"The Law of Diminishing Returns" - Mark 8:27-38 - September 17, 2000

A few weeks ago my wife was trying to find something in our hall closet. She had difficulty since the closet had become extremely cluttered and full. I tried to help her but my presence in that small crowded space only made it impossible for either of us to move. There was simply not enough room for the two of us. Unfortunately the situation escalated into some unkind words and had all the dynamics of a major argument.

To release this potential time bomb that was about to emerge we agreed that some things needed to be discarded or relocated to another storage area. For the moment it worked although more sorting and organizing still needs to happen.

What occurred in that episode was "The law of diminishing returns." That is a basic principle of economics which means that overcrowding, overproduction, or over stockpiling eventually leads to loss of profit, loss of energy or loss of material and in this case loss of love in a relationship.

Just what is the "Law of diminishing returns?" An example: say you plant a field of corn and year after year you add rows and increase the quality of the seed in the same amount of acreage. You will reap greater yields as the years go by. But, at some point, the crops will be so thick they will become unmanageable and actually choke one another. The end result is you will receive less on your investment.

I believe that in today’s society we are living our lives as if the "Law of diminishing returns" does not exist. We are accustomed to adding more "stuff", more "activities", or more "productivity" to our lives to the point where we are experiencing overload. We believe that bigger is better, more is greater, and letting go is not something we want to do. Consequently, not only our closets are full, but our lives are full as well. And since they are so full there is no room for them to be enriched or inspired.

In our text today, Jesus is instructing us that unless we take seriously the "Law of diminishing returns," we will "lose" our lives. He therefore outlines several requirements that are necessary in order to survive.

First, he says that we are to "deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him." While this is indicative of the "suffering servant" motif, I believe Jesus is really describing something a little different. Remember, he had just demonstrated the tremendous power of God through the feeding of the 4,000 and restoring sight to the blind man. He then follows with strict orders for the disciples to say nothing to anyone about who he is.

Therefore, he teaches us that in order to understand the awesome, life-giving, creative power of God we must first see ourselves as indescribably small. In other words, Jesus is deflating our egos. Humility, not pride is to be at the very core of our being. Bigger is not better. And being greater, will only lead to self destruction down the road. God does not expect us to be successful or important. God wants us to be ourselves and follow.

The image of taking up one’s cross has to do with a life long journey of faithfulness and trust. The cross over the years has been somewhat idealized. It is sung about, read about and many wear it to adorn themselves. We place it in high places, on altars and atop churches. It has been an inspiration to poets, artists and yes, theologians for centuries.

The cross Jesus referred to was not something beautiful, pleasant or regarded in high esteem. It was solid, rough, crude and very heavy. What it symbolized was forgiveness. One time there was a German minister by the name of Count Zinzendorf, who visited a home of a skeptic. On the wall was a picture of the crucifixion. In captions were the words, "I did this for thee; what has thou done for me?"

Forgiveness is difficult for all of us. It means surrender, letting go. It means going down a path of absolute trust in God. Humility is essential. And in order to follow Jesus our life storage compartments have to be emptied of pride, stature or fame.

Secondly, we are asked to go where we don’t want to go. Now that the Olympics is upon us it reminds be of that famous program, "Wild World of Sports." Remember the film of the skier who is skiing down the ski jump and for no apparent reason loses it, tumbles head over heal, and lands off the course hitting the supporting structure?

What we don’t know is that that skier actually made a conscious decision to fall rather than finish the jump. He realized that he was going too fast and his jump could have been fatal since he would land beyond the safe landing zone. At the last minute he took a risk, changed course, thus saving his life. All he suffered from the fall was a headache. The skier chose a path where he really didn’t want to go and consequently was saved from possible death. Sometimes we too have to choose such a path, one that may save our lives as well.

Third, Jesus tells us that "in order to save our lives, we must lose them." This of course goes against all the world’s teachings. For the world wants you to "be all you can be," "get as much of the pie as you can, before its too late" and to "look out for number one." Letting go is not a part of our daily routine.

I heard recently about a woman who had over 1,000 items in her e-mail inbox. There was no way she could absorb all that material. When asked why there were so many items there she told her friend, "I don’t know how to use the ‘delete’ button."

I believe that is true of all of us. We are so preoccupied with adding things to our lives, we never take the time to throw anything away. We are so busy trying to survive, to literally save ourselves, that we do not realize that the "Law of diminishing returns is slowly destroying us."

Finally, Jesus instructs us that "world profit is no substitute for our life." He warns against our obsession to grow, to expand or to acquire. It is not in receiving that our lives are fulfilled, it is in giving. When our lives seem empty it is not because we are low on things, space or event time. It is because we have not learned that giving, especially ourselves, that can bring fulfillment and wholeness.

Recently my wife and I attended an auction. We stood in awe as the price of a historical wooden yardstick escalated to over $200. Now we appreciate the value of antiques just like many other Baby Boomers. Unfortunately, my wife and I have received little in the way of antiques from our grandparents and great-grandparents. I personally have lamented over the fact that most of what my grandparents had was given to my cousins.

While I was preparing this message I looked around my office, thinking how nice it would be to have some historic gem to display. I then remembered one such gift. It is my grandfather’s sermon book that dates back to 1936. In it was a message entitled, "The Old Rugged Cross." It helped me to tie this sermon together and included the story of the minister in Germany. "I did this for thee; what has thou done for me?" Until we learn how to give the "Law of diminishing returns" will reign over us.

Letting go, forgiving one another, going places we don’t want to go and giving will help us to save our lives rather than lose them.

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