Loving God, you are always more ready to forgive than we are to ask, and the depth of your love continues to amaze us.  Remind us today that you are able to handle our doubts and our questions, even as you renew within us the gift of faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    There’s a scene in Monty Python’s “The Meaning of Life” that takes place in a board room.  One of the items on the agenda at this board meeting is the meaning of life.  Two points are presented: one about hats and the other a longer reflection that begins with “matter is energy” and continues with some deep thoughts about the universe.  After a statement about how people tend to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia, there is a brief silence, and then somebody asks, “What was that about hats?”  And they get into an intense discussion about how people are not wearing enough hats and why this matters.

    While I am well aware that not everybody shares a Monty Python sense of humour, this scene seems so funny because there is at least a kernel of truth in there, no matter how ridiculous it might seem.  How many times are there when people simply cannot handle the big, serious questions and change the subject instead?  In fact, it happens in today’s gospel.

    As Jesus and his disciples travel through Galilee, Jesus is trying to teach them some pretty serious stuff.  For the second time now, he tells his disciples that he will be betrayed and put to death and then will rise again (Mk. 9:31).  However, once again, the disciples do not understand.  As Father Kamal from St. George’s would say, confusion is a sign of excellent mental health!

    The disciples are not particularly slow or unintelligent.  Nobody at that time would have expected a Messiah who would be put to death, let alone a resurrection from the dead!  It is not difficult to believe that the disciples would not understand why Jesus was saying these things.  What is perhaps more difficult to understand is why they would be afraid to ask Jesus any questions.  Jesus has said this really heavy thing that they can’t understand, and they don’t want to ask any questions, so they change the subject.  The result is a petty quarrel over who is the greatest.  What was that about hats?

    However, to return for a moment to asking questions, why do you think the disciples would have been afraid to ask Jesus any questions? [don’t want to look stupid; are so shocked they don’t know what to ask; don’t want to get the response that Peter did; don’t want to show doubts] There are many possible reasons, some of which might be the same reasons that we are sometimes afraid to ask questions.

    Now, consider for just a moment what Jesus was telling his disciples:  “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again” (Mk. 9:31).  What are some of the questions the disciples might have wanted to ask?  (What kind of a Messiah gets killed?  Do you mean yourself (Son of Man)?  Who will betray you?  Why death and resurrection?)  Once again, there are many possible questions, and it seems that Jesus and the disciples could have had quite the conversation.

    In the gospel that we heard today, we discover what happens when the disciples don’t ask their questions.  They end up in a petty quarrel about who is the greatest and totally miss the point.  One has to wonder how the story would be different if the disciples had actually asked their questions.  Would they have deepened their understanding of who Jesus is and what it means to follow him?  Would they have been drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus?  Would they have begun to understand to what lengths Jesus was willing to go in order to bring salvation?  Instead, they have an argument over something that doesn’t even matter.

    I had this image in my mind this week of trying to have a humility contest – trying to see who is the most humble.  It’s so ridiculous that it’s funny.  You simply can’t have a humility contest, for those who are truly humble simply don’t compare themselves with others.  “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all” (Mk. 9:35).  This is how things work in God’s kingdom.  This is how things work for those who follow Jesus - the suffering servant.  And then Jesus takes a little child, and holds it in his arms.

    While it is not made explicit in today’s gospel, one of the things about little children is that they are not afraid to ask questions.  In fact, they keep their parents and grandparents on their toes trying to come up with answers for everything.  Children have curious and lively minds and want answers to everything.

    However, somewhere along the line many become afraid to ask questions, just like the disciples.  Some are afraid they will look stupid or uninformed.  Some are afraid they might show a lack of faith.  Some are afraid of being ridiculed or laughed at.  And some were just taught somewhere along the way that you’re not supposed to question God or faith or Scripture.  Unfortunately some of us have never learned that doubt is part of faith, for if there were no doubts, faith would not be needed.

    And so, today I’d like to invite you to think about some of the questions that you have.  What are some of the questions that you have about God or about the faith or about Scripture?  What are you afraid to ask God?  What are you afraid to ask at church?  I’m going to invite you today to write down one question that you would like to ask and to put it in the offering plate.  You should have received a blue piece of paper as you came in today, and you can use that to write your question.  You don’t need to put your name on it, so nobody will know who is asking.

    One question that you’ve always had but were afraid to ask...  I can’t guarantee that I will answer all of them, but I will certainly take a look and keep these questions in mind for future sermons.  Today we offer not just our selves, our time and our possessions, but our questions as well, just as so many have done over the years.

    Just as God received the questions of Moses and of Abraham and of Job and of Jeremiah and of the disciples (when they weren’t afraid to ask), so God receives our questions – and even gives answers when we are attentive and watching and waiting.

    We may still have trouble understanding why Jesus would suffer and die for our salvation and not do it some other way.  Yet, this is the way that God chose to do things, in which Jesus would share our pain and our humiliation and even our death.  However, at the same time, when we are united with Jesus in baptism, we also share his resurrection and his relationship with God and his Spirit and his perfect life.  It is an unfair exchange to be sure, but one that God delights in because of the depth of God’s love for us.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Lectionary 25(B)                                    Mark 9:30-37
September 23, 2012
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

© 2012 Lynne Hutchison  All Rights Reserved