Dunbar
UCC
March 8, 2009
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16
Mark 8:31-38
Beginning at 99
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Sometimes people come to pastors for advice. A colleague of mine said a man
wanted advice for a problem at work. He was passed over for promotion while
other people, who were a different race and color, were promoted. The boss
passed over workers who performed well because of their race. The pastor told
the man to talk to his boss about this but to be careful about how he accused
his boss of racial discrimination. He should do it respectfully. The man
took the pastor’s advice and within a week was fired.
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Maybe he should have kept quiet and accepted injustice and racism as a part of
life. There will always be bigots and people have to accept that and take
what they can get. If you don’t like something, fine. But don’t make trouble.
Wouldn’t Jesus have said that? Just accept the injustice and the evil people
do to you and wait till you get to heaven where things will be better.
- If
you think Jesus would have said that, you don’t read the Bible. Jesus was
executed because he didn’t accept the status quo -- the “way things are.” He
broke the law. He healed people on days when healings were forbidden. He ate
with people he wasn’t supposed to eat with. The women and men he saw caused
scandals. And when something was wrong, he told the leaders, in the open.
Eventually Jesus was fired too, and the bosses made sure he couldn’t find
another job. But God had other plans because God won’t accept the status quo
either. There are two ways, the way things are and God’s way, and Jesus asked
us to choose God’s way. Abraham was 99 when he chose -- so it’s never too
late to leave the way-things-are and find the kingdom of heaven. Some of us
will find heaven today, and it might take some of us till we’re 99. But God’s
more patient than we are. God will wait us out -- till every last one of us
finds our way back to our true home.