Perfectly Flawed Humanity

Devotionals Perfectly Flawed Humanity 9/16/2024 - by: Raphaela Mueller - Starting With Scripture Share Born and raised in Germany, Rev. Raphaela Mueller was ordained in early 2022, and is currently the pastor at Montvale Congregational Church in Woburn, MA, and the associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge, MA. She lives in Woburn with her cat Sushi, and is always looking for recommendations on parks and trails to walk and enjoy God’s creation. Scripture: Mark 9:30-37 (NRSV) They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’ Reflection: Perfectly Flawed Humanity I love reading about the disciples. Sometimes they frustrate me with their hardheadedness, sometimes they make me giggle with their unintended comedy, but mostly I am so grateful that they are so utterly… normal. Very few sections in the Gospels tempt us to put the disciples on a pedestal for their faith or perfection; instead, the Gospel writers allow us to see their three-dimensionality and their humanity. In these verses, we actually have two situations in which the disciples are so perfectly human: First, Jesus explains to them – for a second time – that he will have to die and will return from the dead. The disciples nod along, trying so hard to understand but failing miserably, and are too embarrassed to say, “hey Jesus, hold up; I don’t get it. Can you slow down and explain what you just said?” I know I have been in that exact situation in school (and still find myself in similar situations more often than I care to admit), and maybe you have too. In this first set of verses, Jesus doesn’t let on whether he knows what is going on in his friends’ heads, but I think he does, based on his reaction in the second set of verses. Because here, again, the disciples’ perfectly flawed humanity shows. On the way home they are arguing about who in their group would be considered the greatest, and when they arrive at home in Capernaum, Jesus gently calls them out on it. “Hey guys, I was meditating and talking with my dad on the way home; what were you all talking about?” I imagine the disciples are standing around like caught children, squirming under the question, biting their lips, and exchanging embarrassed looks, with faces that badly hide that they don’t know how to answer. And somewhat surprisingly, Jesus doesn’t directly scold them. Instead, it sounds like he simply tries to redirect their conversation: “I know what you talked about, and it’s not the approach I want you to take. Don’t think like the world does – that being “great” means trampling on others in order to elevate your status. Among you, if you want to be great, care for each other. Think like a child: children love everything. Children are excited by everything. Children want to be helpful. Children want to learn. Children care about and protect small insects, weak animals, and others who are smaller than they are. So, care for, love, and learn from children. That is how you love and serve me and my Father, and that is how you will be great.” In some ways, we are doing much better than Jesus’ first disciples. We know how the story ends, we know and understand the crucifixion and resurrection (kind of). In many ways children have a much higher status in our 21st century society than they did in Jesus’ time – much of which is due to faithful Christians who lived their faith by improving the condition of children: advocating for schooling instead of work, and improving health care and the foster system. We have access to 2,000 years worth of theology and theological writings and teaching to guide us in our faith. And yet… and yet we are so wonderfully like these first disciples 2,000 years ago. We are still often afraid to ask for clarification when we don’t understand something – especially in church. (I can almost guarantee you that your pastor and/or colleagues want you to ask questions!) We still argue and bicker with each other over things that, in the grand scheme of things, are trivial. (Will God really care whether the flowers on the altar are real?) We still struggle with Jesus’ definition of greatness. I know I do, too. (Being recognized for all of our work is undeniably nice.) And, actually, we often still struggle with the unconditional welcome that Jesus asks of us. (After all, children can be noisy, and new people often do things differently.) And still, Jesus eats with us. Jesus shows up “where two or three are gathered in [his] name.” Two thousand years ago, Jesus picked 12 amazingly imperfect people from vastly different places in life to be his closest friends, and he continues to pick the weirdest, most unlikely, and seemingly most unqualified people – us! – to be his friends, students, and followers now. In a world where so often (too often) perfection is expected of us, in Jesus’ company we can breathe a sigh of relief and lean into this immense love God offers us through Jesus. PRAYER God our Father, we are imperfect just as Jesus’ first disciples were imperfect. Give us a child’s love and trust so that we may shed all selfishness to serve each other and your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. New Prayer Requests: We ask churches and church leaders to join us in the following prayers either by sharing them during worship, printing them in bulletins, or sharing them in some other way. To make a prayer request, please contact Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane at cochranem@sneucc.org. Prayers of Intercession: Prayers for peace as wars and conflicts continue to escalate around the world. Injustices and inequalities manifest as racism, discrimination, gender-based violence, economic disparities, and other issues. For those grieving or suffering due to the ~11,900 gun violence deaths that happened in the US since the start of the year. For those suffering this week from wildfires, hurricanes, floods and other weather-related emergencies. Prayers of Joy and Thanksgiving: For those putting philanthropy into action. For those gathering on World Communion Sunday to share Word and sacrament and discern the ways of faithful service. This Week in History: September 16, 1620 (404 years ago): The Mayflower sails from Plymouth, England, bound for the Americas with 102 passengers. Thirty-five of the Pilgrims were members of the radical English Separatist Church, who traveled to America to escape the jurisdiction of the Church of England, which they found corrupt. [History] “Study the past if you would define the future.” — Confucius 104437347_2723280721279773_6476270869095979776_n.jpg Raphaela Mueller Raphaela Mueller was ordained in early 2022, and is currently the pastor at Montvale Congregational Church in Woburn, MA, and the associate pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Cambridge, MA.