When the people say, "No!"

 Mark 6:1-13 is the Gospel text for next Sunday, July 4.

Jesus went home.  It wasn't the same.  He wasn't the same.  He was different.  His compassion, empathy and mission changed Him.  He was becoming while going to the Cross.  He taught with authority and wisdom, and that surprised the people from His hometown.  They likened His healings to mere deeds of power, but perhaps did not see the Agape Love mission behind them.  They couldn't get past that this was Joseph and Mary's boy, a mere carpenter.  They "ooo'd and ahhh'd" over Him at first, but that is a fine line before crossing into, "Who does He think He is?"

And Jesus COULD DO NO DEEDS OF POWER THERE.  He did heal some sick folk, so THEY might see it differently.

The people there could not believe in Jesus' mission.  Without the faith of the people, the mission could not be fulfilled.  Read that again.  Now, read it again.

In my 20 years of parish ministry, I had one, brief and shining period of about 2 1/2 years in Cleveland, in which my vision for ministry was working.  The community came together and with the church for a while, until the established members of the church from years before said, "no more."  No convincing mattered.  No pointing out of what wonderful things were happening changed their perspectives.  They did not want to walk in Jesus' Agape Love, Grace Way.  

During those twenty years, I also served a small, independent parish in my hometown.  My mother, some old acquaintances and one best friend from my school years attended.  It was near the end of my parish ministry, before I went into hospice care.  For two years I struggled to get folk to embrace the Agape Love message of Jesus, but the "give me that old time religion" folk prevailed.  They, too, just wanted me to take care of them, comfort them and make them feel good about themselves.  It was not about them being a part of the mission of the Gospel.  My mom was a joy, as always.  I remember her teasing me during a Bible Study when she was challenged by the Gospel, that she was "still my mother" and that she had "changed my diapers."  My old best friend was different.  When I offered that God loves LGBTQ folk too, he cited his dad, a member of the Knights of Columbus in opposition, telling me that I did not know anything.  After nine years of school and sixteen years of ministry, he still tried to pull childhood rank on me.  The prophet is not without honor, except in his own hometown.

I thank God often for those 2 1/2 years in Cleveland, where the mutual belief in Jesus and Jesus' mission turned into an active, loving ministry.  They were short lived, but will always be dear to me.

When Jesus sent His disciples out, they were instructed to rely on mutual dependence and commitment with the people they went to serve.  They were to rely on the people for their sustenance alone, to depend on the community for enough on which to live.  They were instructed to live among the people and give all they had for their benefit, when the people received them as partners in life and ministry.

When they were not received well, they were instructed to wipe the dust off their feet - to take nothing of that place or people with them, but move on to other places where people would share a mutual belief in Jesus and Jesus' Way of Agape Love.

With the exception of two and half years out of twenty, I must say that this was my experience.  The people allowed a mission of outreach, compassion and empathy, even inclusion for a short time, but eventually said, "NO!"  They just wanted me to "take care of them," as if that was the entire mission of the Gospel.  But in one brief shining period within my parish ministry, the people said "Yes" to Jesus' Way, and much was done to build up lives in community.  It was beautiful, truly beautiful.  I am and will always be grateful for that time and those folks who shared a common belief in the mission of the Gospel in Agape Love and Grace!

I am heartened to see and hear of many people now coming together in mutual belief in Jesus and Jesus' Way, who are making a difference in the world around them.  They are changing the world, which is the power of Agape Love and Grace - a power that only comes to fruition when the people say, "Yes!"

And THAT is the Good News!

Pastor Jamie