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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
The Book of Acts Bible Studies
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
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Fifth Sunday After Epiphany (B) Text: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39 February 8, 2009 In the late Nineties, I had a job for a while—which I probably haven’t mentioned to you that frequently because it wasn’t such a great job to me. The position I held was as a manager of the Banquets Department for a hotel in Urbana, Illinois. It was a very difficult job actually and I’d like to explain why. As you may know, Urbana, Illinois is a college town, so as it turns out, I was in charge of managing a team of people, mostly college kids, who really didn’t care about their work. This was a job to them… nothing more. A means to an end. The end being a little extra cash to supplement college living. A job—I think we can all relate (to some extent) to having just a job. Something you would rather not do, but you do it anyway… to get something out of it. Now, contrast that to what Paul is talking about in his 1st letter to the Corinthian Church… Paul describes what he does: Not as something done to get something in return. But as an obligation / responsibility or a commission (from the creator God) A calling. But what does this mean? Does human life necessarily have a calling (or callings)? Does your life have a calling(s)? Do you feel called to a higher purpose? This is what Paul was saying in his 1st Corinthians letter, that from his perspective, he believed his life had a purpose beyond any ulterior motive of his own. In fact, he said he did not want to get paid for it, because he felt like his reward was in the doing—not in the earning. And for him, he felt called to show people the grace of God found in Jesus Christ (and that people needed to trust that his motives were sincere). This was not an easy task. He risked his own life—many times (if you read the book of Acts) in order to tell people about the redemptive plan of God which came to fruition with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Why did he risk his life like this? Not to get anything in return, but simply because that is who he thought he was—He believed he was an apostle—someone sent by God—to proclaim Christ to the world. Paul, the evangelist! The point, for us, I think—the good news that I want you to hear and reflect on for your own life is this… It is possible to do something with your life (with the time you are given here among the living); it is possible to become someone who lives, not just to get something in return, but because IT IS WHO YOU ARE MEANT TO BE! And when someone finds this with his/her life, no matter the cost—they also find this inner peace…SHALOM: What a sweet feeling it is to realize you are who you are because that’s who God made you to be. So many of us try—due to the pressure of people, to be or to act like someone we are not. So many of us feel out of place, uncertain, uncomfortable in our own skin… but that’s not what God wants for us! Paul, on the other hand, evangelized, because he was an evangelist – he had it in him. No matter what anyone else said or did, it is who he was. It is what he believed the creator of the whole universe intended for his life… He found his calling. Now, as for you and me, how are we to know what God intends for our life? How do we know what we are to become to and for the people around us? This is where our Gospel story is very intriguing to me. From the First Chapter of the Gospel According to St. Mark. First, right off the bat with Simon's mother in law, after being healed and "lifted up" by Jesus (encountering this Amazing Grace), what does she do? It says she immediately begins to serve them. What a striking and unusual turn of events! Perhaps this is an indication of the transformation Christ brought into her life. The healing was so whole and complete, that it resulted in a response that was just as whole-hearted. Simon's mother in law was impacted in such a way by Jesus Christ that she, without hesitation, began to serve those around her. Perhaps her 'gratitude' was what caused her to act this way. This is a very important point. Rather than for compensation, this woman is working with the fuel of gratitude. Now think about this, if you are trying to think of where God is calling you in your life, perhaps you should begin by looking for gratitude in you heart. If you are focusing on things that you are grateful for, you can be sure you are reacting to God's grace, and not trying to earn something for yourself. The second thing that I want you to pay attention to in this story is what happened first thing in the morning. What was the first thing Jesus does in a day (for those of you who want to follow in a literal way, the example of Jesus Christ in your life)? The first thing he does, before the day is even under way, is set out for a deserted place, away from all distractions... where he could pray. I am struck by this, as an extremely valuable lesson. The day before, the "whole city was gathered around the door" for Jesus to heal them, and before long Simon and his companions would come "hunting for him." How easy it would have been, without creating this little retreat to a deserted place, for Jesus' agenda to have been totally set for him by the world. The story could have ended right here (without the prayer time, that is) with, "and the rest is history. Jesus stayed in Capernaum for the rest of his life, and Capernaum became know for its healthy folk with extraordinarily long lives." The point here, I think, is that Jesus himself realized a greater calling in life thatn Capernaum alone. And it was prayer folks. Prayer seems to have informed this understanding that his calling had consequences of cosmic proportions and that he needed to move on from Capernaum. Prayer was important, even for Jesus, the Son of God. Why do so many of us neglect prayer? Or find it irrelevant? When it can save the whole story (Christ's and ours) form unsatisfactory paths and premature endings! Brothers and sisters in Christ, today I propose a recognition day -- of life's many callings--setting aside time for prayer being the first and foremost Christian calling. Prayer is not just about what you can get in return... "I prayed until I realized God wasn't going to give me what I wanted." Prayer, rather, is about discernment for your life. It's the great "figuring out" what God is calling you to do in response to his creation. Prayer is not about what we can get out of it. It is time dedicated to figuring out/listening for what we can give in return. God has created us and our world in which we live from nothing--this whole thing is a gift! Jesus Christ has come into the world and into our lives to heal our weary souls--to forgive us our sins--and, life he did for Simon's mother in law, to lift us up. Now..., what is God calling us to do? This may very well be the main concern of prayer. Lord, help us to respond to your gracious reign with our lives and our living--help us to listen in prayer--for your guidance... for your call... Amen -------------------- Pastor Joshua W. Magyar 418 W. Main St. Sidney, MT 59270
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