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"Joyfully Subversive"

by Faith Marsalli, February 2, 2003

Mark 1:21-28:

"Jesus and his followers entered Capernaum. When the Sabbath arrived, Jesus lost no time in getting
to the meeting place. He spent the day there teaching. They were surprised at his teaching - so
forthright, so confident - not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars.

Suddenly, while still in the meeting place, he was interrupted by a man who was deeply disturbed and
yelling out, 'What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to!
You're the Holy One of God, and you've come to destroy us!'

Jesus shut him up: 'Quiet! Get out of him!' The afflicting spirit threw the man into spasms, protesting
loudly - and got out.

Everyone there was incredulous, buzzing with curiosity. 'What's going on here? A new teaching that
does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and sends them packing!' News of this traveled
fast and was soon all over Galilee."

Last week after worship, someone asked me, "You know, I've noticed this little saying on your bulletin, 'Joyfully Subversive' and was wondering if you could tell me what that means in the context of your church?" It was my impression that this person saw this statement as kind of negative and inflammatory.

I went on to explain what being joyfully subversive means to me --- that as a person of faith I must have the integrity to speak my conscience even in the face of opposition. As God directs me, I must speak truth to power even when the prevailing culture is going in a different direction.

I started thinking this week that 'Joyfully Subversive' is right on our web site. After my discussion with these folks it made me wonder what others may come away thinking this means. What a great question! Great sermon material!

Here's Webster's dictionary definition of subversive:

"To overthrow or overturn from the foundation." My English thesaurus uses synonyms like dissident,
rebellious, seditious revolutionary, radical.

As I look at this story in Mark I can't help but think Jesus is being just a little bit subversive here. When Jesus showed up at meeting that day and began to teach, he didn't sound like the preachers these folk were use to hearing. His words had power and authority. This wasn't religion as usual. It was fresh and alive and relevant.

The gospels portray Jesus as one who was constantly pushing the envelope. He healed people on the Sabbath, he valued women, he cared about the marginalized, and hung out with the sinners. He called the religious hypocrites. He asked probing questions about people's values. Jesus spoke the truth no matter what the opposition.

So how do I see Jesus being subversive here in this story?

Well, things were tough in Palestine. The religious elite had come up with these strict holiness codes that regarded many people, including the sick, the possessed, and women - to be "unclean." If you associated with them you would become contaminated or ritually unclean yourself. Boundary lines had been drawn between insiders and outsiders so that many people were considered outsiders by virtue of circumstances over which they had no control like their gender, or their physical or mental health.

Jesus comes in and blatantly disregards the rules. Instead of trying to avoid this man who approached him with an unclean spirit, Jesus engages him in conversation. He breaks through the accepted cultural boundary and validates this man in the presence of the existing religious institution. Now that is pretty subversive!

People were amazed because Jesus spoke to this gathering with a different kind of authority in which the disenfranchised were seen and heard and even healed. Jesus spoke out against the injustice he saw around him. And there's no doubt in my mind that Jesus was subversive about it.

Jesus' actions and words were congruent. Do I follow his example by the way I live my life today? Do my actions and words line up? Am I willing to be subversive to help build a world of justice and caring in a culture that often looks the other way?

Early Quakers were often subversive in their Christian witness. They spoke out against slavery, were active in prison reform, and were committed to nonviolence. All of these things involved calling into question the status quo. I sometimes wonder if we have lost our edge.

If in the Christmas season we are prone to sentimentalize the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, the Epiphany season shakes us into a startling awareness that in this same Jesus we are confronted with the very power and authority of God made flesh.

One writer puts it this way,

"Jesus, who is God's intervention, comes preaching that the Kingdom of God, which is a metaphorical
way of describing God's intervention, has come near."

Do we live like we believe in the nearness of the kingdom? How will this belief change the way we look at the suffering in the world? As people of faith how are we bringing God near to those whom are treated unfairly, who are ostracized or neglected close by to us or in other parts of the world?

I encouraged you a few weeks ago to lay aside past ideas or even your disappointments with Christianity and come to Jesus with fresh eyes. Maybe, you are here this morning and you need the healing touch of God in some area of your life, a past hurt, or a broken relationship. Receive God's healing into that situation.

As we come to Jesus again for the first time this morning, do we believe Jesus has the authority to speak into our lives today? Do his teachings influence the choices we make about the use of our abilities, resources and time? Are we willing as individuals and as a church to be joyfully subversive for the sake of truth?

Will you pray with me?

In the midst of a world with so many false truths and oppressive authorities, we turn to you, God, knowing
we can put our complete trust in you. We ask you to set free those of us in this room who feel oppressed, spiritually, emotionally or even physically. We pray for your healing touch. And as we look at the suffering
world around us, give us the courage and compassion to speak truth to power in the name of Jesus. Amen.