February 4, 2024
St. Andrew Church
Rev. Anne McAnelly
First Lesson: Isaiah 40:21-31
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to live in; 23 who brings princes to naught, and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Second Lesson: Mark 1:29-39
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38 He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.
Imagine a friend is telling you a story about a group of people yo-µ know. Where they went, what they did, the trouble of the evening. You can almost see John posturing or hear Julie’s laugh. The story is vital and real, because you know the people and they are important to you.
Now recall hearing a story about people you don’t know. The event might be compelling, the location amazing, yet if you do not know the people, a disconnect remains. You are not as invested in the story.
Or how about the prayers of the people we share every Sunday. The people you are likely to pray for during the week, arid I do hope you pray, ·are those you know and care for. It is not that the others aren’t ‘t important arid it’s why we pray for everyone, but human nature is such that we connect with our people more.
Jesus knows this and acts accordingly. Our gospel follows right after Jesus heals the unclean spirit, in the synagogue, we talked about last week. Jesus was teaching on the sabbath, heals the man and silenced the unclean spirit. Now we hear about the remaining 24 hours. Listen how Jesus starts, personal then expands outward. Read Mark 1:29-39.
The good news starts locally; is personal. Jesus has only called four disciples. They are all with him as they leave the synagogue. Each is named and it is ·a relative of Simon, lris mother-in-law, who is healed first. This is as PERSONAL-as it gets. They are in the home of Simon and Andrew and a relative has a fever and might die. Remember, Simon, Andrew, James and John were fishermen in the same town, so likely knew each other well and maybe even Simon’s mother-in-law. They see up close and personal the healing power of Jesus and how he raised her up, prompting her to serve.
As you know we are in the season of Epiphany. A time when the power of God is revealed to the people and to us. Epiphany means what was hidden is now revealed. First Jesus reveals his power to cast our demons, with an in-depth account. Then Jesus’ power to heal is revealed, by healing Simon’s relative. “In Mark’s gospel there is. _no ‘individual’ healing, only those that repair relationship, son to father, daughter to mother, and here, mother to children. Even the unaccompanied woman in the crowd, when healed, becomes ‘daughter’ Mark 5:34. Repair of the bonds ,of family is a dimension of resurrection” (Working Preacher, Cynthia Biggs Kettridge ). It is the power of the good news.
Once the sabbath is over, when the sun goes down, the disciples brought to Jesus ALL who were sick or possessed with demons. The whole city gathered around the door. Jesus’ power is revealed personally then it is brought to all people. First all people in Capemaum, then after Jesus prays, all people in Galilee. Jesus declares, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came to do.” Jesus starts personal, local, then moves to the larger society.
When I was young and wanted to get my ears pierced. My mother said no because respectable young ladies didn’t do that. She also frowned on getting tattoos, as well. I think it had something to do with Lev. 19:28 that codified those societal taboos. I split the difference. She relented on the ear piercing, but I have never gotten a tattoo. Yet if you look around today, many people have tattoos. Which is a personal choice. But I bet the societal change happened one person at a time. Someone has a personal connection with a tattooed person and can see how they might like that. A new choice is revealed. Six people on my trip to the Holy Lands got tattoos while we were there!
They had an epiphany. I start with tattoos because having one or not is insignificant. But it shows how behaviors change with personal experience and interaction. Yet this personal to societal shift can also have powerful implications. My supervisor for Clinical Pastoral Education during seminary was a gifted hospital chaplain who also happened to be gay. The church was still struggling with how to deal with homosexuals serving in the church. My relationship with him helped me see past labels and see the real person serving Christ, ministering to sick people, allowing me to be open to what epiphany God might reveal. Around this time, my family started openly talking about my gay uncle and his partner. The personal experience helped to shape my societal understanding. What was foreign and unknown became personal and real. I once preached that l was sure the church would welcome gay and lesbians, but we would have to wait 25 years for that to happen. Amazingly the Supreme Court moved up the societal timeline.
When we know someone who is dealing with something that society deems a taboo, it opens pathways to learn about what that taboo, or situation, really feels like. We learn about motivation, discrimination, discernment of their reality. Getting to know them personally removes the sense of “other” and fear that often keeps us trapped in old ways of thinking. I recently discovered that a colleague of mine is in the process of transitioning from male to female. I have known him for ten years and really appreciate him. So even though this is my first encounter with a trans gender person transitioning, it is our connection, our _history, that reveals a path to acceptance and welcome. Personal connections revealing societal shifts.
How have your thoughts’ about taboo social issues evolved over time? How have you come to have compassion for those that our culture seems to cast as other? Part of Jesus’ good news is welcoming those whom society has forgotten or oppressed. Jesus saw and nurtured the marginalized.
In the early 70’s my sister married James, a black man. James introduced me to jazz, made the best BBQ and was a wonderful father to my nieces. But inter-racial marriage was still illegal in many parts of this country. I was very proud of my grandmothers for welcoming James into the family, a stretch for those born in 1900. Yet have you noticed that nowadays every other TV commercial has an inter-racial couple. I bet that changed one person at a time. Good news is revealed to a person, then over time spreads.
But when you think we are not moving forward fast enough, Or we are going in the wrong direction, let the words of Isaiah give you courage. Isaiah speaks of the God of Creation who returns the people of Israel to Jerusalem after a time in exile. This creation imagery is to give them energy, strength to create a new life in Jerusalem partnering with God’s efforts. The biblical witness is that from age to age, God hears the cries of his people and empowers them in exhaustion, in oppression, and in other moments of greatest need. We seem to be in one of those moments. Creating life is a partnership between a woman and God. A sacred right. Yet it is also life altering, where the woman bares greater responsibility than the man the conversation around women’s health, abortion, and family planning exploded as women found their voice and science provided choice.
I believe society and the courts supporting abortion also started with personal experience. Women who found themselves pregnant, families torn apart, women dying from back-alley services; experiences that changed the conversation. What was hidden was now revealed. Then 50 years of that being the law of the land, revealed that 60 + % of Americans favor a woman’s right to reproductive health care. Now with that banned in many places, we get to lean info Isaiah’s words, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.” So as We look to the struggle ‘ ahead to protect that right let us hear, “The Lord shall renew their strength, and they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” .AMEN.
