Sunday, February 7, 2021

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Isaiah 40:21-31
Psalm 147:1-11
1 Corinthians 9:16-27
Mark 1:29-39

Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.

Isaiah calls God “Holy One of Israel.” This title appears twenty-six times in his book. The people to whom he was ministering were struggling with this reality because they were facing such a difficult time in their history. They were defeated and exiled in a foreign land. The very existence of the nation of Israel was threatened. This was their own fault because they were suffering the consequences of their own unfaithfulness. They forgot that He is the Holy One as they turned repeatedly to the false gods. This is what happens when we forget our God. But that same God sent Isaiah to speak a word of hope to His people in the midst of their despair.

Isaiah asked a number of questions leading to today’s Old Testament lesson. “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the sky with his span, and calculated the dust of the earth in a measuring basket, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? Who has directed Yahweh’s Spirit, or has taught him as his counselor? Who did he take counsel with, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” And finally, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?”

We tend to forget that God is the source for all hope and peace and strength, so there have been times throughout the history of God’s people when they looked elsewhere. They allied with neighbors for protection, sought encouragement from foreigners, all the while ignoring the true King, God Almighty, who always provided them all they would ever need. They turned from Him, and in doing so lost touch with the One who could and would protect them.

God never forgot His promises, but He did allow them to suffer the consequences of their unfaithfulness. At just the moment when Israel had no hope, I saiah called them to remember their God. He reminded them that the God they had forgotten had not forgotten them. They just had to see that the things and people to whom they had turned would never be able to provide them with what they needed. Only God could measure the water or the heavens with His hand. Only God could weigh the mountains and hills. There is no one who has, or can, tell God how to be God. He did not ask for human advice in the creation of the world or learn from human teachers. There is no one like God.

So, Isaiah asked, “Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? Haven’t you been told from the beginning? Haven’t you understood from the foundations of the earth?” Yes, they have heard and they are called to remember. God is greater than their problems. He is above all creation. He can raise up kings and bring them down again. God is their strength. He is their hope. He is their refuge. He is the everlasting God, creator of all things. In Him they will find their comfort and salvation.

We aren’t exiled, but we are facing our own problems. Have we forgotten, too? Have we become too comfortable in the things we thought would bring us comfort, losing site of the God from whom all blessings flow? Have we lifted up false gods and put them as our priorities, turning our back on the only One who can provide all that we need? Isaiah calls out to us today, just as he called out to the Israelites so long ago, “Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable.” He is faithful and we will find our hope in Him.

Martin Luther spoke during one of his table talks about the difference in how God and Satan use fear. He said that the Lord first allows us to be afraid so that He might relieve our fears and comfort us. The devil first makes us feel secure in our pride and sins, that we might later be overwhelmed with our fear and despair. The devil uses our security to his benefit by threatening to destroy the things we love. So, we become afraid and do everything we can to protect our lives, our homes, our families, our jobs and our things. We even willfully disobey the Word of God, living in anger, hatred, violence and war, justifying our actions as a way to overcome the things of this world that threaten our lives.

The fear of the Lord is much different. The Law provides insight into our own sinful nature. Through it we can see our inability to be obedient. We know of God’s power and justice, so we fear the wrath that we deserve. Yet, God comes to us through the Gospel, not with threats, but with love and mercy and grace. Jesus Christ relieves our fears and the Holy Spirit comforts us. We hear the promises of God that He will not destroy us, but rather He will give us eternal life in His Kingdom. Rather than reason for alarm, we are given reason for hope and peace.

One of the hidden effects of the pandemic lock downs has been the impact on children. We’ve heard the story too often of fathers beating their children. One story involved a woman who disappeared and her children were left in the care of her abusive husband. The children did not see her for thirty years until they were reunited. The children wondered why. They did not know if they should worry about her safety or be angry that she left them to suffer. The true story is that he kidnapped them when we left to get help, and though she tried for years through the legal system to get her children, he threatened her to the point of believing that it was better to let them go than to risk the violence she knew he was capable of doing.

Sometimes our fears get the better of us. I think we have all probably been in situations when we have made irrational decisions because we let fear control our thought processes. There usually is no real reason for us to be afraid, but that does not diminish the reality of how we feel at that time: alone and in a position of vulnerability. There are those who take a certain pleasure in fear. The man was an abuser who enjoyed making his wife and children tremble because it gave him a sense of power and control. Some people use your fear manipulate you to do whatever they want you to do. You’ll give them information, possessions or your service just to remain safe.

We see this in our world today, so we find it difficult to understand why the psalmist would write, “Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him...” God does not find pleasure in our fear the way an abuser does. We fear God not because we are afraid; fear of God does not make us cower and tremble. We fear God because we are in awe and respect everything God has done and what He can do. He is fearful, that much is true, but He is also gracious and merciful. He takes pleasure in those who put their hope in His lovingkindness. This is a much different type of delight. It is a delight that will do what is best for those who look to Him, who remember His goodness. He will guard, protect, provide and bless all those who trust in Him. For this, He deserves our praise.

How do we praise God? There are certainly many ways we can do so. We join with other believers in hymns and songs glorifying God’s goodness and His good works. We can also be obedient to His Word, living the life He has created and called us to live. We can praise God by serving others, using the gifts He has given us to shine His light in the lives of others, who see our thanksgiving and join in the song.

I was able to be stay-at-home mom for my kids. I loved being a mom, but I have to admit that there were times when I wondered what I could have accomplished if I had followed a career path. How would you answer the question “If you could have done something differently in your life, what would it be?” I think I might have pursued a different degree at college. I love the life I’ve lived, but I think we all wonder what might have been if we walked a different path. Sadly, sometimes women who choose a life serving their family are not respected for their choice. The world they could or should have had a greater impact on the world, as if raising children is not a worthy accomplishment. Stay-at-home moms are often thought to be nobodies, but I was happy to live a life of service to my family.

Today’s story from Mark is comforting to those who are nobodies like me. First of all, we see Jesus ministering in a home. Last week Jesus healed a demon-possessed man after preaching and teaching the scriptures in the synagogue. He was seen and heard by many who were amazed at His authority over the word and the spirit. He was just beginning to accomplish the great things that we still remember today: the miracles, the crowds who followed Him, the willingness to give himself wholly for the sake of the world. These are great acts. Yet, that story is followed by a much smaller encounter. A friend’s mother was ill. Jesus touched her and she was made well. And we see in this story that she wasn’t healed for some great purpose. She was healed so that she could continue to live in her vocation: serving those she loves.

She was a nobody. She has no name and is only identified by who she knows. She had no great job, and yet Jesus restored her to her place in her community, to her place in her home. He gave her the gift of life again to do what she was meant to do. It was not a special day or a special place. This story shows us how Jesus did extraordinary things for ordinary people in ordinary places on ordinary days. Jesus can, and does, the same for us as we live our ordinary lives in this world. We need not wonder so much about whether or not we can accomplish something great. God is in the ordinary experiences of our life, too.

The Gospel lesson takes place early in the ministry of Jesus and His friends. News of the exorcism of the man in the synagogue had quickly spread around the countryside because later that evening many people who were sick and possessed came to see Jesus. He healed many of them, but not all. He managed to get some rest, but woke while it was still dark and left the house to find a quiet place to pray and renew His strength. When the disciples found Him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.” We expect Jesus to return to the house and continue healing the people, but He took the disciples in another direction. He did not heal everyone.

Fear causes us to lose sight of God but so does comfort. Fear creates in us the fight-or-flight response and we focus on fixing our own problems; comfort makes us believe that we have no problems. Both cause us to lose sight of God’s grace. Have we chosen to believe that we have the answers, that we know how to solve the problems? Have we become too comfortable in our action and forgotten that it is His Word that truly makes a difference? Have we lifted up the false god of our own goodness and made it our priority, ignoring the real purpose of God’s grace? Isaiah calls out to us today, just as he called out to the Israelites so long ago.

Jesus might never have left Simon’s home if He had waited for the crowds to stop coming. They would have been there day after day looking for Him. They wanted Jesus to focus on meeting their needs, but healing was not the focus of His ministry. Healing was just a part of it. Healing was one of the ways that God verified Jesus’ authority. It was one way God’s glory shined so that the people would see that Jesus had the power of God. Jesus told the disciples, “Let’s go elsewhere into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because I came out for this reason.” He came to preach, to teach, to change people’s spirits as well as their bodies. Jesus would not allow the crowds to tell Him what He should do. He did what God had sent Him to do: share the Word that heals hearts and sets people free.

We can’t compare our God with the abusive father, or any of the gods the people have always chased. God can create both fear and hope in us, fear that brings us to our knees in praise and thanksgiving and hope that lifts us up to experience His loving kindness.

So many things about today’s lessons seem out of whack to our modern way of thinking, but we are reminded that the Gospel is shocking and counter-cultural. It is life changing. It is powerful. Most of all, it is for everyone. The power of the Gospel is for men and women, for those in worship and at home, for those in our small circles of friends and for our neighbors far away. That’s why Paul says that he has become all things to all people. He’s not wavering on the one thing that matters: the message.

This passage almost makes Paul seem wishy washy, unwilling to commit to anything. But that’s not what he’s saying. Paul stands on Christ, the foundation of everything he believes. However, the people he meets are diverse. As a matter of fact, the people we meet are diverse. Some people are in a time and a place of comfort, others are afraid. Some are happy; others are in mourning. Some are healthy and some are facing dis-ease. We meet people from different cultures, from different world views. Everyone has a different need. Paul is prepared to meet them where they are, to touch them in a way that will shine the light of Christ into their life. We are called to do the same, because God’s Word is the foundation of all healing, no matter what troubles us.

Paul’s message never changed; he always preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, he shared that Gospel in a way that would be understood and relevant to the people to which it was being given. To the Greeks he spoke as a Greek, to the Jews he spoke as a Jew. He was weak so that those who are also weak might find the courage to receive God’s word for themselves. He took the extraordinary Word of God to ordinary people in ordinary ways. God’s Word is meant for all, the Gospel was given for the salvation of the world. We are called to take that message to all who will hear and to give it to them in a manner which will be received with joy.

Paul did not expect that all would be saved, but he was willing to see the world from someone else’s point of view to help them see God in a life-changing and transforming way. He was willing to let God work through his life in a way that would heal people and make them whole. This is frightening because it means we have to give up control. But it is only in letting God work through us that anyone will be saved. We must be willing to let God work through our lives in a way that will heal people and make them whole.

The Gospel brings change. The change comes from the Spirit of Christ dwelling within, and it is in Him that we live. In Christ we are more alive than we have ever been, and the breath we breathe is from the Spirit of God Himself. This awesome reality leads us to a life of praise and thanksgiving, a life that can’t help but proclaim the message of grace to the world no matter how much we might be afraid. The Gospel gives us the power to take the Kingdom of God to those who will hear, for those who hear will be saved.

It seems like words don’t mean much these days, especially in our current climate. However, the Word is what matters in the Kingdom of God. What matters is the message. In last week’s passage, Jesus healed to prove His credibility. He assured the people that He did indeed speak with authority, and the healing showed the people the source of His authority: God. He was willing to give people life and healing, wholeness and forgiveness. The problem at Simon’s house was that the crowds just wanted Jesus to heal them. They weren’t looking to be changed or to be transformed. They just wanted Him to fix their problem. They didn’t want the Word that came with the action.

It is so much easier to be people of action. We can easily give away a bag full of food to a poor person, but we are hesitant to tell them that Jesus loves them. We don’t want to offend. We don’t want anyone to think that we are giving them the food just to convert them. We don’t want to waste our energy on words when there are so many who need our action. Maybe we’ll talk about faith later, but first we need to heal their hurts. Yet, as we see in this story: someone will always need us to do something. We can’t let the need for action stand in the way of proclaiming that God is the Holy One.

What is striking about this story is that Simon’s mother-in-law is given a central place but she remains insignificant. She isn’t named, she doesn’t speak. She is sick, she is healed and she serves. Sounds like most of us, right? I can imagine Jesus and the disciples leaving the synagogue after the worship after the man was healed, heading to Simon’s house for an evening meal. I can hear Jesus greeting Simon’s wife affectionately and asking, “Where’s your mother?” They were like family. She was important to them, though she might not seem very important to us.

The reality is that we are important to our own loved ones, but we aren’t any more significant than Simon’s mother-in-law. The people to whom Jesus ministered were insignificant. They were often unnamed. Most of them did not have powerful jobs or important positions in society. They were a lot like us. We are reminded in Isaiah that we are trivial. We are like grasshoppers compared to God Almighty, who created everything and whose hand drives it all. God can bring down princes and rulers and scatter them. He placed every star in the sky and He knows them all by name. “To whom then will you liken me? Who is my equal?” says the Holy One.” There is none like God. Yet, we try to be like Him. We try to be the one in control; we demand that God do what we want Him to do.

Jesus didn’t stop healing or casting out demons. The miracles were important because they were signs of the power in Christ’s Word, but He moved quickly from one place to another so that the people would not focus solely on His actions. He went to do what He was sent to do: preach the Good News.

Now that we have that Good News, the Word of life, of hope, of peace, we are called to take it into the world to share it with those who need the healing touch of God’s grace. Now that we have the Good News, we fear God without being afraid, responding to His grace with thanksgiving and in obedience to His call share His Word in our little corner of the world.

Paul knew the power of the Gospel. That power manifested not only in the impact his ministry had on the towns he visited, but the book of Acts shows us that he was able to continue the healing ministry of Jesus. Yet, Paul also knew he had nothing about which he could boast. He knew that Jesus called him into a new life. He was restored to God by the Gospel and was made whole. He knew that he did not receive the gift to keep for himself. Instead, Paul knew the obligation that was laid upon him and knows he’d live in woe if he did not proclaim that Gospel to others.

We have no reason to boast, because we are nothing more than grasshoppers, but through faith in Christ by God’s grace, we are lifted up, given eagles’ wings and the strength to take the Good News into all the world. Our God is the Holy One of Israel and He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. God takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness. The Gospel gives us an even greater word of hope that this God is among His people. Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise.

We will have to act. We’ll heal our neighbors and cast out their demons. We’ll feed the hungry and clothe the poor. We’ll act for justice and work for peace. But in the midst of these ministries let us never forget that ultimately our purpose is to proclaim the Good News to all people, so that they too might experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ and continue living as God has called and gifted them to live, no matter how ordinary it might be.