March 19

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Mark 8:31-38

Pastor David G. Mullen

There is a new animated show on TV, a comedy called "God, the Devil, and Bob". The premise of the show is really the Biblical story of Job (see Job 1 and 2). God and Satan make a deal. The deal is that the fate of humanity rests on Bob’s shoulders as Satan gets to test Bob to see if he can stand up the strain. However, Bob is not exactly a noble figure like Job of the Bible. No, Bob likes to watch TV and drink a beer once in a while. He’s pretty much your average American just an average guy with a job, a mortgage, a wife, a daughter and a son. Actually it’s pretty scary to think that the fate of humanity rests on his shoulders, but then, that’s what makes the show kind of funny--especially since God, who like Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, shows up on a regular basis to talk with Bob and tell him what he wants him to do. Sure, "God, the Devil, and Bob" is not the highest form of art and certainly not the best of theology. Still, anything that gets people thinking and talking about God, Satan, and the predicament of being human is, in my view, worth at least some attention.

In this week’s episode we learn that Andy really believes in his Dad, and has told his friends at school all about how his Dad talks with God and is like a prophet. Naturally, the friends at school, typical boys, go out of their way to suggest that both Andy and his Dad are nuts. Bob promises them that God will show up in his garage on Saturday. The problem is, Bob can’t get God to show up, and pretends to be God himself–his fakery is obvious, Andy feels completely embarrassed in front of his friends–so humiliated that he runs away to Canada. Bob has to go find him. In the car on the way home, Bob has an apologetic conversation with Andy.

"Look," he explains, "the thing about God is, I don’t call the shots. It’s complicated. I can’t begin to understand why he wants me to do the things he wants me to do. I just have to obey and hope that things work out for the best." There’s a pause and then little Andy says, "So–it’s like you and Mom!"

I just have to obey and hope that things work out for the best. That’s pretty much the story for every one of the important characters in the Bible. They just had to obey God and hope that things worked out for the best. Especially it seems to be the case of Abraham and Sarah, featured in our First Lesson this morning!

Four thousands years ago, Abraham and Sarah were nice ordinary nomads following their flocks around the area we know today as Iraq. One day God showed up and asked them to leave their home area and venture down to the area of we know today as the Holy Land–Israel and Palestine. They did this just on a promise of God that they by doing so they would be greatly blessed. As impossible as it seemed, Abraham and Sarah believed, obeyed God, and three major world religions--Judaism, Islam, and Christianity--now claim them as the primal ancestors of monotheistic faith the One Holy God.

I just have to obey and hope that things work out for the best. No wonder Abraham and Sarah are honored as faith heroes and exemplars. We all know that actually doing what God wants is amazingly difficult! For example, hearing Jesus predict that he is going to suffer, be rejected by the religious leaders and be put to death on the Cross, Peter leader of the disciples says, "No way, Jesus! This cannot happen to you. You are the Messiah, the king of glory." Peter is us! We rebuke God, rebel against God’s will: don’t ask me to give up my dreams of glory! I have rights, God!

Back in the late 70’s we lived in a prime wheat-growing region of North Dakota. For a few years in that era, wheat prices soared and on the surface it seemed that all the farmers were doing great, as many lived the good life, blowing money like there was no tomorrow. One young hardworking farmer in North Dakota wanted to make it really big. So he stretched himself financially buying huge hundred-thousand-dollar tractors and combines, going into heavily into debt for more land and leveraging his future by cash-renting quarter-sections of land. And then came the 80s and the prices plummeted and he was ruined. A dark, deep depression took control of his life. He entered the hospital psych ward and there, with appropriate therapy and by the grace, he hit bottom, let go of his demands about for his life and began to ask what God’s dreams for him might be. Today, he is a blessed and happy administrator of a thriving nursing home, daily offering a steadfast example of compassion for the residents and all who work there.

Seems like until things get really bad, we’re like St. Peter: we don’t really want to do what God asks, because when God asks for our absolute trust, when God puts a cross in front of us, we look for a way out. We’re just not willing to let go of our dreams, our self-will, and our dependencies, until, by the grace of God, we face a major crisis or hit a bottom in our lives. And even then there are no guarantees. Faith will always be risky. But without risk, we’re gonna miss the blessing!

Forgive me for telling again an old illustration. A guy is hiking up in the mountains, and comes to a dangerously narrow section of the path, a mere foot and a half wide, with the rising granite wall of the mountain, on the one side and on the other, a sheer drop-off, a thousand feet down to the rocky bottom. He doesn’t see the trickle of water crossing the stony path. The slick spot makes him lose his balance, he falls over the edge, slipping down the sheer wall, in terror reaching out to grab anything. Suddenly his hands close over the trunk of a small shrub bravely growing out of the side of the cliff. He hangs for dear life, sweating, scared. He cries out, "Help, someone help me." There is nothing but silence and then the sound of falling pebbles and dirt as the roots of the shrub begin to pull away from the cliff. Now he is really terrified. He shouts again, "Help! Help! Somebody help me!" Now he hears a voice from above, "Here I am! I will help you." The guy looks up, spots no one. "Where are you? I can’t see you." "I’m right here," says the voice. "I will help you." the voice answers. "Just let go of the shrub and you will be OK. I will catch you. Trust me, I’m God." There is a prolonged silence. Then the guy shouts, "Anyone else up there?"

I just have to obey and hope that things work out for the best. After all his teaching, preaching, healing; after his joyous gathering of the poor, the sinners and the outcast, comes Jesus to the Cross. And there on the sheer cliff of Good Friday with every lesser dream shattered, he let go and fell into God. And then? And then he woke up to the unimaginable glory of Easter.

Is there hope? Is there something like Easter for us? There’s only one way we’ll ever find out. Whatever we’re holding onto for dear life that isn’t God, let go of it. For the beginning of obedience is to quit demanding things of life, of others, of God, and letting go, fall headlong into the mystery of God, trusting that things will work out for the best. May the Holy Spirit give us such faith. Amen.