Prayer

Lord as we ponder your words open our hearts that we may understand and know you. Amen 

Sermon    

I was watching the news the other morning and there is a serious controversy brewing in Montreal. No its not about signage. It’s about bagels.  A rather prominent Montreal bagel bakery has started to produce a bagel without a hole.  Can a bagel be a bagel without the bagel hole  With no hole you get that much more spreadable surface.  Is a bagel without a bagel all just a bun?  Is it the flavour, texture and bagel baking technique that makes a bagel a bagel? A local Rabbi even spoke (not from a theological standpoint) and said by virtue of the name Bagel which translates bracelet must have its bangle bagel  hole to be considered a bagel.  No bagel worth the salt on it could be considered an authentic bagel with out its hole.  A holeless bagel is but a bun and not authentic to what a bagel should be.   One could make the same argument about Pretzels vs Pretzel buns but I digress.   What makes something authentic?

I was at a dinner a while back and one of the guest was rather excited for me to look at a ring they bought at a thrift shop. The seller said that it was a semi precious gem stone set in Silver.   And then they asked me what I thought.    The thing about asking someone what they think is that they might just tell you what they think. 

Let’s look at the ring.  Skip looking at the stone. Look inside the ring.  What markings are there?  Does it say Stirling silver? Does it say 925 (coin silver) or does it say nothing.  What does it smell like? Silver has a distinctive smell.    The stone, looked like a very pale amethyst or glass.  I didn’t have my magnifying loop to really look at it. Bottom line. It was not silver, the stone might be something of interesting but why would you set a good stone in a white metal.   Not real its costume jewelry and yes you paid to much for it.  I am sorry.

Does Speaking with Authority make a difference. 

         In the opening of Matthew and Luke We  find the genealogies. They have to be the least read vs in Matthew and Luke      Matthew traces Jesus’ ancestry from Abraham to King David  and Luke from Joseph to Adam.  The language in the end is interesting in that Adam is referred to the Son of God. (Does that make him Jesus’ brother?)  The question is what is the purpose for this?

Just like country folk today who your “people” are is important. You know how it goes. Now John was Twila and John Sn boy you know his grand parents founded the feed mill  Matthew and Liz and so on.   Who is this Jesus person who is doing all this preaching Well you know him, he was Joseph and Mary’s first born.  Yes, and you know there was some talk that She might have been in that way before they Married. 

Always remember that the Gospelers are writing after a couple of centuries after the events.   WHO is this Jesus person.  Well we write him a genealogy and give him a legitimate family. 

Mark takes a different approach.  Like last week Mark has Jesus out about doing some demon casting and healing work.  Teaching in the Temple and the like.   People are impressed. As we read in Mark.

They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 

They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He  commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”  At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

    We see more of the same this week. 

  As soon as they  left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.  Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.  He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

You have to admire Simon’s mother in law for her fortitude. One minute in bed with a fever next minute up and about whipping up tea and sandwiches for the house guests.    The word gets out and   That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed by demons.  And the whole city was gathered around the door.  And he cured many who were sick with various diseases and cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Again nothing of great interest, no gems of wisdom.  Yet we do see Mark’s great plan of keeping Jesus’ identity a secret. Jesus   cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.  If you can name it you have power over it.  This is known as Mark’s Messianic Secret. Jesus is not to be known until he enters Jerusalem.