"A Different Alternative" July 01, 2018

2nd Samuel 5:1-8 Mark 6: 1-13 We come for Worship, Baptism, Communion, and our task is not Political Editorial, not to convince you of opinion, AND not simply for the Business of the Church. “The Word Of God” is too important, our need to be comforted, challenged in faith too great, for us to be divided. As The Church in this place and time, as The Body of Christ, our purpose is A DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE, to preach the Word of God, so as to go out to share with the world that The Kingdom of God is at Hand! Over recent years leaders humanity has become divisive and divided. 2nd Samuel describes the Ancient Nation of Israel in Divisive times. After the time of Moses and Judges, the Tribes banded together demanding a King, and they chose Saul. But Saul was not a good King, Saul believed only in himself not God, so the Prophet Samuel anointed the Shepherd boy David ALSO. Civil War erupted between those who supported Saul and those who supported David, as Nation & people were broken. Afterwards, King Saul and his son Jonathan lay dead, but the divisions and brokenness would not heal just because Saul was gone. David needed to create a new Nation, a new People, with a new Capital. Different from their first experience, which the Bible describes as Saul was Elected Over the People, this passage began, “And the people came to David, saying we are bone of bone”, in grassroots support. David realized that if he chose a city of Saul’s Kingdom, it would send a message; if he chose a City aligned with his lineage, it would be equally divisive; he needed a DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE. Smack dab in the very Center of the territory of Israel was an ancient Canaanite City called “Jebus”, their people the Jebusites! Jebus did not belong to David’s followers, and did not belong to Saul’s, it was no man’s land for Israel. Except that Jebus had an amazing fortification, ancient stone walls had been built the stones 6-8 feet across, laid out in concentric circles surrounding the city like a bulls eye. The Walls were 50 feet high, and built atop a Plateau on Mount Moriah, the Guards of the Jebusites could see advancing armies days away. When this happened, the Jebusites cemented rocks into the gates, making an impenetrable series of walls. If it should happen that invaders broke through one barrier, they were then trapped between that and the next, where archers could shoot down on them from both sides, wall upon wall, over and over, before ever reaching the city. So if you are David and you want to capture this City, there are no Doors and no windows, the Walls are 6 feet thick stone 50 feet high, and if you could even breach one, there was another and another… How do you gain entrance? Eighteen months ago Wesley John’s Grandfather who is of the Order of Free Masons, found the means for me to go to Israel as your Pastor. While I am not big on Tourist sites, you feel greatly moved by standing on the Mountain where they believe Elijah had his contest with the 500 Priests of Baal; and to see a Fishermen’s Sail Boat from the Sea of Galilee that had been Carbon Dated to the time of Jesus, Peter, James, John and to pray beneath 2000 year old Olive Trees in what is supposed to be The Garden at Gethsemane, as well as, at the Stone tablet where they believe the body of Jesus was taken down from the Cross. But for me, what was most inspiring was a DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE from tourist shops and restaurants. The Jebusites, had found a Stream from the top of the mountain, outside the walls, which drained into a cave. So we put on swimsuits, the water at first just ankle deep, got deeper and deeper until chest deep and came up inside the city in a pool, that supplied the city’s fresh water. From the time of the Jebusites, throughout the history of Jerusalem, and the Greek and Roman occupations, including the time of Jesus of Nazareth, the water passing through limestone had created an effervescence, which was to have had healing powers. Later this was named “The Pool of Siloam”. The reference to the Blind and the Lame, is that the Blind and the Lame, seeking salvation would have been the only ones present at the Pool when David came up inside and captured the City! That works for King David uniting a Nation thousands of years ago by military capture of a Canaanite Neutral turf, but what do we do when friends and neighbors, coworkers and family only argue, refuse to believe anything other than themselves? Jesus came to his home Village. While many interpret this, as being a wonderful homecoming, I believe there is something different going on here. Jesus is not described as Joseph the Carpenter’s son! He is described as “Son of Mary”, clearly the old rumors about her conceiving Jesus before she married had followed Jesus all his life. Many knew him as a stone and wood carver, a rough contractor, whose hands were worn and rough, blistered and cut. How could hands like that, ever heal a 12 year old child, a leper, or a woman who had had constant bleeding for years or touch the tongue of a man unable to speak? They doubted him. Scoffed “Where did he ever get this stuff?” The text describes Jesus could not accomplish any great miracles there, only healing a few people. In cultures based on US vs THEM, shame, guilt and ridicule become common, the attitude is that if I give you any encouragement, that is taking power away from me. There is vital importance when Ministers, Elders and Deacons are installed that we ask the congregation for a Vow to trust the leadership of this person. In Baptism, that we vow to pray for this family and individual. Without that support, none of us can do anything. Personally, I read this section of Mark as a wonderful joke from Jesus… When no one believed in Jesus, he chose a DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE, he sent out his disciples two by two granting them power and authority to preach and teach and cast out demons, to heal diseases, and to make a difference. BUT recall who the Disciples were, Most of these were fishermen, not like those of us who have a new Fly Reel, or Boston Whaler, but those who spent their entire lives, night and day fishing. Fish oil saturated in their clothes and skin, they reek of old fish! And Judas paired with Matthew a Tax Collector, wouldn’t those two be especially welcome when showing up on your doorstep! But, they each knew, Jesus believed in them! They believed, that HE believed, they could do miracles! Scholars often identify the Gospel of Mark as having a “Messianic Secret” as a literary device that Jesus/ the world have to discover who/what is the Son of God. I believe, that more than a literary device, this Messianic Secret is a theological point. Until people believe in The Messiah, they miss the secret: The Kingdom of God and power of God’s love is available to us all, here and now. God believes in You! Frederick Buechner once wrote of his encounter with a Christian Healer named Agnes Sanford. She described the image of Jesus standing in Worship services in Churches throughout the world, BUT she said in her vision he had both of his hands tied behind his back, because the ministers and those in the churches, did not expect anything to happen and did not ask him to. And the most amazing thing, is that when people hear that story, whether Ministers of Church members, we each nod our head in our own identification.