The Bigger Picture of Inclusion
Scripture Reading: Mark 9: 38 - 50 (NIV)
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40for whoever is not against us is for us. 41Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] 45And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] 47And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Message: The Bigger Picture of Inclusion
Reminder: Not a great track record of inclusion
Apartheid and Residential schools are colonial examples of exclusion that will remain a reminder to us of how loveless and hurtful exclusion can be
Tomorrow is the national day of truth and reconciliation
This is an opportunity for us to reflect on where we stand on the matter of inclusion
Perhaps an opportunity for us to rediscover why inclusion matters
And here in Mark 9 we find this compelling interaction between Jesus and his disciples that illustrates the importance of inclusion
Jesus wants to help his understand the importance of inclusion to prepare them for their work as apostles in establishing church after his ascension
As Christians living in a world of inclusion and exclusion today, we need to take care with our interactions, because the way we express ourselves directly impacts the our testimony about the love of God in this world
Debates that exclude
Let’s just consider some of these debates for a moment:
Pro Life or Pro Choice? Is it really as simple as saying you are pro life or pro choice? Is it possible to be both pro life and pro choice? (In the sense of acknowledging that individuals have the right to choose as well seeing abortion as a life-style choice as problematic?) Just look at the debates that is ongoing in US election and the differences in abortion laws in the different states south of the border…
Christians and the Pride Flag - Just consider how much strong energy goes into the matter of sexuality in Christian circles… Many church denominations around the world are currently grappling with this debate and yet the great irony of the meaning of the Pride Flag is crying out - it is flag of inclusion… do we really mean what we say as Christians that anyone is welcome? Or are we actually saying: if you agree with how we see things, you are welcome? Why do we think that being by being welcoming we are compromising our principles?
Israel and war with Hamas and Hezbollah - It is so sensitive right now that you dare not criticize either side of the conflict… if you criticize Palestinians about their protests against the war, you might be accused for supporting Israeli “apartheid” and if you criticize Israel for the brutal war tactics they use to fight the enemy (that hurts so many innocent lives), might easily be called anti-semitic?
These are all complicated debates where there is a real danger of exclusion when we attempt to have simplified answers
Jesus changes our ideas of inclusion
Now we all have heard the saying: “If you are not with us, you are against us”
It is often used in warm debates when support is being mobilized for a specific view-point
“If you don’t agree with me on this matter, you are against me and you therefore become my advisory”
Where have you encountered some version of this kind of thinking?
Jesus is turning around this old saying into “whoever is not against us is for us”
Jesus is opening up the minds of his disciples regarding their thinking of inclusion
It is an approach of looking for ways to include rather that grabbing any argument on which we can exclude
Jesus feels strong about inclusion because inclusion was one of the key aspects of the huge growth of the early church
Remove the obstacles
Jesus is serious about taking away the obstacles of inclusion
He urges the removal of these obsticales (cut off hand, cut off foot, pluck out eye)
Are these referencing obstacles of inclusion?
Hand - what we do? Are we willing to speak to those are different than us? Are we willing to learn? Are we willing to open up our circles of the company we keep?
Feet - where we are willing to go? Are we willing to leave our comfort zones and go were we not normally go? Are we even willing to make the effort to go the extra mile?
Eye - the way we see things? Are we willing to accept that we don’t have all the answers? Are we willing to consider opinions that differ from ours?
Jesus uses strong metaphoric language - cut off hand, cut off foot, pluck out eye - to bring it home to us how important it is to be inclusive
The brutality of the metaphors Jesus is using is meant to make us stop and think!
Salt and saltiness
In the end Jesus brings it all back to the idea of salt - making a difference in the world
That is the bigger picture of inclusion
When we exclude people in any way, we loose our ability to make a difference in this world
Or, to say it in the metaphor Jesus is using, we become like salt that looses it saltiness
So, when we are confronted with our ways that may exclude, when we hear about truth and reconciliation, or when we see a pride flag, or when we listen to over-simplified debates… let us allow ourselves to see the bigger picture of inclusion
It is not about being right
It is not about winning the argument
It is not about standing on our rights
It is about being salt
It is about being present in this world
And it is about having an impact in this world - to truly make a difference
Jesus said: “whoever is not against us is for us”
Jesus also said: “Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
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