For Us or Against Us
sermon based on Mark 9:38-50
Rev. Dr. Cynthia Huling Hummel

Several years ago about two dozen of us went to Welsh West Virginia to do flood clean up. We came from all over - men and women, young and old, those with skills and experience- and several like myself- folks who were “grunts.” We had no particular skills. But what we lacked in skill, we made up for in enthusiasm. We stayed in a church manse and every day we went off to our job site. We were all given jobs to do. I was assigned to tear down soggy sheet rock, a job which I really liked. There was a young man who showed up at the work site every day. His name was William. His hair was stringy and his clothes were scruffy, but his face was shining. William was there to help. And he hauled in supplies. He handed people tools. He took out garbage. It was great to have a young person with strength there to help out. And William was there at the site when we arrived and stayed till when we left. I don’t know much about him. I remember that he was in his late teens, early twenties perhaps. The one thing that I do remember with great clarity was that William was an atheist. He told us that right from the start. It was as if he was challenging us: “I’m an atheist. Is that a problem?” Well it wasn’t a problem for me and I suspect that it wasn’t a problem for anyone in our group. At least no one made any attempt to convert him on the spot. I think we all knew that God’s Holy Spirit was clearly at work in William’s life. William didn’t believe in God and yet, he was clearly doing God’s work alongside of God’s people. So was William for us? Or against us? Was he in the circle of God’s love? Or outside of it?

From the earliest days of the church, people have fretted and fussed over who is in and who is out and how we decide it. In the story that we have just heard, from Mark’s gospel, the disciples are disturbed about a situation. And the disciples go to Jesus to report the problem, “Teacher, there is someone casting out demons in your name. “ Now you have to wonder why it bothered them. I mean, what was the problem: that someone was casting out demons in the name of Jesus? Wasn’t that a good thing? Why were they worried? Were they worried about the competition? Were they worried because of denominational differences? Were they worried because he had a different theology- that the one casting out demons was too liberal or too conservative? Why were the disciples worried? The “demon caster” was doing God’s work. What was the problem?

The disciples soon disclose what’s on their mind. “Teacher, he’s not following us.” Aha! Not following us.. Notice they don’t say, “He’s not following you, Jesus. They say, “ He’s not following us.” It’s that old us versus them theology. That was the problem. It was a problem for the disciples as it continues to be a problem in the church today. When we practice “us” versus “them” theology, we forget our mission. When we practice gate keeping (carefully monitoring who can come in and who can’t), we forget our mission. When we draw the circle smaller, not wider, we forget our mission. And what is our mission? To share and to show the love of God that we know in Christ Jesus. Many of the mainline churches seem to be arguing constantly over who can serve and who can’t. We fight about it at our regional gatherings and church conventions. But serving was not a big issue for Jesus. Jesus was not terribly concerned about the man casting out demons in his name. He said, “Do not stop him. No one who does a deed of power in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me.” We need to look beyond our theological differences. We need to look beyond our denominational differences. We need to look beyond the color of our skin and beyond the languages that we speak and learn to serve the Lord together and to do mission together; to work together side by side doing flood cleanup; serving in soup kitchens, handing out baskets of food: things like this!

Christians come in different flavors. We are different and that’s good. We need to celebrate our differences and our diversity- and not worry so much about getting others to conform to our way of thinking and doing things- as if ours was (and is) the only way of doing things. I think of William in Welsh West Virginia, working side by side with us—helping every day. Breaking bread with us. William kept reminding us that he was an atheist. And no one made a big deal about it. No one excluded him. No one told him that he was being damned to hell. Because we knew that God loved William and God was at work in his life. God brought William right to our work site to be with us and “catch our faith.” Was he one of us- or not? It didn’t matter. William was doing God’s work. Remember Jesus words, ‘Whoever is not against us, is for us.”

Jesus wanted his disciples as he wants us to take our role of discipleship seriously: that our lives should model and mirror his love. And what Jesus says is disturbing. “If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. If your eye causes you to stumble, cast it out.” Jesus wasn’t suggesting that they (or we) actually do these things. Jesus was speaking in hyperbolic language- exaggerated language to get his point across and he does. We are to help – NOT HINDER people in their journey of faith. And the biggest obstacle to people following Jesus the Christ- are Christians and the way we treat one another. It’s terrible! Why would anyone want to become a Christian, when they see Christians badmouthing each other, badmouthing their pastors, their neighbors and friends. When we do this treat each other this way, we are setting a terrible example. Jesus said it is better to tie a millstone around our necks than to get in the way of the faith of a new Christian. We need to be aware that people are watching us every day. Christianity is not just something we put on Sundays. It is a way of living each and every day. Jesus says, “Be at peace with one another.” We need to practice peace each and every day. To look for ways to build up, not break down: to look for ways to love one another.

When we left Welsh, West Virginia, we said goodbye to William and gave him a big hug We thanked him for his help. William reminded us that he was still an atheist- sort of. He said the words, but you could tell, he no longer really believed them.. William said, “You Christians are good people. I like hanging with you and I like what you believe.” Amen.