The Doorway to Grace

Mark 9:38-50           

One time a mother was having trouble with her two sons.  They were pulling all kind of mischief and she could never get them to admit their guilt.  Finally, as a last resort, she took them to see the pastor of the church.  Maybe he could get them to understand that God knows what they have done even if they wouldn’t admit it.  So the first boy went in to see the minister.  He sat in the big chair across the desk and there the minister stared at him with his most intimidating look and finally asked, “Where is God?”  The boy didn’t know what to answer.  So the minister repeated, even louder: Where is God?  Suddenly the frightened little boy jumped up and ran out and grabbed his little brother out of the receptionist’s office and headed out the door running as fast as he could.  The little brother asked, “What’s wrong?  Why are we running?”  The other brother said, “All I know is that someone has stolen God and they’re trying to blame it on us!”

Who likes to take the blame for things that go wrong?  Mankind’s history is to blame it on someone else: The woman gave me the fruit, Lord... 

Have you ever thought about the excuses we give to God? Christ told us: Go therefore into all the world, making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, but we only want a certain socio-economic status of people in the church.  God has called us to be holy in all our lives, but surely he didn’t mean my favorite sin.  God has called us to show our faith in some very concrete ways, like: Giving a cup of water to the thirsty, loving the little ones and teaching them about the faith, being the salt of the earth.  There are a lot of areas where God has given us very specific commands.  What excuses do we have?

In our scripture lesson for today Jesus tells about some of the excuses people offer Him.  And I believe that He is intending to be rather humorous.

Hand is the problem: God I really didn’t want to take it, but this hand you gave me, it just couldn’t be controlled.  I didn’t want to hit him, Lord, but this hand, before I knew it, it was making a fist...  Oh, really, then cut it off!

Foot causes you to stumble: God I really didn’t want to go in there.  I knew I shouldn’t, but this foot, well it wouldn’t hop off the accelerator and onto the brake, and before I knew it I was walking right in the door.  Really?  Then cut it off.

Eye is the problem: Now, Lord I know I shouldn’t really have looked at that, but after all, my eye just picked up the image.  I know I shouldn’t have given her a second look, Lord, but after all you made my eyes, and I can’t control what I’ve seen.  Oh, really?

Note here that Jesus is talking to John, the disciple He loves.  Jesus didn’t take any excuses.  He called their bluff. And at first it may seem that Jesus is being really cruel to him. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Think with me if you will about the times in the Bible people put up excuses.  Adam ate the fruit, blamed it on the woman, who in turn blamed it on the serpent.

God called Moses to tell Pharaoh to let the people go.  Do you know what Moses said?  Well you know God, I’m not a good speaker.  So God sent his brother-in-law, Aaron to be his mouthpiece, and said, in effect, where’s your excuse now?

If I could summarize this teaching of Christ’s it would be [50] two very inter-related things, and we’ll need to deal with them both, especially since Christ’s table is set before us.  Those two things are: 1. Take responsibility when you do something wrong, and 2. At all cost, get along with each other.

What excuses do you have this morning for not following Jesus Christ, in what you’re doing, in what you’re not doing, in your personal level of holiness, are you being obedient, or are you offering excuses?  Well, God I would go, but... I would say, but...  I would quit this or start this, but...

Where are your excuses?  One of the marks of a mature Christian is that we take responsibility for our own actions.  Patsy Clairmont told the story of one time she got her hair done.  When she looked in the mirror she did not like what she saw and she started fussing at the hairdresser, who told her: Hon, this is a comb. Not a wand, and I’m a beautician, not a magician.

Today it’s in vogue to be a victim.  Listen, there is more than enough blame to go around.  As Christians, it is time for us to take responsibility for our own actions.  We need to pay for what we buy, clean up what we mess up, put up what we get out, confess where we have been untruthful, apologize for when we’ve fostered disunity, quit and repent of bad habits, and begin new ones.  Else this world will never get any better.

I know we cannot do it in our own strength.  But, we are children of God filled with the Holy Spirit.  In God’s strength, we can be honest, clean up our lives, and receive God’s strength and peace.  But we have to want to!  Do you want to live a life free of ridiculous excuses?  Do you want to have peace in your heart and in your life, and peace with each other?  There is only one way to get it.  John said, “If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  We will never feel the wonderful refreshing power of God’s grace and forgiveness until we are honest with ourselves and with God.  Mark Twain said that there is no sedative so strong and sweet as a clean conscience.  That, to me is good theology.