"Allowing People to Belong" - A Message on Mark 9:38-50

(1) We should begin with some explorative thinking. What jumps out at you in this text? What’s being taught here? What do you see of interest?

(2) The Quest to Belong

In the previous passage in Mark, where the disciples had their little debate about greatness, we learnt that one of the most important facets of following Jesus is being a welcoming person. In Mark’s gospel we not only read about the nature of discipleship and the cost of following Jesus, but also we get glimpses of what matters most in the Kingdom of God. And if something matters in the Kingdom of God, then this should be evident in the way a Jesus following church operates. So we have already discovered the need to welcome the vulnerable and needy … now we glimpse another aspect of Kingdom living that is important.

In the incident (and subsequent teaching) from Jesus’ earthly life that we have read (Mark 9:38-50), we see some attitudes or characteristics that should become part of us. Or maybe we could also say that there are certain behaviours that should be left behind in favour of better ones. This would all be in the cause of allowing other people to belong – to belong to our friendship circle, to feel valued in the local community, to belong to God’s Kingdom, to belong in our church community. First, we are to be welcoming people; second, having been welcoming, we need to let people belong amongst us.

The need to belong is one of the most serious human needs there is. Each and every person needs to find acceptance; each and every human needs to feel valued; each and every person needs to find somewhere to belong. Thus we shouldn’t shun people just because they are different to us, or because they disagree with us, or because they annoy us. Every person has a desire to belong because we are all created relational beings. We have not just been created in the image of a solitary God, but in the image of a triune communal God – the Genesis text has God saying, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness” (1:26).

From our earliest days we have a quest to be part of the crowd, to be with the in group at kindergarten, to be accepted by the cool kids at school, to be valued by work colleagues. This is just how we’ve been created. Ultimately of course, this acceptance, value and belonging can only truly be found in a relationship with God; however in the meantime it can be mirrored … it can be positively reflected … by other humans as they live out the light of Jesus.

The problem is though, that often what we reflect is part of the problem for other people, not part of the solution. So here in our text we have at least two examples of rejection. The rejection of someone who was doing good … yet was not doing it the disciples’ way (v.38-41); then teaching that suggests that we can actually live in a way that excludes or disrupts or gets in the way of people finding relationship with God and God’s people (v.42-48).

(3) All Good Deeds Originate in God (v.38-41)

There were many healers in Jesus’ time. And having seen or heard of Jesus, some people would have taken up a healing ministry in Jesus’ name. Jesus had himself touched so many people that it would have been inevitable that some would have taken it upon themselves to take on some sort of ministry. Many who Jesus touched were not asked to be part of the band of twelve disciples, but rather sent back to their homes and towns; so it would be likely that there would be little vestiges of ministry here and there. On this day one such healer crossed paths with the disciples. We don’t know how actually committed this guy was to Jesus, but he was obviously having some success.

And the disciple John reported to Jesus that they had tried to stop this guy because he wasn’t part of their group. Ironic since this healer was doing what the disciples had recently not been able to achieve (9:18)! Jesus basically said to leave him alone, affirming this other person and their deeds – suggesting that the one with good in their heart would ultimately anyway be a part of God’s mission rather than being an opponent of it. If a person did not set themselves up against God, then the good that they did would likely be very positive. In fact, “whoever is not against us is for us”. You can likely tell by a person’s behaviour and actions whether they oppose God, or conversely are beginning to experience God working in their lives.

This incident suggests many things to us:

a. That the movement of God is bigger than us; that God is raising other people up to make a difference for good. These people may or may not have attributed their activities to God, but they are certainly on the way.

b. We can partner with such people in attending to God’s mission in our community and beyond.

c. And in so partnering, we can make some of the linkages and join up some of the dots that point such people to Jesus.

d. We hear people praying for “revival”, the fact is, on the basis of the gospel of Mark, God is already working and reforming – we just have to catch up with this. God has already responded to our prayers.

This process has certainly been my experience at the Jamieson Way Community Centre in developing the functioning of the Board of Management, working on the Point Cook Market, and initiating the new 3+ Cookie Kids activity program – partnering with largely good community-minded people intent on providing quality programs for their neighbours; while hopefully offering some light and hope along the way. I’m sure others have had similar experiences, when having stepped out onto new and challenging paths – God has done remarkable things, and made what seemed to not be possible actually come to be. This is about being positive (about people and outcomes), and expecting God to work!

Verse 41 seems to indicate a bit of a two-way street … mutual complimentary service. The passage begins by considering whether someone is following Jesus properly or not, and then within a couple of verses shifts to the prospect of them serving us. In partnering in community, we are indeed offering an opportunity for others to serve us (because of our active service for Jesus) and thereby share in our blessing. How many chaplains counselling people under great stress during this bushfire tragedy have so impressed other people through their care and availability to have in turn been served themselves!

e. This incident also suggests that we should be looking for how God is already working in the lives of others. This perhaps puts into question some of the labels we might use at times … like for instance ‘non-Christian’. We can tend to have an ‘us and them’ mentality which divides us off from others, which seems unfortunate when you consider that we are all works in progress. If we have to think in terms of labels, then the term ‘pre-Christian’ might be better, as this concedes that God has a close interest in this person, and may already be investing in their life.

(4) Putting up Barriers (v.42-48)

Often this passage is simply understood as pointing out the destructiveness of personal sin. And this is probably quite a worthy assessment check for us. What is it that we do with our hand, or our foot, or our eye … that is offensive to God and gets us into trouble? What do we touch, or what place do we go, or what do we look at … that actually does our humanity damage??

However in its context this text has far more to do with how our offences affect others – for it begins (in verse 42), “if any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones …”. This connects back to the earlier text with Jesus taking a child in his arms and using it as an example of the need to welcome the vulnerable, dependent and needy (with humility and openness). This passage describes in graphic terms the problem of disrupting the faith journey of other people, or the grave danger of putting up barriers and blocking the possibilities of growth in another.

The gravity of this is here for all to see and be shocked at! A millstone so heavy that it would instantly drown us at the bottom of the sea! A hell so unbearably hot and dangerous and unrelenting! “Gehenna”, translated here three times as “hell”, was the name of a valley south of Jerusalem which had been used for child sacrifices around the 6th century before Jesus (in Jeremiah’s time), and had in Jesus’ time become the rubbish tip which was continuously on fire incinerating the refuse dumped there. A worse fate you could not imagine! The notion of losing everything for the sake of something that could have been done without is portrayed vividly!

It’s interesting that this fate is not directed at the unbelieving as such, but is described as part of a conversation with Jesus’ own disciples – and thereby applied to the lives of those in Mark’s early Christian community. Not to say that the disciples’ eternal destiny is not safe, but to say that sometimes we take the wondrous grace of God too much for granted and too exclusively personal.

The advice given here concerning amputation etc is of course not to be taken literally, but rather reflects the seriousness of standing in the way of the coming of the Kingdom of God to people. Surely we would only so badly behave if we didn’t care for others enough. Or perhaps we could behave so wrongly if we were too fixated on our own desires. The disciples were at this time fixated on their own level of importance and thereby potentially missed opportunities of interacting in transformative ways (whether it be with children, or with the guy seeking to help others in his own way in the earlier passage). For us, simple believing is not enough; what is required is active lived-out faith.

This is then discussed, as a conclusion to this theme, in terms of saltiness …

(5) How Salty are we?

Salt was a precious seasoning both to give zest to food and to preserve it. There could also be the sense here of ‘purification’ – refining someone for a cause. This salt comes from a different fire than the fire of “Gehenna” – the fire of the Holy Spirit (v.49). As John the Baptist said, “… he [Jesus] will baptise you with the Holy Spirit” (1:8). So Jesus followers like us (who have been salted with the Holy Spirit … much like we shake salt on our chips … and thus have real flavour) should have something within us which is an ongoing graceful gift to all those around.

Yet, if such salt loses its flavour, then what good is it? It cannot offer what it was designed so to do! We would have no taste and thus make no impact, we would be thoroughly unremarkable! [Think about that next time you’re eating salt and vinegar chips and remarking on the impact!!]

Part of being salty is having a positive approach to other people and their needs. We need to see people’s potential for change, growth and learning. We must respect people’s dignity, life experiences and challenges, as well as their capacities and uniqueness; especially for those that society has left behind, for this is a matter of social justice that is at the heart of God. Our degree of saltiness will be evaluated in terms of our community building efforts in Jesus’ name. Also as we see in verse 50, being salty, having a good level of seasoning, leads to peace in our relationships and neighbourhoods.

Allowing people to belong is the path to seeing people come to believe. No-one will believe in something that is not effectively lived out, for this would be a sham. So we have to allow people to see close up and personal what drives our life. We have to deal with our ragged edges that tend to alienate people from us. And we have to allow other people to serve us a cup of cold water while we are serving them with the hospitality of God.

Warren's Reflection Prepared for Sanctuary Lakes Bushfire Community Event

We have gathered at a time of bushfire tragedy in our state, and we mourn the loss of so many people. We want to remember the families who have lost loved ones, and the many who though they survived still suffer bitter memories. We think of those who have lost everything they owned. We desire relief from pain and a touch of healing peace for these hurting ones. We need fresh hope and vision for the journey of rebuilding anew.

We are encouraged by the community’s response to the very great need around us. We have seen wonderful acts of love and service toward people who were previously strangers. We have witnessed evidence of how neighbours really care for one another. We also want to commend and thank our fire-fighters from the CFA and MFB, and also the police, other emergency workers, medical workers and counsellors for the magnificent job you have done (and continue to do). Such as these have toiled long and hard and need our support.

Yet we still grieve the loss and feel the pain of individuals and families whose lives have been crushed or crumbled by this catastrophe. And we weep with those who weep; we crouch with those forced to their knees in the face of devastation. We remember the family of the fire-fighter from Canberra who gave his life for his mates. “No greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We pray for those who seek courage to face an uncertain future.

Lamentations 3:19-22 ("The Message" - adapted WH) reads:

"I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness,
the taste of ashes …
I remember it all—oh, how well I remember—
the feeling of hitting the bottom.
But there's one other thing I remember,
and remembering, I keep a grip on hope:
God's loyal love could not have run out,
God’s merciful love could not have dried up."

We stand here in Sanctuary Lakes; may we feel sanctuary in this time of mourning:

God, we've known such grief and anger
As we've heard your people cry.
We have asked you, "How much longer?"
We have sadly wondered, "Why?"
In this world of so much suffering,
May we hear your word anew:
"I will never leave you orphaned;
I will not abandon you."

By your grace comes resurrection;
By your love, you cast out fear.
You give strength and sure direction
As we seek to serve you here.
You give comfort to the grieving,
And you bless the ones who mourn.
May we trust in you, believing
Out of chaos, hope is born!

Hope is ours for, God, you love us!
You have claimed us by your grace.
And here and now, you call us
To bring hope to every place.
In each rescue worker's caring,
In each faithful volunteer,
In humanity’s love and sharing,
God, we glimpse your kingdom here.

(Copyright © 2002 by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette. All rights reserved - adapted WH)

Warren's Brief Response to Danny Nalliah

Many will be aware of comments made by Danny Nalliah of “Catch the Fire Ministries” citing a dream of his and connecting the Victorian bushfires with the passing of the “Decriminalization of Abortion” bill. Many pastors like myself are seeking to publicly distance and dissociate ourselves (and our local churches) from such tactless and theologically abhorrent observations. To allude that God would bring such far-reaching and indiscriminate devastation could be regarded as a blasphemy, as this brings God’s good name into disrepute. Such comments as Nalliah’s drastically harm the cause of mission to our community, and give people reason to doubt the grace of God. Let us prayerfully and practically respond to the depth and breadth of loss we have witnessed – in the name of the loving God we have come to know through the person of Jesus who, when he encountered rejection, opposition and unbelief, endured a cross, rather than being involved in any acts of retributive violence.

"Being Welcoming" - Message on the Occasion of Mahalia's Dedication - from Mark 9:33-37

Here we have a passage where certain cultural thinking is turned on its head. Most of us would not engage in conversations with each other (or argue about) which of us is the greatest (like these disciples of old did). However, it might be that we spend some time thinking quietly in ourselves about whether we are better than someone else, or where we might stand in the pecking order. In this incident, Jesus reinterprets thinking about merit and status and greatness toward the degree to which we are willing to serve others. Greatness in human life should be determined not about how many people serve us, but rather about how many people we serve.

When confronted with the enquiry as to what they were arguing about, Jesus’ disciples remained silent. They must have known deep within themselves that the nature of their discussion was not going to be pleasing to Jesus; especially given that Jesus had just, for the second time, talked to them about his impending sacrifice and death (9:31). Although these disciples still did not understand or accept why Jesus would be talking about his death [for this was not the type of Messiah they were expecting], such conversation about who was the “greatest” among their number, seems not only misguided but also tactless.

But isn’t it just pretty human to be missing or ignoring the important matters while spending time discussing more trivial things. And in the case of these disciples, they were still doing so knowing that there were bigger issues at hand. It seems that these disciples were just falling into the norms of the culture of the time – the culture of the Mediterranean world of the first century (including Jewish Palestine) which was so very much concerned with rank and position.

The way in which Jesus responds to all this, is an attempt to bring the disciples’ thinking in line with God’s thinking. The very fact that Jesus is quoted as having “sat down” to speak with his disciples (v.35) shows the seriousness of the teaching that will follow. For this is the purpose of the gospel texts that we read – these are not just happy stories about Jesus, but they dramatically reveal how people like us can fall into line with the way God wants us to live. Let’s work briefly through what Jesus says to his disciples (and therefore to us).

Did someone blab, or did Jesus, despite the silence, just instinctively know anyway what the disciples were talking about. Jesus had been travelling with these disciples for some time now, and had come to know them very well … so I would suggest that Jesus just knew the sorts of ideas that circulated in their minds. And Jesus well knew how powerful the prevailing culture could be on any human being. So Jesus confidently weighs in where the disciples were at.

Whoever wants to be considered “greatest”, according to Jesus, is not the one who has prestige, power, influence, authority, or the right to rule; and is not the one who gets all the crowd’s cheers and public accolades for various achievements; but rather the one who is “…last of all and servant of all” (v.35). This certainly turns things upside down!

The “greatest” or “first” is the one who is humble and has a realistic view of themselves, understanding that we all have faults and things that push our buttons, and no one is ever very far away from their next mistake! This is also the one who sees that responding to the needs of others is at least just as important (if not more important) as having our own needs met.

This is a call to put aside any desire for fame or reward in favour of welcoming those without any hope of wealth, privilege or position. Of course this was what Jesus himself was all about – spending lots of time with those who had been rejected by society (because of their disability or profession), and then ultimately sacrificing everything of himself, even his life, for all those in great need!

At this point in the recorded incident, we could maybe hear the disciples wondering who it was that they would need to serve (to be so well regarded). Well says Jesus, take this child – here is someone so young and innocent and impressionable and powerless and dependent on the care of others … you could serve this child!!

Now in this society of the time, this was a big stretch; as children were not held in high regard and were afforded no particular honour … culturally speaking, serving them would never bring any prestige. Listening to children’s conversation was thought to be a waste of time. Again, Jesus is seeking to turn normal thinking on its ear.

If adults like the disciples could get their head around being open to serving such a child as Jesus here presented to them, then they would be getting somewhere concerning the level of receptivity God requires. We are to welcome people into our lives and seek to help them in their journey. After all, there are enough people suffering from loneliness, discouragement and hopelessness to go around! The Greek word translated here “welcomes” (v.37), implies treating people as a friend, even as family. This is the path then, through the logical progression of verse 37, towards being considered as part of the family of God … to be received by God as such. This is how we can be welcomed by God, by being open to welcoming others.

Today, Mahalia provides an example of one who needs to be cared for, who needs to be loved, accepted and welcomed. But Mahalia also represents the notion that all people need to be accepted, welcomed and valued by others. Each person that is born needs to have other people investing something into their lives, and appreciating the depth of their humanity.

Notice how Jesus didn’t just point to the child for the purposes of an example. Jesus also took this child in his arms in a welcoming embrace (v.36). Jesus not only supplies the teaching here, but models this teaching at the same time. This is the only path to being a follower of Jesus … having a welcoming approach to others. This involves displaying a smile, offering a hand, and getting over some of the petty things that annoy us into being frustrated with other people (and calling them names). This involves investing a little time to get to know someone, and being interested in what they are doing.

The path to greatness is through faith demonstrated in humility and service. Welcoming others into the orbit of our lives opens us up to the possibility of experiencing the presence of God. The scene of welcoming, appreciating and committing to love a child offers us much to think about.