Sunday, June 24, 2018

"Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"


Sermon for June 24, 2018

Proper 7B – RCL – Track 1



When evening had come, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  This is a question that may seem odd to us having just been through nearly four chapters of the Gospel of Mark.  Chapters that are filled with miraculous healings and teaching on the kingdom of God. 

In this one day – or at least it appears that the fourth chapter of Mark is a series of teachings that happened in one day – in this one day Jesus has talked a lot about the kingdom of God.  The parables of the Crazy Farmer – better known as the scattered seed, and the mustard seed growing wildly as the kingdom of God is spread throughout the land.  And now Jesus wants to go to the other side.  And after all the teaching he falls asleep.  I would too.  There is somewhat of a tradition among preachers of the liturgy of the nap after a long Sunday of services. 

The storm that comes up is threatening to sink the boat.  Water is pouring in and it is scary.  There is a palpably sense of fear in the boat.  So they wake Jesus and he calms the water.  And then the disciples trade the fear of drowning to another fear.  “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  Who is this itinerate Rabbi who can even command the wind?

Well it is the same Rabbi who thus far in the Gospel of Mark, been baptized by John and spoken to by God.  It is the same Rabbi who has kicked out demons and healed leapers and paraplegics.  It is the same Rabbi who has been teaching that the kingdom of God is here – and not quite here.  It is the same Rabbi who is calling outcasts into his inner circle – tax collectors and fisher people.  It is the same Rabbi that is showing by actions and teachings that God’s dream is for the Kingdom to be present in the present. 

And yet the disciples at this point in the narrative still have not quite gotten the message.  And so they are surprised that he is able to still the wind.  And then Jesus lectures them that they should have faith.  Faith that God would not abandon them in their hour of fear on the wind and waved tossed sea. 

I think we all sometimes have the same type of question that the disciples had.  “Who is this Jesus?”  and “What in His name does he want us to do?”  If we have been paying attention to the parables of the Kingdom of God and Jesus radical ministry to the outcasts then there is a pretty simple answer.  Jesus wants us – you and me – all of us, to bring God’s dream of a loving and inclusive kingdom to this earth.

We are called to implement policies and procedures that build up the Children of God.  To create structures that include rather than exclude.  To really and truly follow the Great Commandments to Love God with all of our hearts, mind, soul and strength and the second is to Love our neighbor as ourselves.  All of our neighbors.  No exclusions.  We are called to even love the politicians with whom we disagree.  And these days of hyper media reactions and social media that one can be hard.  When we hear multiple stories about children being separated from their parents it can be hard to find love. 

Karoline Lewis, from Luther Seminary, said “Jesus knows. It’s one thing to talk about the Kingdom of God. It’s another thing to experience it. It’s one thing to expound on theories about the Kingdom of God. It’s another thing to act on those claims. It’s one thing to imagine what the Kingdom of God might be like. It’s another thing to insist on what the Kingdom of God is and needs to be.

Because, it’s one thing to have certain ordinances in mind when it comes to the Kingdom of God. It’s another thing to implement policies that are counterintuitive to the very heart of God’s reign.”[1]

From what I have read in many places – both left and right leaning sources – is that sadly separating children from their parents is not a new thing.  What is new is that it has been happening at an accelerated pace in recent weeks after our Government announced a zero-tolerance policy that includes detaining anyone who doesn’t have the correct papers or who tries to sneak across the border.  What is new is some of the rhetoric and inflammatory statements that include claims that these are not really parents but child smugglers.

The prior policy of both democratic and republican administrations was to release parents and children making asylum claims until the immigration court system could get to their case.  And that system is terribly backlogged.  An immigration judge was interviewed on BBC News who said he has cases where asylum seekers have been in line for 30 years.  And in those 30 years have set down deep roots in this country.  Roots that can include American citizen spouses and American citizen children.  And in some cases he has to send those people away.  Away because they cannot make a valid claim of asylum.  This judge said he has been tearing parents away from children in this fashion for years.

So while separation of children from parents has happened for many years what has changed is both the numbers that have been separated and the language that has been used around the separations.  And just because there was not the level of outrage about the separations that there is now does not mean that they have ever been morally correct.

It is also true that many faith-based organizations, including the Episcopal Church have been working for years to advocate for new immigration laws and advocating for the least in society.  It is the amount of press coverage and rhetoric used by our politicians and others that has increased the spotlight on some of our more egregious immigration practices.  Practices that have continued even when it seems that both sides of the political aisle agree that something needs to change – and bipartisan groups of legislators agree that increased separation of children from their parents is not what should be happening. 

Enough noise was made this week that the President issued an executive order that requires children to be detained with their parents.  The details of its implementation will have to be worked out and the means of reuniting children that have already been separated with parents is work that still needs to be done.  And there is much work to be done to improve our immigration system

This week the Bishops of the seven Dioceses of California along with the Diocese of the Rio Grande and the Diocese of Arizona issued a statement on immigration.  In part is reads:

As Christians in the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement, we are appalled by this practice of separating children from their parents. This cruel and inhumane treatment can cause long-lasting physical and emotional injury to children, according to the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association.

In addition, it is morally indefensible. In Hebrew and Christian Holy Scriptures, we are enjoined again and again to love the resident aliens and strangers and treat them as our own, to extend hospitality, and to share our resources with them, for we recognize that all that we have is a gift from God. We also are charged with paying special attention to the most vulnerable in our community.

Children are some of the most vulnerable members of society, and they need their families' love as well as our care and attention. We Episcopalians join with many other people of good will across the United States in asking the government to return migrant children to their parents immediately and to allow migrants to process asylum claims or to unite migrant children with family members in the United States.

Finally, we call upon Congress and our Administration to overhaul our immigration system to relieve the suffering of all those who have been harmed by our policies.

“Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  It is Jesus, the Son of God, who called his disciples into a different way of seeing the world.  A way that does not put empire above all else, a way that values all people as beloved children of God.  It is the one who is calling us to bring about the dream of God in our own world. 

Karoline Lewis continued to say, “Every single day these days, we need a reminder of the nature of the Kingdom of God. Every. Single. Day. A reminder that the Kingdom of God lives out, seeks out, marches for, demonstrates for, protests about, life over laws. That the Kingdom of God works for equality over contracts. That the Kingdom of God chooses choice over a kind of chastisement that accuses the other so as to discharge one’s own discomfort.

A kingdom willing to be accountable to its own actions rather than casting culpability on those who were never at the table.

A kingdom dedicated to dissolving boundaries and borders rather than building barricades.

A kingdom recognizable by a radical resistance to any and all powers that perpetuate fear over persistence.

For you see, the Kingdom of God is not for the faint of heart.... And the sooner the disciples, the sooner we, realize that truth, the better.”

Our call is, to bring about the kingdom of God by loving God and loving our neighbors.   Sounds so easy.  But we know in our hearts it is hard.  It is hard to love people who hurt others.  It is hard to love those who seem non-responsive to our attempts to reach out and who instead leave messes all over this property.  And sometimes it is even hard to love ourselves.

Jesus came to show a way that over two thousand years ago was radically different.  To show a way that was transformative without violence.  To bring about God’s Dream.  And we as the Episcopal Branch of the Jesus movement are called to continue that transformation.  Both here and throughout this fragile earth.

Amen.

1 comment:

  1. That st pauls church sacramento has a very mystical background . I use to go there back in 1980's when fr. David was pastor. Lots of christian mysticism and happenings. I recently started visiting back.

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