Failures Mark 14:27-31
As we move closer to Good Friday it could be a good thing to look at sin after all, Good Friday is when the debt of our sin is paid. Most people don’t like to look at “sin” as it has a connotation of something horrific, a blatant act of violence or deprivation. While this may be true for some I don’t think anyone here falls into that category. Simply put sin is anything we deliberately do that goes against the will of God.
This is why many including myself believe that if a child dies, as much of a tragedy as that is; the child goes to heaven because they are not mature enough in their thinking to fully understand God and therefore they cannot make a deliberate choice to act against him.
I counseled a couple a few years ago who were scared that their disabled daughter who was confined to a wheelchair and unable to do anything for herself due to a birth accident, was going to hell. Why they thought this I don’t know, but the same belief system applies. I told them that even if --- had thoughts against God she was unable to understand and she certainly was unable to act on those thoughts, so I do not believe our just God holds her in sin, he holds her as a perfect and loved child. And rather than in fear they should see their daughter now running and laughing, whole and perfect in the presence of Almighty God.
Now what about me? I’m a rational adult with the cognitive ability to understand scripture, what are my sins? Put a little differently, what are my failures? As I sat at my desk, once again Peter; imperfect but ever trying Peter came into my mind. To know my failures I need to examine Peter and his failures.
In Matthew 15 Jesus says, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of someone’s mouth, that is what defiles them.” But then in Matthew 15:15 Peter says, “Explain…”
Here Jesus is talking about the cultural and Mosaic laws of food and action and disease that Israel at the time ruled as keeping you from God. He’s saying what we take in is not what keeps us from God what we give out does. My failure is not understanding this concept. I drink alcohol, I have gone to temple with a friend, I have had deep theological discussions with a Muslim, I have shown respect to others beliefs; none of this keeps me from Christ. You’re a drug addict, stay away from me. You live an alternate lifestyle; I can’t be your friend. Your church does things differently, you’re all going to hell. Believing God isn’t or won’t work in someone’s life, living out prejudicial and hateful attitudes; that keeps you from God and that is one of man’s failures. Matthew 7:2, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged.”
A few weeks ago, we looked at how Jesus told the twelve “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” (Mark 8:15) We saw how we’re not supposed to infuse our faith with beliefs or traditions from other faiths. How we’re not supposed to put loyalty to political leaders, to desires, to anything above our loyalty to Christ. Both of these are failures of men and we tend to do them often.
As I was going over this the term “Cafeteria Christian” came to mind. Cafeteria Christian refers to someone who claims to be a devote Christian but only adheres to those things they like or things that don’t cause them to be uncomfortable while disregarding those teachings that they don’t like. I think this could go a different way. Fifty years ago people used scripture to show how Caucasians and people of color couldn’t get married. They came to scripture with pre-determined beliefs and they came with prejudices, and they then used scripture to justify their prejudices rather than look to scripture to erode their false beliefs. Today the same thing is being done with the LGBT community. People use scripture to justify their prejudice, fear, and lack of understanding rather than see how God loves everyone and we are told to love everyone too.
Scripture should expose our prejudices not enforce them. Using scripture to justify us rather than point us to God’s love and glory is a failure of men. Mark 12:31 “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
In Mark 10 children are trying to get to Jesus but his disciples try to chase them away, Mark 10:14, “Jesus was indignant. He said, ‘Let them come to me and do not hinder them.’” There are lessons here about approaching Jesus with the trust and wonder of a child and not with the distrust and wariness of adult attitudes. However I think this scene applies to our study of man’s failures. You’re LGBT, can’t get to heaven. You’re an addict, God’s not accepting you. You don’t worship right; your church is leading you to damnation. You didn’t get on your knees and cry and beg for forgiveness, you’re not sincere. I have been told all these things, and all these things are not true.
Saying things, doing things that keep others away from God, this is a failure of men. People and even whole churches sometimes want to put their own ideas on God, put their own desires in the place of God’s desires. Maybe someone makes us uncomfortable; they don’t make God uncomfortable. Maybe someone hasn’t accepted Christ yet, doesn’t mean they won’t. Maybe someone doesn’t understand, doesn’t mean the Holy Spirit isn’t present.
Romans 16:17, “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause division and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teachings that you have learned. Keep away from them.” Making others feel they can’t approach Jesus, making others believe God wouldn’t accept them; that is a failure of men. In fact, here I would use the word sin with all its connotations.
In Matthew 14 Jesus walks on water. Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking across the water toward Jesus but then he flounders and starts to sink. Peter had his eyes fixed on Jesus and all went well. Matthew 14:30, “But when he saw the wind he was afraid and began to sink…”
My life’s going great; good job, money in the bank, God is blessing me. Oh no, a loved one’s sick, Jared’s using drugs, I hate my life. I’m sinking in despair. God is in control of all of his creation. Now I don’t mean that if a child dies it’s God’s will; I can’t tell you how many times I heard that when Jared died. Bad things happen in our fallen world. But God is ever present, he is our strength to move on with life, our strength to live with our grief and yet live in our life. He gives us the ability to stay above the waves and not sink into a permanent depression.
Jesus tells the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4, “Yet I hold this against you. You have forsaken the love you had at first.” Not praising God and turning to him in the worst times of our lives is a failure of men. But Christ gives us hope, Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so you may overflow with the hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
In Mark 9the disciples were arguing over which one of them was the greatest, Mark 9:35, “Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, ‘Anyone who wants to be first must be last, and the servant of all.’” I’ve had people tell me they were going to heaven because they love Jesus, they worship God, they have found the light! Yet every time it comes across as boastful in themselves and with the implication of ‘I’m going to heaven and you’re not.’ And it definitely implies that they did something to deserve Christ that I didn’t do.
No, wrong; I am going to heaven and I have no doubt about it, because the Holy Spirit led me to Christ and he opened my eyes to the truth. The Holy Spirit worked in my heart and brought me to accept Christ as my savior. The truth of God is I am no better than the worst sinner on earth. God does not quantitate sin; they had a big sin I just had a tiny inconsequential sin; it’s ok. Romans 3:10, “As it is written, ‘There is no one righteous, not even one.’”
Those who boast I’m saved and you’re not fail to see it’s the Holy Spirit who led them to salvation. They fail to see the sin in their lives. They fail to see they still sin and its only God’s grace that keeps them from being judged for it. It’s because I’ve been approached like this on several occasions that I came to believe it is not my place to try to point out someone’s sin, but it is my place to admit I’m a sinner who sins every day and deserves punishment but let me tell you what Jesus did for me.
I’ve been with people evangelizing and when someone doesn’t immediately see the truth through the power of their words, they dismiss them. By dismissing the person they are dismissing that person’s spirit. And they’re dismissing the work of God’s Holy Spirit. And this is a failure of men. No one is justified by what I say. If you come to understand scripture by what I say it’s because its God speaking not me. Some people are just interested in putting a check mark in the “Won one for Jesus” column.
Proverbs 4:25, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” Ever talk to somebody who is looking over your shoulder to the next one in line? When talking to someone for Jesus focus on that person and their spirit.
Good Friday is around the corner, and I think it’s relevant to look at the failings of men that Jesus took upon his back on the cross. By looking at Peter and the other disciples we see men with all their failings.
Mankind’s failures include living out hateful and prejudicial attitudes, and letting our fears and prejudices dictate how we see scripture rather than letting scripture expose our prejudices and remove them. We see it is not our call as to who is acceptable to God and who isn’t. We’re shown Jesus is our Lord in good times and in bad and we should worship him in both.
We should be brought to our knees knowing even as believing Christians we are no better than the worst sinner. Isaiah 53:1, “Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” We need to be reminded it is the Holy Spirit that separates the sheep from the goats. And it is only the spirit that can change a goat into a sheep.
Amen.