My friend and his guts
I have a friend who once went to hospital. He wasn’t a well boy. And the reason he wasn’t well was because his stomach had tied itself in knots. Literally. According to the doctors who know about such things, this can be a very serious matter: evidently the stomach tying itself in knots is something to be avoided wherever possible.
Now, how did such a strange thing happen? Well, my friend was under a lot of stress and strain in his job; an excessive amount of stress and strain – so much so that his worrying, his concern, his anxiety knotted him up inside. We say that, don’t we? People tie themselves in knots through stress and strain, through anxiety and concern.
Jesus and his guts
Why am I telling you this? Well, guess what Jesus is doing in today’s gospel story? The translation we heard this morning says, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them”. Compassion for them. Actually compassion is a really wishy-washy word for what the original Greek says. A more literal translation might say something like, “When Jesus saw the crowds, his guts tied themselves in knots”. But you can’t say that in the bible. You can’t go around saying that Jesus is so concerned for the crowd that his guts tie themselves in knots. But that is what it means. That is the strength of Jesus’ feelings.
Now my friend’s stomach problem – his guts in knots situation – was because of what was going on in his life. Interestingly, tellingly, Jesus’ difficulty is not caused by his own problems, but by what is going on in the lives of others. “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” It’s the crowds who are under stress and strain, who are worried and anxious, harried and helpless, but it is Jesus who gets his stomach in a knot.
At this point, though, I start to wonder: what’s wrong with this mob? What’s their problem? Whose fault is it that they are like a mob of sheep without a shepherd? These are reasonable questions, aren’t they? After all, we like to know who is to blame, particularly if it’s not us.
Biblical theology would suggest that their problems are caused by God. But it’s not God’s fault. God causes the problems but God’s not to blame.
Let me explain: The Hebrew understanding was that God causes everything to happen. The sun shines – God did that. The rain falls – God did that. The Israelites prosper – God did that. They are taken into Exile – God did that too. Everything is caused by God.
But equally, God is not arbitrary. All of these things which are down to God are done for a purpose. If something good happens, it’s because it is deserved. If something bad happens, then that is deserved as well. This is Old Testament theology. Why were the Israelites taken into captivity? Because they failed to honour their covenant with God and so they deserved to be taken from the land God had promised them and God caused it to be so.
Now if this line of reasoning is followed consistently then it must mean that the harassed and helpless crowd are harassed and helpless because they deserve to be. For whatever reason, they must have been the cause of their own suffering. At least, that is one way of explaining their situation.
But if this is so, why would Jesus get his stomach knotted for them? Why would he wish to respond to their need? Why would he have compassion for them?
The Oprah method
During the week I heard an interesting thing: Did you know that Oprah Winfrey is considered to be the most influential person in America today? Oprah, the talk-show host. She has a viewing audience of about 46 million people per week. 46 million. Let me tell you, the crowds following Jesus were more likely to be 46 than 46 million.
And Oprah is a very, very influential figure in American and Western culture. Her approach to life and life’s problems is espoused in all sorts of places; her approach is emulated and articulated by ordinary folk, by business leaders, by celebrities and by politicians across the country and across the world. And what is Oprah’s approach? Fix yourself. If you have a problem, fix yourself. If you’re not happy with your life, it’s your problem so fix it yourself.
And there’s a certain beguiling logic to that, isn’t there? I mean, it worked for Oprah. Why shouldn’t it work for everyone? Why shouldn’t people take responsibility for fixing their own problems? Particularly if those problems are of their own making. You got yourself into debt? Get yourself out of it. You don’t have a well-paid job? Sort yourself out. Interest rates are rising and your mortgage payments are getting harder to meet? You’re on your own.
The Oprah approach. People should take responsibility for fixing their own problems. And that is really excellent because it means I don’t have to help them. We don’t have to help them. Society doesn’t have to help them. No need for anyone else to get their guts in a knot, is there?
Jesus and his guts
But what about Jesus? Remember Jesus? He’s the one running around with his stomach in knots. For a whole load of harried and helpless people.
Christians understand Jesus to be the very incarnation of God. If Jesus has his stomach tied up because he is so worried about others, then God is also suffering from intestinal problems. The Incarnation says, “God is with us.” And, as nice as that is for us, even more importantly, the Incarnation means God is with people who are in need, who are harried and helpless.
Not standing at a distance, a mildly interested observer. Not on the sidelines, cheering encouragingly, “Fix yourself!” Not saying, “You got yourself into this mess; now you get yourself out of it.” No, this is Emmanuel: God-with-us.
Us and our guts
One last trip back to today’s gospel passage:
“Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples… These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions… “As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”
What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus, to be a disciple? It means to be sent to those who are harried and helpless. Being a disciple is not some wishy-washy religious thing. It’s not standing on the sidelines. Following the one who is the Incarnation of a compassionate God involves living out that compassion for others. It’s not “Fix yourself” but “Be with others.”
Let me leave you with some questions, some questions designed to cause stomach problems:
- What difference does our practice of Christianity make in the lives of people?
- Are the suffering and dying better off because we follow Christ?
- Are the hungry and homeless finding their lives improved because we follow Christ?
- Do children have a brighter future because we follow Christ?
And if your stomach hurts, don’t go to hospital. Go out into the world. Amen.
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