READING Mark Chapter 6 v 1-13

Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff – no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

SERMON

I am a huge Star Trek fan. I can remember when the first Star Trek Movie came out in 1979 and thought it was a great movie!

Mr Spock, who is Starfleet’s half Vulcan/half human science officer, had retired in 2269. After retirement, he began a process to purge all emotions from his body. In a couple of years, he had completed all but the final ritual. He was unable to complete the ritual after receiving strong emotions from something in space.

It just so happens that there was a powerful alien force in the shape of a massive energy cloud headed for Earth. The Starship Enterprise is dispatched to find out what it is and keep it from destroying earth. The ship, however, had been undergoing upgrades and was not running as smoothly as it should.

So Starfleet called their number one science officer, Mr Spock, out of retirement to help. It seems that it was this very energy cloud that was sending these distracting emotions to Spock and kept him from focusing on what he needed to become a true Vulcan.

Here was Spock, on the verge of getting rid of all emotions so that he could be disciplined only in logic and he became distracted. All that he had dreamed of and had worked so hard to achieve – gone in an instant because he was distracted. He wanted so badly to become a full Vulcan, living only a life of pure logic. But he lost his focus.

Now you may well be thinking, Hold on a minute Kevin this sounds very interesting but what has it to do with our Gospel reading? When we hear of Jesus teaching in the synagogue and sending out his disciples in two’s to undertake healing and preaching?

Well, Jesus had been travelling around casting out demons, calming storms, healing diseases, and raising the dead. And now he arrives back in his hometown. Everybody had heard of all the deeds he had been performing.

In today’s society there would have been a big open top bus parade, fanfare, people lining the streets shouting and cheering, waving their flag and blowing their hooters.

So here was Jesus – despite all the things he had been doing when he came home there was no parade; there was no feast; no celebrations.

On the Sabbath he went to the Jewish Synagogue and he began to preach and interpret the scriptures in such a way that the people were astounded. But instead of welcoming home their favourite son, they criticized him.

Isn’t that Mary and Joseph’s son? Isn’t his dad a carpenter? I can remember when he was just a toddler! How can HE know so much about the scriptures then? Who is HE to be teaching us? He’s not educated! He’s not been approved! How dare HE do that!

I believe that Jesus came to his hometown ready to continue doing mighty deeds. But what does the scripture tell us? Vs. 5 – He could do no deed of power there except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them.

Why? Not because Jesus didn’t want to help them. But because they – the people – were distracted by whom they thought Jesus should be. They couldn’t see the Messiah. They only saw the carpenter’s son.

They were too focused on what they thought they knew about Jesus to hear God speaking through him.

They were too focused on stopping Jesus from preaching or healing or blessing – or whatever powers he was prepared to use for them – that they missed out.

I wonder if the people in Jesus’ hometown ever realized what they had missed out on. They had everything that they needed for something powerful to happen in their lives but little happened because they were so distracted by other things…like what other’s were saying, what other’s would think.

The Lord was with them! He had the power to do mighty things and he probably had a special place in his heart for those hometown folks! He would have done many things if only they had focused on HIM! Notice the scripture doesn’t say that he didn’t want to do powerful deeds for them, but that he could not do them!

How many times do we allow distractions in our lives to literally stop Jesus Christ from doing his powerful things to us. Things that change our very lives!

When we are away fro here, do we become worried about what other’s might think or say? Are we distracted by things that take our focus off of the Christ?

But, Jesus is ready and willing to work in our lives, to transform us into something new. All we have to do is to focus on HIM.

If we are distracted by what we have in our minds about how things should be….then we may miss out on what God wants for us. We may miss out on hearing God call to us.

If we are allowing what other’s think or say to distract us from the power of Jesus, then we will miss out on his blessings and/or miracles.

If we are distracted by our unbelief, (and we all have a little bit of that in us – why doesn’t God heal our sick friend? Why doesn’t God stop war?) then we will not experience the transformational power that is available to each of us through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Spock wanted nothing more than to be a full-fledged Vulcan, but he lost his focus.

We seek desperately to be Disciples of Jesus, but we too sometimes lose our focus. We must keep our eyes on the Christ. We must allow Jesus to do his mighty deeds of power among us.

There is no limit to the Lord’s power but we have the ability to limit it through our lack of faith, through our doubt but more through our loss of focus.

We are our own worst enemies! We can’t do anything on our own and yet we limit what the Lord is able to do through us! We need to turn our eyes, our hearts, and our minds, to Jesus and don’t smother the power that is available to us… because with Christ, all things are possible!

Let’s not stop God’s mighty power! Let’s focus on the One who seeks to save the sinner and bring home the lost!! Let the transforming grace and power of the Lord overflow in our lives so that we can be his hands and feet to a hurting and confused world. Amen.

PRAYERS

We give thanks that you sent Jesus to live among us. We pray that we may share in his mission, that we may pass on the message of the Gospel and show acts of mercy that reveal God’s love. May your whole Church be moved to share in the ministry that is theirs. We remember today all involved in healing ministry, spiritual direction, counselling and all those who lead in ministry.

Lord hear us and show your loving kindness

We remember all those who are suffering under dictatorial states, all who are oppressed and forced to do what they do not want to do. We ask your blessing on all who are seeking to bring liberty and freedom to captive peoples. Give courage and strength to all who are working for relief agencies and generously to all who are called upon to support them in their work.

Lord hear us and show your loving kindness

We give thanks for our homes and loved ones. Through our families teach us to be sensitive to the needs of others. Help us to listen carefully and to respond quickly. We ask your blessing upon all who have stopped communicating properly with each other and that they may again be awakened to those with whom they live and work.

Lord hear us and show your loving kindness

We give thanks that you, O God, care for us, body, mind and spirit.

We remember in your presence all suffering people especially for those who feel no one listens or cares. We ask you to bless all who are homeless, all who are deeply in debt and pray for all who are drug addicts and all who cannot cope with life. We remember all who are ill in our own community.

Lord hear us and show your loving kindness

We rejoice in the Good news of eternal life. We remember in your presence friends and loved ones who are departed from us. We share with them in the fellowship of all your saints and commend them and ourselves to your unfailing love.

Merciful Father, accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

And so we bind our prayers together in the words that Jesus taught his disciples …

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen

Revd Kevin.
Associate Priest at St.Wilfrid and St.Thomas