09262021 – Mark 9. 38-50
“Exclusionary,” it is such an “icky word” isn’t it?
To be excluded, to be kept out, eliminated, denied access, rejected, banned, ostracized, prohibited, not wanted or desired. LEFT OUT.
You are lucky, you are fortunate, if you have NEVER BEEN EXCLUDED in your life…
It just does not sit well.
It just does not feel or seem right.
Something is amiss and you know it.
And yet, IT IS DONE ALL THE TIME!
Somehow YOU DO NOT stack up.
YOU are NOT as intelligent, NOT as smart.
Not AS good looking.
NOT what “they” are looking for…
Not athletic ENOUGH…
Not fast ENOUGH…
Not coordinated ENOUGH…
Not popular ENOUGH…
Not the right sex…
Not the right color…
Not the right size…
Not the right schooling or education…
Not the right sexual orientation…
Not having the right experience, they are looking for…
You are too old, or too young…
People are excluded and glossed over for “OH, SO MANY REASONS…”
You are not good ENOUGH.
You are not WORTHY enough.
A whole bunch of us, can relate to this stuff.
And it does not feel good.
In Matthew, the 26th and 27th chapters it is the first REAL TIME that Jesus was alone.
Not because he wanted to be.
But because of the circumstances.
When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, all of his disciples deserted him.
They ran away, they left, and they abandoned him.
This was the first time, (with the exception of times for prayer) …that Jesus was alone, physically, since he started his ministry.
This was NOT by choice.
It was NOT by HIS CHOICE.
Until THIS moment, he always had someone around him, yet at this particular time all of his disciples “jumped ship” and ran away.
When they nailed him to the cross and he was preparing to die for our sins, when he took on our sins, he cried out “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?”
The Greek word for “FORSAKEN” is to “leave or to abandon.”
For pretty much the first time in his existence, Jesus COULD NOT feel the presence of his Father, he was alone…or so, he felt…
He went through this FOR US, so that we would never have to feel alone, abandoned, or deserted by the one who loves us the most.
However, there are moments. There are times…
Feeling alone…happens TO ALL PEOPLE.
Apparently, it is a part of OUR life and a part of OUR existence.
You can feel alone anywhere.
Even amongst friends and acquaintances.
All of us, have or will go through times when we feel alone, deserted and/or excluded, abandoned.
And none of it, feels good.
It does feel icky…
And in our Gospel text for today, there is this rather strange story about someone casting out demons in Jesus’ name.
The disciples grew immediately JEALOUS…
The guy was being successful.
Demons were fleeing in the name of Jesus…
And yet, the disciples themselves were not always THAT SUCCESSFUL.
So, they tried to STOP HIM.
They tried to PREVENT HIM.
He was NOT one of the Twelve.
He was NOT a part of their group.
He needed to be stopped and excluded.
One of the things this teaches, is that the NAME OF JESUS is POWERFUL. The name of Jesus is nothing to mess around with. There is POWER in his name.
So later, they tell Jesus. And Jesus tells them, you SHOULD NOT have tried to STOP him.
Sometimes you have to make “your circle a little bit bigger,” to include MORE.
Why would you want to LIMIT someone from doing GOOD?
Why not have him join IN, rather than to keep him OUT?
WHY NOT BE MORE open and INCLUSIVE and less exclusionary?
For anyone who has ever felt the pain and the anguish of being excluded…prayerfully going forward…we will just MAKE OUR CIRCLES a little bit wider…and be MORE INCLUSIVE…
Because WE KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE to be left out, and it does not feel good. Amen.