Kindness as a Characteristic of Mission

PROPERS:          PROPER 21, YEAR B  

TEXT:                MARK 9:38 - 50

PREACHED AT ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL, MAGNOLIA SPRINGS, ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021.

 

ONE SENTENCE:        Jesus calls us to reflect the graciousness of God’s realm.

 

            Nora and I have had three opportunities in the past to attend the Grand Ole Opry.  Each has been a great experience for unique reasons. We have thus far avoided eating the show’s chosen candy, Goo Goo Cluster.

 

            I cannot be easily classified as a country music fan.  My basic philosophy is that if you tell a story about a guy losing his girlfriend, his truck breaking down, and his dog dying, you’ve got a recipe for a country hit.

 

            The first time we attended the Opry, there were two songs which had lyrics that stuck with me.

 

            One involved a singer – not a big name – crooning a baleful story of the sadness of the movie, E. T. (a very popular movie at that time).  But when the singer came to the refrain, his words were, “E. T. still means Ernest Tubb to me.”

 

            Later in that same show, another performer – again, not a big name – sang a song about how harried life had become for him.  He was anxious and at wit’s end. His summary refrain was this: “Smokin’ cigarettes by the carton, drinkin’ coffee by the pound, and slowly pullin’ my hair out by the roots…”

 

            But occasionally, country music has a more meaningful message… just like our hymns. Sometimes they carry a meaningful message – even theology. More on that in a minute.

 

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            In the gospel lesson today, Jesus has been wandering with his disciples.  They’ve been to Tyre, on the Mediterranean Coast, Caesarea-Philippi in northern Israel, and now on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, in Capernaum.

 

            They are resting from their travels.  The disciples are upset, though. They are a territorial bunch.  They view the mission as theirs.  They don’t want interlopers infringing on their turf.  They bring their concerns to Jesus: “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 

 

            Jesus must have been a bit bemused.  Here the disciples were, complaining about someone doing good works, without Jesus’ specific authorization.

 

            He replied: “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.”

 

            In other words, Jesus is telling his disciples not to be concerned over turf issues.  Don’t be so quick to judge. Give others the benefit of the doubt. In time, good deeds will bear fruit – the kindness you show will have long-term effects.

 

            Jesus goes on to speak in very dramatic metaphors about avoiding rash actions.  We are not called to take those literal actions – cutting our hand or foot off or plucking our eye out – but we are called to avoid rash actions.  Jesus is making that point clearly and emphatically.

 

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            Which brings me back to country music.

 

            In 1970, a young singer named Glen Campbell recorded a song called Try a Little Kindness. Of course, he had recorded hits such as By the Time I Get to Phoenix, the Wichita Lineman, and Galveston. Try a Little Kindness was a hit.  It was nominated for song of the year.  The refrain went like this:

 

You've got to try a little kindness
Yes, show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets.

 

            Christianity – as Jesus proclaimed it – is a broad-minded view of the world.  It calls us to have eyes that are open to all sorts of possibilities – to view the complexities of life through the eyes of grace. To be kind to one another.

 

            He tells us to Let you light shine, that others may see, and give glory to your Father in Heaven.

 

            But we champ at that bit. It is our human, innate tendency to be narrow-minded, reflecting the objectionable behavior that Glen Campbell sang about. We assume intentions or motivations – and we do not address them directly. That narrow-mindedness – the assumption – festers and boils over, constricting our potential to interact with others in a way that Jesus would.

 

            If you think for a moment of how God views your life -- with all its ups and downs, successes and failures – and really ponder that, your view of the world and others will change. You are much less likely to assume. The grip of anger you may feel, the sense of betrayal, the desire to control circumstances, your frustration with others, to explain the way things really are – all that will begin to dissipate. And as you take that view on a daily basis, your relationship to the world and others will change.

 

            Each of us should remember: You have no earthly idea the burdens another person is carrying.  You cannot assume their thoughts or motivations. That person is a beloved Child of God, just like you.

 

            Grace is a characteristic of God’s relationship to us.  We should aspire to live that characteristic in our relationship to others.