WHOSE LIFE, LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS?
2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13
7th Sunday after Pentecost — July 4, 2021
Pastor Ritva H Williams
When national holidays falls on Sunday it presents a special challenge to the preacher. The preacher seeks to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by exploring the assigned scripture readings and connecting them to daily life. Today is July 4th — Independence Day, celebrating this nation’s freedom from outside control. We applaud our nation’s self-reliance, and self-sufficiency. We celebrate our inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Today is also the 7th Sunday after Pentecost. Our scripture readings highlight God’s sending and God’s providing. These readings call us to reflect on dependence — the condition of having to rely on or be controlled by someone or something else. This poses a bit of a conundrum!
We meet Jesus this morning preaching in his hometown. The folks he grew up among are at first astounded by his wisdom and deeds of power, and then they are deeply offended. This is Mary’s son — the boy born 6 months after the wedding. He was the village carpenter, until he went off to do his own thing, left his widowed mother to care for his six siblings. Who does he think he is? A prophet! Really? Who is he trying to con? Although Jesus was amazed by their lack of faith and trust, he didn’t let it get him down. He healed a few people and went on to the next village.
To amplify this message he sent twelve disciples out in pairs, equipped only with a staff for protection and sandals on their feet — no bread, no bag, no money, not even a change of clothes. They had to rely on the hospitality of strangers for bread and board. Whenever a village refused to welcome them, they were to simply continue on their way — shaking the dust of that place off their feet. The twelve went out proclaiming the Gospel, calling people to change their lives, casting out demons, anointing and healing the sick.
Jesus sent his disciples out to serve and to rely on those they were serving. Christ’s followers are people who see themselves as “sent” — as having a mission, a calling to use their gifts, talents and strengths to serve others. Christ’s followers are dependent on each other, partners in ministry, accompanying and supporting each other on the road and in their work. Christ’s followers are dependent on those they serve, not just for bed and board, but for the very opportunity to exercise their gifts, talents and strengths in service. The person being served also has gifts, talents and strengths that meet the needs of the one who serves. This kind of mutual dependence is called interdependence and it is the basis for building healthy relationships between individuals and groups. I’ll come back to that in a bit.
In our reading from 2 Corinthians, Paul confronts a situation in which “super-apostles” — as he calls them — are taking advantage of church members, shaming and abusing them. These super-apostles base their authority on their lineage and credentials, their mastery of hardship, their special revelations and visions. Paul is not impressed. Although he too could claim all these things, he focuses instead on his weakness, writing, “I will not boast, except in my weakness” (v. 5). Paul reveals that he has a “thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan” that torments him and keeps him humble (v. 7). We don’t know what this “thorn” was — some physical deficiency, emotional or mental disorder, recurring spiritual distress.
Whatever, here are a few things to note:
The thorn was not from God, but from Satan. It was not a punishment from God. We need to remember that ur trials, tribulations, weaknesses are not punishments from God.
Paul prayed about it, begging God to take away the thorn.
God’s only response was “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (v. 9).
God wanted Paul to see his thorn in the flesh as something like refiner’s fire that under Christ’s direction and the Spirit’s guiding would help him grow, mature and become more Christ-like.
Professor Lois Malcom writes, “We mature as we recognize our weaknesses — our limits — and learn to rely ever more deeply on the power of Christ dwelling in us. Only by relying on Christ and not ourselves (or any other human authority for that matter) can we become “powerful” … in the sense of being a source of succor for others … build[ing] up one another so that we grow together, amid all that we experience, into the truth of our full maturity as human beings in Christ.” (“What is true spiritual power? www.workingpreacher.org).
Again the two themes of being sent and being dependent come together. An apostle is one who is sent — that’s what the word literally means. Christ’s apostles are sent to do what Jesus does. Christ sends ordinary people with weaknesses — thorns in their flesh — to do God’s work. Their spiritual power emerges only as they recognize their weakness, submit to God’s grace, and welcome those whom God sends to walk alongside them. Once again we see the theme of interdependence, and realize that it is only through interdependence that God transforms our weakness into power for each other — never power over others, always power for others.
So what does this have to do with July 4 and our celebration of Independence Day? We might be tempted to say that July 4 simply commemorates this country’s historic achievement of independence from British rule, and that today’s scriptures are irrelevant to that. On one level that might be true, but we are people who love our constitutional freedoms and insist on living them out in our daily lives. As the COVID pandemic has played itself out we have witnessed strange and disturbing displays of so-called freedom: the freedom not to wear a mask, the freedom to refuse vaccines, the freedom to open-carry weapons into state capitols, even the freedom to assault airline employees and shoot store clerks when they ask you to mask up.
As Christ-following people we are sent to teach and model a different kind of freedom. Martin Luther summed it up in these words, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject of all, subject to all.” Sound confusing? It’s all about interdependence. Here’s how it works. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is that each one of us is a beloved child of God, created in God’s image. Nothing we say or do will stop God from loving us. This truth frees us from the opinions and influence of others. This truth inspires us to gratefully serve Christ by serving those whom Christ loves without seeking gratitude, praise, or personal gain. True Christian freedom is displayed when we are Christs to one another, building each other up, growing together toward spiritual maturity, becoming more and more Christ-like.
In Christ we see what true liberty looks like. It means that even though you have status and influence, you refuse to pull rank or parade your power over others. It means choosing to live and work alongside people come from different backgrounds. It means showing compassion to all who suffer and struggle. It means giving yourself completely for the sake of the other. Isn’t that the very sentiment that Emma Lazarus in 1883 tried to capture in her poem that gave voice to Lady Liberty?
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
Please pray with me:
Lord of all the worlds, guide this nation with your Spirit to go forward in justice and freedom. Give to all our people the blessings of well-being and harmony, but above all things give us faith in you, that we may bring glory to your name and blessings to all people through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. Amen.
