“Gospel Surgery” ~ Psalm 124 (VU 848 ref #2) & Mark 9: 38-50
September 29, 2024 ~ Northwood United ~ Rev. G. Scott Turnbrook
Demons and exorcism…salted with the fiery flames of hell…surgical removal of one’s hand, foot or eye. It seems that we have a very odd text in front of us, indeed! If this happens to be your first Sunday in church, perhaps you might consider it also being your last. However, before we give up on this text. Or see this as a ‘one off’ where Jesus was having a “bad day”. Perhaps we might take some time to explore this odd gospel reading.
It would be quite easy to dismiss claims of “demons and hell” as being quaint or outdated in our modern world; however, let’s not dismiss this too quickly. In biblical times, demons posed a very real threat to people’s well-being. For them the exorcism of demons was a very real practice. Two millennia later, I wonder if there might be some modern-day parallels for us to consider. I would suspect that many of us have dealt with our own ‘demons’ in the past (or perhaps are dealing with them right now?). In this light, demons might be the struggles and pains and addictions that afflict us through the muck of human life. We have upwards of 100 people go through this church each week that could tell you stories of their demons. These are the brave souls who are dealing with them through the 12-step movement. Additions to alcohol, to gambling, there are many forms…So, sadly, demons are very real and very alive! And liberating ourselves from these demons can be a very significant task in one’s life. A task that our faith can play a large role in!
Progressive theology has a focus on hell as symbolic of one’s separation from God. To be apart, to be separated from God’s guidance, God’s love, God’s Way is a time of experiencing a modern-day living hell. Theologian Daniel Migliore puts it this way: “hell is simply wanting to be oneself apart from God's grace and in isolation from others... hell is self-destructive resistance to the eternal love of God” (From Faith Seeking Understanding). And, however you understand the concept of hell, theologians are consistent in Jesus’ motivation in this passage: Jesus does not describe hell in order to seal anyone’s eternal destiny but to motivate his listeners to pay attention to who he names as “the little ones” and not to impede their path.
The “little ones” in the time of Jesus were the marginalized and the neglected. The lepers, the widows…those without status or value held by dominant society. On the eve of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, I wonder if we might consider the First people of this country to be falling in this category. As uninvited guests on this land, we are “settlers”. And we are still gaining understanding of the implications of our colonizing actions of the past. We know that our legacy in colonization is not a good one. It is a legacy of inflicted dominance and power over the Indigenous people. Our actions were based on a belief that our way was better. Our mission was to bring the Indigenous people into a similar lifestyle that we prize. The legacy of Residential Schools and the allocation of Indigenous reserves on some of the worst land in their respective regions is truly a black mark on the pages of our nation’s history pages. On a personal level, we ~ The United Church of Canada ~ along with other Christian denominations participated in the running of Residential schools. And so, we find ourselves in a time of reconciliation seeking.
We were proud of our denomination to be the first to publicly apologize for our wrongdoings. In 1986 the highest court of our Church, our General Council offered an official apology for our participation in the Residential Schools. Other churches would later follow: the Anglican Church in 1993, the Presbyterian Church in 1994. Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized in 2008 and Pope Francis offered words of lament in 2009. And while these words are a good start…it is only a start…and they are only words. And, as we all know reconciliation calls us to move beyond mere words. It calls us to learning and action.
In the recent past, we have learned about and participated in the broad scope of reconciliation. 2015 saw the publication of the report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. Many of us read through the 94 calls to action. We were reminded, as you know, that reconciliation is about an ongoing commitment to action. These calls to action awoke in many of us a realization that we still have a role to play, and a moral responsibility to make amends for the past. Indeed, there is much ‘heavy lifting’ for us to do in order to back up our words of apology.
Getting back to this morning’s gospel text, there was another section that could easily be dismissed as odd: Jesus’ reference to radical surgery. Jesus says “43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell., 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye”. It is another troubling and odd text isn’t it? Is Jesus proposing radical gospel surgery? These are odd and harsh words, indeed. I would suggest that we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that Jesus spoke frequently in metaphor. He spoke often of the Kingdom of God in parable. The point was never to retell a historical occurrence of a Good Samaritan in caring action or a loving father welcoming a misbehaving prodigal son. The point was to open our minds to what the unfolding of the Kingdom of God might look like. The difference here is that the metaphor is not pointed at others…it is not a nameless, faceless story…it is pointed at us. We all have hands and feet and eyes that have caused us to stumble and taken us away from God’s path of light. But, what if this text is viewed as a metaphor? What if we look at it in a way that (I believe) Jesus intended: to walk with the one foot that is taking us in the right direction. To look out with the one eye that sees God’s compassion. To reach out with the one hand that is doing God’s will.
When we first began offering a land acknowledgment at the commencement of worship services, some wondered if it needed to only be offered once. However, churches and many other groups, have continued this practice as part of their ongoing commitment to reconciliation. It is not the giving up of a hand or a foot or an eye; however, it is the giving up of time. It is the ongoing making of space to honour our First peoples in this land. The offering of time to remember, to learn, and to prompt lament and learning. We have taken that time in this section of our worship time to update the advancement of reconciliation work in our denomination. When our Moderator was elected: the 1st Indigenous leader of a denomination we honoured her as part of that. When our General Council was mandated to move ahead with the construction of an autonomous Indigenous stream of ministry, we focused on that. Giving up time to learn and remember is important work, I think, in reconciliation.
Getting back to the text, I tried to contextualize a few sections that were odd and troubling: Jesus’ references to demons and hell. And Jesus reference to the surgical removal of the body parts that were leading us away from the Kingdom of God: the eye, the hand and the foot. There is another section that I would like to touch on and that is Jesus’ reference to the small things we can do: “ For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.” Amidst this challenging passage on discipleship: how we live our faith, there is this wonderful reminder that every little thing counts; it matters; all the actions of faith you offer make a difference!
Perhaps we might see this played out with tomorrow’s day for Truth and Reconciliation. It matters that we learn, observe and pray tomorrow! Tomorrow is the second year that this has been designated as a Federal Statutory holiday. Unlike other holidays, however, this day is set aside that we might learn, honour and grow as a people seeking reconciliation. And as small a token as a cup of cold water offered to a thirsty one, all the varied ways that we learn and grow in awareness matter. It is quite amazing to see how many opportunities that there are in our area. There are in-person opportunities to participate in the cultural legacy of Indigenous people, hear their stories, listen to music. Music stations are sprinkling stories through their broadcasts. Virtual opportunities to learn. So many small opportunities that all make a BIG difference in furthering the movement of reconciliation.
Radical gospel surgery, threats of demons and hell, and the opportunity to offer a cup of cold water as we move in the direction of reconciliation, the direction of the Kingdom of God. May we walk with the foot that leads us in the way of God, may we care with the hand that offers God’s grace, may we see with the eye that sees God’s compassion. May we offer what we can, offering ourselves ~ nothing more and nothing less. Amen.