Story Telling

Joseph Winston

November 19, 2006

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
Storytelling is an ancient art form that has survived for all these years because
when we tell stories we are teaching others and ourselves how the world really
works. Two stories told by the Grimm brothers proves this point. In actuality,
Little Red Riding Hood is not about a girl who brings food to her sick grand-
mother. Instead, this tale teaches girls about value of chastity and warns them
about wolves that would eat them up. Hansel and Gretel appears at first glance
to be a story about a fantastic house made of gingerbread in the woods and the
evil witch who wants to enslave both children. A more detailed analysis would
show that Hansel and Gretel tells us of the harshness of life in the Middle Ages.
In this time, parents often left children in the woods to die of exposure because
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3

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their families did not have enough food for everyone. Hansel and Gretel recalls
the horrible experiences of these children and society’s shock that such atrocities
could occur in a “Christian” country. The Bible functions in the same way. The
retelling of the birth of Moses in Exodus informs us of how a powerless people
bests the military might of Egypt.

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was
named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you act as midwives to
the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill
him; but if it is a girl, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God;
they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let
the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said
to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?” The
midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like
the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the
midwife comes to them” (Exodus 1:15-19 NRSV)

The two midwives are not telling the pharaoh the truth. Even if a woman gives
birth by herself, she cannot just get up and run away with her new infant. Both
she and the child need care. This account tells the shrewd listener that the king of
Egypt knows nothing about childbirth. Two common women have tricked him.
The entire Bible was written for this same reason. God wants us to give us the
information that we need to survive. Genesis shows us that we were made to live in
relationship with God as creatures but instead we wanted to be just like God. The

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Bible tells us of the many problems that we have created for ourselves because
of our backwards decision. The storytelling does not end here in Genesis. Exodus
recounts one more of God’s attributes. God frees people from slavery. Woe to the
person or even the kingdom that stands between God’s people and freedom. Every
item of the Law serves a similar purpose. Normally, life works better when you
follow God’s plans instead of making up your own rules.
The thirteenth chapter of Mark follows this same basic trend. Jesus tells us
what He and the Father are doing and how the world will respond to God.
Today’s Gospel lesson starts with Jesus and the disciples leaving the temple in
Jerusalem. According to the author of Mark, this is Jesus’ first visit to the temple.2
This detail may explain the comment made by one of the disciples. He may have
been like Jesus and have never seen the temple. Or it could have simply been that
the temple was one of the wonders of the world. In any case, the disciple is amazed
at the temple’s beauty.3
Jesus then reminds him of the passing nature of this world: here today and
gone tomorrow. If we are nothing more than grass in the field, then we can expect
that some day that all of our buildings will crumble and fall. Once again, the dis-
ciples do not understand Christ’s Words. They ask Jesus, “When will this happen
so that we can have front row seats?” In other words, “Finally, Jesus is going to
throw His weight around. Those leaders, which we all have issues with, are now
going to get what is coming to them. Jesus will destroy their house of worship,
2
The author of Luke tells us that Jesus visited the temple as a child. Luke 2:42-52.
3
The Greek has ποταποὶ λίθοι (wonderful stones) and ποταπαὶ οἰκοδομαί (wonderful build-
ings).

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them, and put us in their place.”
As the author of Mark has told us throughout this church year, Jesus is not
coming with this type of power, a force that destroys temples, nations, and worlds.
Instead, Christ comes with a different type of control. It is subtle. It is small. It is
subversive.
God the Father has sent His only Son into the world. The message that Jesus
has constantly preached in Mark’s account is, “God’s rule is right at your hand.
Change your behavior and believe this Good News.” (Mark 1:15.) In God’s world,
the broken are made whole, the unacceptable are welcomed, and the sinners are
forgiven. Jesus has come to bring into God’s Kingdom all of those people who
have been crowded out by the rest of the world.4 The method that Jesus uses to
welcome these “losers” into His reign is not one of force or of oppression. Instead,
Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:16.). This life style continues
all the way to the cross. Jesus never calls down wave after wave of the heavenly
army to protect Him. Rather, He dies alone on the cross so that we might live.
The reason why it is important to hear time and time again of how God came
to live among us is that we can once again learn how God uses power. Out of all
the Gospels, this Gospel written by Mark is the clearest on this one point. Power
is not taking the world by force nor is it ruling with a iron fist. Power in Mark’s
Gospel comes in the form of care for the less fortunate. The primary illustration
of God’s power is found in a few more chapters, raised on the cross and dripping
blood.
4
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 The issue set before us today in the thirteenth chapter of Mark forces us to
closely examine our understanding of God’s power. When Christ comes again,
how we He deal with the people that He finds living here on earth? Will He use
force against these individuals or will He provide for their health, welfare, and
maintenance? If the Gospel according to Mark is correct, Jesus will once again
give aid to those who need it the most.
When Jesus tells us of the destruction of the temple, of the wars that destroy
people and property, and of the natural disasters that wreck the planet and the
humans, He is reminding us of the affects of our sin and evil that we have brought
into the world. These forces of death and destruction rain down upon our children
and us because we have chosen to be our own gods. This is the story of our sin
and this is the way that the world works.
The Good News that is woven throughout the Bible is found also in the Gospel
according to St. Mark. God has been intervening in history so that people will
be saved from the ruin that we have brought on ourselves.5 We first heard of
this incredible intervention in Genesis. God became involved in the lives of the
patriarchs so that they might live. God continued to take into account our sinful
behavior and changed creation. When it became plainly obvious that we could not
save ourselves, God sent His Son Jesus to save us from our sins. Even today, God
is here with us, changing the future for our sake. He sent the Holy Spirit to call us
into the church. The same Spirit is keeping us and all other believers in faith. Even
5
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the end of the world is Good News.6 God has promised to shorten the time until
the end so that more people will be saved (Mark 13:20.). The One who we can
see today only with the eyes of faith will at that great last day be clearly visible to
everyone.
This is the story that we share with each other. God works to save you.
Here in Christ’s church we keep alive ancient the art of storytelling. We listen
to God’s mighty acts in His Word. We sing of His powerful deeds. We recount
what God has first done for us. We tell these old, old stories because we want to
know how the world really works.
At first glance, this approach might seem quaint and old fashioned. We might
even think, “Who tells stories anymore?” The reality is that every day of our lives,
whether we know it or not, we tell stories. Our clothes tell others where we shop.
Our car informs all who would hear of our likes. The job that we hold proclaims
what we like to do. The house that we live in is no different from any other of our
possessions. They all speak about what we hold dear.
One of our proud traditions is the meal we share every third Sunday. Today’s
dinner is one of our special customs. In a few moments, we will sit down to eat
our annual congregational Thanksgiving meal. This also is part of our story. We
know that God has given us everything that we have and it is good that we give
God our thanks and praise.
For stories to live, they must be told. This is what we have been called to do.
Go and tell the world the most important story of all times. The Messiah was sent
6
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to save the ones the world had discarded.
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.”7

7
Philippians 4:7.