JULY 15TH, 2018: FIFTEENTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR
Amos 7:12-15
Ephesians 1:3-14
Mark 6:7-13 The historical Jesus wasn’t a one man show, literally. One of the reasons our evangelists composed their gospels was to demonstrate how the individuals this Galilean carpenter inspired were to work together in expanding his ministry. From the beginning, he shares his dream and his ministry with his followers. Today’s gospel pericope is classic. “Jesus summoned the Twelve,” Mark writes, “and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits.” It’s essential to remember that, according to Mark, the most important ministry for Jesus’ followers is to engage in eradicating evil. That’s why the first miracle his Jesus works is to exorcize a demoniac. In 1st century CE Palestine, demons were responsible for all sorts of evil; moral, physical, psychological. You name an evil, a demon caused it. So when Jesus gives some of his followers the power to eradicate demons, he’s actually giving them the power to eradicate evil, wherever and in whomever it’s found. It’s also important that the Twelve are mentioned in this context. Flying in the face of our grade school catechisms, they’re not the first bishops or priests. They’re simply symbolic of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. (That’s why no women are included in their number. These Twelve Tribes began with Jacob’s twelve sons. You throw one woman in with them and the symbolism the historical Jesus tries to convey will be destroyed.) According to modern scholars, the historical Jesus had no intention of founding a church as we know it; he simply wanted to reform Judaism – all of Judaism, not just the two preeminent tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In his plan, minor tribes like Dan and Naphtali were to play just as much a role in that reform as the two major tribes. It was a wide open reform; all are empowered to eradicate evil, not just the “privileged.” In this passage, Jesus intentionally sends out representatives of all, to all. We smile at some of the practical helps Mark’s Jesus gives his disciples to aid in carrying out their ministry: where to stay, what to wear, how much money to take along, even what to do when rejected. Yet, no matter the obstacles they encountered, they “drove out many demons.” They wiped out evil. Yet, as the author of Ephesians writes, no matter the results, they should simply be grateful they, of all people, were chosen for this life and world-changing work. For some reason, they “heard the word of truth, the good news of salvation, and have believed in him (Jesus).” No one can argue with God’s choice. This is especially true when we cross paths with the earliest “book prophet:” Amos. As a wilderness shepherd he’s most unlikely to be chosen one of Yahweh’s prophets. I wish we had a snapshot of his encounter with Amaziah, or just a whiff of the smell emanating from the prophet. The contrast between the two was memorable. Carroll Stuhlmueller once commented, “If Amos took a bath once a year, he’d have been filthy clean. Besides, can you picture him ever using a handkerchief to blow his nose?” Yet, “Yahweh took (him) from following the flock, and said to (him), ‘Go prophesy to my people Israel.’” The word of Yahweh he proclaimed was infinitely more powerful than Amaziah’s priestly robes and the office he held. Which of the two eradicated more evil? My oncologist recently inquired about our acute priest shortage. “It’s easy to understand,” I replied. “Can you imagine how many oncologists we’d have if we limited them to male celibates?” I’d really be careful about who we, the church, refuses to call for ministry. If we’re not imitating Jesus’ openness, we’ll have to answer for a lot of the evil we encounter.
|
