“FAME
OR BLAME”
MARK
6: 30-34, 53-56 (NRSV)
A once-popular singer goes to a
retirement home to give a concert for the residents. When he enters he expects
applause and requests for his autograph, but no one seems to remember him.
Finally, the old singer asks one of the
women, "Don't you know who I am?""No," the woman answers,
"but if you can't remember your name, ask the nurse, she'll tell
you."
Fame is the feeling that you think you
are the constant subject of admiration on the part of people who are actually not
thinking of you. Many people think they have become famous when he or she has
merely happened to meet a reporter or editor who was hard up for material.
There is a quote that says, “Were not this desire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining it, and the danger of losing it when obtained, would be sufficient to deter a man from so vain a pursuit.”
This is best emphasized by the opening
lyrics to the song “Fleeting Fame” by the Rock Band Barcelona:“You look so
familiar I could almost place you, I don't expect you to remember you'll forget
me.”
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they
had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by
yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to
eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves.
Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried
there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore,
he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like
sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and
moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him,
and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to
wherever they heard he was.
And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they
laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even
the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Recognize any of these names: Owen D.
Young, Pierre Laval, Hugh S. Johnson, James F. Byrnes, or Harlow Curtis? You
should; according to Time magazine, these are all people who have been
designated as "Man of the Year" by Time, supposedly suggesting they
had the greatest impact in that year of all persons living on Earth.
The celebrity of today is all but
forgotten tomorrow.
Fame is fleeting, and the works we do
with our hands don’t last.
As I read our scripture lesson for today
the entire 6th chapter of Mark’s gospel is testimony to the
high-water mark for Jesus’ ministry. The last verse tells us that Jesus has
become so potent in His ministry that even the hem of His cloak had healing
properties.
Jesus and His disciples are being
stalked by everybody – they can’t find a bit of peace, eat, or even steal away
for a quick staff meeting and a day off!
We are told that Jesus sees the need all
around him and it moved Him to compassion. Just when Jesus had finally earned
some respect and attention for His hard work – the public demands even more.
Even so, Jesus had
compassion and ministered to them. But He cannot reach everyone, cannot feed
everyone, cannot calm every storm, Jesus needs to do something more than just
be the most famous teacher and healer of His day.
This chapter represents the change that
begins in Jesus’ ministry; the focus shifts from teaching and healing to
becoming a more effective and final solution to human problems. Jesus knows
that fame fails, so He begins to show others how he will take on the blame of
sin and the world’s problems.
The rest of Mark’s gospel is a march to
the cross. From Fame to blame. From blame to shame. .
The
Greek philosopher, Cato the Elder, on seeing statues being set up in honor of
others, said, "I would rather have people ask 'Why isn't there a statue to
Cato than 'Why is there one?'" We
Christians know why there are statues to Jesus!
As
humans we spend a lot of time figuring out who’s to blame for our failures and
shortcomings. The very root of sin is linked to the feeling that we have to be
something more then who we are. We couldn’t accept God’s limits rather than thinking
we should have none. We all want to be somebody.
A
lot of our current thinking and social issues are linked to how we have come to
deal with blame in our modern world. We have cast off the shame of blame for
failing to reach fame– it’s not my fault because:
- my parents didn’t love me - my parents weren’t rich
- my schools were bad -
my genetics were faulty- I am being discriminated against - I was bullied
- nobody gave me a chance - I never had the right clothes/friends
Yet
we fail to see that casting blame on others is a waste of time. No matter how
much fault you find with others, regardless of how much you blame them, it will
not change you.
The
only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you (and any potential shame) when
you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or
frustration. It may actually hinder your seek for resolution as it becomes a
barrier to your own responsibility to deal with it.
You
may succeed in making others guilty by blaming them, but you won't succeed in
changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy. It’s hard to
confess sin or admit shortcomings if you’re pointing at others.
Our
society used to be hinged, not on blame, but to an understanding of avoiding shame.
We didn’t do certain things because we were worried about being caught and
suffering the shame of our community. People didn’t do things for fear of being
found out. We especially don’t fear or are shameful in the presence of God anymore either. We’ve
lost that.
That’s
what is so great about Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins. He takes away
the blame and shame of our sins and promises us the fame of heaven.
When
we repent, are shamed for our sins, we then become ready to be new creatures in
Jesus Christ. We must first acknowledge that it we who are to blame for our
sins, and we, I, that must make amends.
We
are told that heaven rejoices when even just one sinner is restored to God’s
family and kingdom.
That’s
why He came, that’s why He died, that’s why He rose from the grave, and that’s
why He wants a relationship with you.
He
doesn’t care if you are famous.
He doesn’t care if you’ve ever done anything
noteworthy.
He doesn’t care if you dig ditches.
He doesn’t care if you sell a
million records or star in 50 movies.
You
must do one thing: Repent and believe in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ; that His
death on the cross took the blame for our sins for all eternity.
Not
because of what you have done or who you are, but because of what He has done.
Amen.
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