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Mark 6:1-13 Does anybody remember years ago there was a game show called, Let’s Make a Deal? One of my favorite parts of that show was when the host went out into the audience and offered money for random things that people might have in their bags, their purse or in their wallet. Well, we’re going to play a short version of that this morning. I have three $1 bills here and the first person to stand up with this item in their hand gets the dollar bill. In return, I’m going to borrow your item for the rest of the sermon. This will probably go quick, so be prepared. The first item I’m looking for is a car key. (Hand out $ bill & get the key) The second item I’m looking for is anything to do with automobile insurance – whether its your insurance card, the business card of your insurance agent, a pen with their logo on it – anything having to do with your car insurance. (Hand out $ bill & get the insurance item) The third item I’m looking for is a driver’s license. (Hand out $ bill & get the license) All three of these items that I’ve collected from your various bags represent some pretty important things in our lives. Without them, it would be almost impossible to go anywhere, especially in St. Charles where there is virtually no public transportation. Without car keys, your car and all of its power would be virtually useless. Without car insurance and the protection it provides, you are not only living dangerously, but also breaking the law. And even if you do have a car and insurance, if you don’t have a driver’s license, you don’t have the authority to operate your vehicle and take it out on the road. Whether you keep these items in a bag or not, I’m fairly certain that most people in this room who are over 16 could produce all three of these items given enough time. Back in Jesus’ day, there was a group of preachers who also carried around bags full of important stuff. They obviously didn’t have car keys, insurance cards, or driver’s licenses, but the stuff in their bags were extremely important to them nonetheless. This group of preachers were called cynics and their entire purpose in life was to travel around the country and talk about whatever religion or philosophy they happened to believe in. And because these cynics traveled around all of the time, the bags that they carried contained everything that they owned. In fact, to be a cynic preacher at that time and to have one of these bags was kind of a badge of honor. They were proud to be cynics and have only one bag because it meant that they were entirely self-sufficient. They carried around everything they needed in their bags and they didn’t need help from anyone. I guess the modern day equivalent would be backpackers. Most backpackers take a certain amount of pride in the fact that they can carry everything they need for a week or so on their backs. They don’t need help from anyone else. The cynics were much the same way – they took great pride in their self-sufficiency. Now, knowing that background of the culture, take a look at Jesus’ instructions to his disciples as he is sending them out. Our gospel story says, “Jesus called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.” It seems that self-sufficiency for Jesus really wasn’t that important. In fact, by Jesus ordering his disciples to dress and to act differently, he was making sure they couldn’t be self-sufficient. He was sending his disciples out to be dependent upon others, to be completely sustained by the community that they would be serving. Doesn’t this pretty much fly in the face of our American culture today? The pride of most Americans is that we’ve made it on our own – individuality is a prized possession. It can be incredibly shameful to ask for help or to admit that you need some assistance with something. I know I am extremely guilty of this. From an early age I was taught that it was best to do things on your own and I was praised any time that I achieved something by myself. And to this day, I hate, I hate to ask for help. I hate to admit that I can’t do something on my own. Yet that is exactly what God wants from us. God wants us to be dependent upon each other and upon him. The beauty of Jesus’ plan for his disciples, both in the gospel lesson and for us today, is that ministry is always a two-way street. When you are ministering to someone else, they are ministering to you as well. When you seek to help someone else, you will undoubtedly gain some benefit from it yourselves. I know many of you volunteer at OASIS food pantry and I’m sure that you probably leave there each time with a good feeling, knowing that you’ve helped someone. Hopefully, those people that you’ve helped have also helped you in some way, either by sharing part of their story with you, helping you see the world in a different way, or simply by saying, “Thank-you” and helping you feel like you’ve made a difference. I know many of you are looking forward to being trained as Stephen Ministers, although you have yet to fill out the applications. Which, by the way, you should do fairly soon. But anyway, as you serve as a Stephen Minister, you will provide a great ministry to someone else simply by listening, but your care receiver will also be ministering you in some very special ways by opening up, sharing their lifestories, and by trusting you completely. Tomorrow, there are five of us adults taking 13 high school students down to San Antonio for Cruzando. As adults, we are there to take care of the kids and minister to them, but you’d better believe that we adults are going to gain a great deal ourselves by being with these young people for a week. God has designed ministry, service, and love as a two-way street. Unlike the cynics, who prided themselves on self-sufficiency, Jesus designed Christian ministry to be interdependent, with both sides gaining benefit from the mutual love shared during ministry. There are no bags necessary for this important work that Jesus has called us to as Christians. Now, just because we’re sent out to rely on each other, doesn’t mean that Jesus sends us each out empty-handed. Jesus gives us some very important things that allow us to build community and to lean on one another in times of need. Jesus gives us three particular things that are represented, coincidently, by the three objects I borrowed from some of you this morning. The first thing Jesus equipped his disciples with and what he equips us with also is power. Jesus said to take a staff, a symbol of God’s power. This morning, this is represented by the car key. We have been given great power to go out and make a difference. Cars can travel far and fast and are much more powerful than any one human being. Likewise, we are sent out to the world with much more power than any one human being. We are sent out with God’s power and we have access to this power any time we so choose. It is God’s power, not our own, that enables us to help others and ourselves get through the difficult times. This power comes through prayers, through acts of mercy, through reading the scriptures, and through cooperation with each other. Anytime that you go to start your car, use that as a reminder that you are equipped with God’s power. The second thing that Jesus gave his disciples and he also gives to us is protection. Jesus said to wear sandals, which protected their feet from the perils of the road ahead. Likewise, just as our cars are protected by insurance, Jesus’ death and resurrection have insured us against the worst that this world has to offer. No matter what risks we take to help others, no matter how much we mess up in the meantime, we know that we are assured a place in heaven. Every time that you see a car insurance commercial on TV or get your insurance card in the mail, remember that you are also protected by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Finally, Jesus sent his disciples out with authority. Not only did they have his power and protection, but they also had the authority of the Holy Spirit. This was their license to do good. They didn’t have to ask anyone if it was okay to do something nice for someone else, they could just do it and know that it was going to make a difference for Jesus. In the same way, each of you has a license to do good in this world. Whether you feel like you’ve had a lot of training or just a little bit, each one of you has the opportunity and even the responsibility to make a difference to the people you see on a daily basis. By your baptism, you are fully licensed and ready to go do good in the name of Jesus Christ. Be reminded of this every time you pull out or look at your driver’s license – you have the authority to do good. God’s power, Jesus’ protection, the Holy Spirit’s authority. Why would you want to be self-sufficient and try to make it on your own when you’ve been given these wonderful gifts? The cynics can keep their bags. Teach us, Lord, to be dependent upon you and upon each other through these great gifts. Amen.
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