Text: Mark 1:29-39
Theme: “A Day in the Life of Jesus”
5th Sunday after the Epiphany
February 5, 2012
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Were it not for Jesus Christ and the good news of His Kingdom, I would know far fewer people than I know today. This is one of the perks about being a Christian that folks don’t talk about much; that is, you meet individuals that you probably never would have met. When you start thinking about this, it seems almost miraculous. Perhaps it is!
While studying this text that I just read, I remembered a good friend that I met shortly after I became part of the Presbyterian tradition. He’s an energetic, one-of-a-kind, genuinely friendly man, a marketing professor at UNT, who has a penchant for travel. He’s gone on more than one trip to Guatemala. He’s ventured to the Holy Land. He shared with me his experiences when he was far across the globe in the land where Jesus walked. Many of the sites – in Bethlehem where Jesus was born and Jerusalem where Jesus died, to name just two – have become commercialized or “touristy”, as he said. Locations where certain events in the life of Jesus took place are called the “traditional location” or the “actual location”, and there are instances when one can’t be sure of either location.
But there is at least one area in the holy land, as it is called, where there’s no; doubt. There is no formal tourism industry there. There are no hawkish souvenir shops at every corner. But there are excavations. Archaeologists, to this day, are continuing their work on the synagogue and an ancient house. I speak of the synagogue in Capernaum and the house, only footsteps away from the synagogue, that belonged to Simon and Andrew, the fishermen, and their families.
Do any of you have a “bucket list”? I do. A trip to the town mentioned in today’s Gospel is on my list. Capernaum was a fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Based on the Gospel accounts, it ended up being the northern base of operations for Jesus. By all accounts, Simon and Andrew and their colleagues had a business that was both “blue collar” and lucrative. If you have a Google Earth or Google Map application on your computer, iPad, or smartphone, you can actually zero in on Capernaum via satellite and the see the places that are mentioned in today’s reading. Here’s another thing I like about Christianity: it doesn’t go on in never-never land. We’re talking about real places, real events, and real people.
Today’s Gospel reading, linked with last week’s Gospel reading, gives us a day in the life of Jesus. Prior to this, Jesus had called his first disciples – Simon and and Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were all hard-scrabble fishermen, based in Capernaum, who left their nets to follow the Lord.
It was a Sabbath day when this grouping of men went into town with their new friend, Jesus. Jesus headed for the local synagogue. Elsewhere in the Gospels, it says that it was Jesus’ “custom” to go synagogue on the Sabbath day. It wasn’t because He had to; it wasn’t because He wanted to. It was simply His ingrained habit.
On that day, presumably in the morning, he began to teach. People were amazed at what He said. He was actually heckled that day by a man with an unclean spirit. “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” asked the man. “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God.” Jesus exorcised the demon. His Word had a power all its own. People were amazed, really amazed, and the news about Jesus – what He was saying and what he was doing – began to spread like wildfire.
The next stop on this day in the life was right next door. Mark’s Gospel reports: “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Based on images of the excavation of this home, it is maybe about two-thirds the size of this sanctuary. It’s not very big at all. It’s about the size of one of those ranch-style homes you see on Carroll Boulevard.
We discover, upon entering, that there is one person who missed church because she was sick. She had a fever. So, by all means, stay in bed. It was Simon’s mother-in-law. They told Jesus about her, and Jesus went straight to her bedside. He didn’t sit in the corner and twiddle his thumbs waiting for his hosts to take the initiative; He assumed the freedom of the house. There was no hesitancy. He goes to her. They don’t bring her to him. There was nothing more important, in all the world, at that time, then for Him to be there just for her With all of Himself, He is there just for her. He clasped her hand and helped her up and out of bed. The fever, we are told, left her. The body temp was back to a healthy 98.6.
And mother-in-law doesn’t respond to all this with a “Hip, Hip Hooray”, “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”, or “Praise be to Jesus.” There is no excessive celebration, no pious, verbal effusions that can become literally nauseating.. She doesn’t “high five” our Lord or do what some NFL receivers do when they catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady or Eli Manning. She doesn’t strike the Heisman pose! Instead, she serves them. That’s what the epiphany, the disclosure, the manifestation of Jesus does for her: she served them. She brought out the drinks and the snacks -- the Doritos, the peanuts, the party mix, the cheese tray, and the fresh fruits, if you will. She set the table. Perhaps she pulled out her favorite recipe. She did what she could do, what was right there for her to do. She served them. She would never be the same. She knew to whom she was precious. The kingdom of God had come to her in the form of this man who was the new friend of her son-in-law and his brother and the other BFF’s. In Mark’s telling of the story of Jesus, this nameless mother-in-law became the first deacon, the first servant.
The same goes for Jesus. “I am among you as one who serves,” He said. “He who would be great among you,” Jesus exclaimed, “must first be your servant.” Jesus embodied the truth that he came “not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
There is mention of a door in the reading. Doors keep people in and can keep people out. They can even have a sign that says “No soliciting.” This door was open. We read of the events later in this day: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.” They solicited His gracious, healing attention. “The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”
Later on, in the dark of night, toward the end of the day and the beginning of a new one, Jesus quietly slipped out of the house and went off, we are told, to a “solitary place where he prayed.”
This is not a bad idea: to end the day or begin a new one at a solitary place having chat with the Lord, or, as I like to say, “checking in with headquarters.” Life, with its activities both old and new, will catch up with you soon enough.
It caught up with Jesus. They came looking for him. That’s a rather polite translation. Closer to the original language is this: they hunted him down. They find Him and they say: “Everyone is looking for you.” Have you ever had moments in your life when you feel as though everyone is looking for you? We all have. We can sympathize with the sentiment of the actress Greta Garbo who once said: “I vant to be alone!”
Jesus replies: “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Jesus never let his celebrity, if you will, get in the way of His mission.
So a day in the life ends and a new one begins. And the constant – way back when on that day and this day too! – is Jesus.
The Spirit of Jesus is among us today – serving as always. What joy it is to be served, this day, with the very best – the bread and the wine, the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
With the Lord begin thy task, Jesus will direct it;
For His aid and counsel ask, Jesus will perfect it.
Every morn with Jesus rise, and when day is ended,
In His Name then close thine eyes; be to Him commended.
Amen.
Theme: “A Day in the Life of Jesus”
5th Sunday after the Epiphany
February 5, 2012
First Presbyterian Church
Denton, Texas
Rev. Paul R. Dunklau
IN THE NAME OF JESUS
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. 32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" 38 Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Were it not for Jesus Christ and the good news of His Kingdom, I would know far fewer people than I know today. This is one of the perks about being a Christian that folks don’t talk about much; that is, you meet individuals that you probably never would have met. When you start thinking about this, it seems almost miraculous. Perhaps it is!
While studying this text that I just read, I remembered a good friend that I met shortly after I became part of the Presbyterian tradition. He’s an energetic, one-of-a-kind, genuinely friendly man, a marketing professor at UNT, who has a penchant for travel. He’s gone on more than one trip to Guatemala. He’s ventured to the Holy Land. He shared with me his experiences when he was far across the globe in the land where Jesus walked. Many of the sites – in Bethlehem where Jesus was born and Jerusalem where Jesus died, to name just two – have become commercialized or “touristy”, as he said. Locations where certain events in the life of Jesus took place are called the “traditional location” or the “actual location”, and there are instances when one can’t be sure of either location.
But there is at least one area in the holy land, as it is called, where there’s no; doubt. There is no formal tourism industry there. There are no hawkish souvenir shops at every corner. But there are excavations. Archaeologists, to this day, are continuing their work on the synagogue and an ancient house. I speak of the synagogue in Capernaum and the house, only footsteps away from the synagogue, that belonged to Simon and Andrew, the fishermen, and their families.
Do any of you have a “bucket list”? I do. A trip to the town mentioned in today’s Gospel is on my list. Capernaum was a fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Based on the Gospel accounts, it ended up being the northern base of operations for Jesus. By all accounts, Simon and Andrew and their colleagues had a business that was both “blue collar” and lucrative. If you have a Google Earth or Google Map application on your computer, iPad, or smartphone, you can actually zero in on Capernaum via satellite and the see the places that are mentioned in today’s reading. Here’s another thing I like about Christianity: it doesn’t go on in never-never land. We’re talking about real places, real events, and real people.
Today’s Gospel reading, linked with last week’s Gospel reading, gives us a day in the life of Jesus. Prior to this, Jesus had called his first disciples – Simon and and Andrew, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were all hard-scrabble fishermen, based in Capernaum, who left their nets to follow the Lord.
It was a Sabbath day when this grouping of men went into town with their new friend, Jesus. Jesus headed for the local synagogue. Elsewhere in the Gospels, it says that it was Jesus’ “custom” to go synagogue on the Sabbath day. It wasn’t because He had to; it wasn’t because He wanted to. It was simply His ingrained habit.
On that day, presumably in the morning, he began to teach. People were amazed at what He said. He was actually heckled that day by a man with an unclean spirit. “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” asked the man. “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God.” Jesus exorcised the demon. His Word had a power all its own. People were amazed, really amazed, and the news about Jesus – what He was saying and what he was doing – began to spread like wildfire.
The next stop on this day in the life was right next door. Mark’s Gospel reports: “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Based on images of the excavation of this home, it is maybe about two-thirds the size of this sanctuary. It’s not very big at all. It’s about the size of one of those ranch-style homes you see on Carroll Boulevard.
We discover, upon entering, that there is one person who missed church because she was sick. She had a fever. So, by all means, stay in bed. It was Simon’s mother-in-law. They told Jesus about her, and Jesus went straight to her bedside. He didn’t sit in the corner and twiddle his thumbs waiting for his hosts to take the initiative; He assumed the freedom of the house. There was no hesitancy. He goes to her. They don’t bring her to him. There was nothing more important, in all the world, at that time, then for Him to be there just for her With all of Himself, He is there just for her. He clasped her hand and helped her up and out of bed. The fever, we are told, left her. The body temp was back to a healthy 98.6.
And mother-in-law doesn’t respond to all this with a “Hip, Hip Hooray”, “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”, or “Praise be to Jesus.” There is no excessive celebration, no pious, verbal effusions that can become literally nauseating.. She doesn’t “high five” our Lord or do what some NFL receivers do when they catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady or Eli Manning. She doesn’t strike the Heisman pose! Instead, she serves them. That’s what the epiphany, the disclosure, the manifestation of Jesus does for her: she served them. She brought out the drinks and the snacks -- the Doritos, the peanuts, the party mix, the cheese tray, and the fresh fruits, if you will. She set the table. Perhaps she pulled out her favorite recipe. She did what she could do, what was right there for her to do. She served them. She would never be the same. She knew to whom she was precious. The kingdom of God had come to her in the form of this man who was the new friend of her son-in-law and his brother and the other BFF’s. In Mark’s telling of the story of Jesus, this nameless mother-in-law became the first deacon, the first servant.
The same goes for Jesus. “I am among you as one who serves,” He said. “He who would be great among you,” Jesus exclaimed, “must first be your servant.” Jesus embodied the truth that he came “not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
There is mention of a door in the reading. Doors keep people in and can keep people out. They can even have a sign that says “No soliciting.” This door was open. We read of the events later in this day: “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.” They solicited His gracious, healing attention. “The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”
Later on, in the dark of night, toward the end of the day and the beginning of a new one, Jesus quietly slipped out of the house and went off, we are told, to a “solitary place where he prayed.”
This is not a bad idea: to end the day or begin a new one at a solitary place having chat with the Lord, or, as I like to say, “checking in with headquarters.” Life, with its activities both old and new, will catch up with you soon enough.
It caught up with Jesus. They came looking for him. That’s a rather polite translation. Closer to the original language is this: they hunted him down. They find Him and they say: “Everyone is looking for you.” Have you ever had moments in your life when you feel as though everyone is looking for you? We all have. We can sympathize with the sentiment of the actress Greta Garbo who once said: “I vant to be alone!”
Jesus replies: “Let us go somewhere else – to the nearby villages – so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” Jesus never let his celebrity, if you will, get in the way of His mission.
So a day in the life ends and a new one begins. And the constant – way back when on that day and this day too! – is Jesus.
The Spirit of Jesus is among us today – serving as always. What joy it is to be served, this day, with the very best – the bread and the wine, the body and blood of Christ, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
With the Lord begin thy task, Jesus will direct it;
For His aid and counsel ask, Jesus will perfect it.
Every morn with Jesus rise, and when day is ended,
In His Name then close thine eyes; be to Him commended.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment