Daily readings first thoughts July 17 2007

"We have never seen anything like this!"

Mark's gospel reading tells of the paralytic who was lowered through the roof of Jesus' crowded house by 4 friends who believed Jesus could heal him - and Jesus, seeing the effort they went to for their friend's cause, because of their faith, forgave his sins, which outraged the Pharisee scribes, and then healed his body, which caused those gathered to exclaim: "We have never seen anything like this!" Some said it in wonder, but the scribes did not. As my grandmother might have said when she was appalled by something, "Well, I never...!"

The scribes were upset; how disruptive this was! How messy all the roofing must have been falling on every one's heads. How chaotic and unorthodox Jesus was being! Everyone knows you come to church though the front door, and sit quietly, sing hymns and pray and confess, decently and in order, do not talk out or come and go, listen quietly, and then leave by the same way you came. I hear them in the pews of my Presbyterian church, when our service gets out of control with laughter and chatter, crying babies, and spontaneous altar calls, when people off the street wander in, drunk, or broke. When we share communion and coffee together in the sanctuary. When the Praise team really "brings it." I hear some say, "Well, I've never seen anything like this!"

In matters of faith, God sees the heart - as Jesus read the spirit of the scribes, who were missing the real action. God sees the heart of the true worshipper, of those seeking hope and salvation and purpose, and then who bust with love and compassion that they would bring others to Jesus wherever he can be found. And Jesus goes to the most unlikely places and does the most unorthodox things. Loving God and loving others is messy and dangerous. You could fall off the roof. Grace could fall on you. Your life can change. That's risky business, when we have everything in order the way we like it.

May we see the love and grace of God when it happens before our very eyes, and may we say, in adoration and praise, "We have never seen anything like this." Indeed, without the Spirit in us, we shall not have eyes to see Jesus as he really is, nor the willingness to bring others to him wherever his goes. That's discipleship with heart and action.