.’ We are introduced to this in the book of the prophet Jeremiah

Chapter twenty-three, “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” God had Promised David, long before this, that a descendant of his would always rule Israel. The ones who followed David fell well short of the position they held. Jeremiah says that a good king will come and replace them all. This king will be the messiah. Later this title will be part of the dispute between Jesus and the Pharisees. Bartimaeus, being a Jew could make his appeal in such a way that a gentile could not. Calling on Jesus in such a way was in itself an expression of faith. This blind man begs for pity at the mercy of Jesus he claims nothing other than healing which would be associated with messianic blessings that would be brought by David’s son. Jesus asks him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The crowd may well have expected a beggar to ask for money. Jesus make sure they know that this is not the plea from Batimaeus. Immediately the man received his sight. This is vitally important, particularly in Mark’s account, as we have seen before on several occasions, those who witness a glimpse of who Jesus truly is he tells them go and tell no one. He does it with the disciples and remember he did it with the other account of healing a blind man in chapter eight a few weeks ago. All three gospels take us from Jericho onto the entry into Jerusalem. Mark uses this particular story as a bridge to Jerusalem and the final part of the journey. The blind man who sees Jesus for who he truly is and is given his sight whilst those who have their sight, do not recognise the Son of David, remain blind. From next Sunday and through Holy Week we will witness this being played out over and over again. Jesus will travel from Jericho to Jerusalem but his intention is very different from what those around him are expecting. The centuries old home of the prophet and the priest, the centre of religious life for the people of God. Jesus is about to take issue in the name of God with the corruption and travesty of faith and morality for which the religious leaders must be held to account. Ordinary people were being kept from the kingdom and denied the light of the gospel.

Reading: Mark 10:35-45

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.” When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Reflection

A fortnight ago I spoke about Jesus expelling an evil spirit from a young boy. Remember the tension of faith and belief. The disciples are unable to remove the spirit. The boy’s father asks for pity and Jesus says all things are possible for those who believe. ‘I believe the man exclaims help me overcome my disbelief’.

Jesus commands the spirit out and the disciples question why they couldn’t do it. We left the gospel with the disciples arguing about who is the greatest amongst them and then taking exception to someone from out with their group casting out demons in Jesus name the ‘he’s no yin oh oo’ mentality. We left with Jesus reminding the disciples and us too that in his name we are all one then we finished off the service by singing that wonderful hymn ‘Thy hand O God has guided’ which of course contains the line, ‘one church, one Lord, one faith’. What has happened between that point and where we pick the story back up this morning? Jesus has told the parable of the rich young man who states that he has kept the commandments since he was a boy. But when asked to dispose of his worldly wealth to the poor in order to save his heavenly wealth the young man is sad because he had great wealth. The contrast and the tensions again around faith and trust, belief and doubt bubble away under the surface. This morning we are with Jesus on his journey toward Jerusalem. The astonished disciples are there, we are told those who followed were afraid. Then we come to another discussion between James and John, very similar to the ‘who is the greatest?’ one. To sit at the right and left of Jesus is their request. Who sits in these positions in at events we know of in our lives? We think of top tables at weddings the best man and bride’s maid have these seats. We think of official dinners being held the invited guest speakers hold these positions. The other ten it would appear have become upset at all of this and they behave not unlike they did before.

They stop short of telling James and John to stop as they did with the man casting out demons but none the less they became indignant with the brothers. The way to the throne of Jesus, is one of bitter suffering.

The places the brothers speak of, to sit with him in his glory, are places of privilege. The time will be for them and all who follow Jesus to be there with him in that glory but it will be in and at the right time. God will hold the kingdom in his hands. Jesus puts himself forward as the way to move in a pattern of serving others. He came not only to serve, Jesus came and gave his life for us. He endured the suffering that we might believe and find salvation through him. Taking the sin upon his shoulders that we might know eternal life in his presence. Will it matter where we are seated? It won’t matter a jot. To be in his presence, to know that we are known by God, that is prize enough for me. He gave his life as a ransom for many, his life for ours that we might have his life in ours. No longer slaves to the ways of this world but now alive in the freedom of the Christ who loves us. James and John wanted to know so many things. Those who followed Jesus wanted to hear so many words and see so many miracles. His disciples wanted to understand more fully. What are the two most important things we can learn on this journey through life?

I am going to take us back to the very first verse of the very first chapter of this gospel and it says, ‘The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ That’s the first thing we learn, and the second can be found in the Book of Acts, ‘Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’ Next week as we journey onward toward Jerusalem we stop off with Jesus and his disciples in the town of Jericho, their final stop before that entrance into the great city on Palm Sunday. Once more we will find someone asking something from Jesus. We will celebrate Communion together and in our own thoughts and prayers will be bringing to the mercy seat of the Christ, our Saviour, our thanksgiving for all that he gives to us in that heavenly feast.

Who’ll Be There for You?

John 11:17–36 I.

The truth is, that all of us, desperately need close friends. No one knew this better than the apostle Paul. Time and again Paul’s friends came to his aid when he desperately needed them. One time they had to hide him in a huge basket and let him down over the wall of the city by night so he could escape the authorities (Acts 9:25).Another time the friends of Paul were there for him when he was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19–20). In the conclusion of his letter to the Romans, Paul mentions Phoebe, his benefactor, and Priscilla and Aquilla, “who risked their necks” for his life” (Rom. 16:1–4).All of us need good, devoted friends who will be there for us when life is hard. Good friends constitute one of the greatest gifts of God.
Who are we going to call when the family is in trouble?
Who are we going to call when that report from the doctor turns out to be bad news?
Who are we going to call when we have good news to share—that we just got engaged, or that we’re going to have a baby, or we got a new job?
Friends, of course……….. It has been observed that friendship is the great mathematician: it doubles our joy and divides our grief. All of us need friends who will be there for us. Sometimes there are friends who are closer than our own relatives. The wise writer of Proverbs says, “A true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin” ( Prov. 18:24).It is possible to have a friend with whom you can share the most intimate concerns of your life. Jesus had friends like this— friends who were closer than his own family. In John, chapter 11, Jesus’ good friend Lazarus had died. Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus were friends of Jesus. Jesus visited their home often. The Scripture says, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (11:5).One day Jesus got word that his dear friend Lazarus was deathly sick. When Jesus and his disciples arrived in Bethany, they learned that Lazarus had already been pronounced dead. Mary and Martha were grieving. “When Jesus saw her [Mary] weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. . . .Jesus began to weep.” So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” (11:33, 35–36).”John’s purpose in including this story in his Gospel is to show that Jesus is the Resurrection and the life. But another point of the story is the great importance that Jesus placed on human friendships. One of the best places to make friends is in the church Family. A Group—done a survey a few years ago on the main places where adults say they would go to make new friends. Some of the figures are interesting: 3 percent said they would go to a supermarket, shopping centre, or store;4 percent cited a bar, dance club, or party;12 percent said they would look for friends in their neighbourhood. At the top of the list—49 percent said they would go to church in search of friends. It may not be so high a percentage today but the church and Christians are still here to offer friendship. Although we cannot go into the Building we can still meet and see friends on zoom or by phone calls. The other side of the coin is just as true: When people start visiting a new church, if they do not establish meaningful friendships within the first few weeks, they will likely not come back. If we don’t go out of our way to make sure they find friendship, they will not return. The church is a Group of people for us to make and cherish meaningful Christian friendships. It is also a place for us to be a friend to newcomers—to include them in our fellowship time, as well as seek opportunities outside the church to spend time together all be it on zoom or by phone.

Who’ll be there for you? The friends of the church will be—or at least they should be. Let us celebrate God’s great gift of friendship. Let us thank God for every good friend that we have. And let us recommit ourselves to the friendship principle, determining to be a friend of the highest order.

Amen.

Reading: Mark 9:30-37

Reflection

What has happened since last we visited the Gospel and witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus on the mountaintop? There has been a lengthy recording of Jesus expelling an evil spirit from a young boy. Remember the tension of faith and belief that is very much part of the disciples’ journey? Well this episode concludes in the most dramatic way. The disciples are unable to remove the spirit and Jesus learns the boy has been like this since birth. The boy’s father asks for pity and Jesus says all things are possible for those who believe. I believe the man exclaims help me overcome my disbelief. Jesus commands the spirit out and the disciples question why they couldn’t do it. We pick up the story as they move on through Galilee.

There is now private teaching taking place for the disciples about Jesus dying and rising again. We are told once more they did not understand and where afraid to ask. At what could be argued Jesus most popular time as crowds were flocking to see and hear him he speaks again about pain and hurt and dying. Suffering and death were simply not on the radar screen of the disciples. They could not, would not understand. Even though every mention of his dying was countered with the assurance of his resurrection neither concept sat easy with the disciples. That is of course until he did die and was risen. Much of his teaching now is centred on his upcoming passion. But still there are tensions. Who will be the greatest they wanted to know. In effect the debate was centred on the question, who amongst us will be the new leader if Jesus dies? Is it any wonder they kept quiet when Jesus asked them what the argument was about?

True greatness is seen in humble service. And further teaching that does all of us good to hear followed. If you want to be a leader you first need to be a servant and that famous, ‘the first shall be last’ statement. Of course there needs to be leaders in all different aspects of life and that includes church. Jesus is saying it should not be the be all and end all to be the leader because as we need the leaders in life so too we need those who are not leaders. Matthew’s gospel says, ‘who ever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.’ Here in Mark’s gospel, once more, we see the teaching of Jesus turn the world’s ideals on their heads. By taking the young child, an innocent one, into his arms Jesus gives a very visual explanation of the words he has spoken, similar in fact to the whole transfiguration account where the seeing of Jesus in all his glory, accompanied by the prophets and the law, recounts his teaching in words to the disciples. A child does not try to make themselves great. Jesus spoke Aramaic where the word used for child or servant is the same. To be a servant, or a disciple, you must first become like a child. Whoever receives that child, that is disciple, in the name of Jesus, receives Jesus himself and in receiving him receives God also. In the act of humbling ourselves we open up the possibility for Jesus to use us in the building of his kingdom.

Reading: Mark 9:38-41

Reflection

Here we have an age old problem in the church. As we read this morning we discover something that has been there right from the very first days. Something that in fact over the years we have entrenched ourselves in and has been the cause of the biggest, longest, deepest, most painful episodes of church.

Remember the disciples could not rid the young boy of the evil spirit. Here they are now falling out with someone who is able to do so on another occasion. Their reason for doing so? Teacher we told him to stop because he is not one of us. And there we have it folks. ‘He’s no yin oh oo.’ How many times has that been the passport either into or out of a situation, into or out of church communities? Across the worldwide Christian Church how many denominations have been split asunder as one side claims they’re not the same as us, they have to stop doing what they are doing because that is not the way we do it and we know we are the ones that are doing it properly. Are we to think that the disciples thought they were the only true group, the only ones who followed Jesus in a proper fashion? Witnessing this other person from somewhere else their first instinct is to try and stop him. Yes, in chapter one, Jesus called the disciples to follow him, yes, in chapter three, Jesus appointed them as apostles, yes, in chapter six, Jesus sent them out into the mission field. We are told in Luke’s gospel Jesus also sent out another seventy-two. Towards the end of Mark, in chapter thirteen, Jesus tells his disciples, ‘the gospel must first be preached to all nations.’ A timely reminder, if ever it were needed more, the gospel was not a treasure for them and them alone just as it is not for us and us alone. This going out to all different people will quite naturally mean encountering different outlooks in life from traditions held in one place to understanding things in relation and in context to the culture of these places and people. Remember too, we are in amongst the ‘all nations’ that is being referred to here, the Gospel in set in another part of the world and to a different set of people than us. As long as the gospel is proclaimed in truth and in Jesus’ name then all of his children have the authority to carry out his works for the building of the kingdom. Division and controversy have journeyed with the church when this attitude of one being right whilst the other is wrong and again I repeat, ‘He’s no yin oh oo.’ Is enough to drive a wedge that splits wide and long. And has the capabilities of leaving a very bitter aftertaste in the minds of many who have encountered it. Christ will not forget the work that is done in his name, even what may appear to some as a small act can be great and bring glory to God. The reward received from Christ will not be reliant on the size of the work we have done but rather it will be in accordance with the love in which it was offered to others. Now the Gospel and the teaching is centred on Jerusalem and the events that will take place in the great city. We will continue journey together with Jesus, his followers, the crowds who are for and against him, those who await him in the city ready to do their worst upon him and we will learn more so much more about our Lord as we journey.

Christine Miller is usually involved with world day of prayer events in Musselburgh and felt she would like to try and continue this even within the current circumstances.

Below is a link to a padlet online to help us form a prayer tree. If you would like to add your prayers or positive messages then click the link below then the pink + icon in the bottom right of the page.

Reading: Mark 9:2-9

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

Reflection

‘I can see clearly now’   by Johnny Nash “I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright sunshiny day.”

I was sitting the other morning trying to think through my service for today. How do you tell such a well-known event in a new way and still hold on to the message contained within it. I could have spoken about the significance of those in attendance; Moses and Elijah representing the law and the prophets. The disciples: Peter, James and John, I have already indicated at other points in the gospel they are nearby Jesus in those big moments of the journey. For now, they are given this vision of the glorified Messiah. I could concentrate on the building of three dwellings; an attempt to make this a permanent position. Or I could have focused on the descent down the mountain and the instruction to tell no one until the son of man has been raised from the dead, continuing that whole faith and misunderstanding tension of the disciples. We could have discussed the voice, thundering down proclaiming, as it did at his baptism, ‘this is my son with him I am well pleased.’ All of these would have been good focal points and indeed have made many a worthwhile sermon over the decades. But I wanted to look for something fresh. Could all of this have been no more than an hallucination? Is it a post-resurrection story that has simply been recorded in the wrong place? Or is it an actual event that did happen and had to be told in this way with all these references to their Jewish traditions? I was convinced that I needed the service to be about seeing clearly.

Irony is of course you need to look with fresh eyes at this well-known pieces of scripture. Sure enough there it was the message of revelation and seeing clearly now. The disciples have already been told their Messiah is prepared for death on a cross. Something beyond words is required to convince them of the victory that lies beyond this death. These three, who will go on to spearhead the mission of the church are given a foretaste of the glory of the risen Christ. The inclusion of the great leader Moses from the first Exodus is here the continuity into the new Exodus. God giving his people the tablets of stone. Now not only would his laws be written on their hearts, now they would have this visual gift from him. Not only had the disciples been told about Jesus, not only had they witnessed miracles performed by him, but now they are given a most beautiful gift of the vision of him in glory. I wonder where and when have you experienced this mountain top encounter? When was it for you that Jesus shone in all his glory? When, in relation to your faith journey, where you able to sing, ‘I can see clearly now’. We have been journeying with Jesus and his followers over the last few weeks, taken to the water’s edge as he called ‘follow me’ and now we are set upon a high ground. It all happens in a quiet place far from the crowded towns and cities. Remember a few weeks ago I mentioned that much of the ministry of Jesus was done in a more rural setting. As we begin our journey into lent this is a story that speaks to us of God’s power, of the humanity of Christ and as we will discover of the next few weeks the story of God is one of continuity. It is unbroken and uninterrupted. As we journey through the pages we encounter how it could be if these things were written in our time. These pages that are connected to the laws and the prophets are the pages that connect us to the generations of faith tradition. We have the choice which legacy we wish to be ours. For generations yet unborn may the way in which we witness for Christ allow them to sing the lyrics of the song, ‘I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright sunshiny day.’ May these words be to them more than a good going pop song from yesteryear, may they be for them a description of how they feel as they begin to build their faith journey in Christ.

Reading Mark 8:22-30

Reflection

Remember when we began our journey through the Gospel according to Mark. I said that from his introduction the gospel breaks out into four main areas. Part one begins by the kingdom going public; from the disciples to the crowds who follow from a safer distance and then those who oppose Jesus teaching. Part two presents the mystery of the kingdom; we are led through those tensions of faith and misunderstanding and how these may or may not sit side by side. Now we are arriving at part three which sees that mystery unveiled through the cross and the way of discipleship for those who follow, not only at that time in history, but in later generations too, including our own. This morning we reach the midpoint in the Gospel according to Mark, not only in the numbering of the chapters this being eight of sixteen but in the whole format and unveiling of his message. As we do so Jesus finishes still with that element of mystery as he heals the blind man he tells him, ‘don’t go into the village’ I am pretty sure that would be the first thing any one of us would want to do. Go and tell all the people that we have known all our lives, all of those who have loved us and helped us throughout our life, about this miraculous healing that has taken place, but no, Jesus says, don’t go and tell the others. The time has come as we reach this midpoint for Jesus to change his focus. He now wants to know how much the disciples have grasped and understood from all that they have seen and heard so far. These are the ones who have been there morning, noon and night. They have spoken with Jesus in the most public of places and listened as he taught them in the private moments too. He has spoken of the mysteries through parables and followed this with explanation of them. Harder things are yet to come for them and no doubt further confusion and misunderstanding will be encountered along the way. Jesus does not beat about the bush but goes direct to the heart of the matter. ‘who do people say I am?’ ‘John the Baptist, Elijah, a prophet’ are among the responses. We need to go behind this question for a moment to give us some perspective on the reason for asking it. The blind man had his sight partially restored but not completely until the moment Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes until that point people looked like trees after it they were clearly visible. Jesus has been doing the same thing with his disciples, bit by bit he has been opening their eyes to the truth and depth of who he is and so he asks them directly, ‘but who do you say I am?’ All of the responses to the first question show something of a partial understanding, each of them place Jesus in a special place with a unique status but it all falls on the shoulders of Peter to give the answer that Jesus was waiting to hear, ‘you are the Christ.’ Jesus needs them not to go telling this as he knows the result will be the people trying to crown him as king before his work was completed, for now at least, the mystery must remain in place for others.

Reading Mark 8:31-38

Reflection  

You would be justified, having heard Peter’s confession, to think the disciples are now seeing things a whole lot clearer. What one of us would not think that the disciples now know the truth? They have announced, through Peter, that Jesus is indeed the Messiah. Why then are we moving straight into Jesus offering further explanations of what needs to happen next? The cross and the empty tomb will be the way of salvation made to known to all the world. Even after what is described as Jesus speaking plainly about this the same Peter reveals once more that lack of understanding, that need for his sight to be adjusted further that he may see the real Jesus. Peter was so like all the others, expecting an earthly king, he could not grasp the things of suffering that Jesus speaks of and he rebukes Jesus. You may remember I said early in this series of sermons that Mark was the source material for the other gospels and that some scholars say Peter was possibly the source for Mark. You may also remember that I said Peter is there, or there abouts, at most of the major points along the journey, along with James and John. Next week we will see that is true when we look at the transfiguration and all three are in attendance.  For now, I want to think on Peter and how his retelling of things is quite frankly very honest and humble. For example, how many of us would tell the bad bits if we didn’t have to. Peter lets it be known that Jesus refers to him in a very negative way, ‘get behind me Satan,’ now that’s bad enough but there is more, ‘you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’ This type of recording of the Gospels fills me with great confidence in them and the truths they contain. If you were sitting down to write a manifesto hoping to encourage others to follow then you would leave out the warts and all part, you would not let it be known that you don’t actually understand fully what is happening around you, but not the gospels and certainly not the Gospel according to Mark, it’s all in there for anyone to read. The reading last week told us that not all things will run smoothly and the ground we cover may not always be receptive to what it is we have to say. This week we have this honest reflection of how Peter sets out to put Jesus in his place for talking about things he did not wish to hear far less understand and the whole thing is turned on its head as Peter ends up being the one who is corrected. The tension of the gospel narrative will be cranked up somewhat from here on in. Imagine how difficult it would be to hear a friend tell you that the road ahead for them will be much about pain and suffering and death. Imagine how much more difficult it would be to comprehend that this must be the way for you to go also. I think it is more difficult to grasp all of that for those hearing this in real time and for the first time without the benefit of looking at the whole episode some two thousand years or so later than it is for us now, looking back and imagining how we would have reacted. With the completed picture in our hands it can be so much easier to cast a critical eye over the unfinished work of the disciples. The demands on those who follow are described in graphic language. Death on a cross could never be seen as any sort of reward but Jesus tells them that for the disciple this is the path to take. The cross in itself is not the reward it is the life that follows death on a cross that is the promise of eternal life with Jesus and the heavenly hosts, that is the prize, this is the reward. The cross leads to the empty tomb, leads to the giving of the Holy Spirit. The cross and the empty tomb will be the way of salvation made to known to all the world.