September 6, 2015 James 2:1-10; Mark 7:24-37 When It Hurts This sermon was preached by Pastor Jim Page at Trinity Lutheran Church Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace be with you. What s been frustrating you? Big question to begin with this morning. What s frustrating for you? Frustrations are often simple car trouble or you keep losing your cellphone. Perhaps you think those answers are trivial since you re thinking about something bigger in your life that s bothering you. So how about this question: what s been discouraging you? It could be something at work or a relationship that s become broken in some way. For some of you, the thing that s been bothering you is worse. It s beyond frustrating and discouraging. It s addressed by this question: What s been devastating to you? A health diagnosis of someone you know. Infertility. Someone you know died in your still coming to terms with it. Syrian refugees fleeing to Europe. There s a spectrum we could call life hurts where things that affect us range from frustrating to devastating. All of us are somewhere in between. Today, I simply want to be hopeful. For those who are facing a devastating reality my words in this short time may not bring any comfort. Yet, as we together look briefly at an inspiring story of Jesus ministry, my goal is that somehow, someway, all of you will leave with a greater sense of hope in that things will get better than where they are now. When we come across situations when life hurts, we naturally think one thing first. I wish I could remove it. I wish I could remove that cancer. I wish I could remove this tension between us. I wish I could remove that issue at work. I wish I could remove this pressure I feel. We realize all too quickly, that that plea is futile. So, what happens when remove it doesn t work? We then respond in one of two ways. The first way is, in my opinion, the most common way. This response requires little thought and little effort. When people feel defeated and worn down by whatever is causing them pain, most people get through it. Yes, this is a challenging time at work but we ll get through it. This season isn t going well for our team but we ll get through it. These budget cuts are irritating but we ll get through it. Our family is going through some turmoil right now, we ll get through it. Get through it people view a challenging circumstance as something they have to endure. It s often with a victim-mindset something is happening to us that s taking away our happiness. It s just the hand we have been dealt right now, it s not great but it ll get better. They live through the here and now, just putting their time in while focusing on a better future. The second response is not nearly as common. It comes from people who, in my opinion, are wise. They are confident and they are strong emotionally and spiritually. When life hurts, such people respond with the intent to get something out of it. When you talk to these people about a challenging situation, they recall it with a heavy heart but they almost sound grateful that it happened. For example, in speaking with a couple who were not able to have kids. They say, There were some rough days but you know, we wouldn t change it. We were able to adopt and our family is amazing. A woman talks about the tiresome tasks and the sad moments of caring for her husband as the disease of alzheimers slowly took his memory and his health. She says, It was hard to see him get worse and worse. But
being there for him, reading to him, holding his hand gave us tender moments of love that I ll always remember. When life hurts do you want to be a get through it person or do you want to be a get something out of it person? Our gospel story today speaks of a woman who is living in the devastating realm on the life hurts spectrum. It s a setting unfamiliar to us today in that her daughter is suffering from an unclean spirit. She wasn t going to settle by getting through it, she was intent on getting something out of it. What happened when she came to Jesus will inspire you to be just like her, trusting in God with an unwavering hope. We are in Mark chapter 7 and Jesus is seeking time away, a small vacation from the crowds and demands of ministry. We read, Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. (Mark 7:24a) He s near the Sea of Galilee and going northwest the town of Tyre out in the middle of nowhere. While there, a woman heard Jesus was in town and she found him. Mark includes the details that she was a Greek which was equivalent to being a Gentile. This meant she was regarded as outside of God s chosen people. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. (Mark 7:26) He said to her, Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children s food and throw it to the dogs. (Mark 7:27) Gone is any pleasant speech or tone of compassion. Jesus recognizes that she s not a part of God s chosen people and even refers to her as being as low as the dogs. This isn t the Jesus from Sunday School! Can you imagine she heard his words talk about kicking you while you re down. What she says next is so powerful since it shows us that she was not getting through the situation, she getting something out of it. But she answered him Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children s crumbs. (Mark 7:28) Many of us hear that and it s so confusing that we don t give any thought to it. But that women likely heard about what Jesus did a couple days beforehand when he fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple fish. The story is at the end of Mark chapter 6. She heard that he didn t just feed 5,000 people; his disciples gathered 12 baskets of leftovers. She heard about a man named Jesus who could heal the sick and who spoke of his kingdom where God s love was abundant for all people. She likely thought about God s love and Jesus power as she sat by her daughter s bedside. Rather than just getting through the situation and being passive, she was seeking God s presence and power not only for her benefit but for the benefit of her daughter as well. When life hurts, when we want God to remove a situation, I believe God uses those situations to come into our lives to bring about something beyond what we had envisioned. It may not be what is comfortable or what we want, but those moments shape us as followers of Christ trusting in God s will for our lives. Just as it was beyond her control for her daughter to be suffering from an ailment, there was a faith that trusted that God would bring about something better. What s unsettling, is that we can t see the future, we see only the here and now. Mark writes what happened next: Then he said to her, For saying that, you may go-the demon has left your daughter. So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Her faith led to God doing something remarkable in her life. For us, God often doesn t act that quick and in a way that we had hoped for.
Married couples still struggle with infertility. Alzheimer s disease still has an unyielding power. Even with treatments, cancer cells ravage a body. In whatever situation we are in, when it seems as though God isn t acting, God is at work right in the middle of it. God is using it for something better. My wife and I have set parameters on how much screen time our children have each day. Our littlest, Katie, will be three in November and taking the ipad away from her is far different than taking it away from her older brother and sister. Taking it away so she ll play with other things like all the other toys she has. It s never easy for Katie. There s no smile and look in her eyes that communicates, You are the best dad in the world. Thank you so much. You know what is best in my life. No, it s often a loud tantrum, tears and a look like I am the worst dad ever. Do I like it when she feels miserable? As a parent, do I want her to be happy all the time? Certainly. But as a parent, I know things will not make her happy and some of those things I can control-such as taking away screen time. Other times, they ll be beyond my control. Through it all, in those moments when life f hurts, she knows I m there, loving and caring for her. How much more does God love us to be with us as a parent in those situations when life hurts? Rather than simply get through it, as followers of Christ who get something out of it, we receive a new life in every situation. A greater sense of strength than we had ever experienced. A new outlook on a relationship: with your wife, your husband, your children, a friendship, with a colleague at work. A greater experience of God s presence on your life where goodness will overcome the hurt of now. Let s pray God, you know what has been causing each of us a sense of hurt be it frustrating, discouraging or devastating. At times, we wonder why and where you are in all of it. But just as that helpless mother came to your Son knowing that something good is always present, we ask that you open our hearts and minds to the goodness within the painful times we encounter. Help us trust in your love for us as our Heavenly Father. In Christ s name we pray. Amen.