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| "Jesus Healing the Sick' Chris Gollon, British (1953-2017) |
“He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted
place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and
they had no leisure even to eat.” (Mark
6:31)
Freakin’ Andy was back today. I thought I’d
seen the last of this guy. He’s a local character who comes by the church every
once in a while looking for a hand-out. I don’t mean to sound heartless, but I
keep trying to remind Andy that we’re not his personal ATM, and he might be
able to save a good deal of cash himself if he’d give up the cigarettes which
run almost nine bucks a pack in Philly. Also, this congregation—like just about
every small Protestant church in Philly—is running on “E” and is held together financially
with Scotch tape and dental floss! We don’t have a safe with unlimited cash for
every panhandler in the Northeast. We don’t even have a petty cash box or food
vouchers, and the pastor doesn’t have unlimited time to listen to the sob story
of everyone who comes along trying to bum a few bucks off of him.
What do you do with a guy like Andy who won’t
take “We have no money or grocery script” for an answer?
What would Jesus do?
I gave the guy the six dollars I had in my
pocket and let him pillage the cart of donated food we have set aside for the
local Lutheran food cupboard called Feast of Justice. He asked if we had any
tuna fish, so I gave him two cans which the wife of my bosom sent with me to
make my lunch. I also gave him some juice boxes from the VBS, a few bottles of
water, and a plastic take-out container so he could mix some tuna and mayo for
a sandwich. What was I supposed to do, let the guy starve?
It never ends. The need is always there.
The doorbell rings and there’s the local sad sack. The phone rings, and it’s
the shut-in lady telling you her woes. There are sermons to write and bulletins
to edit and old folks to be visited.
Sorry. I don’t mean to complain. Really I
don’t. But I really get why Jesus, in the gospel lesson for Pentecost 9 (Mark
6:30-34, 53-56) wanted to take the twelve with him to a deserted place after
they had done so much ministry. Everyone needs a break at times. Unfortunately,
most of us don’t even know what that is. Jesus isn’t taking them to a place of
amusement. They aren’t going to Disneyland or to the Jersey Shore or even to a
day spa.
No. They’re going to a deserted place—a place
in the wilderness with no distractions. They are going to a place where they
can be alone with Jesus and where he can speak to their tired spirits (v. 32). Sometimes,
you know, we just have to be alone with our own souls. We have to find that
place where we can talk to God and figure out who we are. We need to find the
place where we can face the truth about ourselves honestly without the
distractions of our constant “doing.”
I never forgot a sermon I heard in a Lutheran
church in Huston over forty years ago. The pastor said that the trouble with
Americans is that we worship our work, work at our play, and play at our
worship. Think about that.
Our Gospel lesson, alas, doesn’t say that
Jesus and the twelve got much of a spiritual retreat. The needs of the world kept
crowding in like paparazzi around the latest rock star. Fortunately for us, the
compassion of Jesus for the constant bleating of the lost sheep (guys like
Andy) is limitless.
Like I always do, I ask myself, “Who am I
in this story?” Am I one of the disciples who’s wearied by doing mission? Or,
rather, am I one of the sick who is reaching out to Jesus in need of healing?
Truth be told, I think I’m one of the later. I may never have the time or the
patience or even the maturity to really come face-to-face with my relationship
with Jesus, but I’m reaching out for the hem of his garment all the same. And I
believe that will be enough.
I hope you all find rest for your souls,
my friends. Thanks for reading.
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