Year B

Mark 9:38-50

The Very Rev. Denise Vaughn

Our Help is In the Name of the Lord

The scriptures repeatedly picture the people of God as a community in trouble, either having recently endured a time of distress or anticipating one in the near future. Never is distress far away and that seems to still be true today. It is clear, however, that on such moments of trouble special resources are always called on-the presence of God, and with it remarkable courage and hope on the part of the people. Our texts for today in varying ways speak to our human vulnerability, our extraordinary courage and the good news of divine grace that, despite our sinfulness, we are chosen and loved by God. Much of the scripture imagines God as a holy zealot, a jealous warrior fighting for God’s people.

That divine identity should tell us something about how we are to imagine our own relationship with the Lord and our neighbor. True relationship is built on passion and love and devotion, and doing what theologian Kierkegaard called seeking purity of heart or bending our will to the one thing. This journey to the one thing helps narrow our focus toward the good called “Holy zeal.” “Holy zeal is an expression that has been used to describe those who are single minded in seeking God before all things. Those filled with holy zeal are anxious, much like Queen Esther, to intercede for the sake of the good. If you haven’t had a chance to read the book of Esther, I highly recommend it.

It’s a wonderful story of one who was led by the Lord to save herself and her people. She meets the challenge put upon her, and in her willingness to risk her own life shows herself to be a devout and pious woman. Years ago, when my first granddaughter was a toddler, I purchased a Veggie Tales video of the story of Esther. Veggie Tales is a children’s video collection of animated stories based on Bible stories. We must have watched the story of the beautiful princess Esther and how God used her for God’s purpose maybe a couple of hundred times. It took courage on Esther’s part to do what was right. Her story is a legend that explains the Jewish feast of Purim, a festival which celebrates the Jew’s deliverance from the massacre that Haman designed to try and destroy them.

In the time of distress, Psalm 124 celebrates God’s help. The only explanation for protection from the angry enemy and rescue from the raging flood is the Lord, the great sovereign of heaven and earth, who at the same time proves to be “our help.” A relatively brief psalm, it is the collective voice of the people of God, who praise God’s powerful presence among them, even in the midst of danger. A further reminder of the availability of God in times of difficulty and distress is the language about the power of prayer in the James text today, a letter filled with echoes of the words of Jesus. It is one of the most practical of the New Testament books loaded with words of wisdom that James either heard from his brother who we believe to be, Jesus or from those afterward who traveled with him. 

We’ve heard from James, “Don’t favor the rich…the tongue causes more problems than anything else. True religion is taking care of widows and orphans in their distress, how important it is to keep oneself unstained from the world. Faith without works is dead and the heavenly Father is the source of all good things and now, he reminds us that prayer matters. Journalist Larry King once described three farmers who gathered daily in a field during a horrible drought. The men got down on their knees, looked upward, and prayed fervently that the skies would open, and they’d get a much-needed rain. Unfortunately, the heavens remained silent, and the petitioners became discouraged.

They continued to meet, however, every day for prayer. One morning a stranger came up to them and asked them what they are doing. They responded, “We’re praying for rain.” The newcomer looked at each of them and shook his head, “No, I don’t think so.” The first farmer answered, “Of course we’re praying. We are down on our knees pleading for rain. Look around, see the drought. We haven’t had rain in more than a year!” The visitor, after glancing at all three once more, replied, “No, if you were really praying for rain, one of you would have brought an umbrella.”  James writes that the prayer of faith matters.

What is that “prayer of faith”? There are a lot of answers to that question, but it might be as easy as: if you are praying for rain, you bring an umbrella. Prayer, as James helps us to understand, is not a gimmick to persuade God into doing something, prayer is a gift to the church, an invitation to ask for divine help. As a community of faith, the church is to be marked by at least three things: James reminds us, prayer and praise toward God; forgiveness and healing for its members; and commitment to the mission of saving the lost. Through prayer the community becomes more nearly the body of Christ and it empowers the congregation to carry out Christ’s mission.  

Prayer changes relationships and lives. It should be our first practice as a congregation, if we are truly to walk in James’s understanding of godly wisdom. Prayer helps us be a strong community that enhances all our lives. But there are risks in a strong community. There is a constant tension between being inclusive and being exclusive. The disciples of Jesus today in the gospel text confront this issue when they come across someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name. This passage in Mark follows the discussion we heard last Sunday by the disciples about which one of them is the greatest, which Jesus redefines by saying “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Jesus, having described a situation in which servanthood and acceptance of the marginalized are the true hallmarks of being a disciple, not power as the world defines it there is no denying that Jesus would expect his disciples to abandon jealousy and rivalry for inclusion and acceptance, nurturing the gift of graciousness and generosity. After dealing with the disciple’s unwillingness to welcome the outsider, Jesus pointed to some other concerns his disciples would face as leaders, concerns that all who minister in Christ’s name will face. He warned against putting stumbling blocks in the way of others who are seeking to find their way toward faith in him; warning them and us about the risk that we may stumble ourselves. His vivid words alerted them and now us that being right with God must be taken seriously not literally cutting off an eye or limb thankfully.

Finally, Jesus talked about the salt of the disciples. “Everyone will be salted with fire” Jesus says; intending to warn them about the persecution and trials that they will face. In light of the coming conflict, the disciples are urged not to lose their distinctiveness, not to succumb to the pressures to adopt the standards and character of the culture. If the saltiness is gone, then so is the salt’s capacity to season. Only in keeping their uniqueness as his followers will the disciples be able to influence the surrounding culture. If we don’t stay salted, we and the gospel we embody, will not be as tasty to those whom we meet and might try to bring to Jesus. Salt will preserve Christians for whatever they might face.

Jesus tells us today to remain faithful, humble, and be at peace. To embrace other pilgrims who minister in Jesus’ name. The Jesus brand is for everyone: all are welcome to participate and support the kingdom. To stay salted to preserve and enhance their mission because we are involved in the hard work of bringing God’s love to the world. And Esther, the psalmist, and James all make us aware today of the power of prayer and acknowledge the power of God to transform otherwise desperate lives. A deep trust in God amid troubles shows an openness to God’s help, extraordinary courage and hope for communities of faith that always seems to find trouble. As we strive for “Holy Zeal” seeking God before all things, we will find that purity of heart and the “Salt” needed for whatever we might face. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”