How do you react when you find out that someone you have known has died? Does your reaction depend on how well you knew the person who has died? Does your reaction depend on whether the deceased was a close friend or a bitter enemy? The death of a loved one calls for prayer of honour. When someone we know passes away, we must take time to honour them in conversations with God.

In the passage we heard from 2 Samuel, David teaches us how we should react when someone dies, especially if that person is our worst enemy. What David did was customary at that time. It was the custom of Eastern people, on the death of great kings and warriors, to celebrate their qualities and deeds in funeral songs. Verses 18-27 have been referred to as the Song of the Bow. These verses are a classic funeral dirge from which many dirges or eulogies have been adapted. The lament, “How the mighty have fallen!” is the key refrain in the song and brackets the entire poem for emphasis.

David’s extreme grief at the death of the man who tried to kill him for 30 years is astonishing, but it is consistent with David’s believe that Saul was God’s anointed. Whenever there is a report of one of God’s choice servants falling by the wayside in moral or physical defeat, the response should follow David’s response-not gladness, not smug complacency or a superficial piety but sorrow for the person, sorrow for the people, and sorrow for the work of God that person committed his or her life to do.

David’s sincere grief over Saul is striking. As a fugitive from Saul, David went so far as to work for the Philistines as a mercenary. Despite Saul’s hatred, David refused to treat him as an enemy. David spared Saul’s life on many occasions. Whatever relief David might have felt at the death of his tormentor is overshadowed by the loss of Saul and Jonathan. David’s mourning might have been so intense because he was unreconciled to Saul and exiled from Jonathan when they died.

David knew that God placed Saul in office and David respected what God did. We need to learn the same thing. We might not like our current leaders or the previous ones, but we have to consider that God might have put them there.

Hearing that Philistine cities such as Gath and Ashkelon rejoiced over Saul’s death, as the women of Israel did in 1 Samuel 18:6-7, distressed David. Despite Saul’s poor leadership and repeated efforts to kill him, David eulogized Saul in glowing terms and did not mention any of Saul’s faults. These words model the way to honour someone who has died.

David never read the words Jesus said in Matthew 5:44, but he practiced those words. Matthew 5:44 reads, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” David was able to practice this teaching without ever having read this teaching because David was a man after God’s own heart. David thought and felt as God does. David knew instinctively what God wants and how God operates.

There is nothing more natural than to grieve the death of a friend. The ability to grieve is God’s gift which allows us to process our loss in such a way that we can go on living without a sense of grief. Just like Jesus wept at the grave of Lazarus, David and his men grieved when they heard of the death of the soldiers, Saul and Jonathan. David honoured Saul, but he celebrated his dear friend Jonathan. David did this because what he was at least in part was because of Jonathan. Friends play important roles in shaping our spiritual destinies.

David sorrowed over Jonathan as he would a brother. There is no hint of an inappropriate or sexual relationship between David and Jonathan as some modern translations allege. Besides grieving the closest of friends, David also honoured Jonathan for his extreme sacrifice in giving up the throne.

In God’s plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. We might wish for a longer life, but God knows better. We don’t know the final thoughts of a dying soul, but we do know that God is a good God. He wants our loved ones in heaven more than we do, and He usually gets what He wants. Do you know what else God wants? He wants us to face our sorrow. Denial and dismissal are not part of God’s grief therapy. If we have faith, we can face our sorrow head-on, especially is we ask God to give us inner peace.

All of us eventually lose our friends to death-theirs or ours. The best thing we can do is to make sure that our friends follow Christ and that we also follow Christ, because after death we will be with our friends forever. We will never be separated.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 402-403)
2. Jamieson Fawcett Brown Commentary. Part of Wordsearch 12 Bible software package.
3. Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preachers’ Commentary Series, Vol 8: 1,2 Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 221-2224)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
7. Ron Moore, “A Prayer of Honour.” Retrieved from www.ronmoore.org

Good morning boys and girls!

What do your parents do when you’re sick?

If you are sick to your stomach or if you have a headache, they probably give you some medicine from the drug store and wait and see if you get better. What would they do if you don’t get better? What would they do if you are so sick they think you might die? They would take you to the doctor.

Our Bible story today is about a man who did just that. His name was Jairus, and he had a daughter who was very sick. She was so sick that he thought she was going to die and he wanted to do everything he could to help her get well. Jairus heard about the best doctor in the area-a doctor who was healing many people. His name was-and is-Jesus. Jairus ran to meet Jesus, fell down at his feet and begged Jesus to put his hands on her and heal her so she could live. Jesus did not say, “Give her two aspirin and call me in the morning.” He made a house call by walking with Jairus toward his house.

As they got closer to the house, some men came up to Jairus and told him that his daughter was dead, and that there was no need to bother Jesus. Jairus was heartbroken, but Jesus told Jairus not to be afraid, but to believe. When they got to Jairus’ house, there was a crowd of people who were crying. Jesus asked them why they were crying. “The girl is not dead, only asleep.” The people laughed, so Jesus told them to leave. Jesus took Jairus and his wife into the room where the girl was. He took her by the hand and said, “Little girl, get up!” Immediately the girl got up and walked around the room. Her parents were amazed. 

Boys and girls, what did you learn from this story? In this story we saw how much Jairus loved his daughter and would do anything for her. God our heavenly father is the same. He loves us so much that he would do anything for us, including sending his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.

Something else that we learned was that with God anything is possible. Jairus’ daughter was dead, and the situation was hopeless, but Jesus raised her from the dead because of Jairus’ faith. When we face hopeless situations, we must remember what Jesus said-“Only believe.”

Let’s bow our heads for a moment of prayer. Dear God, thank you for your love. Help us to remember that all things are possible if we only believe and trust in you. In Jesus’ name we pray, AMEN.

Bibliography

1. “Only Believe.” Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com

Have you ever wanted something so much that you were willing to do anything to get it? If so, you can appreciate what Jairus and the woman did in Mark 5:21-43.

Jairus was one of a group of key people who oversaw some of the administrative duties of local synagogues. He was not a priest. In this passage, he fell at Jesus’ feet. Jairus was a Pharisee, so how did the word of the Gospel penetrate the hardened heart of a Pharisee? The answer is simple. He had a daughter who was sick, and like any parent, he was willing to do whatever it took to heal her. That included risking ridicule and embarrassment by falling at Jesus’ feet and asking him to heal his daughter.

Jairus came to Jesus in faith, and the woman reached out to Jesus in faith also. Jesus felt her tug of faith on his robe. He ignored the disciples’ response to the question of who touched him. It was no ordinary touch. He wanted to bring the woman out of the crowd and into a public profession of faith.  He responded to her need and Jairus’ need by giving of himself just like anyone who responds to human need by giving something of themselves.

Both Jairus and the woman had given up on human efforts. They reached out to Jesus as a last resort. We are often the same. We often try to solve our problems by human means, and only when human means fail do we turn to God. A better alternative is for us to turn to God first for help. Sometimes that means God will use human means to help us.

In this passage, Mark shows Jesus’ power over physical ailments and death. When Jesus uses this power, he shows that he is equal to God. Jesus’ resurrection of the girl shows his authority, his identity and his power to give life. Death will not have the final say.

God does not always act immediately. For example, when Jesus heard that his friend Lazarus was sick, he waited for three days until he went to see Lazarus. Sometimes when we wait for God to act, things can go from bad to worse. When that happens, we start to wonder if God loves us or if we are worthy enough for God to answer our prayers. Jesus invites us to have faith in his power. The voices of death and suffering are strong in our world, and we can’t face them on our own. When we hear these voices, we must listen to Jesus when he tells us not to be afraid and just have faith. We have to take a risk by reaching out to Jesus in faith for healing. Jesus can release us from our suffering and then use our story to encourage others. He hears our cries when we hurt. He feels the touch of faith from us when we reach out to his heart. 

When God acts in our lives, he acts with authority. When Jesus felt the woman touch him, he called her to come out from the crowd. His aim was not to embarrass her or to ridicule her. He called her to a reckless faith-a faith that includes taking risks when necessary. Likewise, he did not condemn Jairus. On the contrary, he went to Jairus’ house.

Jesus healed or restored people regardless of the amount of faith the person had or the expectations of the person being healed. Sometimes he healed because the person or their loved one had faith in his power to heal. When Jesus heals, he makes the person well-complete or whole. Even though Jairus heard that his daughter had died, he did not stop Jesus from going to his house. Why? Because unlike his friends, who believed that death is final-Jairus believed that Jesus could still help him. Many of the mourners were probably either onlookers or professional mourners because unlike genuine mourners, their tears turned quickly to ridicule. Death doesn’t have the last word thanks to Jesus. Jesus’ statement that the girl was asleep was a statement that death is not final. In fact, in Luke 8:53-55, which is part of Luke’s version of this story, Luke states that the girl is in a comatose state.

Jesus does not exercise authority as a mechanical response in a clinical setting. His decisive action as the Son of God is mixed with his emotions as the Son of Man. When he cures people, he mixes the raw power of God with feeling respect for a woman who has become a full partner in the faith. When he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, his all-seeing, all-knowing nature carried the touch of a father’s love.

Jesus allowed only his closest disciples-Peter, James and John-to go with him. These special few were allowed to see a special miracle. There were the same three disciples who later saw Jesus transfigured. Jesus did not want large crowds to hinder his ministry, so he told onlookers not to tell about the miracle with others. He told the girl’s parents to give her something to eat to relieve her hunger and to prove that she was not a ghost.

Jairus and the woman were given the gift of peace. Only God can give peace. Our sin-filled world can never give us peace. It can give us the absence of war, but there will still be conflict. God can give us peace in our hearts and minds-and it’s no secret that many health problems are caused by the lack of peace that we have in our hearts and minds.

Faith is not the belief that God will do what we want. It is the belief that God will do what is right, such as healing the woman and Jairus’ daughter. The more hopeless the circumstances, the more likely salvation will happen. The circumstances in both cases in this reading were very hopeless. Healing happens when we do something. Healing begins when we reach out. Healing starts when we take a step in faith. It started when Jairus and the woman reached out by taking a step of faith. It happens to us when we step out in faith and reach out to Jesus.

We have to take a risk by reaching out to Jesus in faith for healing. Jesus can release us from our suffering and then use our story to encourage others. He hears our cries when we hurt. He feels the touch of faith from us when we reach out to his heart.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)
2. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J. : The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
3. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, NASB (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2006)
4. Jude Siciliano, O.P.: “First Impressions, 13^th Sunday (B).: Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org

The Gospel reading from Mark 5:21-43 is a pair of stories about faith and Jesus’ power over life and death. The woman with the hemorrhage showed great faith in spite of obstacles. The story of Jairus and his daughter demonstrated great faith on the part of a religious leader. Both came from different social classes. Jairus was a well-to-do member of the religious establishment-a group that often opposed Jesus. The woman with the hemorrhage was poor and a social outcast. The difference in social classes did not matter to Jesus. He treated both of them equally.

In each case, the “establishment” could not offer a solution to the problem, but Jesus could, in spite of opposition and laughter. Jairus was desperate because his child was dying, and as those of you who are parents know all too well, a parent of a sick or dying child will do almost anything to save the child. Jairus was so desperate he knelt at the feet of the one person who could help him-Jesus.

The woman with the hemorrhage also sought a solution from the one person who could help her. All the doctors she saw failed her. Society failed her because her bleeding made her unclean along with everyone and everything she touched. She is an example of women today who struggle to break through in business and society. She is an inspiration to women in religious settings who feel that their ministerial gifts are ignored or rejected.

Jesus did not fail her. He saw her as a person and as someone of value. She believed that by just touching the clothes of the one man who could help her, she would be healed, and her healing changed her, her heart, her body, her life and her soul.

There are many Biblical texts that refer to the relationship between sickness and sin or between forgiveness and healing. These relationships exist not because God has decided to inflict sickness on some poor unfortunate souls, but because sickness and sin define everything that is wrong with our world. In other words, they define the mess that God comes to clean up. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time are good examples of the mess.

Some people believe that God should rid the world of sickness and death, and that belief does make some sense. If God protected everyone who believed in Him, then everyone would believe not out of love, but out of a calculated self-interest. People would believe only so that God would take care of them and their families. Unfortunately, we would also have no freedom to believe or disbelieve. We would be enslaved because of our fear of death, and that is not what God had in mind.

Jairus had to “lower” himself when he sought healing for his daughter. He had to move beyond the rules and expectations of the religious elite in order to be delivered from its assumptions and illusions. He had to move beyond the praises and promises and good intentions of the religious elite and go with what his heart told him to do. He used his social status and power in order to approach Jesus, and then he emptied himself of them. He came to Jesus in humility and earnest faith.

When Jesus brought the little girl back to life, he didn’t fill her empty stomach. That’s because God wants us to be a part of what he is doing. He brought the little girl back to life, but he wanted the people around her to give her something to eat and watch her enjoy every morsel. Then there would be no doubt that Jesus truly was omnipotent-all powerful and great in mercy.

Jesus came to raise the dead-both the physically dead and the spiritually dead. When Jesus is on a mission, nothing can stop him. He did not allow the professional mourners and their laughter to stop him from showing God’s healing power. The mourners represent people who refuse to accept Christ and the gifts he offers.

Only a select few were allowed to see Jesus bring the girl back to life. Jesus wanted the news kept secret. He knew that most of the people could not understand what had happened. He knew that the miracle of the dead being brought back to life could only be understood by those who believe in one who himself was raised from the dead-namely, Jesus.

Most of you have heard of the old saying that “desperate times call for desperate remedies”. Desperate times also call for a desperate faith-a faith we saw in both of these parables. Faith in itself is meaningless, but faith in an all-powerful God means everything. Jesus enters our lives in our hopeless moments and brings us hope. He comes with his healing power when no healing is possible. Sometimes he works the miracle of physical healing, and sometimes he works the miracle of spiritual healing. He may not always come when we want him to come, and he might not always answer our prayers the way we want him to, but we must always be faithful and know that he will help us. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.

Sometimes God does what is right by not doing anything right away or by doing something other than what we want him to do. Jairus had to wait for his daughter’s “healing” while Jesus healed the woman with the hemorrhage, and as a result his daughter’s situation went from bad to worse. When we have to wait, our faith can be shaken. We wonder if God loves us at all. We might wonder if we are worthy of God’s love. We might wonder if we are praying to God in the proper way. Jairus might have had some of these same feelings, and if he did, it would certainly be understandable. Jesus did not give up on Jairus, and Jairus did not give up on Jesus. Jesus asked Jairus to have faith, and Jairus did have faith. Even when God does not answer our prayers in the way we want him to do, we can have faith that God does love us and he answered our prayer in the way that was best for us and in line with his will for our lives.

Faith empowers healing, but the lack of faith hinders healing. That’s why Jesus ordered the mourners to leave Jairus’ house. Their minds were closed to someone who has the last word over death-Jesus. People who have faith handle life’s problems differently from people who have no faith. This is the story of the true meaning of the term “faith healing”. An act of faith on the part of the woman healed her. Jesus even said that her faith made her well. Jairus never lost faith, even when he was told that his daughter was dead. Jesus did not comfort Jairus when he heard that his daughter had died. Instead, Jesus challenged him to have faith. Regardless of our circumstances, God always urges us to have faith, not fear.

Nothing is too small for God. He notices the little things in our lives, just like Jesus noticed when the woman touched his cloak. Jesus always knows the intentions of our hearts and he distinguishes the touch of faith from the touch of a follower.

Jesus gave out of his abundant power to heal, and we have been called to give out of our abundance and carry out God’s work in our world. He calls us to love one another as he loves us-including showing love and compassion to those who are suffering. Jesus took people where they were and loved them into life. He is love in action. Loving is costly. It takes something out of us, just like each and every healing took something out of Jesus. We suffer when we work against God’s will, especially when it conflicts with our own selfish desires. Sometimes his will interrupts our lives. When it does, can we adapt or do we stick to our plans?

This Gospel passage shows the compassionate face of Jesus. He suffered with those who suffered, and he still serves the suffering today. He served those who reached out to him in vulnerable ways, and he still serves them today. He showed compassion to the suffering and the grieving, and he still shows compassion to them today. This compassionate, suffering servant attitude gives us hope for today and hope for the next life as well.

Something else that we learn from this story is that with God, all things are possible. When things are impossible from an earthly point of view, they are possible from God’s point of view. When things are looking bleak, you can take comfort in the knowledge that God will be there to comfort you and give you strength as you face the challenges in the days, weeks and months ahead.

When we receive God’s grace, we end up taking Jesus seriously. When we do, Jesus will change our tears into joy and our skepticism into amazement. At that time we will find out what it means to be made whole.

It is at times like these when we need to put our differences aside and work together to help those who are facing difficult times.  Just like Jesus treated Jairus and the woman equally, our spiritual differences are put aside when we come together in worship and in faith. He reaches out to us in Word and Sacrament, takes us by the hand and raises us up in faith. Only then can we experience the life God intended all of humanity to have-one that is whole, free, redeemed and restored.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F., “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publisher; 2009)
2. Exegesis for Mark 5:21-43. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
3. The Rev. Amy Butler, “Desperate for Freedom”. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
4. Michael E. Brooks, “In the Midst of the Crowd”. Retrieved from forthright@associate.com
5. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 13^th Sunday (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
6. Mike DeVries, “The Shalom of God”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. The Rev, Sarah Jackson Shelton, CBF, “A Daughter’s Faith”. Retrieved from www.day1.org
8. Arthur Schoonveld, “Jesus Came to Comfort”. Retrieved from www.thisistoday.net
9. Sharon Jaynes, “Valued”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Gwen Smith, “A Desperate Faith”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
11. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., “The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25:Mark” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
12. Lucado, M., “The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible”. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2010)
13. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Are We There Yet?” Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon6-29-03.htm
14. The Rev. Beth Quick, “On the Road to Jairus’ House” Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon7-2-00.htm
15. The Rev. Beth Quick, “Interrupted”. Retrieved from www.bethquick.com/sermon7-2-06.htm
16. Frederick Gaiser, “How to Preach Healing Every Time You Preach”. Retrieved from www.sermoncentral.com/Articles/Article_PrintFriendly.asp?ArticleID=1291
17. Interpreter’s Commentary. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
18. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Proper 8, Ordinary 13, Year B. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-season-pentecost-proper-8-ordinary-13
19. Maxie Dunnam, “Two for the Price of One”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
20. King Duncan, “Beaten Up But Still Standing”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
21. James W. Moore, “Journey to the Cross II”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
22. Ron Lavin, “The Compassionate Healing”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
23. “Only Believe”. Retrieved from www.sermons4kids.com/only_believe_print.htm
24. The Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway, PCUSA, “Taking Jesus Seriously”. Retrieved from www.day1.org

Let’s take a walk down memory lane for a moment. Some of you, especially the older members of this congregation, may remember a famous comedian named Flip Wilson. He had a weekly TV comedy show back in the 70s, and one of his favorite characters was a preacher named Brother Leroy.

In one skit, Brother Leroy was leading services one Sunday morning. It wasn’t going very well. People weren’t very responsive. It came time to receive the offering and so Brother Leroy passed the collection plates. They came back empty. So he passed them again. Same thing. Empty. Brother Leroy then went before the people and said, “Now, I know that you all want this church to progress. This church must progress.” No response from the congregation. Brother Leroy shouted a bit louder: “Now, before this church can progress it has to crawl, this church has got to crawl.” And the congregation started getting excited and they yelled back, “Make it crawl, Reverend. Make it crawl!” Brother Leroy continued, “After this church has crawled, it’s got to pick itself up and start to walk, this church has got to walk!” And the people yelled back at him, “Make it walk, Reverend. Make it walk!” “And after this church has walked, this church has got to get up and run, this church has got to run.” And the people were worked up into a terrible frenzy, and they hollered back: “Make it run, Reverend. Make it run!” And then Brother Leroy said, “Now, brothers and sisters, in order for this church to run, it’s gonna need money, it’s gonna take money for this church to run!” And the people yelled back, “Let it crawl, Reverend. Let it crawl!”

The reading we heard from 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 a few minutes ago does talk about giving. Most ministers have to walk a fine line when talking about this subject, especially if they don’t want to give the impression that they are asking for money for the church. I’m also walking a fine line because even though this is summer and the time of the year when offerings decline because people are away, I don’t want to talk about giving in that sense. I want to talk about the spiritual benefits of giving, so I’m definitely not going to be like one minister who was having trouble with the collections. One Sunday he announced, “Now, before we pass the collection plate, I would like to request that the person who stole the chickens from Brother Martin’s henhouse please refrain from giving any money to the Lord. The Lord doesn’t want money from a thief!”

The collection plate was passed around, and for the first time in months everybody gave.

The church in Jerusalem had fallen on hard times financially. It started off great, with believers sharing everything they had in the belief that Christ would return soon. When he didn’t, things became bleak very quickly. To help the church in Jerusalem, Paul appealed to all of the churches he started to give to a collection he was taking up. At first, the church in Corinth gave generously, but in time the giving slowed to a trickle in part because some people accused Paul of taking the collection for personal gain.

In order to counter this claim and to encourage the believers in Corinth to increase their generosity, Paul used the church in Macedonia as an example of how to give. The people of Macedonia were poor, mainly because the occupying Roman forces took all of the resources for themselves. Nevertheless, the believers in Macedonia were more than willing to give generously to support other believers who were less fortunate.

There are several aspects of grace giving. First, grace giving is systematic. Paul told the Corinthians to abound in this grace. He implied that this is a framework in which they and we can grow in faith as Christians. Giving can be spontaneous, but it can and should be planned. There are several examples in the New Testament of planned giving by the church and by individuals. A commitment to give is the start of the system of giving.

Grace giving is sincere. It reflects a believer’s love for God and a sincere desire to expand the ministry of the church. God does not need our gifts to expand his ministry because he owns everything. He does allow our gifts to be used to expand his ministry.

Grace giving is steadfast. It continues regardless of our circumstances. It doesn’t matter if we are rich or poor. Closely connected to this is the concept that grace giving involves sharing with others. The purpose of giving must be to meet equally the needs of both the world and the church. The one who has much is able to share much, and the one who has little is able to share little. As God’s people share in proportion to what God has entrusted them with, the needs of the whole body of Christ are met.

Giving to God and his work must be voluntary, not compelled. When it is voluntary, it brings much blessing. A good example is Christ. He gave up the riches of heaven to be born into a humble, earthly family. He gave himself humbly to service here on earth, and he humbled himself to death on the cross. He did all of this voluntarily so that he could give us the greatest gift of all-eternal life with God in heaven. What he did for us is an example of what we are to do for others-give of ourselves and serve others with humility.

Not all gifts have to be financial. They can be spiritual as well. In the time that Paul wrote 2 Corinthians, the Gentile believers could contribute financially, while Jewish believers could contribute spiritually and with ministry of the Gospel. We can do the same thing today.

When we see generosity acted out in another person, it is easier for us to understand it, identify with it, and follow their example. Giving is more a matter of the heart than of circumstances. Paul used the example of the church in Macedonia which I mentioned a few minutes ago. Poverty does not automatically create unselfishness, nor does persecution automatically produce giving. Those who claim that they were much happier when they had less must remember that it isn’t what we have or don’t have that promotes happiness or generosity. What does matter is the grace of God within us. That grace creates an open and generous heart.

Giving becomes a joy when it comes out of sacrifice, and a good example of sacrificial giving is mentioned in the story of the widow’s offering, which is found in Mark 12:38-44. Jesus and the disciples were sitting in the area of the temple treasury. The treasury contained thirteen trumpet-shaped chests where people could deposit their gifts and the temple tax. Jesus could see how much money people gave. He could see the large sums of money that the scribes and the wealthy gave, and he could also see how much the widow gave. He used a comparison of the gifts to illustrate their significance.

The wealthy gave out of their abundance. That is, they gave out of what they had left after they paid their bills and purchased the necessities of life, including food. In contrast, the poor widow gave all that she had. By putting all of her money into the temple treasury, the widow probably had to go without food for at least one meal. In Jesus’ eyes, she gave more than all the rich people simply because she gave everything to God. Whatever a person has is the resource out of which he/she should give. That’s why there are no references to tithes of any set amounts or percentages for giving stated anywhere in the New Testament.

Setting an example of humility is a way of loving others. Being humble means making sacrifices, but when we remember that all good things are gifts from God, we are free to give them up for the good of others. 

When people give generously out of love for God and his church and they grow and mature in their faith, they don’t count the cost. Joy and Christian growth come to those who do the Lord’s work gladly. Joyful giving flows from the gift of self. When we give from the heart we give one of the greatest gifts we can give. God is most concerned with the heart of the giver, and not the amount he/she gives.

Our giving reflects our attitude toward money. Money can control us or hurt us or we can control money and bless others. Giving to our church shows our love for God. Giving also shows that we want to help the less fortunate and that we want to share the costs of having church. Giving can be fun, especially if we treat it as a competition to out-give God. We must remember though that this is a competition that we can’t win, because no matter how much we give, we can’t out-give God. We can still be winners though just for giving from the heart.

The blood of Christ unites all of us, so we can’t ignore the needs of our Christian brothers and sisters, just like we can’t ignore the needs of our biological family members. If we have been made rich by Christ and his poverty, how can we not be generous toward the needs of others? Giving is not a one-way street, because the poor have an abundance to share-an abundance that includes hospitality, family values, hard work, self-sacrifice and faith in God. The grace of giving is an equalizing force in the body of Christ. Everyone has something to give, and everyone has some need to be met. For example, Acts 4:34 talks about the early church and reads, “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked.”

Giving sacrificially now for the sake of a future goal is a mark of spiritual maturity. An even better mark of spiritual maturity is the willingness to put off earthly reward for the sake of eternal reward. If we want to follow Jesus closely, we must come to terms with self-denial, and this self-denial must be practiced daily.

If we hold back our commitment to give, especially our commitment to give to the church, it means that we trust more in ourselves than we trust in God. When we give to God, he will use our gift and return it to us many times over.

Faith means that God will provide for us in unexpected ways and through unexpected sources. God promises spiritual blessings, but he does not promise material blessings. This is contrary to what the prosperity gospel teaches. God will provide material blessings if it is his will and if it is part of his plan for our lives, so it is no good to go to him and say (in the words of an old song), “O Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz.”

What we give to God and how we give it shows just how much we really love him, and it shows how grateful we are for the love and blessings we receive from him. We are accountable to God for how we use the gifts he has given us, and that accountability is illustrated in the Parable of the Talents, which is found in Matthew 25:14-30. We need to use those gifts for God’s work and glory so that when we reach the end of our earthly lives, we can hear God tell us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, Dr. David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)
2. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
3. Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 30: 1,2 Corinthians (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Version (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Pastor David McGee, “The Giving Gauge.” Retrieved from www.crossthebridge.com
6. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 13^th Sunday (B).” Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
7. Bill Whittaker, “The Grace of Giving.” Retrieved from www.Preaching.com
8. Dr. Gary Chapman, “For the Good of Others.” Retrieved from Oneplace@crosswalkmail.com
9. Edward Inabinet, “Great Reasons for Great Giving.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
10. King Duncan, “Excellence in Giving.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
11. Fr. John Boll, O.P., “Volume 2, 13^th Sunday (B), June 28, 2015”. Retrieved from volume2-bounces@lists.opsouth.org

Have you ever tried to get away from the storms of life, only to find that they have followed you? If so, you can understand what happened in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus needed to get away from the crowds. We are tempted to follow the crowd, but we need to carefully consider public opinion and walk away when popular opinion isn’t faithful to God’s word. We need to walk away from the crowd so we can spend time alone with God.

Jesus’ idea to cross over to the other side marked the first time He went into Gentile territory. The disciples took Jesus abruptly and without notice. They might not have been pleased with his plan to include the Gentiles. If so, their attitude reflects that of the prophet Jonah. Christians must be willing to share the Gospel (and themselves) with people who are not like them.

The Sea of Galilee is in the deepest part of the Northern Jordan rift––700 feet below sea level––surrounded by steep cliffs and mountains except in its southern extremities. Hot air rises and cool air falls, so the cool air in the higher elevations is always wanting to swap places with the warmer air near the water. This often results in high winds––and waves that can top thirty feet.

On a map of Israel, the sea looks like a large lake, but from a small fishing boat it would look enormous, especially in a storm. At least four of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen, who had surely survived storms on this sea, and who knew fishermen who were lost at sea. They were strong, self-reliant men who would handle moderate danger as a matter of course. The danger on this evening is not moderate, but deadly.

In Mark’s Gospel, the sea represents evil forces that oppose God. It’s also a boundary between the Jews and the Gentiles. Even though the sea threatened to undo them, Jesus wanted to cross it because the Good News of the Gospel is never for those on just one side of the sea. The Gospel is for everyone.

The storm was upsetting, and so was the fact that Jesus was asleep during the storm. The disciples wanted Jesus awake and alert. They wanted Him to take command of the situation-to get them organized. They were scared that Jesus would abandon them in a crisis. The heart of their fear was the lack of faith. They abandoned God and Jesus-two beings who could control nature.

The real heart of the disciples’ fear was their failure to recognize the true challenges of faith. Faith is not simple. It must involve doubt. It needs strength and courage. It places a sword in our hands.

Storms often bring out our true spiritual condition. Too many of us want faith to be nice and simple and easy. Faith requires hard work. It involves coming out of ourselves to trust and care. If we lose faith, we lose hope and our ability to care. Fear wipes out faith. Discipleship is a life of faith. Faith is a deep, bedrock trust in God’s presence in the world, the church and our lives. When the storms of life occur we come to the truth of just how deep our faith is.

Safety is not an absence of trouble. It is the presence of Jesus. He has command over everything, even though it doesn’t appear that way to us. The fact that He slept through the storm reflects his human nature. The fact that He calmed the storm proved that he was fully God at the same time.

God sent the storm to teach the disciples a lesson on faith, and He often sends trials and problems to teach us lessons. Each of us has a measure of faith that has been given to us by God. He wants us to use it to overcome fear. Fear tells us to expect the worst. Faith tells us that God is in control. Life’s problems are a call for us to put our faith into action. They reveal areas of our lives in which we need to act in faith and not fear. Jesus can calm the crashing sea, and He can calm the daily problems we face. He can take the fury out of any situation that we face.

Jesus came so He could reach out to the social outcast; so He could heal those who were hurting in body, mind and spirit. He cared about little things like the embarrassment of a bride and groom who were running out of wine at their wedding. He cared about big things like ten lepers whose illness had banished them from house and home, family and future. Jesus cares for us today. He reaches out to anyone who finds himself being swamped by the storms of life. That includes people who are not like us.

Jesus told the disciples that they would get to their destination. He did not promise still waters the whole time. The same is true for us. We have been given the promise of “the other side” and we will get there. We will encounter problems along the way, but we will get there-and Jesus will be with us. We have lived through the storms of life such as death, divorce, relationship breakups, shattered dreams, job loss or being spiritually adrift. When the storms of life hit us, do we declare that Jesus’ promises are null and void, or do we have a faith that will turn the storm into a great calm? When we trust Jesus, He reveals his presence, compassion and control in every storm of life because he cares for us.

Jesus rebuked the disciples for doubting that He could save them. The rebuke caused them to fear Him. They realized that He was more powerful than the sea. Only God has power over seas and storms, including the storms of life. This story reveals both Jesus’ power and Jesus as God’s agent or God incarnate. Jesus did not rebuke the disciples for their lack of faith, and He does not rebuke us for a lack of faith. Our slight faith has not turned Jesus away. Jesus should be the model and subject of believing faith for every Christian.

Sometimes we are like the disciples in this story. We are in the midst of the storms of life, so sometimes we feel that Jesus has abandoned us. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is with us in the middle of the storm. When life is difficult, we need to remember that our faith prevails over our fears. The real test involves holding onto Jesus’ presence even when He is still and quiet. Jesus is more concerned with teaching us how to trust through the storm that He is calming outward storms. It’s like the story of the footprints in the sand.

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it.

“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied: “”My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

There are always storms of life on the horizon. We need to have faith, trust and confidence in Christ that He will calm the storm before it arrives. We need to remember the words of the famous hymn, “Will Your Anchor Hold.”

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love!

God equips us for service in the storms of life. We are guided through the storms by the Bible. It is our compass. If we spend time studying God’s Word, we will find the hope, encouragement and strength we need to face the storms of life.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, Dr. David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013)
2. Exegesis for Mark 4:35-41. Retrieved from http://www.lectionary.org
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 25: Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
4. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
5. ESV Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch 10 Bible software package.
6. Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, “God, Don’t You Care?” Retrieved from http://www.lhm.org
7. Pastor David McGee, “The Other Side.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com
8. Pastor Dick Woodward, “A Great Storm, A Great Question and a Great Calm.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
9. Paul Estabrooks, “Freedom from Fear.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. David McCasland, “Christ in the Storm.” Retrieved from noreply@rbc.org
11. Michael Youssef, Ph.D.,” Our Compass through the Storm.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org
12. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B).” Retrieved from http://www.preacherexchange.org
13. The Rev. Stephen McKinney-Whitaker, “We of Little Faith.” Retrieved from http://www.day1.org

Colton knelt behind a teacher’s car in the school parking lot. The morning bell had rung, and he knew he would be late, but he didn’t care. Mitch is late so much, he thought, and he won’t tell me why. I’m going to see if I can find out.

As Colton’s eyes searched the playground, he saw what he was looking for. An eighth grader had Mitch by the shoulder and was saying something. He shoved Mitch against the wall and threatened him with his fist. Reluctantly, Mitch finally reached into his pocket, pulled out money, and dropped it in the boy’s outstretched hand. The bigger boy shoved Mitch again and took off running.

“That big bully!” sputtered Colton softly. He pulled a notebook and pen out of his backpack. Following his school’s anti-bullying guidelines, he wrote: Mitch Oates, 6th grader–lunch money stolen, Wed. at 8:15 along parking lot brick wall by an older kid with black hair and dark blue coat. I can identify. Signed, Colton Reynolds, 6th grade.

Mitch was slowly heading toward the school door, and Colton ran to catch up. “Hey, what are you doing here?” asked Mitch in amazement.

“I saw that bully! Why did you give him your money?” demanded Colton. “Why didn’t you tell the principal? Who is that kid anyway?”

“His name is Owen, and he’ll hurt me really bad if I tell anybody,” murmured Mitch.

“Well, you don’t have to tell. I’ll tell,” replied Colton. He took the note he had written and headed to the principal’s office.

“Wait!” called Mitch. “Aren’t you afraid Owen will get you? He’s so mean and scary when he gets mad!”

“Mrs. Prince won’t put up with bullying,” Colton told him. “We’ll tell a bunch of other kids, too. If Mr. Bully knows we won’t keep quiet about it and that everybody is against him, I don’t think I’ll have to worry. And besides, I . . .” Colton hesitated. “Remember the Bible story of David and Goliath?”

“Yeah, I remember the story,” Mitch replied.

“That giant was one big bully, but God helped David fight against him.” Colton grinned as he added, “I’m sure God will take care of me, too.”

The passage we heard from 1 Samuel was David’s moment of truth. He had just infuriated a giant of a man, and if God was not who He claimed to be, David was as good as dead. The plan of redemption for the whole world was at stake, because the Saviour was to come through David’s family line.

Judging by appearances only, David was no champion, but he would rely on the Champion of Israel to deliver him from the enemy. David’s great confidence didn’t come from his ability or his past experiences. It came from the knowledge that the battle was one in which God would be with him. Goliath’s awesome presence and several attacks spread fear through the Israelites camps, but they didn’t scare David.

The Israelites feared losing to Goliath, but they also forgot who called them to enter the Promised Land. They saw God fight for them in many previous battles, but they forgot to trust Him in this one. David’s focus was on God, not Goliath.

When Saul told David that he could not fight Goliath, Saul was not looking into the eyes of faith. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees. David knew that God was with him, and he saw what God’s presence could accomplish.

Before he gained public prominence as Israel’s champion and king. David learned humility and confidence in the Lord while out in the fields tending sheep, with no one but God watching. Only faithfulness in the small things prepares God’s servants for greater service in His kingdom. David had confidence in his gifts, experiences and abilities. He needed them to face the giants in his life. Likewise, people need to have confidence in their own abilities if they are to face the giants in their lives. These gifts, experiences and abilities come from God.

David was confident for three main reasons. First, he was armed with faith in God’s power. Second, he announced that God would deliver Goliath into his hands, and that God would do to the Philistines what Goliath threatened to do to David’s body. Finally, David announced that everyone would know that there is a God and that the battle was God’s. David fought in the name of God and for the glory of the Lord, whose name and glory would travel to all ends of the earth.

What has God given you? Many people want to be someone else. They want to fight the battles with other peoples’ armour. If we do that, God won’t fight for us. He wants us to be ourselves, with our own unique packages of gifts and talents. We have to be ourselves We have to pursue the dreams God has given us, and not the dreams He has for someone else.

God made his point. Anyone who underestimates what God can do with the ordinary has rocks in his head……….and Goliath quite literally had rocks in his head! When Goliath cursed David, he cursed God Himself. God was bound by His covenant to curse Goliath in return. David knew that the Philistines were in effect challenging God by confronting His people.

Goliath started life as a little baby. Similarly, the giants in our lives start out small and then they get bigger. If we tolerate a giant, it will take over our lives. How do we deal with a giant? We attack it and kill it.

We may never face a giant such as Goliath, but we face giants of another kind in our daily lives- giants such as fear, insecurity, loneliness, and failure. How can we overcome those giants that want to defeat us? These five stones can help us to remember the story of how David defeated the giant he faced, and they help us to know how we can defeat the giants which we face.

The first stone represents COURAGE – David was not afraid to face the enemy. David said, “Don’t worry about a thing,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight this Philistine!” It also takes courage to fight the giants we will face in our lives.

The second stone represents CONFIDENCE – As a shepherd, David often had to protect the sheep from wild animals. This gave him the confidence he needed to face the giant. “The LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!” Like David, we can have confidence that God will help us overcome the problems we face each day.

The third stone represents PREPARATION – David didn’t go to face the giant unprepared. He went down to the stream and picked out five smooth stones and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started out to fight Goliath. It is important for us to do everything possible to be certain we are prepared to face the challenges which we will meet in our daily lives.

The fourth stone represents TRUST – David did not trust in his own ability to slay the giant. When Goliath shouted at David, cursed him, and was ready to kill him, David said, “You come to me with a sword and spear, but I come to you in the name of the LORD God Almighty” When we face problems, we should put our trust in God, not in our own ability.

 The fifth stone represents VICTORY – “It is God’s battle, not ours,” David said. That is why David was able to win the victory over the giant with only a stone and sling. When we turn our battles over to God, we will have the victory over the giants in our lives.

If we want to defeat the giants that are keeping us from being the people God wants us to be, all we have to do is follow the same steps David did:

1. Remember how God helped us in the past.
2. Use the tools God has given us.
3. Ignore people who criticize our dreams.
4. Expect God to help us for His glory.

This story, especially David’s challenge to Goliath, has implications for us today. No matter how lonely we may feel at the moment, God has many servants on earth. There are also many servants in heaven. In other words, God has servants everywhere. He doesn’t need any help, although many times He will work through us. He will win every battle. It’s in the little things and in the little places that we prove ourselves capable of doing the big things. When God develops our inner qualities, He is never in a hurry.

David’s decision to stand up to and face Goliath is a good example as we represent and stand up for Christ in the world today. Here are a few things from David’s example that we can put into practice:

1. Be confident in God.
2. Don’t hesitate.
3. Don’t worry about being compared to other people.
4. Don’t question the situation.
5. Use the tools you have and are familiar with.
6. Don’t run away from the fight.
7. Remain humble.
8. Finish strong.

What kind of a difference would it make in the life of the church if more of us had this kind of a firm faith in God’s ability to take care of himself and his own people? It won’t lead to laziness in the church or elsewhere in life. Knowing that everything is in God’s hands doesn’t mean that we can sit back and be idle. It means doing our work on God’s behalf with greater joy, with greater confidence, with a firmer sense that God can and will bless our work.

When we trust God, we can respond with courage and strength to the forces that threaten to defeat us. Power belongs to God, and our alignment with God’s vision, not with bullies, oppressors, and those who would plan evil. God makes a way when there is no way! God inspires us to be agents in our own destiny. Despite our apparent weaknesses, we can experience newfound courage and strength when we trust God’s loving power. The storms of life won’t stop, bullies will continue to threaten us, and outside factors will put us at risk, but nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, the next time you are facing a giant in your life, remember the story of David and Goliath –and five smooth stones.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013, pp. 379-380)
2. Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8: 1,2 Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 131-134)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 371-362)
6. Daniel Darling, “When Your Shoes Don’t Fit, Don’t Wear Them.” Retrieved from www.danieldarling.com
7. “The Bully.” Retrieved from newsletter@cbhministries.org
8. “Five Smooth Stones.” Retrieved from www.Sermons4Kids.com
9. Alan Wright, “The Faith Building Power of God Moments, Parts 1&2.” Retrieved from www.sharingthelight.org
10. Pastor Rick Warren, “Four Steps to Defeating the Giants.” Retrieved from newsletter@connect.purposedriven.com
11. Charles Swindoll, “Inner Qualities.” Retrieved from www.insightforliving.ca
12. “Facing the Giants Today.” Retrieved from www.dailydisciples.org
13. Richard Niell Donovan, “Exegesis for 1 Samuel 17:32-49.” Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
14. Pastor Greg Laurie, “The Only Way to Deal with a Giant.” Retrieved from www.harvest.org
15. Scott Hoezee, “Old Testament Lectionary-1 Samuel 17.” Retrieved from http://cep.calvinseminary.edu/sermon-starters/proper-7b-2/?type=old_testament_lectionary.
16. “Representing God.” Retrieved from Christianity.com@crosswalkmail.com

The Gospel reading from Mark 4:26-34 is a series of parables about the kingdom of God. Jesus used parables to explain the kingdom because the kingdom is so vast that our limited human minds can’t understand it on our own. Jesus used these parables to explain the kingdom in terms that we, the disciples, and his audience could understand.

The parable of the sower explains how the kingdom can start in the hearts and minds of each and every one of us. Someone-a minister, a parent or another faithful servant of God-plants a tiny seed of faith in each and every one of us. It doesn’t matter how the seed is planted, only that it is planted. Those of you who were farmers or who have planted any type of seed know that it can take a long time for the seed to grow into a strong, vibrant plant. We can water it and fertilize it all we want to, but nothing can speed up the process. It has to grow on its own, and we don’t know how it grows.

Most of us have heard of the legend of Johnny Appleseed. That legend is based on fact. Johnny Appleseed’s real name was John Chapman. He worked in a greenhouse and worked with plants, trees and shrubs. He really loved apple trees and planted them all around his hometown in Massachusetts. He really wanted people to enjoy apples as much as he did, so he traveled all around the United States planting apple trees and giving away apple seeds until he died in 1845. God wants us to be just as passionate about planting seeds of faith as Johnny Appleseed was about planting apple seeds.

The parable of the mustard seed is a good example of the old saying that “big things come in small packages”. A mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a shrub so large that even birds can make their nests in its branches-a symbol of the seed of faith being offered to everyone, including the Gentiles. The seed of faith is like that. For example, in 2007 I began my preaching ministry. In fact, the very first sermon I ever preached was based on the Parable of the Mustard Seed. To say that I was nervous would be an understatement, but God gave me the strength to get through it. That small act of faith has blossomed into a thriving preaching ministry. A similar seed was also planted in my heart in 2003 when I began my lay ministry. God used my father’s terminal illness and subsequent passing to bring me back to Him and do his work in the world through my ministry.

In order for the seed of faith to be planted and grow in us, we need to hear the word of God. The kingdom of God is hard to understand, so Jesus took time to explain it. The kingdom was hidden from our earthly view, so Jesus used the parable of the lamp to explain that what was kept hidden in the darkness needed to be brought into the light. The kingdom of God has to be brought from the darkness of our limited ability to understand it through teaching from learned ministers, be they lay or ordained. Those who hear the word of God and take it to heart will be richly blessed.

We, like the disciples, are expected to bear fruit by spreading the seeds of faith-namely, the Good News of salvation-and nurture it as best we can. Then, we have to let God go to work. God will eventually reap the harvest and save those who hear His word. The growth has to take place spontaneously and in the proper environment, and if it does, the kingdom will become even bigger than the bush produced by the mustard seed.

Bibliography

1.  “Planting Seeds-Watching Them Grow”. Retrieved from http://www.Sermons4Kids.com
2. Exegesis for Mark 4:21-34. Retrieved from http://www.sermonwriter.com
3. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., The Preacher’s Commentary Series; Volume 25:Mark (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.; 1982)
4. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, Inc.; 1994)
5. MacArthur, J.F., Jr. The MacArthur Study Bible, New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
6. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package
   
   

Have you ever done something that made other people wonder if you have lost your mind? If so, you can probably understand what is going on in Mark 3:20-35.

This takes place early in Jesus’ ministry when word of his teachings and miracles is starting to spread. This was a homecoming-Jesus’ homecoming. Our instincts and associations of home and family shape our expectations about how this event will unfold.

Jesus’ earthly family and friends didn’t understand his ministry. They didn’t understand that He was the Son of God. To the people of Nazareth, he was just the son of Mary and Joseph-earthly parents. We are the same. Sometimes we can’t understand Jesus and his ministry. Sometimes it’s hard for us to understand who Jesus is, what he does and why he does what he does. Often we make a rash judgment about Jesus. We need to ask God what his will is for our lives. We need to ask God why he is doing what he is doing in our lives.

At this stage of His ministry, not even Jesus’ own people-His own family-believed He was the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. He also faced opposition from His own disciples, not just from the religious teachers and His political enemies. Still, He never wavered from His mission.

Because the Pharisees did not understand what Jesus was doing, they accused him of being possessed by the devil. They wanted to discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people, but their claim had one big flaw. How could the devil defeat the devil? Jesus challenged the way the religious leaders were calling God’s work the work of the devil. The devil and his angels are of equal strength, so evil can’t defeat evil. A strong man can only be defeated by someone who is stronger. Since good is always stronger than evil, good will always defeat evil. Jesus is the champion of everything that is good, so he will always defeat evil.By labelling His healings and exorcisms as works of the devil, Jesus’ opponents tried to portray His miracles as counterfeit wonders designed to lead people away from God. His miracles commonly led people to praise God rather than blaspheme Him-further proving that Jesus’ kingdom is a heavenly one.

Truth-tellers make us uncomfortable. They disturb our creeds, customs and stubborn peculiarities. The apostle Paul said not to get weary in doing good deeds. Truth and doing good deeds are not always appreciated. We can’t handle them. Those who challenge the status quo are dangerous. They threaten to upset everything. Jesus was dangerous in the eyes of both the Pharisees and His biological family. We as Christians are in the same situation today. If we challenge the way things are or the way things are done, we may be seen as insane or dangerous, and we may be persecuted.

So what’s going on? How has Jesus’ ministry of preaching and teaching and healing created such controversy and accusation? The answer is actually fairly simple: Jesus is so totally what the religious authorities don’t expect that they have absolutely no idea what to make of him. He doesn’t fit their categories, and what doesn’t fit our categories we typically label abnormal, or deviant, or crazy, or possessed. We assume that what we know, have experienced, and hold to be true is normal, natural, and God-ordained, and that becomes the standard by which we measure — and judge — the thoughts and actions of others. And that’s what going on here.

Jesus’ whole ministry thus far has been about announcing both a new vision of God and a new way of relating to God. And at the heart of that vision and way is the conviction that God is love, that God desires the health and healing of all God’s creation, that God stands both with us and for us, that God is determined to love and redeem us no matter what the cost, and that this God chooses to be accessible to us, to all of us — indeed, to anyone and everyone.

This is why Jesus sets himself against all the powers that would rob humanity and creation of the abundant life God intends — whether those powers be unclean spirits; disease that ravages the mind, body or spirit; illness that isolates and separates those who suffer from community; or whatever. Jesus introduces a new vision of God and a new way to relate to God…and it’s not what any of us religious folk would expect.

Jesus frequently prefaced His parables with either a thought-provoking question or straightforward teaching points in order to frame His stories properly. These were effective ways to help people see their faulty reasoning and their need for a Saviour. If Satan really was behind Jesus’ miracles, then the devil would be defeating himself, which doesn’t make any sense.  Jesus defeated Satan because He is more powerful than Satan.

Normally, when there is a champion of any type-sports, politics, etc. – most people will follow the champion. In other words, many people will “jump on the bandwagon”, but there will still be some opponents. There is a similar situation in this passage. By accusing Jesus of using the devil’s power to cast out demons, the Pharisees rejected the work of the Holy Spirit. They willingly rejected Christ as their Saviour because they did not want to give up their power, prestige, authority, etc.  Because they chose not to believe, they refused to accept forgiveness for their sins. Refusing to accept the Holy Spirit is the only sin that cannot be forgiven-and not blasphemy as most believers would think.

How many people in our modern world have refused to accept Christ because it would mean giving up an earthly way of life that is more important to them? The list is endless, but it includes the famous and not so famous. It includes people such as actor John Belushi and singers Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson-people whose desire for the good things of this earthly life led to their downfall and death from drug and alcohol abuse (even though Whitney Houston was raised in a strong Christian church and with a strong Christian faith).  

Jesus’ family wanted to charge him with insanity. The Pharisees wanted to charge Him with working for Satan. Jesus answered these charges with riddles, and they make sense to us. They call on us to consider how Jesus might have to do with how we imagine our world and the ways of God and His creation. What is God calling us to see and hear in Jesus?

Jesus’ earthly family was concerned about his physical and mental health, but Jesus was more concerned about the spiritual health of the people he dealt with. True “family” is not a matter of biological relationship, but of kinship in obedience to God, and that kinship begins when God through his grace adopts us into his family. God wants to have a family, but if we want to join His family, we have to detach ourselves from our old families. In a world where there is so much opposition to the Christian faith, and where our homes and families demand so much of our time, our one priority is to love one another wherever we are, and with every breath of our being.

Jesus defied the norms about who’s in and who’s out. People possessed by demons and those who were maimed or born with a physical limitation or defect were often assumed to be cursed, to be not natural, or to have sinned or to be suffering from the sins of their parents. Jesus forgives and heals all who are in need-no exceptions. If people weren’t sure about this before, Jesus pushed his point unbelievably and quite literally home when he says that anyone and everyone who does the work of God is his true brother and sister and mother. He redefined what constitutes a family at a time when family was everything.

Although Jesus honoured His mother as the law commanded in John 19:26-27, Jesus did not allow even His own flesh and blood to prevent Him from doing the will of God. A closer bond exists between brothers and sisters in the faith than among biological siblings because of their spiritual relationship. This is why Jesus later said that believers who must part ways with their family of origin because of their faith gain a much larger and more closely-knit family. When Christ is the focus of our lives, faith becomes stronger than family.

For Jesus, action in response to the call of God marks what it means to be a member of God’s family. Relationships in God’s family are couched in terms of doing God’s will. At this point in the story, the will of God is not defined. Jesus offers another invitation of hospitality that is about meeting people where they are, accepting anyone who is interested in God’s kingdom and responding to need no matter who is asking or when or how they ask. We have to trust Jesus and the invitation to join him and believe that together we will take part in spreading the Good News of God’s kingdom.

Instead of asking why Jesus got so much flack, we should ask ourselves why we aren’t getting more flack. Why aren’t we pushing the boundaries of what is socially and religiously acceptable in order to reach more folks with the always surprising, often upsetting, unimaginably gracious and ridiculous love of Jesus? If that’s the kind of love we want to offer, we must ask ourselves if we are communicating that message in our words and our deeds loudly and clearly, both in the church and in the community.

Those who accept the Holy Spirit will do the will of God and thereby become part of the new concept of family that Jesus creates. That is, they will become part of the family of God. This is not meant to exclude our biological family unless they refuse to accept the Holy Spirit and therefore refuse to do God’s will. When we allow the Holy Spirit in our lives, nothing can stop us. We have a power that can overcome everything the devil throws in our way-even the opposition of our earthly family. That power is the awesome power of God! When we unite with fellow believers, the power is even greater.

Bibliography

1. Stanley, C.F., “The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NASB”. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2009)
2. Exegesis for Mark 3:20-35. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
3. Max Lucado, “Dealing with Difficult Relations”. Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
4. Bob Brine, “Team Spirit”. Retrieved from www.christianitytoday.com
5. Pastor John Barnett, “All Sins are Forgivable”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
6. Pastor John Barnett, “The Unforgivable Sin”. Retrieved from www.dtbm.org
7. Jude Siciliano, O.P., “First Impressions, 10^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
8. Mark D. Roberts, “A New Kind of Trinity”. Retrieved from Newsletter@TheHighCalling.org
9. Wycliffe Bible Commentary. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
10. ESV Study Bible. Part of Lessonmaker 8 Bible Software package.
11. MacArthur, J., “MacArthur Study Bible, NASV”. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006;2008)
12. McKenna, D.L. & Ogilvie, L.J., “The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 25: Mark” (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1982)
13. Meda Stamper, “Commentary on Mark 3:20-35”. Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching_print.aspx?commentary_id=1315
14. Dr. Philip W. McLarty, “Who Are My Mother and My Brothers?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
15. Dr. Mickey Anders, “Was Jesus Out of His Mind?” Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
16. John Shearman’s Lectionary Resource, Proper 5, Ordinary 13. Retrieved from http://lectionary.seemslikegod.org/archives/year-b-season-after-pentecost-proper-5-ordinary-13.html
17. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: NKJV (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 1347-1348)
18. James Boyce, “Commentary on Mark 3:20-35.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2468
19. David Lose, “Pentecost 2B: Offering a Wide Welcome.” Retrieved from www.davidlose.net/2015/06/pentecost-2-b-offering-a-wide-welcome/
20. David Lose, “Out of Our Minds.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=1615
21. The Rev. Dr. William H. Willimon, “Why Jesus? Part 4: Jesus the Home Wrecker.” Retrieved from http://day1.org/2201-why_jesus_part_4_jesus_the_home_wrecker.print
22. The Rev. Dr. Ozzie Smith Jr., “When Jesus Comes Home.” Retrieved from  http://day1.org/8212-ozzie_smith_jr_when_jesus_comes_home.print

How many of you have wanted something that someone else has? Well, you’re not alone. Envy and coveting have been around since the beginning of time. One of the Ten Commandments even says, “You shall not covet…” It’s too bad that the Israelites and the elders in the reading from 1 Samuel 8:4-20 didn’t remember that commandment.

What is a king? A king is a barrier between us and chaos. A king is a strong wall protecting us from whatever we fear the most: marriage problems, a faltering economy, illnesses, crime, or drugs, for example. Anything that threatens to destroy us is chaos. A king promises to bring order out of chaos. Whatever we are afraid of in this world, there is a king to tell us why we don’t need to be afraid. For Christians, our king is Jesus. He came to give us the protection we need in the form of a restored relationship with God.

The Israelites wanted a king for three main reasons. First, all of the surrounding nations had kings, so the people of Israel wanted a king too. They were influenced by the world and were no longer listening to Samuel.  Second, the Israelites were concerned about who would lead them after Samuel died. You see, Samuel’s sons were leaders in other parts of the country, but they weren’t very good leaders. They made crooked politicians look good! Third, the Israelites wanted a king who would represent power and security and lead them into battle.

Deuteronomy 17:14-15 gave the Israelites the right to have a king as long as they chose a king from among themselves and not a foreign king. This same passage places restrictions on the king to prevent some of the abuses Samuel outlined. The king was not to have many horses or wives or great amounts of silver and gold, and he was not to exalt himself above the people. Human nature being what it is, these restrictions were largely not observed, and sometimes they are not observed today.

The problem the Israelites had was two-fold-wanting to be like other nations and forgetting about God. God saw the Israelites’ desire for a king as a rejection of him and everything he did for them. They forgot (as we sometimes do) that God must be first and foremost in our lives. God can and does go along with demands that are not in our best interests in order to teach us a lesson.

The people were wise in that they saw an upcoming leadership void. Samuel was getting old and the people knew that his sons would not be capable of assuming the leadership role. They didn’t see a succession plan, and they certainly didn’t see God’s plan for succession. They made their decision with their hearts and not with their heads. They did not think things through. They made an emotional decision and not a logical decision.

We are the same. We often look at things through an emotional filter when we make decisions. For example, if we do not make our funeral arrangements and pay for our funerals before we die, our families have to make the necessary arrangements at a time when emotions are running high and might cloud their judgment.

Samuel might have taken the Israelites’ request as a rejection of his leadership, and perhaps they did. After all, part of their reason for wanting a king had to do with justice and good governance-something that they weren’t getting from Samuel and his sons. In his response to their request, he apparently does not recognize their concern, either by defending his sons or explaining past injustices. Or, perhaps he is deflecting their legitimate concerns by making it about him!

Samuel knew that the decision to appoint a king was a rejection of God’s authority, and the decision would lead to dire consequences for Israel. To make matters worse, Samuel knew that his sons were not fit to succeed him. God warned the Israelites that most of the kings would pervert justice, levy taxes and help themselves to the best of everything in the land. In fact, Israel had 43 kings over 450 years, and only 8 of them followed God. Most of the human leaders created more problems for the Israelites than they solved. The same situation exists today. While we do have some good human leaders, there are leaders who start with good intentions but over time they become concerned only for themselves and their supporters and friends.

This story is about the doctrine of free will. God gave us the ability to choose between right and wrong and then suffer the consequences. Sometimes we choose the lesser of two evils, especially during an election, and sometimes we choose between the better of two good. God limits his power to allow for us to make decisions, but he also shows his power of grace by sometimes allowing good things to happen from our poor decisions. One example was the dynasty of King David, which had a historical significance beyond measure.

We have been called by God to do good works. We have to be on guard against anything that would hinder that work. One enemy of good works is pride. We must remember Samuel’s words in this passage. God has called us to specific situations, and not anyone else. When we live in the world, we are influenced by the political and cultural environment more than we realize. Consequently, we often lose our ability to distinguish between what comes out of our environment and what comes out of our relationship with God. When we turn from God in sin, our worth is downgraded, but God does not stop loving us.

Samuel’s sons abused their power just like some modern-day politicians and CEOs abuse their power. God warned the Israelites that most of the kings in their future would abuse their power. The people wanted stability and security, but they left God out of this desire. Sometimes we leave God out of our desires and plans also. We must always go to God for guidance, especially when we face life’s challenges. Our desire to imitate the world may seem righteous at first, but it will result in destruction. We need to ask God to give us the courage and conviction we need to stand apart from the sin-filled world. We need to stop the conversations that begin and end with, “I’ll have what she’s having!” and pour out our souls to God in honest prayer, seeking his heart, his plans and his will. When we do, the Holy Spirit will give us the tools we need to trust that where he leads and what he allows is what is best for us.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, Dr. David: The Jeremiah Study Bible, NKJV (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013)
2. Butch Odom, “Proper 5/Ordinary 10 for 2015-1 Samuel 8:6-7”. Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
3. Butch Odom, “Proper 5/Ordinary 10 for 2015-1 Samuel 8:4-5”. Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com
4. Chafin, K.L. & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8: 1,2 Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989, pp. 67-72)
5. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, NKJV (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
6. Gwen Smith, “I’ll Have What She’s Having.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
7. Exegesis for 1 Samuel 8:4-20. Retrieved from www.sermonwriter.com
8. Charles Allo, “Missing the Mark.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
9. Roger Nam, “Commentary on 1 Samuel 8:4-11(12-15), 16-20 (11:14-15).” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2472
10. Karla Suomala, “Commentary on 1 Samuel 8:4-11(12-15), 16-20 (11:14-15).” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=1342
11. Charles Curley, “The Way of the King.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com
12. William J. Carl III, “God Never Gives Up.” Retrieved from www.esermons.com