Clear Understandings – Lent 4

Mark 6:45–52 – March 10th, 2024

The Lord Be With You.

A parable or short story on our Gospel …

There was a village on the coast of a great lake. The water was blue and the sands were smooth. One day some of the kids saw some tracks that they had never seen before. They went to tell the adults but when they returned the tracks had disappeared. The next day the same thing happened with the tracks disappearing when they once again returned. On the third day, after returning with the adults the tracks remained except they led straight into the lake. Man after man dove in to see where those tracks went but they went to far down into the lake to follow. No one had seen tracks like this so an alarm went up and nightly vigils were scheduled. Each morning a new set of tracks were found and still no one knew what it was or how those new tracks appeared. The villagers couldn’t figure it out so they just assumed that it was some new animal they had never noticed before. It wasn’t. It was something that was natural except it was misunderstood. A small tremor would happen that created markings similar to animal tracks but were small holes where the sand would sink. This only lasted a few weeks never to return again. Something greater than those villagers occurred and those villagers were left fearful of what they did not understand.

Here ends the parable or short story.?

Jesus always separated Himself in order to have a conversation with His Father. My guess is that if He were around others then that would interrupt His train of thought and what needed to be discussed would never get done. That and His followers would hear what He really thought about all the ridiculous assertions that He heard on a day to day basis. One can only imagine the conversations that Jesus must’ve had with His Father. Have you ever thought about the conversations that Jesus had with His Pop? I mean He was on a one to one speaking relationship. They had to have spoken with each other like one would have in a conversation. There’s not one instance of an oral conversation where you have a back and forth in your head. He probably didn’t just think His prayers but spoke them out loud. Just like you might have with your parents or your child or your brother or sister. Out loud. And the Father probably spoke out loud to Him also out loud.?

One of the places where we hear Jesus speaking to the Father, orally, is in the Garden of Gethsemane. Maybe you could pull a little vocal out of scripture that was on the top of that mountain in the Transfiguration but that might be stretching it a bit. We do have where God speaks to Jesus at His baptism but no one else heard it. So, there really isn’t any record of the method, or way, that Jesus prayed with His Father. I’m guessing that they just had a conversation like anyone would have with anyone else. They were father and son after all. But, when Jesus is telling His Father about the disciples? I would’ve loved to have been a gnat on the wall then. How many times He must’ve cried when recounting the numerous times He told the Father of the complete lack of imagination that He was surrounded with.?

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” is what David wrote to God in Psalms 13. “O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?” is what Matthew wrote in chapter 17. Sometimes I say it to myself. It’s no wonder that He was about to walk right past the disciples when they were in that boat having difficulties. But once he got in and the winds died down and those same disciples saw what He could do, once again, it’s surprising that they were amazed. You would be amazed too if you hadn’t already seen all that He did.?

One could say, though, that the disciples had become hard hearted. I mean, lets recap what had happened so far. You had the man with the unclean spirit. Cured. The many people healed at Simon’s house. All cured. You had the leper, then the paralytic, then the man with the withered hand, not to mention the many evil demons who recognized Jesus and fled. And yet, even though the disciples witnessed all of this they still doubted. It’s no wonder Jesus wanted to walk right past them.?

I sometimes wonder about the stuff not written down for all of us to read in this bible. What conversations must have had happen. What did the people written about really think. You see, we only get one side of the story. It’s like in 1st Timothy where it states that , “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” That’s used by many to assert that there is a biblical basis for women to not be in any teaching position.?

The problem is that the words that you read are responses from Paul to Timothy’s questions but the questions asked are never put forth. Never recorded for us to know. You see, the verse preceding what I just read says, “I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes” and that’s the response that Paul gave to Timothy when Timothy asked the questions which we’ll never know.?

What if Timothy asked Paul what to tell the women who flaunted their wealth and lorded their position in the community over the other women? Then the answer that Paul gave would’ve been in line with earlier teachings of Christ about pride. What if, on the other hand, Paul wrote to Timothy in a way that excluded women from teaching others? Then that would be in direct opposition to what Jesus showed and goes against who He first gave the message to of His rising at the stone that was moved on that fateful day. You see, it’s when we don’t have clear understandings that our heart hardens to any possibilities. The light that shines on the faith that you’ve been given which takes us into areas that pulls us towards the body of Christ.?

But those disciples were no different than we are today. What with their continual doubt and frustrations which are shown by what they do and how they react to events. Mark write in verse 52 of this Gospel, “their hearts were hardened” and Mark is telling us that if we’re not careful we too can begin to allow the doubts of this world to invade our belief so that we draw further away from Christ each and every day that we breath.?

So much so that sooner, than later, we will have found so many other ways and things to fill that vacuum that we’ve created and we’ll find ourselves apart from those that can walk with us through the tough times we all incur. The real challenge we have is to recognize when we, ourselves, have become hard hearted and cease to seek the truth because we’ve convinced ourselves that it no longer has any affect on us. The doubts will continue to cloud any understandings we might have.?

I’ve called this message “Clear Understandings” because when we can begin to seek, and then find, a clearer understanding of what’s written in this book, called the bible in whatever version you may be fond of, is when we can allow our hearts to soften. It softens because so many of the things you and I come into contact with are addressed. You just gotta apply it to today’s events. Todays happening.?

The tracks, in the parable I told, is an example of not understanding something and then being fearful of knowing the answer to what it is that you want to know. When I scuba dived in Austin, I saw tracks under the water one time. I wanted to find out what it was but I was pulled back up by the guys in the boat above me. Never did get any true idea of what those tracks were but they could’ve been a natural occurrence like the tracks in the parable or an underwater animal. The underwater animal was much more fun to speculate on. I wanted to find out what it was. But that’s like most things are. So many times we can go down the street or out the door and then wonder why things work the way they do and if we’ll just go back to scripture I’ll bet that a similar situation will exist there and you can find how it was dealt with.?

I say all this because you and I both know that we are creations that love to repeat everything that happens over and over again. We are doomed to this construct. I mean you can even take it to even the simplest of things we do. We have a trash can that sits on the left side of the kitchen cabinet in our house. When it’s full Jane takes the bag out and puts it by the door on the right side of the cabinets and puts in a new one in its place. I’m forever walking over to the left side when I’m ready throw something in and then, hopefully, remember that the old bag is by the door across the room and put the new trash in there. I hate to put something in a brand new bag if there’s still room in the old one. But, many times, I drop it in and then it’s too late. Now, if I move that old trash bag back to the left side then I continue to fill it up. Problem solved. But I don’t. Problem not solved. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that all of you have very similar things in your life.?

You see, it’s never about getting a clear understanding of what’s going on but taking an action on that understanding once you got it. What do you do with it? The disciples didn’t really get a clear understanding until Jesus rose from the dead and then they have their “Ahah” moments. Thomas with his doubts. Peter with his denials. Judas with his final realization moment. But we have a distinct advantage over them to have our hardened hearts softening up moments. We have the writings of those guys back then to look up what references of what’s coming at us. Those guys we read about had no advantage. They were living in the moment. If they were transported to our day and would look back at all that was written about them then they might just say that the whole story is not there.?

But they’d probably also read what’s written and say to themselves how could they have been so stupid for not seeing what was clearly in front of them and they’d turn to us and ask us if we learned anything from them or are we destined to make the same mistakes as they did. Has our hearts become so tainted that we have to see or hear something simply to believe that this is where it’s at. What’s it gonna take? They might also warn us that when Jesus was praying to His Father, back in their day, He only had to talk about what was going on right then and there. If He was here today and talking with His father, in the same way, He might just add that we have the history of all that went on and we still can’t quite get it.?

Or will he? I know, sitting where I sit, that I’m always amazed at the number of people who stand up and get out there and do something. I’m always amazed and pleasantly excited by the number of people here that come forward and take on tasks that go above and beyond what I thought. I’m always encouraged by the conversations between us that show a sincere desire to know more. Find out more. Get another look at how all this fits together. What it all means. But I also wonder about all those people in our communities that just simply have had their hearts hardened to a point that they cant even allow the light to shine through. Can’t allow themselves to venture and seek a family of faithful that truly welcomes them in no matter where they’ve been. I wonder. I keep looking for the way that makes a light go off in their hearts. I hope they will eventually see it. But I always see it as a challenge. I’m competitive that way. I want to win for Jesus and this house that God built. I’m determined that everyone will know that we give what it takes and put ourselves out there. I choose to not give up. We all can do the same. Something to think about! Something to pray about??

Can we pray? …

Father, we pray for your guidance. Give us the strength to allow others to experience your grace and your mercy. Allow us to tell others of your truth so that they may know that your promises are real. Help us to help them. We thank you for the sacrifice of your Son, Jesus, so we can know His works and His words that you gave to Him to give to us. We ask for your Holy Spirit to come into our lives so we can be free of the pains and ills that we may suffer from. We pray this and more in the name of your Son, Jesus the Christ, our Lord and Savior.

And all God’s people said – Amen?!

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