Talking for God

2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, Mark 6:1-13

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, July 9, 2006

Heritage Congregational Church, Madison, WI

I’d like to begin this morning by sharing a story with you about one of our CFTS students, Alicia Emerson-Taylor. Her name is Emerson-Taylor because she was just married last December. Alicia is in her second year of Seminary at Fuller Seminary in California, and serves as Youth Director at the Oneonta Congregational Church. We asked Alicia to preach at our Tuesday morning worship service at this year’s national meeting in Costa Mesa, and she was nervous. She had never preached to adults before—only youth—it was as if she was questioning her authority—and here she was, asked to preach to a group of several hundred, at least half of which were ordained clergy. I think I’d be nervous, too!

Since I was supposed to lead the service with her, she and I met the day before to talk about prayers and music for the service. She told me what she was preaching about and then shared how very nervous she was. So, you know me, I asked her a question. I said to Alicia, “Do you believe what you are going to say?” She said, “Yes.” I relayed to her that all we are called to do is share what we believe. It is what we are all called to do.

In today’s passage from Mark’s gospel we find Jesus. He has been called to preach, to share what He believes. He has a tough audience as well, He is preaching at the synagogue in His hometown. At first, those who are gathered are astounded by what they hear from Jesus. He speaks with wisdom and authority from God. His hands do works of power.

But it is not long before the people are offended. Their opinion totally changes. You see, they know Jesus. They have seen Him grow up, they know His family—His mother, brothers and sisters. They know His occupation, He is a carpenter. And somehow this identity, their preconception of who Jesus is, does not allow the people gathered in that synagogue to believe the initial instinct they had of being astounded. Skepticism sets in and takes over. They move from a moment of grace—a moment where God’s wisdom is revealed and God’s power is demonstrated—to disbelief that is so strong they put aside their first instinct and reshape this experience in worldly/human terms. Certainly Jesus, this common person they know, cannot possibly be the one for whom they have been waiting, the anointed one, the Messiah. And they are offended by what Jesus says.

We do not know exactly why the people reject Jesus the way they do—with offense. Perhaps they are simply unwilling to believe. Maybe they are not able to recognize divinity when it is right in front of them. Or maybe (and this is what I lean toward) they just have low expectations, they don’t expect to meet God when they come to worship. Whatever the reason, because they do not believe Jesus is not able to do as much good as He would like in His hometown.

In our reading from 2 Samuel we find David, called to preach with his life as king. David experiences none of this rejection. The people of Israel know who David is, they trust he has been anointed by God. They know the story of David, the youngest son of Jesse, being called out of the field while tending his sheep only to be anointed by God through the hand of Samuel. The stories have been told over and over—David’s anointing, David leading Israel out of turmoil, David as Saul’s successor. Everyone believes in David’s connection to God. He is, after all, the King given to them by God, anointed for that very purpose. So because this happens in terms the people can understand, in terms they are familiar with, the people of Israel are behind David’s position. They know how this system works. And David is able to rule, to be productive, to bear fruit—all for God’s blessings to be made visible to the people.

God has given both Jesus and David the authority to speak. But in earthly terms, we would conclude that David was successful and Jesus was unsuccessful. Does His rejection mean Jesus failed? I don’t think so. Instead I think it speaks volumes about those who rejected His witness, not Jesus Himself or His message. Jesus’ rejection also serves another purpose. Remember that the disciples are there in the synagogue. They witness first hand Jesus’ rejection. And Jesus is about to send them out, to give them the authority to speak for God. When they see Jesus’ rejection, it shows the disciples what they might encounter when they are sent, showing them they are not alone in rejection when sharing the gospel—when talking for God.

Jesus gives the disciples very specific instructions for their journey of sharing the gospel. First of all, He sends them out two by two so they will have strength in numbers. This reminds me of the passage from Ecclesiastes (4:9-12) that says “two are better than one.” When one falls, the other can pick them up, when you lie together you are kept warm. A threefold cord is not quickly broken. Jesus sends them together for strength.

Jesus also tells the disciples to take nothing with them but the minimum—no provisions, no extra clothing, no money. Only take a staff and sandals necessary for making their way—to aid their walking, their journey. Just take what will help you to walk. And then trust. Trust in God’s protection from harm, trust that God will provide the necessities of life, trust that God’s message is sufficient.

The disciples are to stay in one place. When they enter a town and go to a house, they are to stay there the entire time they are in that town. Their job is to preach repentance, to share the story. They are given the authority to cast out demons, to anoint and to heal. With these instructions, Jesus is telling the disciples to use their hands as well as their mouths, to talk for God with both words and actions. Jesus empowers the disciples, then sends them.

It is pretty easy to look at disciples and say, “that it is fine for them but it doesn’t apply to us.” But it is about us. Jesus has given us the authority to speak. Jesus has touched each of our lives enough to bring us here. Jesus has anointed us with faith and confirmed that anointing through baptism, confirmation and church membership. Through these markers of our faith, and through the way the Spirit works in our lives, we have been empowered and Jesus sends us We are called to share the story with our hands and with our mouths, with our words and our actions, and to preach repentance.

I’d like to remind all of us what repentance truly means. Repentance is not admitting we are sinners and then saying we are sorry. Repentance literally means “to turn.” A repentant person turns away from the world and turns toward God. A repentant person trusts God’s truth and not the truth offered by the world. This is repentance.

We are to follow the directions Jesus gave the disciples. We do not go out alone, but together. We have been gathered by God in this community of faith, and it is where we are to find our strength. We are to take with us only what will make the journey go well, trusting that God will provide for our needs, trusting that the message is sufficient. And yes, we are to preach! Preaching is not just for ordained clergy or for lay preachers. It is not just for Sunday mornings. We are to preach with our lives.

I’d like to examine our two passages again, because in each of them I see a common element that I consider to be the key to the whole question of who has the authority to speak for God. In 2 Samuel David makes a covenant with the elders. The covenant was with David and the people, as well as with God. By making this covenant, David focuses the people on God, turns them toward God (repentance), and redefines their relationship with God.

Jesus’ actions in Mark’s gospel are also about relationship. The people in the synagogue will not accept Jesus relationship with the Father. He offers relationship and they reject Him. Jesus does what He can, then moves on to those who are able to believe, who are brave enough to expect more. The disciples, on the other hand, have already accepted the relationship. They know Jesus is of God and they have an experience to share. They know repentance. They have turned toward God because of Jesus. They understand that not only have they been given the authority to speak for God, they have been given the responsibility of speaking for God. And the result is amazing! Many live are affected positively because the disciples share their relationship. People are healed, demons are cast out, faith is strengthened.

I’d like to return to Alicia for a moment, because I didn’t just ask her one question. Of course, I had another. I asked Alicia if what she was planning to say was true to her experience, to her relationship with God, to her heart. Again she said, “yes.” And the result was that lives were affected positively. I don’t even know if Alicia knew it, but because she shared her relationship with God with such honesty, the message made a difference. I can’t tell you how many people spoke to me at our morning break to ask about Alicia. They all wanted to know about her and tell her how much her words meant.

This is what we are called to do, to reflect on our relationship with God—on how we have turned toward God, and to share that with our lives. We are to talk for God with others. Lives will be touched by God through our words and deeds. We do not have to have the most knowledge, or have had a mystical experience. We do not have to know the most Bible passages of anyone in the room. We only need to know in our hearts that God has touched our lives and that we have responded, then witness to that relationship—showing and telling how we live lives that are repentant, that are turned toward God. This is talking for God.