“Stepping Up”

Date:  October 11, 2009

Script:  Mark 10:17-31

Rev. William F. Meier    ~   First United Methodist Church, Saint Cloud, Minnesota

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Once upon a time there was a man living in a certain kingdom who received an invitation from his king to come to dinner.  Something inside him was excited as never before by the invitation.  Something was afraid as well.  Would he have the right clothes to wear?  Would his manners be good enough for his lord's table?  What would they talk about when they were not eating?  Above all, the man was frightened by the long journey to the king's castle.

So what did the man do?  Well, he spent one month deciding what to wear and buying the clothes he did not already have.  He spent two months learning the rules of etiquette and practicing them as he ate.  He spent three months reading up on all the latest issues faced by the kingdom so he would have something to say.

Finally, he faced the journey itself.  By trade the man was a car­penter.  He built small houses and extra buildings and garages bet­ter than anyone else.  After he had packed the clothing and food he thought he would need for the journey, he had room for only a lit­tle more.  So he decided to pack a few tools, enough to permit him to build adequate overnight shelter on the journey.  Then he started out.

The first day he traveled through the morning and early after­noon, stopping only to eat a bit of lunch.  Then he set about con­structing a rough shelter to spend the night in.  After a few hours labor he had a small, safe, dry place to sleep.  The next morning, as he was about to start out again, he looked at the shelter he had built.  He began to notice places where it could be made better.  So instead of resuming the journey right away, he began to make improve­ments on his little dwelling.  Well, one thing led to another, garage to kitchen to study and indoor plumbing, and so on.  Soon he had pretty much forgotten about the journey.

Meanwhile, the king began to wonder about the man.  And so, as kings are able to do, he arranged for another person who was also traveling to the dinner to stop by and see how the man was com­ing along.

When he found him, the carpenter was living in his second house.  He had sold the first one to someone, remembered the invi­tation, and moved on for a day or so.  However, soon he had settled in and built a bigger and better house on the profits he had made from the sale of his first house.  The carpenter was only too happy to invite the visitor in for lunch, but while he was content to accept the offer of food, the visitor preferred to eat out in the yard under a tree.

"Is there a reason why you don’t want to come in?” asked the carpenter.

"Why yes," replied the other.  "You see, I am on a journey to have dinner with the king of our land.  It is important for me to stay on the journey.  Perhaps, after lunch, you would like to come with me?"

"What you say sounds familiar to me," said the carpenter.  "I think I too received an invitation to have dinner with the king, but I have been a little bit uncertain of the way."

"I know," said the stranger.  "I was uncertain once as well.  As a matter of fact, once I was a carpenter just like you.  I too wanted to build safe places along the way to stay in.  One day, another fel­low on the journey helped me to learn how to unbuild instead of to build.  He helped me to leave the home I had been living in and trust the journey itself.  I was worried about following the right path.  He told me that there were a number of paths that would lead to the dinner.  The king had set it up that way, and the king had also set up warnings along the wrong paths.  The important thing was just to continue to put one foot in front of the other with love and trust.  I was also worried about what I had left behind.  To this he said that the king had seen to it that everything worth saving would be at the castle waiting for me."

"What you say is certainly of comfort.  It helps to know that you have been just like me," said the carpenter.  “Well then, why don’t we let go of this house and get on with the journey?"  "I don’t know.  Maybe.  Can I sleep on it?”   "I suppose."  "Can I fix a bed for you?" "No," said the visitor, "I will just stay out here under the tree.  It is easier to notice the wonderful things the king has put along the way when you aren’t looking out from inside something you have erected to protect yourself."

The unbuilder waited outside all night.  The next morning the carpenter indeed had decided to resume the journey.  Together they prepared to set out.  "Well," said the carpenter, "which way shall we go?"

"Which way seems right to you?" asked the unbuilder.  "I'm not sure."

"I'll tell you what.  Let's just sit here for a few minutes and think hard about the king.  Remember the stories you have been told about him.  Remember how much he loves you.  Remember how much you love him.  When you have remembered as clearly as you think you can, consider the paths that lie before you and see which one seems to best satisfy your longing for, and remembering of, the king.  Let your desire to be with the king become more powerful in you than your uncertainty and fear about choosing the right or wrong path."

Silently they sat through the morning in the carpenter’s front yard.  Slowly it began to seem as though they were already on the journey.  As that feeling grew and grew, it suddenly didn’t seem like any decision needed to be made.  It just happened.  With a deep sense of freedom they were off.

Many of the days went just like that, new steps out of silent beginnings and pure desires.  They simply waited until the sense of journeying wrapped around even their waiting, and then they were off without worrying overmuch whether they were on the "right" path or not.  In the stillness of their hearts they made room for the path and the path seemed to come to them.

Of course the carpenter still felt the need to build a home from time to time.  The unbuilder made sure he understood what he was doing and then let him do it if he really wanted to.  While the car­penter labored, the unbuilder, his guide and friend, would continue to practice the silent waiting in the yard under the tree, and soon they would unbuild yet another house and begin the journey again.

In the meantime the king kept the food warm, which he was very good at doing.[1]

Jesus invited a potential disciple to join him in our text today, and when he could quite bring himself to giving things up, Jesus let him go without guilt or coercion. Probably only sadness for this man was possessed by things.  Jesus invited this man to Step Up into another kind of life altogether.

I remember talking with a clergy colleague of mine a few years ago about her near adult son.  He was exploring other spiritual traditions besides United Methodism… besides Christianity because, as he put it, “Christianity doesn’t require much of me.”

There is an old story about the evangelist who, after preaching a long sermon, gave an altar call.  "Come to the altar and give your life to Christ!" he said. Nobody came.

In frustration, the evangelist said, "Come to the altar, as a way of saying that you love and honor God." Still nobody came.

In even greater frustration, the evangelist appealed to the congregation, "Come to the altar as a way of saying that you want to live a better life." Nobody came.

Finally, "Look, if you love your mother, come down to the altar.  Okay?"

When you’ve heard only part of the Gospel— that all you have to do is believe on Jesus and you’re done, then it seems that Christianity really doesn’t demand much.  But this text today reminds us that there is a deeper invitation… to step up and offer ourselves as living sacrifices.

We do have a desire to give ourselves to something, for someone like Jesus to offer something worthwhile to sacrifice for.

I have found that those moments in my life when I have stepped up, taken a chance, jumped in with both feet… marriage, children, saying yes to the call to ordained ministry… have been the most demanding, challenging, rewarding and life-giving ventures.  I was frightened of losing control, and in some ways did… but I realize now, the control I thought I had in my life was an illusion anyway.

We are witnessing people stepping up in our ministry…Youth, Children, Social Justice, works of mercy… wanting to give themselves to something that God is doing in our midst…