Big Treasures in Little Packages

Mark 6:30-44

July 23, 2006         (Click the date to see the bulletin)

 

1.  It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago, 200 at least.^[i]  An old man was waiting by the river’s edge, hoping a horseman would come along, lift him upon his horse, and give him a ride home.  His beard was glazed by winter’s frost.  He waited, and waited, and waited.  His body became numb and stiff from the frigid north wind.

After what seemed like forever, he heard the faint, steady rhythm of approaching hooves galloping along the frozen path.  He watched as several horsemen rounded the bend in single file.  He looked at the first one, but let him one pass by.  Same with the second, and third, and fourth.  Finally, the last rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue.  As the horse and rider drew near, the old man painfully lifted his arm and said, “Sir, would you mind giving me a ride to the other side?  There doesn’t appear to be a foot bridge I can use.”

Reining in his horse, the rider replied, “Sure thing.  Hop on.”  When the old man didn’t “hop,” the horseman dismounted and helped him onto the horse.  He took the old man not just across the river, but to his home, which was a few miles further.  As they neared the tiny, but warm, cottage, the horseman’s curiosity got the better of him.  “Sir, I noticed that you let all the other riders pass by without making any effort to get their attention.  But when I got closer, you immediately asked me for a ride.  I’m curious.  Why, in such bitter winter weather, you would wait and ask the last rider.  What if I had refused and left you there to freeze?”

The old man lowered himself slowly down from the horse, looked the rider straight in the eyes, and replied, “I’ve been around these here parts for some time.  I reckon I know people pretty good.  I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw they didn’t care.  It would have been useless even to ask them for a ride. But when I looked into your eyes, I saw kindness and compassion.  I knew, then and there, that I could trust you to help me.”

His words touched the horseman deeply.  “I’m most grateful for what you have said, “ he told the old man.  “I pray I’m never so busy with my own affairs that I fail to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”

And with that, President Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White house.

2.  Thomas Jefferson, probably the busiest man in those parts during those days, prayed that he would never be too busy with his own “busy-ness” that he failed to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”  He had what Jesus himself had; he looked at others with the same eyes of compassion with which Jesus looked upon the crowd.  And when he saw a need, he responded to it immediately.

3.  Two examples of people who made a difference.  We can say, “Well, they were both important men, and they should look out for the people around them.   We’re not that important; how could we ever make a difference?”  You and I can say, “I’m not that important.  I couldn’t make a difference.”  But if we said that, we would not be telling the truth.  Even though each of us is only one individual (and not all that important in the public eye), what you do and what I do makes a big difference to another person.   Even though St. Andrew’s is only one congregation (and not a very large one, at that) what we do together makes a big difference in our community.  Even though the Presbyterian Church is only one denomination (and not the biggest denomination in the country), what we do makes a big difference in the world.  There are examples all around us.  Good examples!

4.  But I need to give you bad example, another kind of example of the negative difference only a few can make when they try.  You may have read the Religion Section in yesterday’s paper -- big article about the group that calls itself the New Wineskins.  They met in Tulsa last week.  This group is not large in number.  They were hoping for 2,000, but only 400 actually attended.  They are among those extremists who didn’t get their way when the General Assembly adopted the Peace, Unity, and Purity Report.  Instead of following the Task Force’s excellent example of the good which very diverse people can do when they work together, the New Wineskins point accusing fingers at the rest of us, and threaten once again to leave our church.  Extremists often take their case to the public, which is what you see on the Religion Page.  This is a church matter and does not belong in the public newspaper.  But it is, and your friends and neighbors may read it and say, “Presbyterian . . . aren’t you one of them?”  And you can either duck your head like Peter did the night Jesus was arrested and say, “No, I’m not.  I never heard of them.”  Or you can say, “Yes, I am, and I’m not going to let this negative publicity distract me from following Jesus!” 

5. We have a job to do!   And it’s going to take all of us working as hard as we can to get it done!

   There are little people out there, children who need to be carefully taught; 

     There are abused people out there who need an advocate;

       There are hungry people out there who need food;

         There are homeless people who need a safe place to stay;

           There are lost and lonely people out there who need to hear about the wide-

            reaching love and amazing grace of God in Christ Jesus. 

6.  The old country preacher used to say “There are two parts of the gospel.  The first is the believing part, and the second is the behaving part.”  For the world to believe we are Christians, we must behave like Christ!   You and I may not be the most important people, and St. Andrew’s may not be the largest congregation, and the Presbyterian Church may not be the biggest denomination.  But by golly, we can still make a difference!  “We” are the “You” in this story; we are the ones Jesus sends.  And thank God, we don’t have to do it alone!  Jesus takes what we have, and blesses it, and it is enough – with some left over.