You are quite wrong

     One of the things that I have noted about myself is that I am not a quick study or quick witted. Invariably, when presented with a situation that requires a quick or pithy response, I come up with the precise words 5 minutes too late. I have however come up with a few phrases and heard a few phrases which I have come to adopt in appropriate situations. Jesus never has this problem of course. Perhaps it has something to do with the authority we have . Perhaps it has to do with the subject matter or whether or not we speak in concert with the Spirit.

        One autumn day we were at the train station, a family group of us heading to the big city for the day. We came upon a sidewalk preacher who was railing against all us sinners around him. Repent! Repent! He then went on to enumerate Gospel verses ( snippets ) that bolstered his cause and subjected everyone to self flagellation and our abominations. He was so woefully short of the true message of the Gospel. The Good News is about love, forgiveness and inclusiveness, none of which was mentioned. As usual I was loathe to come up with an appropriate response even while my family looked to me as a preacher to 'cut him down' with a few words.  I did not, but I think I might now say "I rebuke you and your message of hate and fear in the name of Jesus Christ" or words to that effect.

      In today's passage Jesus is confronted on several counts by the usual taunts of the Pharisees and Herodians. The last words of Jesus in this passage is the subtle zinger I want to say. Most of us get wordy when confronted and the fact is that the “listener” is usually not so much listening as waiting for their turn to rip you a new one. I really like Jesus' simple version “you are quite wrong.” Concise and t the point. I might find my self repeating that statement quite a bit as if it were some kind of judgmental tourettes syndrome. “you are quite wrong”, “you are quite wrong”, “you are quite wrong.”

       What I need to do though is pay attention to the Spirit. Is it me pronouncing error or is it the judgment of God?  I think if it is me, I may be a bit more uncertain. Then, I will will indeed fumpfer with my words and come up with that pithy phrase two minutes too late.  If I speak in concert with the spirit, simplicity may be the best weapon of all. Let the evil doers rampble on with their justifications and lies. All I have to say is “you are quite wrong.”

Mark 12:13-27

 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said. And they came and said to him, ‘Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?’ But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.’ And they brought one. Then he said to them, ‘Whose head is this, and whose title?’ They answered, ‘The emperor’s.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were utterly amazed at him.

 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; and the second married her and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.’

 Jesus said to them, ‘Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.’