Sermon for February 20th

Sermon on Mark 1:16-20

So instead of a sermon today I've decided I want to teach you all a game. You interested? Can you imagine what it is? Charades? No. Texas hold'em poker? No. Dodge ball! No, no, no.

It's called follow the leader. In order to play we have to all get in line with the leader at the front and then the leader starts the line off and we have to do whatever the leader does. If you don't do what the leader does, you have to sit down and you are out of the game. The last person still playing the game except for the leader wins and becomes the new leader.

So, who wants to play? Okay. And who wants to be the leader?

But before we start let me ask you a question. How do you follow the leader? That is, how do you know for sure what the leader is doing? I guess you have to watch, and listen, and make sure that what the leader is doing is something you can do, and that you are doing the right thing, and then do what the leader does.

But what if you are not sure what the leader is doing? I’ve played “Simon says” and been caught not doing what the leader did because I wasn’t really watching and listening very well.

I mean what if the leader says, "Today you're sins are forgiven, so stand up paralyzed man, pick up your sleeping bag and go home." How exactly do you do that? And what if he walks on water? Do you really think I’m pitching myself over the side of the boat to see if I can do it too?

And what if the leader raises back to life a dead girl? Am I supposed to do that, ick! Or what if the leader goes all bonkers on the money-changers and ticket sellers in the church? Are you supposed to do that?

I suppose our leader of the game here today wouldn't do those things; they would just walk funny, or do a jumping jack, or sing a song, or tell a funny story. You could probably do all of those, right? But what if he said, "The Father and I are One." Then what would you do?

I suppose you could ask one of the other people in the game, I mean one of them must understand what the leader is doing and saying and thinking, right?. I mean the leader can't be that cryptic can he or she?

Or you could ask a former leader of the line what the current leader of the line is doing or thinking, although depending on whther they are paying attention or net, they might or might not know what is going on.

Or I suppose you could ask the leader.

Because if you don't understand what you are supposed to do to follow the leader you could do it wrong and the leader could say you are out of the line, and out of the game, and out of the community that is following the leader.

I would hope that if you ask the leader what the leader did that you are supposed to be doing, then at least if you do it wrong, think it wrong, feel it wrong - at least the leader knows you were trying to get it right, right?

The object is to learn to follow the leader so well that you become like the leader: think like the leader does, see the world the way the leader does, act like the leader does, talk like the leader does; so that at some point you can become the leader, so much like the leader that you are basically indistinguishable, soul mates, one person, reflections in the mirror, so alike that anyone looking at one of you can't tell you from the other in the mirror in the way you function in the game.

I mean, that is how you win, by being the leader's double, doing exactly like her or him!


Mark tells us that as Jesus was walking along the shores of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew and later James and John and asked them to come follow him, and they left everything to be part of the adventure Jesus offered.

Following a teacher in Jesus day was really all about following. You went and lived with the teacher, you went where the teacher went and learned about life and how to understand it and how to live in the way the teacher thought was right and meaningful by encountering everyday situations and watching what the teacher did when he encountered them.

You learned about the value that the teacher put on people and things and experiences from watching and hearing and feeling the master’s word and actions, and then could hear the master’s explanations for his words and actions and even ask questions.

You didn't get knowledge from a book, although the Torah and the Prophets were readily available, you got it from the master directly. It was a lot like playing “follow the leader” except this was real life and for keeps!

You learned how to be like Jesus by ...being like Jesus. It happened in the marketplace, in the homes of friends, in contacts with other political and religious and civil leaders, and in the living of day to day life.

It happened in community, in the Temple and synagogue sometimes, but most often it happened in the interaction between Jesus and the world while the disciples watched and learned and prepared to do likewise.

It happened in real life and in real time, and since that is the place, not in church, where being like Jesus matters the most, in our homes, at our jobs, when we shop, and play, that’s where we too need to live out life's great adventures with Jesus.

Jesus came by the seashore and invited a bunch of regular folks to come and play “follow the leader”. And they left everything and began learning from the Master. How about you? Are you ready to follow the leader? Amen.