September 20, 2009
Understanding Scripture
- Mark 9:30-37
- Dr. Teri Thomas
They did not understand what he was saying and they were afraid to ask him.
The disciples were not the first, nor the last to be confused over the message of Jesus. The Word of God has always sparked confusion and debate and controversy.
We just gave new Bibles to our third graders. We expect these kids to read them, study them, and learn from them. If that is going to happen we need to help them to understand what the Book has to say.
The disciples clearly did not understand. They could not have had a clue about Jesus’ teaching and then turned around and argued amongst themselves about who was the greatest. That behavior was totally inconsistent with everything he had been saying to them. Jesus tried again and said to them- you must be a servant, the least of all. You need to welcome the least, the lowest, if you are going to serve me. But they did not understand what he was saying and they were afraid to ask him.
How often could that same thing be said of us. (PICK UP BIBLE) We did not understand what this was saying and we were afraid to ask. I won’t tell you that you should be able to understand all this, I certainly can’t. But I will encourage you to never be afraid to ask.
One of the basic tenets of our reformed faith is that scripture is best interpreted in community. It is when the faithful of varying perspectives and backgrounds come together to read this book that we really begin to understand what God’s message is for us today.
I wish it were easier. I wish the book simply said what it meant and meant what it said. I wish we knew what it actually says and means. Unfortunately it is not that easy.
Sometimes we think we know what the Bible says, but we never really looked to be sure. There was a segment on the Cobert Report recently where
If we really want to understand what this book says, we need to actually read it. Then we need to talk about it.
Folks who believe they can read and understand scripture in isolation are dangerous. They can begin to think like Jim Jones, David Koresh, or Charles Manson. It is important to have a community of faith where we can think out loud, question, debate and explore alternative understandings.
The Bible is not a reference book. We can’t just go and look up answers to life’s questions. But it does offer guidance and direction on all issues of faith and living a Christian life.
So let’s say we are reading the news and the stories are all related to health care reform. We could ask WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) but Jesus did not live in the day of modern medicine, insurance, and hospitals. So there is no simple answer to that. But we can back up and we can ask, “What Does Scripture teach?”
We know that God’s plan for humanity is shalom- or wholeness and that includes health and well being. We know that Jesus cared about the health and well-being of individuals. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and cured the lame. The earliest Christians formed communities to care for others, to share resources, to see that the needs of the less fortunate were met.
So I do not think there is much question that health, wholeness and well-being are Christian values and we are encouraged by scripture to see that they are available to all God’s children. What I cannot find in the scripture is whether Jesus prefers the public option or the private competition model. Jesus never says to listen to the Republican plan or the Democrat plan.
The parable of the Good Samaritan warns us not to ignore the problem, not to be too concerned with our own needs at the expense of the needs of others, and to remember we really must respond. It doesn’t tell us exactly what form that response should take. We need to ask questions and discuss together.
Or maybe we are troubled by the wars in
Or maybe our questions are more personal. What do we do about a child who is in trouble? What is our obligation to a relationship which has broken? Should we move mother to
The Bible does not have easy answers to these questions. But it does address forgiveness, love, responsibility and covenant. With some effort we can finally discern where we believe God is calling us in our lives.
We Presbyterians believe in the importance of asking questions and listening to each other when it comes to interpreting the Bible. We are willing to hear all sides of an issue, studying it closely from every possible angle. That is why we give out Bibles. That is why we have adult education classes. That is why we do Bible Study.
I like being Presbyterian because it is a great relief not to be expected to have all the answers. A reading of our confessions the past 2,000 years shows that even the greatest minds had only limited understanding— even got it wrong at times--and had to be updated.
That means I can entertain the possibility that, as obvious as something appears to me, I might be wrong.
We will not always understand what scripture is saying. But we cannot be afraid to ask questions. The answers may not be easy to find. But the wisdom is pretty clear. As James wrote-
17… the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.
That is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Amen