A Brief History

Gospel: Mark 9: 30-39

Today's Gospel portion provides for us the entire history of Christianity in nine verses.  Jesus is speaking to us - telling us about himself, providing for us an example, and encouraging us to follow him in that path of peace, mercy, and love extended out to others.  But we are not listening.  We are too preoccupied with more important matters: who is most important, who holds the power.  

Jesus rebukes us for this preoccupation of ours, but we are not listening to that either.  We have created an institution that must be protected at all costs.  We continually find a way to monetize this message of Jesus for our own gain.  We look for ways to take the message and example of love and mercy and turn it into an instrument of empire that employs violence and deceit to maintain power and influence in the world.  

There are those, however, who do seek to follow the message and example of Jesus.  They provide food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, housing for the homeless, accompaniment for the sick and imprisoned, hospitality to the stranger and outcast.  They too are marginalized by the powers of this world and institutional religion.  But this is the real work of Jesus.  This is what we are to be about.