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Proper 21 B (2015)Mark 9:37-50I’m sure you’ve all heard some version of the old chicken and pig fable which goes something like this: A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road. The Chicken says: “Hey Pig, I was thinking we should open a restaurant!” Pig replies: “Hmm, maybe, what would we call it?” The Chicken responds: “How about 'ham-n-eggs'?” The Pig thinks for a moment and says: “No thanks. I'd be totally committed to it, but you'd only be involved.”Total Commitment arouses deep questions within us. How committed a person am I concerning the ideals I hold dear? What about the people I love, and my religious convictions? How far am I prepared to go when it comes to defending the commitments I have made? Commitment. That's what Jesus is talking about in today's Gospel reading. Let's not shrink from hearing his call. At the outset, I must clearly state that this is a very dangerous passage. The danger is that somebody might take it literally. There have been numerous cases of mentally unbalanced persons who literally plucked out an eye or chopped off a hand or foot, believing that they were obeying this Biblical injunction of Jesus. But of course, Jesus did not intend these words to be taken literally, rather he is engaging in the common Middle Eastern practice of using hyperboles – exaggerated speech – to underscore a point. My observation is that many Christians want to take as literal what Jesus intended as figurative, and take as figurative what he intended as literal, such as loving your enemy. Although exaggerated, these appeals by Jesus must not be dismissed or discounted. Indeed, just the opposite. He is deadly serious about the importance of keeping our commitments. As we talk about this, remember that we should not expect to keep our most sacred commitments on our own, hence the promises made in Baptism, Confirmation, marriage, ordination, and the like contain this important addition, “I will, with God’s help.” With Christ at our side, we can even dare to talk about total commitment.Many observers of contemporary American society note that the emphasis on keeping our commitments, once deemed an essential feature of the American character, is now gone or greatly diminished. People borrow money but they don't always follow through when it comes to paying it back. Just look at the proliferation of bill-collection agencies in the last 25 years. But the problem is deeper than just overspending on credit cards. When the housing market went bust several years ago, many people, including ourselves, found that they were “underwater”, owing more than their house was worth. What shocked me, however, was the large number of people who could pay their mortgage –yes, with difficulty, but they could do it – yet chose not to and walked away. Personal bankruptcy was once a social stigma, but in some circles today it is a badge of honor. Given our uneven economic recovery, some of this failure is understandable, but it also points to the fact of a growing loss of commitment by people who promise to do something and then do not follow through.Many employers today complain about a lack of commitment on the part of their workers. This is especially true with the skilled trades where the most common complaint of employers is an inability to find reliable workers despite good wages. In my father’s day it was common to stay with the same company for one’s entire career. Today that is unheard of. Not only do people change jobs more frequently, the common expectation among those now entering the work force is that they will change professions 3 or 4 times in their lifetime.The example of marriage needs very little commentary. Divorce is no longer perceived as being out of the ordinary, indeed I have met young couples who speak of “when we are divorced” as if it were a foregone conclusion. When it comes to the Church, not even Christmas and Easter produce a 50% turnout of registered members and did you ever try to recruit volunteers? To be fair, we see a much better than average level of commitment among our people, but most churches are not so fortunate despite the supposed religiosity of Americans. Instead of following through when they sing, “Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to thee”, many Christians are practicing a shorter version: “Take my life, and let it be”. Period! The list could go on and on, but I think the facts are already plain. We are suffering from a loss of commitment in many areas of modern living.Jesus knows well our human failure to follow through on many of our promises and commitments. Once we get past the shocking language of today’s Gospel, we find Jesus making two points to which we must pay careful attention. First he tells us to throw out of our life that which is keeping us from being totally committed. The language is stark and fierce. “If your hand makes you lose your faith, cut it off! And if your foot or your eye is the culprit, get rid of it as well”. Jesus is trying to shock us into realizing that we must do something about those things which keep us from honoring our commitments. Often enough, it is ordinary or natural things –things like eyes and hands and feet – which get in the way.How true. The common drive to earn more money, or to be tops in one’s field, has turned many a modern parent into a workaholic, making moms and dads strangers to their own children and spouses strangers to each other. Jesus says, “Cut off the hand that does such things. Amputate the foot that's leading you in that direction. Pluck out the eye that only sees your success in work and professional attainment. You made implicit and explicit commitments when you got married, when you had children. Honor them.Jesus then continues with another image familiar to his listeners, salt, saying “Salt is good; but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?” The implied answer is, “You can't! When salt loses its flavor, there's only one thing to do: throw it out.” The same, of course, applies to the various impediments which prevent us from being faithful in the fulfilling of our commitments. We can, however, extract one more important lesson from this culinary example. Jesus says that salt is good, and apart from any dietary restrictions, it is intended to be used. This is just one more example of “use it or lose it”. Although we might joke about certain romantic aspects of “use it or lose it”, we know that principle applies to almost everything in life from knowledge of a foreign language, to just the ability to walk after a long period of bed rest. In our Gospel reading, Jesus is focusing on the God-given gifts we all possess. What's more tragic than love which goes unused, than generosity kept to oneself, than friendship unshared? What's more sad than a highly gifted person who has no commitment to use his or her natural talents, a person who squanders God-given gifts, especially when those abilities could further the work of God’s kingdom.Every year in late May as hurricane season approaches, I check our flashlights to make sure they are in working condition. Usually I find at least one tucked away somewhere in the back of a drawer or closet which doesn’t work. Depending upon how long it’s been there, the batteries often aren’t just dead but badly corroded, seeping acid or whatever is in batteries these days. Indeed, more often than not, the end result is the entire flashlight is thrown away – all because it wasn’t used regularly!Our gifts are to be used! Our lives are not meant to be “waited out” but to be “lived up!” Are you living up to the gifts and talents God has given you? What kind of commitment have you made to utilize the gifts and graces within you? Two weeks ago I spoke of that all-important, life-changing question of Jesus which his followers in every age –including you and me—must answer, “But who do you say that I am?” How we answer that question largely determines the shape and nature of our commitment, yes to Christ, but our answer really affects every aspect of our lifeCommitment to your marriage, to your family, to your job, to your church – to your Lord and Savior. That is what Jesus is asking us to reflect on through the words of today’s Gospel. As you come forward in a few minutes to the Lord’s Table, ask Jesus to feed you, to nourish you, to strengthen you, to give you the grace to keep all the commitments you have made. So be it! Amen! ................
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