Sam was heartbroken. He knew what he must do, drop out of his fraternity’s pledge class. It bothered him because he had been so lonely. Coming from a small high school the university had overwhelmed him. So, he had started hanging out at the Zeta House. When they invited him to pledge, he had been elated.
Yet the more he got to know them the less comfortable he was. For the first time in his life, his Christian faith was being put to the test. The closer he got to the “actives” the more he realized he was entering an unhealthy culture. Most of the guys were so degrading of women. Some of the hazing was abusive. While he was not a prude concerning alcohol, he didn’t understand what was so good about getting wasted every weekend. What the fraternity valued brought him up short, the most revered member was the guy who could suck down the most Jell-O shots in one minute. Then there was their system for helping members, especially athletes, cheat on exams.
While he desperately wanted a place to belong, he knew this was not it. He knew he should make a public stand and take the membership to task. However, he also knew he would be laughed right out of the pledge class. So, he would leave quietly, using a lame excuse about poor mid-term grades. That was what troubled him most. He didn’t have the guts to stand up and tell the brothers the real reason he was dropping out. He was afraid of being ridiculed for being a Christian.
Being a practicing Christian in our world is not always easy. Becoming a Christian is easier than being a Christian. We all have our weak spots, those moments when following Jesus is hard. Indeed, it is easier becoming a church member than becoming a disciple.
I recall how easy it was to become a confirmed church member as a Seventh grader. Sure, we studied for 9 months, there were weekly classes. Yet surrounded by friends and a supportive congregation it was easy to stand and profess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Then I went off to college and everything was turned upside down. A professor in Biblical studies proclaimed at the start of the term, “Now we are going to unlearn what your Sunday School teachers taught you.” So many things were challenged and new possibilities explored. Some foundations of faith were even brought into question. Things were not easy. Only years later could I understand that this was an important step in making faith my own and it was hard. So many things were assailed all at once, but it was part of the process of becoming. I was quickly learning that it was one thing to accept adoption by God, as Paul puts it. It was another thing to actually live it.
Every one of us face moments where faith is difficult. Anyone who has played golf with me knows that one of mine is any time I have club in my hand. Temptation and doubt eat away at the foundations of what we believe, clouding our call to discipleship. At times it is a hard burden to bear.
Author Sue Monk Kidd paraphrased the words of Jesus at the start of her book, The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, “The truth will set you free, but first it will shatter the safe, sweet way you live.”
Our text from Mark today is neither safe, nor sweet. The beheading of John the Baptist is a somber reminder of the dangers of faithfulness. It represents ugliness which defies human decency. Herod Antipas had John executed not to protect political power, not for crimes against the throne, but for the sake of peace in his bedroom. More disgracefully, Herod passed blame for John’s death onto his step-daughter. A birthday wish surrounded by titillation led to a frivolous oath.
The death of John unfolded in the morally corrupt court of Herod because John spoke the truth. Herod is described as being fascinated with John and admiring of the prophet’s courage. Yet because John called Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law sinful, the queen took exception. It was to keep harmony in the royal bedchamber that John was killed. Herod and his queen could not accept the truth.
John the Baptizer played a special role in God’s plan. He prepared the way for Jesus inaugurating a new world, a world Christ would fulfill, a world marked by righteousness, truth, and love. For the sake of that world John was killed and for the same reason, Jesus climbed upon a cross and died.
Mark was unwavering in his message. Following Jesus Christ is risky business. Three times in the gospel Jesus told the disciples he must suffer, die, and rise again. It is necessary for all who follow Jesus to understand and embrace this truth. As they went forth, disciples proclaimed and lived out a central theme of Mark: We lose our lives to gain them in God’s coming reign.
Mark is also clear; the reign of God is not confined to Jesus. Jesus came to call followers through whom the kingdom of God would be realized. Oddly this gruesome text is a call to discipleship, a call to live with anticipation of God’s coming rule. Mark’s probing questions to us are very direct: Will we remain faithful and confident that a new world is coming; will we be courageous, bold witnesses of the reign of God; will we look through the death to resurrection and give ourselves completely to that reign?
Bishop Hope Morgan Ward tells of an experience which demonstrated to her the nature of God’s reign. She served as a volunteer lane coach for Special Olympics. It was her job to encourage one contestant in a race and help him stay focused.
As the race began all was going well; the student was heeding her instructions. Her student was leading. About halfway through the event something strange happened. The student stopped and looked back at his friend. When the friend caught up to him, he grabbed his hand and they completed the race together, proclaiming with great joy, “We tied! We tied!” It caused great confusion for those running the event; the scoring book had no way to record a tie. Yet the two excited runners kept shouting and jumping up and down, “We tied! We tied!”
In a world obsessed with winning, two special runners taught others a new way. They introduced to a world obsessed with dominating that it is more blessed to run together than to win a race alone. Indeed, blest be the tie that binds…Blessed are the pure in heart. These two young men offered a glimpse into the world to come, the world Jesus introduces to us.
Right now, there is a duel going on within Christianity in America and it has never been more obvious. Upon which principles will we build our lives? Will it be all about vengeance and self-righteousness, or will it be about mercy and grace? What does the cross tell us? Going to the cross is not easy, but it is what Jesus invites us to do.
I recently came across a video of something from a few years back. It is called “Seventeen Inches.” I am going to condense it for you. At a national baseball coaches’ convention, a legendary college coach was a keynote speaker. When he came out to speak, he was wearing a home plate around his neck. He spoke for a while and finally, pointed to the plate and said, “you are probably wondering why I am wearing this stupid home plate. Here is why. How big is it?” Someone yelled out, “17 inches.” He said “you are right. Now all the Little League coaches stand.” He asked them how big is the home plate in Little League. “17 inches” was the answer. He asked the Babe Ruth coaches to stand. “How big is your plate?” “17 inches.” Then the high school coaches, then the college coaches…”17 inches.” Then he said, “even in the major leagues the plate is 17 inches. If a big-league pitcher can’t throw the ball over the plate we don’t make it 18 inches, or 20 inches, or even 25 inches. It is all about control. The standard stays the same.” He went on to say that the coach’s most important job is to instill the standard and control along with the best values of competition.
Finally, he pointed out that our society also has standards and values, but we keep changing them. We are widening the plate, in the churches in our schools, even in our government. We even widen the plate in our individual lives. He forecasted dark days ahead.
Perhaps he was right, we have entered some dark days. As Christians we have a standard for our living and it is defined by the cross. It is a very high standard because it demands self-sacrifice, love, forgiveness, and mercy. It calls for righteous living, not self-righteousness. It is defined by costly grace, not cheap grace that takes forgiveness and refuses to forgive. It is defined by kindness prompted by empathy, joy fueled by redemption and, thanksgiving wrapped in awe and praise. In today’s world, none of that is easy.
Yes, my friends that is why it is easier to become a Christian than it is to be a Christian. Jesus invites us to live into God’s kingdom. Do we believe in it enough to risk ridicule to claim our place? In a power loving world, do we have the courage to proclaim a better way? In a world bent on hatred, can we love? When we are unjustly wronged, can we forgive? Are we willing to give peace every chance to work? It may cost us everything the world values, but it is what we are called to do.
It is easy to say yes to following Jesus, but it is much harder to walk in his footsteps. Following Jesus is a tough job, but it is the path to a new and glorious world. Will we help or hinder its coming?
