Mark 6:1-13
Pentecost 7
“The Wow Factor”
You know, I'm not a math guy, I'm a
word guy. I like to keep up with language, and observe how it
changes and mutates. Not because I'm cool at all, but I think
language is fun, and I like using new expressions. One newer
expression you might have heard or used is when something is said to
have a “wow factor”. It's a very descriptive way of saying it –
that something is astonishing or amazing, even unbelievable.
The Grand Canyon has a wow-factor. A
gourmet meal might have a wow-factor. An amazing basketball shot from
half-court at the buzzer – there's a wow-factor. But the
wow-factors in the Bible are way more wow-ish.
Today's reading from Mark has a couple
of wow-factor moments. Jesus goes back to his home town, Nazareth.
And with Jesus, there comes a wow-factor. He was doing amazing
things. Healing, casting out demons. Astonishing, so far out of the
box... and even moreso, he was teaching like no one else, with a
wisdom and authority that brought astonishment to his hearers –
another wow-factor. But that's when things turn....
They did not react the way you'd
expect. They did not greet him joyfully, and turn to him in faith.
They didn't even show him respect. Those people from the Nazareth
synagogue were astonished by Jesus, but in a very different way.
Their reaction: to take offense.
“Who does this guy think he is? Come
in here, doing all these miracles, teaching all these things....
where does he get all this? He's no better than we are – we know
his family, he grew up right here. We know what they whisper about
how Mary was already pregnant before Jospeh married her. Sure, he's
always been a little different, but he's one of us, and no one
special. Who does he think he is, anyway?”
They are indignant. No doubt because
Jesus was clearly calling sinners to repentance, like he so often
did. No doubt these old “friends and neighbors” of his didn't
take kindly to him calling them out for their sin. Jesus – along
with his miracles, preached a message of repentance. He was calling
them to repent!
Now, no one likes it, really, to have
our sins pointed out. People often take offense at that. They might
react with excuses or rationalization. They might try to deflect the
blame to another “Hey it was the woman You gave me – hey it was
that nasty serpent”. They might try to take the spotlight off of
their own sins and say look at so-and-so who does the same thing,
only worse. Or they may try to turn it all back on the accuser.
“You're no angel, either, you know. What about YOUR sins, you
hypocrite. Who are you to judge? Who do you think you are?”
Indignance. But the law offends. In
fact, it kills. And it kills us, too. What really astonishes me is
when a sinner is called to repentance – and turns from his sin!
Like David, whom Nathan confronted, “You are the man! You slept
with Bathsheba. You killed Uriah. You deserve to die by your own
words of judgment!” But David responds, not in anger or blame or
deflection or indignance. He repents. He confesses. “I have
sinned” he humbly speaks. This is the wow-factor of a humble
faith. This is not normal for a sinful human. It is a gift of the
Spirit. When a sinner repents, we ought to say, “wow”! And
rejoice with the angels in heaven.
But that's not the only astonishment in
our reading. The next wow-factor is even more astonishing – because
now it is Jesus who is amazed. He “marveled because of their
unbelief”. I, for one, find it pretty amazing that even Jesus is
amazed.
But it is amazing that people would
reject what Jesus brings. Yes, he must have showed them their sin.
But surely he also held out the promise, the invitation to come to
him for mercy. Like he offered living water to the woman at the well.
Like he offered new birth by water and spirit to Nicodemus. Like he
called his own disciples, and prostitutes and tax collectors to trust
in him and follow him. Like he had compassion on so many other
sinners in their weaknesses and frailties and sins.
And yet, amazingly, some would reject
such a gift. Some would, and some do, even today, turn a blind eye to
his salvation, and a deaf ear to his word. I'm sure Jesus is still
amazed at the lack of belief in our world. At the growing godlessness
of a nation too wrapped up in everything but Christ. At the number of
Christians who fall away and neglect the Sabbath day. At the bibles
dusty from lack of use. At the churches that sit empty, while the
bars and sports stadiums expand and multiply. This world is a mess.
Sin, death, and the devil are having a field day. It's really rather
amazing.
Now maybe you are, like I am at times,
a bit jaded by all this. In a nation which permits the slaughter of
the unborn, which invents and lauds same-sex marriage and undermines
the marriage that God created, where school shootings seem to happen
more and more, where poverty persists and diseases continue to wreak
havoc. A world where people seem to invent new ways of sinning. Is
anything surprising anymore? Is anything shocking? Maybe we ought
not be so desensitized to the evil around us. Maybe we ought to
continue reacting in shock to the brokenness of the world and the
wickedness of our neighbors, and of ourselves. We were created good,
even very good. But we seem to become every more evil. Does it
shock you? Should it?
But here's some more wow-factor for ya.
Look at the lengths to which Jesus will go to bring his salvation.
Not just being rejected by his hometown synagogue, but much more. He
will go to the cross. He willingly, of his own accord, lays down his
life. He drinks the cup of God's wrath – for sinners – for all
sins of all times – wow – even your sins. And God turns his back
on Jesus. Wow. How does that even happen? And then, wonder of all,
God, in the person of Jesus Christ, dies. The creator dies for the
creature. He dies for you. What should wow you about that is his
great love, that would go so far to save you, to forgive you.
We are wow'ed by a hero who lays down
his life to save another. We award medals and bestow honors, we
write songs about such heroes. Seldom will someone lay down his life
for another, but maybe for a “good man” someone would bother.
But wonder at this – Jesus did this for us when we were still
enemies of God. Greater love has no one than he, for us.
Pile on some more wow-factor with the
resurrection. And the Ascension. And the promise of our own
resurrection, and our own joyful life with God forever. Wow. Think of
what's in store for us, and be truly amazed.
Yes, with Jesus, there's constant
amazement. And while some of it is unbelief, some of it is faith.
While many will reject him, thanks be to God that by the power of the
Spirit, we believers receive his amazing gifts with wonder.
There are many amazing things about
this faith we have received. How can God be three and one? How can
Jesus be God and Man? How can we be sinners, and yet saints? How can
water do such great things in Baptism? How can Jesus' body and blood
be truly here in the meal for each of us? And how can he forgive even
sinners like me? Who is this guy?
We know, from the word, by the Spirit,
that this wisdom comes from his Father in heaven. For he is the
only-begotten son. And through him, all our offenses before God are
nullified. By his cross, he does amazing things. And in his gifts, we
are constantly wowed.
And it's also worth nothing the last
section of our reading, where Jesus sends out the 12. Who are they,
of all people, but a rag tag band of fishermen and ne'er do-wells?
Amazing, astonishing that he should give them authority to preach and
do miracles in his name. But he does much the same today, as he sends
pastors to preach and administer the sacraments in his name, and as
he sends all of us in our vocations to bear his name as witnesses to
the world – witnesses of the amazing, wonderful, astonishing,
marvelous things we have seen and heard and received, from Jesus
Christ our Lord. Wow. He calls us, but he also sends us. Just, wow.
When it comes to Jesus, our words fail.
But the Gospel never does. Even if some reject it, the wow-factor of
his love and mercy remain. Thanks be to God for all of this, in Jesus
Christ our Lord, Amen.
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