Prop 8 B + Independence/ Reclaiming Jesus + 6.30.24

 

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(2 Samuel 1:1, 17–27; Ps. 130; 2 Cor. 8:7–15; Mark 5:21–43)

 

Today we pray: “Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.”

In the church, we see ourselves as having Jesus as the cornerstone. He is central to everything we do. However, in light of an ongoing and troubling interpretation of Christian theology in our nation that has predominated in some circles, one that replaces natural patriotism with a Euro-centric concept of US exceptionalism, I wonder. Do US Christians really hold Christ above all? The Christ who was more interested in the healing of others than his own wellbeing? The Christ who suffered and died for us rather than exerting his own God-given power?

When we glance at today’s gospel, we are faced with two amazing stories. Despite all of the trouble Jesus has been stirring up, nonetheless, Jairus, a leader in the synagogue, calls upon Jesus to heal his daughter. She is dying, and despite his reputation for making trouble, Jesus is also known to do miraculous things. He is desperate. But on the way to his house, Jesus almost inadvertently performs another miracle. A woman who has been suffering so much that not only her body but also her pocketbook is drained, a woman who is on the last legs of hope, reaches out to him in faith. God uses her faith for healing, and Jesus feels the power go out of him. But this physical healing is added to by a spiritual healing- that is important. In the gospels we are never just focused on the physical. To do so would be ableist but it would also miss the point. More important is often the spiritual healing, even as we rejoice when there is a release from pain or suffering. Unfortunately, by the time that Jesus gets to Jairus’ house, his daughter has died. But Jesus, kicking out the professional mourners who scoff at his healing efforts, is still able to call her back to life. He says “Talitha, cum,” or “little girl, get up.” And sensing in his words that her creator is calling her back to life, she does, and then she eats, because even nurses know that getting food and processing it is a good sign of life!

Neither of these interactions were convenient for Jesus as a Jewish man. Being touched by a woman who was hemorrhaging and going to the house of a girl presumed dead may mean he needs to be ritually cleansed in a mikvah or purification ritual. Perhaps of more concern, every act of power draws more attention and therefore more danger to him and to his ministry. However, Jesus does not appear to hesitate, at least not for long. He is here to serve, as should be we. He is here to heal, as should we be.

This past week or two, I have been reading a book called Unsettling Truths by Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah (IVP, 2019), which details how European settlers used their sense of God’s blessing in their lives to assert a right to own any land they ‘discovered’ no matter who had been there before them.  It is an unsettling truth that our nation began with a concept of inequality where one group is seen as blessed by God and others are merely temporarily occupiers of the land.  When land or status becomes more important than God’s healing and love for all, Jesus has been replaced by an idol. 
As we look towards Independence Day this week, how can we give thanks for the many gifts of our nation without our love for country replacing Christ as our cornerstone?  One way could be a willingness to lament our broken past as a nation and to be ever cautious that our love of this country—and our appreciation of its beauty—not turn into a reason to mistreat our neighbor or to believe we have a divine right to the privileges we have received. 

Today in the reading from the second book of Samuel, David laments Jonathan and Saul’s deaths, saying: “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” These two men represent Israel’s past and he cries out in lamentation. If you know anything of the story, you will know that Saul gave David a very hard time indeed, even trying to kill him at one point, and that Jonathan was very close to David indeed, to the extent that romance has been wondered at, or others suppose that they were extremely close friends. Nevertheless, David’s lament begins with Saul and Jonathan’s position as leaders of the country and representatives of a past that will never come again.

In our country, some might say “how the mighty have fallen” when they see increasing diversity and acceptance of all different kinds of people in our public square. No longer is power automatically given at all times to someone just because they happen to be white or fitting any other category of privilege. One exception might be that the wealthy still seem to be able to operate much as they would like to, but even some of them are under intense scrutiny. There is a concept of replacement theory that comes from the false idea that resources are limited only to a few. Some bring in Jesus as a way to bolster their attempts to regain power, saying that they are affirming Jesus’ values. However, Jesus didn’t seek power for himself. Jesus sought to serve and to heal, so flags that display Jesus and guns are contrary to the faith. Instead, Jesus showed us a way to seek healing and share power together, between those of many different groups. At the same time, even Jesus was on a learning curve as he interacted with others. We see moments, like in the interaction with the Canaanite woman, where even Jesus expands the circle outward. It’s okay to be growing in this area. It’s okay to lament the past as long as we continue to move forward into God’s abounding love.

Looking back at David’s lament in the second book of Samuel, as much as David cherished his at times conflicted relationships with them, there was a clear difference between David and Jonathan and Saul, especially between David and Saul. Saul looked backward, but David looked forward. This is not to say David was a perfect king. He did some heinous things. But part of why he is seen as favored of God is that he tried to be open to God’s inspiration for the people of Israel as they moved forward together.

Today, all too often, there are those who wish to look at our country and return it so some earlier time. A mythical time when there weren’t immigrants or queers. But we know that time didn’t exist. Even at the time when our local Gabrieleño and Chumash tribes predominated on these shores, (and I acknowledge they are still amongst us and are strong leaders in our community), but even back in pre-settler times, there may have been differences between different groups, and most likely there were a few two spirit folks sprinkled in to the mix. So, as we look towards the festivities of the week to come, and especially as we mark Independence Day, how can we look forward toward a new day and reclaim Jesus as the cornerstone of our faith?
As we do that, we remember some things about Jesus.

He was stronger than we sometimes remember. In this gospel passage, Jesus rebukes those who scoff at his statement that he will bring back this girl from the dead. He is not messing around. They are outta there. We too must be clear with the scoffers of this world, those who do not respect human dignity, that there is no place for that action in the church and that while everyone is welcome, respectful engagement is expected.

We also remember that Jesus was all about healing in faith. If a situation is leading to harm and not healing, we must find a way to pivot and move towards healing. Additionally, following Jesus’ worthy example, we seek to share power and even lay down our life if it means caring for those around us. We do not seek our own glory but that of God. This leads us to our reading from the second letter to the Corinthians. Paul says, in essence “sharing is caring.” How can we leverage our resources for the betterment of our community and the world?

Lastly, you may remember that last week I discussed the concept of inner freedom. As we mark Independence Day, how can we use Jesus’ example to celebrate inner freedom as we walk our path with Christ?

with thanks to Alene for editing help on this sermon!