Soup for
Breakfast!
A sermon for world-wide communion Sunday
|
Mark 14 3-6; 12-16.
Leave her alone, said Jesus, she has done a beautiful thing. She had
done all that she could. She had purchased a vial of perfume, very
expensive in that society, and poured it on the body of Jesus. It was
an outrageous display of affecffon and adoration. Others were crying,
"What a waste! She could have given the money to me poor." Jesus
said "She has done a beautiful thing." There is no hint in me scriptures
whether or not this woman was a follower of Jesus. We don't know
whether this was to gain the favor of Jesus, or whether it was a
spontaneous demonstration of affection from a devotee. The writer
of Mark uses this story as a foreshadowing of Jesus death.
It causes us to raise some
questions. Like those in the story, we say, "Why?" Why is
it that people who are seemingly anonymous do some great things?
Why do individuals who are not people of faith work for the betterment
of others, volunteering their time and their money to assist the
needy? Why do people who never darken the door of any religious
institution often do far more for humanity than people who claim to be
Christian? It is one of the oldest and toughest problems the
Church has had to face during its long history; what do you say about
the righteous pagans? How do you deal with good, loving and
helpful people who are not part of the Church? This dilemma has caused modem
theologians to state that faith is dfflerent from belief. Simply
to believe is to leave the experience in the head. That is a
common misconception among people who are not followers. Marcus
Borg writes of being on an airplane when a woman who was his seat
partner said, "I'm much more interested in Buddhism and Sufism than I
am in Christianity, because" she continued "they are about a way
of life, whereas Christianity is all about believing. The
contemporary TV preachers, in the main, have been wrong. The
question is not "Do you believe?" The question is "Are you a follower?"
Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life." The first Christians
were called followers of "the way". Belief is not enough. It was the
writer of the book of James who said, "Even the demons believe and
they shudder." The truth that complicates our way of life is that
many who are followers of the way of Jesus are not participants in the
organized Church. Sometimes, some of the most Christ-like
gestures and deeds of assistance are done by people we least
expect. Do we lament that process? I think not; rather, we
rejoice and look within ourselves to see where we in the Church have
failed to inspire people to discipleship. We need to remember
that the symbol of the church is not a cushion; it is a cross.
The phone rang. "Is this Dr. Lobb" the voice asked. "It is" I
replied. "I'm calling from Winnipeg" the man said, "we're having a
preaching conference in our Church next October and I am inquiring if
you are interested and able to come and be a teacher of preaching."
After talking about dates and seeking the approval of the Official
Board of my church, we agreed to talk again. "I've never been in Winnipeg" I
said. "How should I dress for an October event?" "We have lovely
Indian Summers", he promised, "wear something light and comfortable." I
was picked up at the airport early in the evening and after a dinner
where the logistics of the conference were spelled out, I was taken to
my motel, which was one of those low Iying building built behind a
earthen wall or burm. I walked between the cut in the earth and
went into my room. I was
awakened by a phone call early the next morning. "Dr. Lobb, we have had
to cancel the conference". "Why" I asked. "Oh" he said, `'You haven't
looked out yet. Last night we had one of those freak early fall
snowstorms and the town is not moving. There are tree branches
down all over, and none of the snow equipment is ready. I can't
even get you to the airport, because it's closed, in fact, I can't get
over to take you to breakfast. You'll have to go on your
own. There is a small café near you. Go out the door of
the motel and take two rights and you will see a Greyhound
berminal. There's a café in there."
So, I got dressed, put on my light
clothes and my docksider shoes,
and I headed out the door to slosh through 10 inches of wet snow to find the café. When I got there, it was full.
The manager, waiter and host,
dressed
in a dirty apron looked around, and when a group of men in one corner moved together, he
signaled me to go to that seat. "May I have a menu?" I asked.
`'Don't need one", he said, " we're out of everthing except soup." "Oh,
soup", I said, "just what I love for breakfast," and he disappeared. Just then, the door swung open and
in walked a young lady, dressed inadequately for the conditions.
Her hair was wet and she shook her light raincoat. After looking
around, she noticed some rough old workers in one of the booths scoot
closer together and motion for her to join them. "What'll you have?"
asked the same waiter. "Just a glass of water" she said. I'm trying to
get to work and I am very wet and very cold. May I just have a
glass of water and remain here long enough to dry off a little and warm
up. "You'll have to go" bellowed the gruff waiter. "You can't stay if
you don't order something." "I don't have much money" she said, "That's
why I am walking, because I can't afford the bus ticket. And you
can see, I need to keep this job" "Sorry " he said, " you can't stay
here if you don't order." So she stood up. And then I observed an
amazing thing. The men at the table where she sat got up also. Then the
guys at the table where I was stood up. Even I stood up, and I
didn't have my soup yet.
"All
right, all right," yelled the waiter, "she can stay," So we all
sat down again. Finally, my soup came. It was a funny
looking soup. I never saw a soup like it before. What a
strange colour! And when I tasted it, it
was even more strange. It
sorta tasted like bread and wine!
Dr. Doug Lobb.