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A sermon is a manner of oral communication and therefore words and sentence structure/order would be added, altered, or deleted at the moment of delivery. + In Nomine Jesu + The Rev. Evan Gaertner February 5, 2006 "What is natural? Jesus!" Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Mark 1:29-39 If anything can go wrong, it will. Is an example of what has become known as Murphy’s Law. Here are a few more: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. If anything just cannot go wrong, it will anyway. If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop. Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something. Unfortunately it is true that how things are supposed to go and what actually happens is rarely identical. I think can get used to the sickness, trouble, defeat as all just very natural events in life. Death and taxes are supposed to be the only two things that are true for everyone. This was even true for Jesus. He died on the cross and he said to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar, which is a reference to paying taxes. But before we assume to much about what is natural and what is unnatural, I want you to think about how you would define what is a miracle? One definition that is bantered about is that a miracle is a supernatural or unnatural event that breaks into our world. I believe in miracles. I believe that miracles continue to happen because I look around and there continues to be a disconnect between our world and the Jurgen Moltmann a theologian quoted by Philip Yancey said, “Jesus’ healings are not supernatural miracles in a natural world. They are the only ‘natural’ things in a world that is unnatural, demonized and wounded.” Sickness, death, trouble, pain are not supposed to be normal. The miracle of Jesus and the coming of the The most dangerous deceit of the devil is to convince us that sin and its affects are normal and so therefore to be tolerated. Sin can happen every day, and indeed it does, but that does not make it normal. Whatever is manifested as sin in our world is in conflict with Jesus. Jesus Christ, the true son of God has come not to just say nice sayings and walk around in sandals. Jesus has come to overthrow sin. Jesus healing people is an engagement into the battle of sin. Jesus has come to bring the natural order to a world that has been turned upside down because of sin. Why do we get sick? We get sick because we have become mortal. Sickness is death on its way. It is not natural to get sick. I know it happens quite often, but that does not make it natural. God created the world and all that there is and at the end of the day declared his creation to be very good. It is on account of sin in our world that we groan. Jesus arrived at Simon and Andrew’s home and Simon’s mother-in-law was with a fever. Immediately they told Jesus about her. They had just witnessed Jesus drive out the demon in the synagogue and now with concern on their heart they brought this woman to Jesus’ attention. Without great incantations or a making of potions Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up. The fever left her and she began to serve them. There is no authority in heaven nor on earth that is greater or equal to the only begotten son of God the Father. The fever of Simon’s mother-in-law cannot stand up against Jesus. Instead she was able to stand up with Jesus’ hand and become a servant to Jesus. Mark in his gospel makes the distinction between sickness and demon possession. Notice that the demon in the synagogue that Jesus drove out left with convulsing and loud noises. The fever shows no such fight. Both cannot stand against Jesus. The power of Jesus is continued to be emphasized in our Gospel lesson. They kept on brining to him all those that were sick and were being possessed by demons. The Word is getting out and people are streaming to him. He healed many who were sick and demoniacs. Jesus commanded the demons to be silent. He was not allowing the demons to speak because they knew him. But I don’t think Jesus was worried about a premature or ambivalent knowledge of Jesus getting spread by the demons. Jesus’ very words and deeds were giving testimony to who he was. Jesus is emphasizing his authority. It was believed during Jesus time that when exorcising demons the one who first names the name of the other then has been given spiritual power over the other. So when Jesus drove out the demon in the synagogue it is a powerful statement of authority that though the demon spoke first it did not give the demon any authority or power over Jesus. Though the devil and his demons knew who Jesus was it did not give them any authority over the son of God. Finally it was time for sleep for Jesus and his disciples. But early in the morning while it was still very dark Jesus went to a deserted place to pray. His disciples hunted for him and said to him, “All are seeking you.” Their thought of “all” was that “all Jesus has not come to be in one spot, maintain popularity, to conform to others expectations. Jesus has come to go everywhere preaching and that is what he does. He went everywhere preaching, he went even to the point of death, to death on a cross. While we were yet still sinners, living very normal lives in our expectations, Jesus sacrifices himself to give to us life. Jesus never does quite fit what is expected. Today I challenge you through this text to proclaim Jesus as who he wants to be and not necessarily fit him into your box of normal or expected. We don’t proclaim Jesus as just another option in this world. He is the only natural option in our sinful world. Jesus is the way of life. In the same book were Jurgen Moltmann was quoted as saying that Jesus’ healings are not supernatural events in our natural world but in fact Jesus’ healings are the only natural things our world has known, Philip Yancey also wrote, “The miracles he (Jesus) did perform, breaking as they did the chains of sickness and death, give me a glimpse of what the world was meant to be and instill hope that one day God will right its wrongs. To put it mildly, God is no more satisfied with this world than we are; Jesus’ miracles offer a hint of what God intends to do about it.” I believe that Christ will come again and on that Last Day we will find the ultimate restoration and renewal of heaven and earth. The dead will be raised and clothed with the imperishable. The faithful living and dead will be raised and join the one true Lord in the New Jerusalem. I believe that as we receive the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper and feast upon the Word of God we receive a foretaste of the Soli Deo Gloria -->> Home |