Rector's Sermon - Sunday, February 9, 2002

First Reading	Psalm	Epistle	Gospel
Isaiah 40:21_31	147:1-7, 11-12	1 Corinthians 9:16-23	Mark 1:29-39

     Her son-in-law was a good man. She did not resent him when he began studying with the new rabbi. She was a little surprised because he never seemed to be the studious kind, but it was good to see him enthusiastic about learning more about the sacred scriptures and the traditions of their people. Yet when he left fishing full time, he put a great strain on the rest of the family.

     Then she learned that her son-in -law had invited the rabbi to her home. Moreover, all the other disciples were coming as guests, too. Apparently the reputation of this rabbi was rising quite fast. People began stopping by the house, asking her when they would arrive. She didn't know; they would arrive when they would arrive. She soon realized that she couldn't send the inquirers away. A large crowd gathered outside her door, then surrounded the house on all sides, waiting for the entourage to come. That really did it! She was working as fast as she could, but this was just too much. Her head began to throb, her face became flushed. She almost fainted. She simply had to lie down.

     That is how they found her. She had been crying, ashamed and guilty that she hadn't been able to bear the whole load. The rabbi didn't scold her or treat her with condescending sympathy. He shooed everyone else out so they could be alone. She blurted out her frustration while he listened. She knew that he understood all the stuff that was churning inside her. He smiled and gently interrupted her as she was half-way through her repeated apology. There was something powerfully healing in his manner. In his presence, the fever of the moment left.
She got up to serve the guests and even to provide some measure of hospitality for those outside. No longer did she feel overwhelmed. The intensity of the moment was not going to take over her life. She learned from the rabbi that in the very act of creating the world, God had rested. Even God did not create the world in a day.

     On the other hand, the son-in-law became increasingly excited. He wanted everyone to meet his rabbi, and all the villagers to be healed. Early in the morning he awoke to bring more people to Jesus, but Jesus was nowhere to be found. The disciples were frantic. There were still people to be healed. What would the crowd think? Even the mayor and the local synagogue officials were planning to visit. How would Jesus build up his reputation if he didn't keep performing miracles? They began looking for him with fevered effort.

     Of course, Jesus had been up even earlier. I suspect he felt the urgings of his disciples to increase the pace. Perhaps he knew that in all the pressure he had caught a fever. He left to find a quiet and empty space outside the town. That's where the disciples found him. This time, Jesus told them to sit down. Did they think that the good news of God was simply to put more demands upon them? Were they not carrying heavy loads already, usually to the detriment of those around them? It was not his intent to feed the fevers of the world, but to calm them. It was not his intent to give the demons louder and stronger voices and more and more space, but to provide boundaries, to legitimize a space between the demands of the world and ourselves; a space that was not to be invaded and filled.
Jesus never encouraged acquiescence as a way of dealing with life's challenges. Yet there is a vast difference between frenetic activity and assuming one's responsibilities. It was the deception of the demons who suggested that contentment was the same thing as resignation, or that increasing one's speed always led to increasing one's wisdom. Indeed demons have always provided false choices and sought to crowd out any alternative.

     Perhaps Jesus reminded them of the words from the prophet Isaiah. "God gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, but those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." As they prayed together, the feverish demons left them too. Like Simon's mother-in-law, they got up to do their tasks. They kept on doing what Jesus invited them to do. They did not return to the clamoring of the crowds. They got up and went on to the next village.

     Some in Ithaca have a hard time with the Gospel stories containing signs of healing and the reality of demons. Modern science scoffs at the existence of such forces. It claims you can cure most fevers by pharmaceuticals. Not so!, Jesus would say. The fever of war, aggression, fear, selfishness or aggrandizement is as virulent as ever. Better living through chemistry has its limits. That is why the Cornell Plantations, the Sapsucker Woods, and the waterfront trails by Cayuga Lake are as much an educational resource for young scholars and leaders of tomorrow as the laboratories and libraries.

     And I offer this to you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen