Against the Grain
Listen.October 4th, 2009
Rev. Dr. Craig A. Wagner
Introduction
Years ago I had the opportunity to build several wood strip canoes. It always amazed me that these canoes actually floated when I finished them! The process of building them was very interesting: They would be built using wooden strips that were 20 feet long, ¾ inch wide and ¼ inch deep. These strips were then place on a form and glued together with water soluble glue and stapled together. After the glue dried, the staples were removed and the boards sanded until they were ultra thin. As I would sand, I would run my hand over the hull of the canoe to feel if I was getting it smooth enough. Of course, when I ran my hand against the grain, inevitably I would find a rough spot the tell tale mark was the sliver left in my hand. It can be painful to go against the grain. (FYI: the canoe actually had a coating of fiber glass on the inside and out which sealed the wood and allowed the canoe to float!)
Going against the grain can be painful, it can be uncomfortable, it can be upsetting and it certainly goes against the common wisdom of the day. This can be seen dramatically in our passage from Mark and Jesus’ response to the Pharisee’s question concerning divorce.
Against the grain: Jesus
As our passage opens, we find some Pharisees that were out to test Jesus concerning his views on divorce. It should be noted that the views on divorce in Jesus’ day were quite lenient. The divorce rate was fairly high, but there was an admonition that a husband could not remarry a wife whom he had divorced.
This widespread practice of divorce went well back into the time before Christ. Jesus knew this; he had observed it; he knew the rules. The question was seemingly not difficult to answer: According to the social structure and according to the Hebrew Bible and according to conventional wisdom, of course it was permitted. However, it should be pointed out that divorce was the prerogative of the husband, not the wife. A divorce initiated by the husband could be in response to the wife committing adultery or for something simply such as burning the toast.
In answering this question, Jesus states that it was Moses who allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce. But it was allowed because they were so hard hearted: Jesus understood that husband often dismissed a wife without any concern and sometimes only for convenience sake. Too many husbands were hard hearted in this respect.
Jesus then pushes the argument to God’s intentions in the creation story: Using Genesis 1, Jesus reminds the Pharisees who knew this story that God created humans male and female and formed that first intimate community of marriage. If God brings people together, we should not separate. He goes even further: If a person is divorced and remarries, that person commits adultery. This is true for husbands or wives.
This would be a hard statement for a community where divorce and remarriage happened often and without any social stigma. This presents a new reality for those who follow Jesus. In Jesus response, we find women being valued and the position of women in the family as wives and mothers raised to a new level of worth.
The story moves immediately to Jesus’ ministry to children; blessing them and perhaps even healing them. The disciples wanted Jesus to send them away – get out of here- the kids are bothering us! Jesus welcomes them and uses their childlike faith as an example for all. People, even adults, need to accept the kingdom of God as a child or they will never be a part of it. Children were the most powerless segment in society. Anyone who wanted to be seen as powerful in Jesus’ day would not be seen with children! Yet, here is Jesus blessing children, holding them on his lap and using them as examples of faith! Once more Jesus is going against the grain.
The issue here is not so much the concept of divorce and remarriage or the blessing of children; the issue is one of bringing a new reality into the lives of people that were powerless. It is an issue that goes against the grain of society and even of church people. We find Jesus valuing life; all of life from children, to women and even to men who may not be the movers and shakers of society or of religious institutions.
Against the grain: value others
There are still those who are powerless in society – in our country and throughout the world. There are those who have neither voice nor vote and whose dignity and worth are questioned; most especially true for children and those who lack finances and resources. This was brought home to me just last Thursday in an article in the Daily Herald. The article was about the library in Oak Brook. Several people including children were lamenting the fact that the library board let go the head librarian and that people, even children could not get help they needed in finding books. One man suggested that it was just too bad – who needs a library anyway and if others wanted it they should have to pay for it. The same man campaigned successfully to stop senior subsidized housing from Oak Brook and exclaimed, “I don’t want to live next to poor people. I don’t want poor people in my town.” This man was interviewed for the article in his Mercedes Benz in his gated community in Oak Brook.
I wonder what he would suggest if a local church wanted to be a part of the PADS grogram ministering to and with the homeless? The powerless – the children, the poor have no voice in society even today.
How we treat the poor and the powerless in our society is a matter of morality. In fact, how we treat one another speaks volumes as to what we truly believe. As followers of Jesus our relationships with others either exhibits a faith in Jesus or in something else. That person in Oak Brook may have been admired for his candid speech and his own ability to raise himself from poverty to being a wealthy lawyer. He may be an American success story, but his attitude and his actions certainly are not Christ like! To follow Jesus means to care for the other, the outcast, the powerless, the poor and to bring the new reality of God’s love into their lives.
Jesus valued each person. He lifted them, brought the love of God into their lives and they felt accepted. Unfortunately, many of Jesus followers do not exhibited that sort of behavior or concern for others. When we don’t relationships suffer and we tend to put others down and tear apart those we can in order to build ourselves up… But that never works and Jesus is not glorified. This passage is not only about marriage and how husbands and wives should respect and love one another, or that God brought man and woman in to that primary relationship, it is also about the value and worth that we place on each person in the kingdom. How are your relationships doing? Is Christ glorified? Are people lifted? Do others feel the love of Jesus through you and your actions? If the answer is no to these questions then pray for forgiveness! Going against the common wisdom of the day is hard, it hurts and perhaps even demands sacrifice, but in following Jesus we have no option. If we think there is an option, we deceive ourselves.
Against the grain: blessed to bless others
There is a tradition in many families especially around holiday time. The family gets together, mom, dad, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and so on for a huge holiday meal. The tables are set and people gather: of course there is a “kids” table and an adult table. The right of passage is when the child finally is invited to sit at the adult table, only to find out it isn’t much fun!
If Jesus were invited to a family celebration with differing tables, ever wonder where he would sit? From our text, I imagine he would gravitate toward the children…and he would bless them.
We are blessed to be a blessing to others; not simply those who can repay us for our efforts or our deeds, but to the powerless, the children and those who need the blessing and love of God. This is true of each one of us; who couldn’t use a friend, who doesn’t need a blessing; who doesn’t need to feel loved and cared for and valued? We all do; and we all have been blessed richly by the Lord –
Blessed not to hoard the blessing or be selfish in love, but to give it away; for as we share God’s love with others, we receive it ever more in abundance. We are blessed to be blessings to others in Jesus name…from the powerful right down to the powerless. God’s love touches everyone, doesn’t it? One can picture the kingdom of God where all are living together in the family with each one experiencing the fullness of God and of that fullness and love reaching between each person. All are loved by God and all people are of infinite worth; for Jesus died for all people.
Conclusion
Yes, I got slivers in my hand many times when building the canoe. It was painful and even more so when I took a straight pin and tweezers and dug around in the hand to get it out! It’s amazing how long and deep some go. But, you know what, it was all worth it when I finished the project; the canoe was beautiful, it floated and the Sitka spruce with the swirls of grain darkening the wood looked absolutely stunning.
It may be hard to love some people or to consider them of value. It’s easy to exert power and even to ignore some people; it’s more difficult to go against the grain of common selfish wisdom and to reach out in love, care, forgiveness and blessing. But when we do, God’s love pours into us and through us and the outcome is beautiful to behold. May we be people who go against the grain for the sake of Christ and his people! Amen.