whoever is not against us is for us

Gospel of Mark 9:38-50
John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. 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.
Temptations to Sin
‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If 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. And 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., And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
 ‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’

I received a letter from the church of the Latter Day Saints this week, on official letterhead.  It was directed to me and the ministry of hospitality we call "Peter's Porch".  At Peter's Porch we serve breakfast and give out food, clothing, and other essentials to financially-struggling families in our community.  The letter from the Mormons offered to partner with us in our ministry by donating $1,000 worth of food to our food pantry.  My first cynical thought was, “What is this? The Mormons?  Are they trying to improve their reputation or give an impression for the sake of their candidate?”  Awful, I know.  Maybe they want to be generous. Maybe they want to help.  


The letter uncovered a prejudice in me that I confess with some shame.  I do not have a favorable disposition toward the Mormon church.  I do not consider them part of the one holy catholic and apostolic church.  They are not us.  And then I read the gospel and the words of Jesus.  Whoever is not against us is for us.  Jesus’ mission and his servant life are embodied by many different kinds of people, many kinds of Christians.  Not just Lutherans on Main St. in Akron.  I do not have the corner on the Jesus business. Mormons, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims---all could be doing the works of God.  The one sticking point being to do them  in the name of Jesus or Christ.  Does that exclude non-Christians?  Clearly we confess faith in the one God by any name—YHWH, ALLAH, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.  We speak to one Lord.  It could be that even people who are not exactly faithful or devoted in the ways we are faithful and devoted are still doing God’s redemptive, life-giving work. On paper, this sounds true.  But in reality, it feels like there is more distance between us than common ground.   

It seems like Jesus, however, sees the situation differently than we do.  Maybe because for us Christian religion, church, is a volunteer activity.  It is rarely dangerous or all that serious, unless something happens with the building or the organ.  It is an event , charitable work.  Or for some, entertainment.  Self-help.  Something that makes me feel good.   We think of Jesus as a teacher, a friend.  We have managed to soften and sanitize Jesus, so that he is more angelic than human.  Even though life is messy, we don’t necessarily see Jesus in the mess, he’s above or beyond all that.  

But I suspect Jesus saw himself as a trauma surgeon triaging a battle field.  He was here to fix up the spiritually and physically wounded.  On a battlefield, anyone who is not your enemy is your friend or ally. On the mission field, the same may be true.  Maybe Jesus was more serious about the work than we are.  Maybe he viewed it as life or death.  Do we take our ministry seriously, as if it matters in the world what we do?  Does it matter to anyone else that I am a Christian?  In a difficult situation, would anyone say, Thank God you’re a Christian.  You can do something.  Imagine if the Christians were known as the one’s who get dirty, who work in the hardest conditions, doing the worst kind of work.  One sociologist believes that is exactly who the early Christians were about and why the movement grew so rapidly.  Christians made an impact in crises, because they would rather die than abandon the mission.  People were that important to them---all people, not just their own. I know that people are afraid to be alone.  They are afraid to die.  They are afraid to hurt.  I think Christian faith has something to offer people.  If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing what I do.  

 I think people are looking for companions to travel with them in the existential crisis of life in 21st century, people who are helping to make sense of the meaninglessness we fear. People who have hope in the future.  

There is a new post-apocalyptic show on NBC called Revolution.  In it, all of the power has been somehow shut down.  There is no electricity, no battery power, nothing.  Its gone.  Back to the dark ages.   In this scenario, people suffer.  Tyrants take over.  Militias control by force.  All the lights were out.  This is the world Jesus entered.  And he recruited people who would aid him in his mission to turn the lights back on.  And he suggests here that anyone who is not obstructing that mission is on the right team. What are the implications? We are not alone in the healing and redemptive work of God.  We must seek out friends, partners, allies.  They won’t necessarily be Lutheran or even Christian.  The days when congregations like this one could enjoy self-sufficiency and social prominence are over.  We will never attract as many people as we did 40 years ago.  Those days are over.  We have to focus, people.   To what has Jesus called us into?   In so far as congregational life organizes our resources to accomplish the mission, it is good.  That which prevents us from doing that which Jesus is calling us to do, is a stumbling block and an obstacle and must be avoided.  We need to consider the mission first.  People around us are suffering.  They are lonely.  They are lost.  They are exhausted.  They are overworked.  They are under appreciated. They are mechanized and commodified.  Treated like machines, like things to be sold or bought, like consumable goods.  People are being treated, not like human beings, but like numbers in the economy.  Money drives everything.  We talk about employment, but what about meaningful work, fulfilling work, work with a sense of purpose?  Or is it all about the money?  Church is an alternative to the world’s system;  for those overworked, we invite you to rest.  For those underpaid, we invite you to receive freely.  For those who are weighed down by guilt, anxiety, shame, and regret?  We offer forgiveness and peace.  For the hungry---bread.   The homeless---shelter.  The lonely---companionship. Jesus cannot be managed by an institution that wants to survive for its own sake, while abandoning the mission to which He calls us.  Jesus cannot be managed by disciples who want to prevent outsiders from sharing the power and love of God.  He cannot be managed by certain rules.  I guess I have to reply to that Mormon church letter, don’t I?  If they’re not against us, they’re for us. Because Jesus does not discriminate.  He serves and calls us to do likewise.  May you experience the liberating love of Jesus.  May you find ways to make life better for someone else. Amen.