“Don’t Look Back!” – Mark 6:1-13 – July 9, 2006

Jesus never stayed in one place for more than a few days. He was constantly traveling from place to place. He was always on the move, going from town to town. Unlike so many people, he didn’t stay in his home community. But, on this occasion he returns home for the first time since he was a youth. It wasn’t a happy homecoming. People were skeptical of his newly acquired powers and popularity. The people wondered, “Where did this man get all this?”

Consequently Jesus was not very effective in Nazareth. Perhaps the people there could not get his boyhood image out of their minds. Or, perhaps they didn’t believe that any one who grew up in Nazareth could become such a powerful figure. Feeling the negative vibrations, Jesus once again moved on to other villages, teaching and healing.

For the first time in his ministry Jesus came into face-to-face contact with his past. We have no information to indicate that he regretted his hometown of Nazareth. We do, however know that people perceived him as “the carpenter’s son” who had several relatives in the area. But, Jesus was no longer the “carpenter’s son.” He was now the “Son of God.” His understanding of who he was had changed and so was his mission in life. Going back to Nazareth reaffirmed his calling to keep moving, teaching, healing and preaching the kingdom of God. To be who he was called to be Jesus had to look forward. Looking back would limit his ability to be effective. His mission was beyond Nazareth, and beyond his youthful image.

There is nothing wrong with returning to our roots. Recently, I drove down the street where I was born. I was curious about the neighborhood that I came from. It hadn’t changed much, but I had. I realized that where I came from had little to do with who I am today. My identity is not about where I came from, but what I have been called to do and the relationships I have made because of it. Looking back minimizes who we are and prejudices our potential. My authority comes from God, not from the little town that I came from.

Jesus’ responded to his critics in his hometown by saying, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kind, and in their own house.” He was referring to anyone in the household of faith. We too can walk and work in other circles beyond those we know. The more a disciple does ministry in unfamiliar territory the more effective they can be.

I have a colleague who is pastoring a church in Cincinnati. She is an effective minister and loved by her congregation. She is a compassionate and sensitive person and people appreciate her ministry and leadership. What you don’t know about my friend is that before she became a pastor she was the church’s secretary. At some point she received the call to ministry and stepped out of one role into another. She is an example of a person who took her faith seriously and had the courage to move forward into totally new territory.

I believe Jesus wants us to leave our comfort zones and constantly try new things, meet new people and experience life in the present.

I talked with my folks this past 4th of July. They told me it was the first time that they didn’t spend the holiday with some member of the family. Instead, they stayed at their retirement home. Their retirement home had a festive celebration, complete with a parade. Only the parade consisted of 80 and 90-year-old men and women in wheelchairs. My dad said, “It was a riot and we actually enjoyed it.” Can you imagine a bunch of senior citizens with red, white and blue streamers on their wheelchairs? I can just see some of them dressed as Abraham Lincoln or George Washington. Then there were the American flags on tall poles, flapping in the breeze.

My folks were looking to the present instead of the past. It’s easy to get stuck in the past, perpetuating old customs, traditions and experiences. Times change, people change and in our case the family has changed. Each of my brothers has their own families and they are establishing new traditions and customs that meet their needs and their new life in the retirement community.

Jesus sent out the disciples in two’s to do ministry. What this says to me are two things. First, we are never alone. God is always with us in all that we do. Second, each of us has a responsibility to share our faith. But, you say, “I can’t do that, I don’t know enough about the Bible,” or “People will laugh at me and I will fail.” Do you know what is holding you back? You are looking back. You are seeing yourself from where you came from, not where you can go. Your faith is strengthened when you are willing to share it with total strangers. When we are unwilling to engage people in circles beyond our cozy existence we are limiting ourselves. And when we limit ourselves we are limiting the power of God.

There is an advertisement about used cars in Dayton where the salesman ultimately tells his listeners to “Get in here!” What Jesus is saying to his disciples is just the opposite. He is saying, “Get out of here!”

I believe we approach sharing our faith the same way we approach everything else. We think we need to have a lot of sophisticated equipment and supplies to tackle a challenge. When folks go on vacation they take much more than they need; food, clothing, tools, supplies, their pets, their electronic devices, etc. They take so much stuff they can’t enjoy the ride.

Jesus told his disciples to travel light. “Take no bread, no bad nor money.” He wanted them to keep it simple. He wanted their ministry to come from the heart. It’s not about what we have, it’s about who we are. In my Death and Dying class at Edison College, my students often say they don’t know what to say at funerals. I tell them, “It’s not what you say that your friends will hear. What they will remember is that you came.” We have a tendency in our society to minimize our “presence.” Perhaps we have confused presence with presents. Grieving hearts don’t need gifts, they need people.

Jesus also told his disciples to “Shake the dust off their shoes” when they are not accepted. Again, this statement affirms his message of not looking back. There is no reason to feel guilt or failure when others don’t accept you or your message. The healthiest thing you can do is move on to a new location.

I believe Jesus is saying we must embrace the present. When we let failure, disappointment or guilt hold us back we are not moving on. We are letting the past dominate our lives and we are not free.

One time there was a young man who lived a miserable life. He was orphaned at the age of three and taken in by strangers. He was kicked out of school, suffered from poverty and developed a serious heart condition. His wife died at an early age and he was an invalid most of his life. But, in spite of all these setbacks he never quit expressing himself. In his adult life, which only lasted twenty years, he produced some of the most brilliant articles, poems and essays ever written. His poems are in the English classes of virtually every high school in the United States. His short stories are world famous. His name: Edgar Allen Poe.

Poe did not look back. While he had every reason to quit and give up, he continued to press on. Followers of Jesus are those who don’t look back. Instead, they are the ones who press on, broadening their circles, engaging strangers, and trying new things.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio