Missing the Point
Mark 9:2-9[1]
To accuse someone of
“missing the point” is one of those “touchy” topics in our society. It’s
perfectly acceptable for us to admit to missing the point. But if someone else tells
us we’ve missed the point, it’s offensive. So most of us refrain from that
rather “in your face” accusation. At least to their face! But then, many of us
have become so accustomed to “arguing” with the TV or the radio that we say all
kinds of things to ourselves that we would never say in person. Unfortunately,
that habit has spilled over into our use of social media, where we seem to have
no inhibitions about hurling all kinds of things at people we don’t even know!
The Bible is filled
with stories about people who “missed the point.” One of the most obvious ones
is the story of the “golden calf.” Despite literally meeting God at Mount Sinai
and solemnly vowing to keep God’s instructions, no sooner did Moses go up the
mountain than the people of Israel broke their promise. God had made it clear
to them that they were not to worship other “gods,” and not even to make images
of other “gods.” But when Moses went up the mountain, Aaron and the rest of the
people made a statue of a “golden calf” that they worshiped as their “god.” They
surely missed the point!
The other dramatic example
of “missing the point” in the Bible is found in the Gospels. Time and again,
Jesus’ own disciples failed to grasp even the basics of what he was trying to
teach them. Here are just some of the “highlights.” When parents were bringing
their children for Jesus to bless them, the disciples “sternly” tried to
prevent them. Jesus said, “let the children come to me.” When a gentile woman
who was begging for healing for her daughter got on their nerves, the disciples
asked Jesus to send her away. Instead, he commended her faith and healed her
daughter. Jesus not only taught but also modeled the role of a servant for his
disciples. But they were vying with each other for the “best seats” in the
coming kingdom of God. My personal “favorite” is when James and John wanted to
call down fire to consume an entire village! The apostles missed the point on
many occasions!
Our lesson from the
Gospel of Mark today presents us with another of many episodes when Jesus’
disciples missed the point. It’s the story of Jesus’ transfiguration, something
we probably don’t pay too much attention to because we find it hard to
understand. I would say we shouldn’t feel too badly about that, because so did
Peter, James, and John! The transfiguration was meant to convey several
important “points.” First, the “voice” from heaven identifies Jesus as the Son
of God. In Mark’s Gospel, however, Jesus’ disciples would not be able to
recognize that until after Jesus had died and was resurrected.
The second point
relates to the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the command to “hear him.”
Both of those features of this story reinforced Jesus’ teachings as just as
important as those of Moses and Elijah, if not more so. Jesus’ disciples were
to not only hear them but also put them into practice. But they failed to grasp
even the most basic of Jesus’ teachings. The third point was that this was yet another
demonstration that the kingdom of God was truly present in and through Jesus’
ministry. They missed that point as well, because they were still looking for
the restoration of the kingdom of David.
As usual in the
Gospels, Peter is the one who represents the disciples’ obvious failure to
grasp what was happening. Overwhelmed by the whole experience, he asks if they
should build three “tabernacles”—one for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Of course, he
completely missed the point of the whole event. He wanted to stay on the
mountain with the transfigured Jesus, as well as Moses and Elijah. But the real
mission, the real purpose of Jesus’ life, was down the mountain, in the push
and pull of the real world. Peter and the others missed the point.
When I think about
Peter and the other disciples and how badly they misunderstood Jesus, I begin
to wonder about the ways we may be missing the point today. One thought that I
would like to borrow from our friend Rev. Dr. Christy Dempsey is that we seem
to view our faith as an activity rather than an identity that shapes who we are
fundamentally and impacts all of life. If so, we’ve missed the point on that
one. I think we also get attached to our traditions and customs and forget that
the means by which we carry out Jesus’ ministry in our world are always
changing. It’s the mission that’s the point. Furthermore, we think the kingdom
of God is something “out there somewhere,” not something that makes a
difference in our lives here and now. But I would say that wherever any who
feel weighed down by their burdens find relief, wherever any who feel left out
find welcome and embrace, wherever any who suffer find comfort and support, God’s
kingdom is there making a difference.
One of the comforting
aspects of the way in which Jesus interacted with his often “befuddled”
disciples is that he called them “you of little faith.” It was his
compassionate way of gently reminding them what he was about. He continued to
work with them to bring them along in their ability to understand what he was
calling them to do. I find that comforting because we all have a tendency to
miss the point. We seek the comfort and safety of what is familiar to us. But
in every situation, God is working in our midst, making a difference in
people’s lives. I think the point of our discipleship is that we align our
lives with what God is doing in our world through Jesus Christ.
[1] ©
2021 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm, Ph.D. on 2/14/2021 for
Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.
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