[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 9B: “Troublesome People” or “Like Water Off a Duck’s Back!”

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded:
-------- Original message --------From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org> Date: 7/7/18  8:39 PM  (GMT-06:00) To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org> Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Proper 9B: “Troublesome People” or “Like Water Off a Duck’s Back!” 


Dear
Friends,

 

This
Sunday’s sermon is entitled “Troublesome People” or “Like Water Off a Duck’s
Back!” and deals with all the lessons.  Here
it is:  

 

Since last Wednesday was the 4th of July and Bay
City is still celebrating, I’ll bet you encountered some troublesome people,
and you may still be encountering them. 
If you’ve been trying to sleep between the heat and celebrating, I’ll
bet you heard some troublesome people with 3 AM firecrackers and 4 AM gun
shots!  This morning we heard of one of
the more painful times in Jesus’ life. 
He went back to his hometown, Nazareth, probably to see his family and
close friends- especially those he’d grown up with.  He had preached, healed, and done other
wonderful works for strangers; and for quite a while he’d probably longed to go
home and reach out and touch those he had loved since childhood, but it wasn’t
to be.  Instead of welcoming him home,
their response was- “Who does he think he is?!” 
Isn’t he just Mary’s son” (not naming his father- thus signifying his
was an illegitimate birth)?  “Isn’t he
just a carpenter?  Who is he that we
should listen to him?”  In fact, the
Gospel of Luke tells how they got so mad when he preached that they tried to
throw him over the cliff and kill him. 
What a disappointing, sad reception! 
Jesus had his share of dealing with difficult people, and so do we.  That’s what I’d like us to think through this
morning.  If we are going to be true to
our Lord, how does Jesus want US to deal with the difficult people in our
lives?

 

Did you hear the story of Old Fred, who was in the hospital and
desperately ill?  All his family and
friends were gathered around his bedside. 
Realizing how serious the situation was, they sent for his pastor.  As his pastor said the prayers for the dying,
Fred suddenly started to motion for something to write on and with, so his wife
handed him a piece of paper and a pencil. 
He wrote quickly, handed the pastor his note, laid back with a loud
sigh, and died.  At the funeral, Fred’s pastor
realized he was wearing the same jacket he had worn in the hospital, so the
pastor put his hand in his jacket pocket and retrieved the note, written by his
dying friend.  He told the congregation
what had happened, and then what a great Christian man Fred had been.  “I know,” said the pastor, “whatever brother Fred
wrote will enlighten and strengthen us.” 
Opening the note, he read aloud, “Help! You're standing on my oxygen hose!”  Talk about troublesome people!  So who are the troublesome people in your
life, and how do you deal with them?

 

Our Old Testament lesson was about David, who became
Israel’s mightiest king.  You can bet
David had troublesome people in his life! 
Before David became king, he was hired by King Saul to play music on his
harp to soothe Saul’s nerves.  Do you
recall how, one day as David was playing- doing the king a favor yet- Saul
threw his spear at David, barely missing him? 
Maybe the troublesome people in your life are those you originally tried
to help, as David tried to help King Saul. 
Or perhaps they are people who have power over you, like a boss or a
social worker, who use their power to misuse you- again as King Saul did to
David.

 

The epistle is part of a very painful letter St. Paul wrote
to his Corinthian church.  Some members
of this church considered themselves such “super-Christians” that they thought
they knew everything.  They even
questioned Paul’s authority as a bishop. 
Maybe the troublesome people in your life are “know-it-all Christians”
who lecture you and tell you that you’re going to hell if you don’t believe
exactly as they say you should. 
Remember, the Episcopal Church is a thinking person’s church.  Jesus died to take away your sins, not your
mind.

 

We mentioned the gospel earlier- when Jesus’ own family and
close friends refused to accept him.  In
fact, as you recall- a bit earlier in Mark’s gospel we hear how Jesus’ mother
Mary and his brothers had come while he was preaching to take him home, because
they thought he was crazy.  Perhaps the
troublesome people in your life are people in your own household or some of
your most trusted friends.

 

So how should we handle such people?  Take Jesus’ advice.  His culture said, “Shake the dust off your
feet.”  Our culture means the same thing,
but puts it this way:  Let their insults
be like water off a duck’s back.  Give
them to God, love them, keep praying for them, and keep your own life on track.  

Evil temptations to avoid:


 REVENGE: you’ve heard, “I don’t get mad; I
     get even.”  That’s for the devil’s
     folks, not us- because we’re on God’s side.  No revenge.
 BITTERNESS: exactly whom are you trying to
     hurt.  A poisoned spirit only hurts YOU!  Don’t dwell on the evil that people have
     done to you.  Instead, focus on how
     you have remained a free-spirit in the Lord.
 MOODINESS: You know how Bill+ and I frequently
     used to go out to lunch together.  I
     remember us having a new but rather nice young waitress.  When we commented on how pleasant she had
     been, she responded, “You’re lucky I didn’t wait on you yesterday!  I was in a terrible mood!”  Don’t be like that!  A bad mood is not an excuse; but it is
     the devil’s playground.  Control
     your moodiness, and see the doctor if you can’t.  Stay positive.
 QUITTING: Jesus didn’t quit, he tried again
     in the next town...and the next town...and the next...and the next- until
     he finally ended up on the cross. 
     Don’t quit.
 SELF-DOUBT: Again- Jesus could have believed
     them and started to doubt himself. 
     You are made in the image of God. 
     Error-analyze what you’re doing, and then keep on keeping on.


 

And how do you have the power to do these things?  Some of our members have had absolutely
terrible things happen to them.  Reginald
and Narval lost a cousin to homicide, and we have 2 families struggling with
the possible false imprisonment of loved ones! 
How do you not let this destroy your life?  Did you hear the prayer someone prayed?  “Dear God, so far today I've done all
right.  I haven't gossiped. I haven't lost
my temper. I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or over-indulgent.  I'm very thankful for that.  But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get
out of bed, and from then on, I'm probably going to need a lot of help. Amen.”  How can you possibly give the troublesome
people in your life to God, love them, keep praying for them, and keep your own
life on track?  Paul has the answer in
our epistle today.  We heard him quote
God’s promise (as true for us as it was for Paul): “My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2nd Corinthians 12:
9a).  We can’t control how troublesome
people treat us, but we most surely can control how we respond.  Did you notice the thought for the week: “Be
fishers of men (and women and children). 
You catch ‘em; God will clean them.” 
Don’t worry how much cleaning some of these troublesome people will
require.  Just give them to God- they ARE
his business.  Amen.

 

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated
African-American wisdom statements are posted on our parish’s web site under
“Sermons & Stuff”. The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.org
.

 

Blessed
preaching,

Judy
Boli

St.
Paul's Episcopal Church

Saginaw,
Michigan





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