+ In the Love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I don't think there is a greater contrast between any other two readings than the contrast between this morning's readings. The reading from Ephesians is as magnificent and lyrical as the story of John's beheading in Mark's Gospel is sordid and tragic.
Let's begin on the high note of our reading from Ephesians (1:3-14):
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love."
The reading opens with an acclamation of praise, for the same reason we begin every worship service with praise― to bless God for the ways God has blessed us.
In fact, we could adopt this passage to begin our celebrations. The priest saying, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," and the congregation responding, "Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing."
Let's try that now. I'll say, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," and you respond with "Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing."
Celebrant: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
People: Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.
Paul goes on to describe these "spiritual blessings," but first let's do one more thing with this passage.
We've already seen how we can transform it into a liturgical and corporate acclamation.
Now let's transform it into a personal act of praise by reading it together and substituting the first person plural pronouns with first person singular pronouns:
"Blessed be the God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed me in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love."
I'd like to propose a spiritual experiment. For the next six days, at the start of your day, offer this personal acclamation of praise, and discover whether by the end of the week you have begun to see yourself and the world around you any differently.
So let's continue, as Paul describes our "spiritual blessings":
"He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ,"― that's the first spiritual blessing he mentions― "according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved."
Who is "the Beloved?"
{{Congregational Response}}
[Jesus]
How do you know that Jesus is "the Beloved?"
{{Congregational Response}}
[at baptism and transfiguration, God calls Jesus his "Beloved"].
Paul continues: "In him"― that is, in the Beloved― "we have redemption through his blood,"― that's the second spiritual blessing―
"the forgiveness of our trespasses,"― the third― "according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.
"With all wisdom and insight he has made known to us the mystery of his will,"― that's the fourth blessing, that God "has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time,"― namely― " to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."
Some Christians talk about "God's plan for my life," and there's nothing wrong with that, but as far as the New Testament is concerned, the phrase "God's plan" is only used in two ways:
First, to talk about Jesus' suffering, death, and resurrection; and second, God's plan for "gathering up all things in Christ." And of course the two are related, because it is only by Jesus' death and resurrection that he is able to "gather up all things in him."
Having spent some time with this lyrical passage about our spiritual blessings, we need to consider the sordid and tragic reading from Mark's Gospel (6:14-29), and ask the question, "Why does Mark tell this story?"
Please turn in your pew Bibles to the beginning of Mark's Gospel.
There are only two passages in Mark that have nothing to do with Jesus, and both of them are about John the Baptizer. The first is at the very beginning of Mark's Gospel.
Look at verse 4: "John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."
Now look at verse 14: "Now after John was arrested [which is the story in this morning's Gospel], Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'"
This passage shows that John was the forerunner for Jesus' ministry and message. John preaches about repentance, and so does Jesus.
In the same way, this morning's passage shows that John will also be the forerunner for Jesus' death. Just as John was arrested and executed out of fear by Herod, so Jesus will be arrested and executed out of fear by Pilate; and just as John's disciples claimed his body and laid it in a tomb, so Jesus' disciples will also claim his body and lay it in a tomb.
But there's a second reason Mark tells this story.
Please turn in your pew Bibles to last Sunday's reading, Mark 6:7:
"He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits." And now skip to verse 12: "So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent."
Notice that the disciples are preaching about repentance, just as Jesus did and John before him, and also healing just as Jesus healed.
And here's verse 13: "They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them."
Then we have this morning's passage about John's death.
And now look at verse 6:30: "The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught."
This verse clearly belongs after verse 13. We can easily see how verse 30 brings the whole passage from verse 7 to its proper conclusion. So why does Mark insert this passage about John's death into the story of the disciples' mission?
{{Congregational Response}}
[to remind his readers about the possible cost of discipleship.]
Mark is also preparing his readers for Jesus' words just a few chapters later: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me" (8:34).
One of our spiritual blessings as Christians living in America today is that we don't face persecution, violence, and death. But this passage has real meaning for Christians in many parts of the world. Just a few recent examples:
A report from Asia News, dateline July 3, Hanoi: "A group of thugs linked to the Vietnam Patriotic Front, instigated by local authorities, targeted the faithful gathered in a house of prayer in Con Cuong district - Nghe An province, Vinh Diocese - as they gathered to celebrate Mass Sunday. The attack against the Catholic community took place on the evening of July 1 and is just the latest in a series of incidents of persecution that have targeted Christian communities in the area since November of last year."
A report from Reuters, dateline July 8, Mombasa: "Kenyan Christians fear they are being targeted by militant Islamists, perhaps to avenge the country's military incursion inside Somalia, but vowed on Sunday to respond through prayers, not violence."
And here's a resolution just passed this week by our General Convention: "Resolved, . . . That the 77th General Convention call for the release of all in Cuban prisons for religious activities or peaceful advocacy of political change in the Republic of Cuba. . . ."
May we who have been "blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing" remember our brothers and sisters throughout the world who know the cost of discipleship and follow Jesus Christ in the way of the cross. Amen.
Comments