Farewell to the Stones

A few weeks ago I returned a phone call here at the church and it was only my second week here. The person wanted some monetary assistance and she needed it that same day. I explained to her that I was new and that I did not have access to any funds to give to her and even if I did it would take a few days to get her the money she wanted. I tried to refer her to other organizations and other churches that might be able to help her and help her in a timelier manner. I’ll spare you the details of what she told me about all of that, but she did get very upset and told me that she would not be coming back to church ever again and she would not be giving the church any more money and she was a large donor to the church. Then she hung up on me.

I panicked thinking I had somehow offended a church member, even though she never said she attended the church. I asked everyone who was in the office and they confirmed that the person was not a member. I had some other clues by the way she talked about our church that she didn’t know anything about the church. But I still had that moment of panic that I had somehow alienated a member and I hadn’t known it. I am, after all, the new pastor and I don’t know the members of the church too well yet and especially not on my 9th day of work here.

Even after I had found out she was likely saying those things to manipulate me into giving money to her, I still felt bad that I could have been the face of the church that made her have negative feelings about Christianity or that I was just a long line of people of faith that had said ‘no’ to her. It is always a struggle to find the right boundaries of helping people and not letting people taking advantage of you, like the person sending text messages to all of you pretending to be me asking for gift cards.

It really bugged me that day and that conversation and following thoughts and emotions that followed came back to the forefront of my mind when I read this text about being a stumbling block to other people and ourselves. Even though the text today starts off with the disciples trying to stop this exorcist from casting out demons specifically, it really is a real world example of how the disciples were trying to create a stumbling block for this man. They were trying to explain to him that by not being one of the twelve or at least one of the crowds that were following him from town to town he did not have the right to cast out demons.

Also, if we look back at Mark 6:7-13 we see that Jesus specifically commissioned the twelve disciples to have the authority over unclean spirits. They were told to tell people to repent, they cast out demons, and anointed and cured many who were sick. The disciples were specifically given authority to do the very thing this man was doing. The twelve; and last time he checked John was pretty sure this man was not part of the twelve.

Jesus changes the conversation by telling them that whoever is not against us is for us. I think that is a very powerful and a very inclusive way that Jesus is speaking. The disciples inadvertently admit that the man is using the very name of Jesus to cast out the demons. So Jesus says if he’s casting out demons in my name then he’s obviously not against us. I say that is inclusive because Jesus is accepting the man even without knowing him. There’s been no interview process. There’s no actual relationship there. All Jesus knows is that he’s casting out demons and he’s using Jesus name to do it. For Jesus that’s good enough. There’s no reason to try to stop this man, to cause him to stumble as Jesus talks about in the next part of his conversations with the twelve. And Jesus has some pretty harsh things to say about causing someone else to stumble or yourself to stumble. In fact, he says that you should be cast into the seas with a great millstone around your neck. I mentioned to my Bible Study group that Jesus has an Al Capone vibe right here. Both that and the conversation about self-stumbling is hyperbole to help us understand just how important it is to be as open to welcoming people and ourselves into the grace and love of God.

I remember in my first call we had a drummer at our contemporary service and he always showed up with a baseball cap on backwards or sideways. He also dressed and looked like the epitome of a 90’s and early 2000’s young man. He wore graphic tees, large baggy shorts with a belt, though if you looked at him you would wonder if the belt did anything at all. And had a wallet chain that hung way down the side of his shorts and dangled around as he walked. He did an incredible job at playing the drums. One Sunday as the senior pastor and I were talking with people after worship I overheard someone complain to the senior pastor that she disapproved of this young man wearing a hat in church and dressing in the manner that he dressed. He looked at her and said, “Isn’t it great that he is here each week using his gifts for worship instead of somewhere else on Sunday mornings?” The woman didn’t respond and I assume she left for her car.

That is the kind of inclusive language that I see Jesus saying today. It is the kind of language that focuses on what’s the most important part of faith instead of focusing in on the details. Is it more important for this man to be at church or for him to dress the part according to some people’s expectations? Is it more important for a man to be a student, a disciple of Jesus or to live the life that glorifies God and what God has called us to do? Is it more important to focus on what is the perfect and right way to do something and to demand that someone be a part of this specific thing or to welcome them in the name of Christ as a brother or sister because Christ chose to be inclusive to those who are doing the work of Christ?

Jesus went to the cross, and I do believe that he did that for the very purpose of removing any stumbling blocks from each and every one of us so that we could have a straight path to a relationship with God our Creator. Jesus became the one and final sacrifice so that we would be forgiven of our sins. So that we would be made clean. By being made clean we no longer have any millstones, blocks, closed doors, detour signs or anything that keeps us from being a part of a community of believers with Christ as the ultimate welcoming committee. Jesus welcomes you, me, and all who are in need of love and forgiveness. That is what our God is like, that is what the Spirit promotes in each of us. That is the gift of a loving, caring, and inclusive God. Amen.