New Occasions Teach New Duties
New occasions teach new duties: Renewed Faith / Rekindled Hope / Revived Courage
23And it came to pass, that he went through the cornfields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. 24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? 26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shew bread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? 27And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath.
Mark 2:23-28
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. 2And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath day; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
Mark 3:1-6
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23And it came to pass, that he went through the cornfields on the Sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn. Mark 2:23
Our scripture today comes from the Gospel of Mark 2:23-28 and 3:1-6. The reading for this Sunday (Mark 2:23-28 – 3:1-6) comes as the conclusion of a series of controversies between Jesus and the religious authorities. Then as now the times were changing and there was a clash between the old and the new, yesterday and today, the past and the future. Jesus’ presence represented the new as the bridegroom signifies a decisive and joyous moment. Furthermore, the new can never be accommodated to the old systems and structures with their strictures. Jesus, as the full expression of God’s in-breaking is unique and the old patterns of faith/religion, with stultifying unproductivity, cannot contain the new dynamic. Thus the expression, new wine demands new wineskins.
Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, has been quoted as saying “change is the only constant in life.” When things are going poorly for us, we can take solace in the fact that, no matter what, things are not going to stay the same. They might get better, or they might get worse, but they are going to be different. It’s important to note that this will happen whether we proactively try to change our situation or not. This too shall pass is an expression that captures this reality.
Conversely, when life is going great, we “want things to stay this way forever.” Let’s keep everything the same, and these happy times will continue. Unfortunately, that’s not the way life works. Again, whether we actively try to keep things as they are or not, change is going to happen. Remember the lyrics of a song of some years ago. “Everything must change, nothing stays the same. The young become the old, mysteries do unfold for that’s the way of time nothing and no one goes unchanged.”
Consider what it means that change is the only constant in life.
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24And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful? 25And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him? Mark 2:24-25
We all face changes every day – whether it is a simple change in the weather, our schedule or expected change of seasons. Change affects us all and we each deal with change differently. This only constant in life, the only thing we can be sure will happen is change.
Change can bring fear or hope. For those who want to keep things the way they are, change is viewed as something to be feared. To those who embrace the inevitability of change, they see in change the hope of a better future. There are those who come to know that it is not the changes that determine how your life will be, but how you handle what is happening creatively, insightfully and productively.
I often cite words of a poem from James Russell Lowell for their poignant pronouncements which highlight the perpetual reality of the strife; with truth and falsehood which goes on forever, twixt that darkness and that light. New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth, you must upward still and onward if you would keep abreast of truth.
New occasions teach new duties; Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still, and onward, who would keep abreast of Truth;
Lo, before us gleam her campfires! We ourselves must Pilgrims be,
Launch our Mayflower, and steer boldly through the desperate winter sea,
Nor attempt the Future's portal with the Past's blood-rusted key.
Consider how you embrace change, whether with the hope of something better or fear of things not being what you have become accustomed.
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26How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shew bread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him? Mark 2:26
The two narratives that follow (Mark 2:23-28; 3:1-6), describe the conflict between the new and the old in terms of authority.
Firstly, subject yourself to the authority of Jesus with renewed faith.
We all subject ourselves to authority. There are those who subject themselves to a higher authority. We find that in the faith traditions of world’s religions. There are those who subject themselves to the authority of the moral compass of their conscience. We find this in our ethics, philosophy, and sociology about life and living. Then there are those who subject themselves to the dominant forces that exert control and power over them. We find that in organizational structures such as governments, business affiliations, and groups of all types. These are just a few of the ways that we subject ourselves to authority.
However, we all subject ourselves to the laws of nature or should. You don’t break the laws of nature as some like to suppose. You violate the laws of nature and they break you. I think that speaks for itself. Imagine the lives that have been broken because people presume they can break the laws of nature only to discover that if you violate the laws of nature they break you.
The issue in this passage is about an established faith tradition and practice. There is a conflict over the Sabbath. This was paramount for these religious leaders because Sabbath observance lay at the heart of their identity as being faithful. As part of the Torah, it helped them resist the pressures to conform to the broader society. It was an ordering feature of their life, providing stability and an identifiable mark of holiness.
Consider what it means that established practices of a faith tradition can become a hindrance to fulfilling the intent of the tradition.
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27And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27-28
In response to the Pharisees’ criticism, Jesus cites the precedent of David, an authoritative figure, and then set himself even higher on the authority ladder by saying, “The Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (2:28). The point is that Jesus cannot be reduced to what the tradition wants or needs. His claim to authority demands a rereading and understanding of the tradition. He sets the tradition in a brand-new light. “The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.”
Jesus said on an occasion that “the eye is the lamp of the body: if therefore thine eye be single thy whole body shall be filled with light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that in in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness.” Matthew 6:22
Imagine those who are sworn to protect and serve, hurting, harming, and covering up with a lie what they do, to avoid any accountability for what they have done. Imagine people of faith perpetuating disinformation, living in denial about what is true, embracing conspiracy theory as they attempt to create belief in an alternate false reality. Imagine people only concerned about control and power that they will do anything to anybody to maintain it. How can people of faith deny the reality of what can be seen captured on video? “Who are you going to believe, me or your lying eyes?”
We are living with occasions old to many, yet new to some that teach us new duties. Our duty is to be the change we want to see and morally want to be. Ella Wheeler Wilcox reminds us that “it is the set of the sail that determines the goal and not the way the wind blows.” Contrary winds have blown before and will be blown again. You see, “it is the set of the sails and not the gales that tell the way to go.”
“In Jesus was life, and the life was the light of men,” (John 1:4). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. He who follows after me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” John 8:12
Subject yourself to the authority of Jesus as the light of the world with renewed faith.
Consider what it means to subject yourself to the authority of Jesus with renewed faith as you practice the cherished traditions to which you have become accustomed.
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3And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. 4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. Mark 3: 3-4
Secondly, believe in the power of Jesus over the forces of evil that cripple and maim life, with rekindled hope.
In addition to the affirmation of Jesus as the decisive interpreter of the Sabbath, this text confronts us with the second issue of authority; Jesus’ power over the forces of evil. Clearly, the issue of authority is about power over evil forces. To prove this point, the scene relates to the healing on the Sabbath of the man with the withered hand, (3:1-6). Jesus takes the initiative with the man, without being asked, and then confronts the skeptics with the choice of doing good or harm, saving life or killing.
Jesus demonstrates precisely what it means to be Lord of the Sabbath; what the tradition looks like when read from the vantage point of Jesus’ view. Like the man with the unclean spirit (1:23-26), the leper (1:40-45), the paralytic (2:3-12), and the man with the withered hand all symbolize the control of destructive powers; powers that cripple, distort, and injure human life. Jesus’ healing him is more than an act of compassion for a stunted life. It expresses the healing that seeks to restore and renew from the crippling effects of evil. Each healing of Jesus demonstrates the healing of which we all stand in need. We are sick as individuals with all sorts of maladies, physical and psychologically, morally in principle and practice. We do need to be healed of the fractures that threaten and cripple us. The illnesses of us individually and collectively need the power of an authority beyond ourselves to heal us of evil’s crippling effects. We are in need of a healing from the deception, divisiveness, and destruction wreaked by disinformation. We need healing from the personal abuses, assaults, and atrocities, individually and collectively. We need healing due to attacks against our integrity and morality. We need healing of past faults that have crippled the present and threatens to deny a positive future.
Consider what it means to believe in the power of Jesus over the forces of evil that cripple and maim life, with rekindled hope.
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4And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace. 5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. Mark 3:4-6
Thirdly, let the example of Jesus empower you to withstand any threats with revived courage.
The issue of authority is brought to a head in the concluding verse of the passage, (3:6). Jesus’ claim to be the Lord of the Sabbath, and his demonstration of the claim by doing good, evokes an immediate and vicious response from the religious authorities. The in-breaking of God’s rule in the person of Jesus poses a dramatic threat that ultimately leads to his crucifixion.
It is important to recognize why the religious authorities felt challenged by Jesus. The Pharisees were religious persons who felt that what was needed was a structure that enabled people, not just the priest, to take seriously Sabbath observance. In doing so, they could maintain their distinctive status as the special people of God.
Jesus’ claim and proof of authority make him a dangerous figure to them. Their careful designing of religious structure lies much at risk in his presence. Their conspiracy to violence indicates just how clearly they perceived the threat. It ever remains so when Jesus challenges other competing claims, whether they be religious, ethnic, economic, or national. Jesus’ presence reminds them that the new can never be accommodated to the old systems and structures with their strictures. Jesus, as the full expression of God’s in breaking is unique and the old patterns of faith/religion, with stultifying unproductivity, cannot contain the new dynamic. Thus the expression, “new wine demands new wineskins.”
We can see that occurring in our society right now. People of faith are being supportive and in denial about reality; as they seek to preserve an exclusive claim on privilege, power and prestige just for them, to the exclusion of others. Jesus says, “whosoever will.” When the “whosoever wills” are invited, the threat to the exclusivity of a few is triggered.
Let the power and presence of Jesus empower you to withstand the threats to your duty to decide in the strife, with truth and falsehood, for the good or evil side, recognizing that strife goes on forever twixt that darkness and that light.
Consider what it means to hold people of faith accountable with the courage of conviction.
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5And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other. 6And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. Mark 3:5-6
Conclusion
Benjamin Mays, former president of Morehouse College, reminds us that we have one life to live and we must respond to what our times demand. Each person must respond in their time. The road each person will take will depend on many factors, but certainly the high road, the low road, and the middle road are available to every person and which road is taken is largely an individual choice.
John Oxenham put it this way. To every man there openeth / A Way, and Ways, and a Way, And the High soul climbs the High Way, And the Low Soul gropes the Low. And in between on the misty flats, The rest drift to and fro. But to every man there openeth a High Way and a Low, And every man decideth, The way his soul shall go.
I’ve decided to make Jesus my choice. / Subject yourself to the authority of Jesus with renewed faith / believe in the healing power of Jesus over evil forces that cripple you with rekindled hope / let the example of Jesus empower you to withstand any threats with revived courage.
Let the church say Amen.
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