I’m going to open us up a little bit with a little light reading. The Old Testament passage and the Psalms are a little bit heavy, so we’re going to ease in before we move forward. This is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Let me set the scene a little bit. So Lucy has gone into the wardrobe, has seen this magnificent place called Narnia, and she’s bewildered as how this place could exist, because they’re stepping into the back in the wardrobe, and there shouldn’t be an entire frozen tundra back there. And she’s come back through ; she’s told her her brothers and her sister about this place. Of course, they don’t believe her. But before Lucy could persuade Peter and Susan that there was a White Witch, Edmund secretly slipped through to see for himself and bumped straight into the White Witch herself. At once, The witch saw he was just the kind of boy she could win over with a box of her enchanted Turkish delight.
“If you’ll only bring your brother and brothers and sisters into my house.” “I will. I will,“ said Edmund, Stopping and gobbling without stopping to think what might happen to them if he did. “Then I’ll make you king,” the beautiful, wicked witch smiled. He returned through the wardrobe, saw his brother and sisters, and quickly returned to the world behind the wardrobe. But nothing could have prepared him for what he found when he got there. Every kind of creature turned to stone, air so cold it was frosted white. The witch’s wolf captain stretched out, smirking, and the witch in the foulest mood hating him on sight. And with this, we shift into our scripture passages for this morning.
Easter 6 B 2024 lectionary readings
We need to see the Old Testament and the Psalms, which I don’t normally do in the sermon. But, our Old Testament readings this morning are important and should be offered as a foundation for the gospel. They bring out the most extremes of humanity. Admittedly, we see David through our own postmodern lens. He looks out, he sees a woman—an object that he must have. He sends for her, he lays with her. He craves this person like Edmund wants Turkish delight. David schemes to cover his tracks and have Bathsheba’s husband sent to the front of the war and left there vulnerable, alone while his soldiers retreat. As a result of his lucid choices, we are challenged to find any redemptive quality in David whatsoever.
This particular passage of our Old Testament, resonates with a question that’s been moving through social media recently. In the last several months the question is asked to women, “If you were alone walking on a path in the woods, would you rather encounter a bear or a man?” I’ll let that sink in. And this question sparked a lot of varied conversations.
Some women have had complicated histories with men. In David, again viewed through our postmodern lens, we might be able to understand the legitimacy of the man-bear question. As we know, as Paul Harvey used to tell us, there is more to the story. We know that David’s story does not end with this episode. His redemption will come. Similarly, our readings of this morning do not stop with David, who exemplifies the absolute worst depravity of humanity. In our gospel, we see Jesus as he crossed the Sea of Galilee seeking peace and respite from the hordes of people coming to find him, who want something from him, who are seeking this redeemer. And as his disciples were on the boat when the storm arose about three to four miles into the center of the Sea of Galilee.
I’ve been listening to a podcast called “ A Bit of Optimism” from Simon Sinek, and Sinek engages in systems theory and talks about leaders and people in business who engage in some form of customer service or ministry help to define their values and to engage in what really motivates them. Being able to identify their driving force in order to make their ministry their business more heartfelt. One of his podcasts was in two parts. He had Adam Grant and Brené Brown. The three of them engaged in a conversation about value and worth and purpose, the purpose of the ministry and our own personal purpose. Sinek said when we are put in our most exposed and vulnerable moments, our true values will emerge. Specifically, Sinek said this: “When was the last time you got angry, and I’ll show you what your values are?”
In our gospel passage this morning, we can see what the people value. Some want to be healed of their illnesses and their disabilities. They want their loved ones to be raised from the dead, and some are curious and they want to know more. Jesus knows, however, that all they want is for him to be king. And he wants none of it. In the boat when the disciples are scared from the storm, they cannot even recognize Jesus.
Despite the fact that they have been with him, walking this journey for such a long time. In their most vulnerable moments, as the fear of death consumes them, we see what they value. They want safety and they want Jesus to enter the boat with them. But what Jesus does in our gospel reveals Christ’s values.
The people descend upon him, and instead of giving into the panic regarding the lack of food, he accepts the food from the boy and creates a moment of fellowship and community as the people sit and eat. He refuses to join the disciples in the boat. Karoline Lewis says this about the ministry of Jesus: “This story suggests that the focus of ministry is not simply what good people decide is reasonable to undertake in order to meet basic needs. Instead, ministry is about multiplying resources so that what might have been a social handout becomes a revelation of amazing grace. Ministry should leave people explaining. The presence of transformation are active in this world, bringing hope to weary souls of oppressive social systems and values.” She goes on to say that ministers in the work of the kingdom, which is all of us—it’s not just ordained clergy—may relish acknowledgment of their value and worth in the community as agents of transformation. We are agents of transformation. You are agents of transformation. And, what Jesus does is withdraw from public limelight in solitude in his ministry. Now here is where Edmund and David and the throngs of people and the disciples converge.
In the coming months, for all of us, there will be times of trial, of stress, of anxiety, of heightened emotions and words and behaviors. Remember what Sinek said: “When was the last time you were angry? And I will show you what you value.” The coming months for us will be opportunities in which the vice-like grip of our world might cause extreme mental and emotional pressure. What comes from us will be the truth of what we value. Is what we value victory over our political enemy?
Is what we value is to witness our opponent suffering and humiliation. Jesus knew the values of the people, and yet he caused them to pause, to take a moment, to break bread together, to seek rest and engage in community and fellowship with one another. In these coming months, when our emotions run thick and red and violent, May we not be like David, pursuing aggression and deception and power. May we not be like Edmund in Narnia pursuing personal desires with greed and subterfuge.
Instead, may we pause and rest and reflect and seek curiosity and connection and fellowship. And, when the world is just simply too much — and it will be, my friends. May we actually follow in the steps of Jesus and disengage with the world, if but for a moment in personal rest and renewal. May we value the grace and love and hope offered from our Creator.
Amen.
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