MARK 1:29-39 | “A CARING PROTOCOL”

“A CARING PROTOCOL”

MARK 1:29-39

FEBRUARY 4, 2018

IF YOU FOLLOW FOOTBALL, COLLEGE OR PRO, (AND LOOK AROUND YOU, YOU SEE, MANY OF YOU DO) AND ALL OF US DO TO SOME EXTENT ON SUPERBOWL SUNDAY…

THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY BECOMING FAMILIAR WITH THE ACRONYM – CTE, WHICH STANDS FOR CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY.

THIS IS THE ALZHEIMER’S-LIKE DISEASE MOST COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYERS, WHO HAVE RECEIVED REPEATED BLOWS TO THE HEAD;

THOUGH IT HAS ALSO BEEN DETECTED IN MILITARY VETERANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ROADSIDE BOMBS AND OTHER TYPES OF MILITARY BLASTS.

CTE WAS FOUND IN 99% OF STUDIED BRAINS TESTED FROM DECEASED NFL PLAYERS;

CONVICTED MURDERER AND FORMER NFL PLAYER AARON HERNANDEZ, WHO WENT ON TO COMMIT SUICIDE IN PRISON, WAS SAID TO HAVE HAD THE WORST CASE OF CTE RESEARCHERS HAD EVER SEEN.

YOU SEE, CTE DOES NOT SIMPLY CAUSE DEMENTIA IN OLDER PLAYERS, IT HAS ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH MEMORY LOSS, RAGE, MOOD SWINGS, AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.

ORIGINALLY CTE WAS BELIEVED TO BE THE RESULT OF REPEATED CONCUSSIONS; BUT THE MOST RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST INDIVIDUALS NEED NOT HAVE BEEN CONCUSSED TO DEVELOP CTE.  REPEATED BLOWS TO THE HEAD CAUSE IT.

AND NOT JUST IN PLAYERS WHO HAVE RETIRED; STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT IN AT LEAST FOUR CASES, ATHLETES 17-18 YEARS OLD, WHO DIED A MONTH OR SO AFTER A SPORTS-RELATED HEAD INJURY, ALREADY SHOWED SIGNS OF CTE, HAVING PLAYED FOOTBALL AS A CHILD AND YOUTH.

RESEARCHERS HAVE CONCLUDED CTE “STARTS EARLY AND PERSISTS.”

ALL OF THIS HAS LED TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS A CONCUSSION PROTOCOL IN SPORTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE SPORTS WHICH INVOLVE REPEATED HEAD BLOWS – FOOTBALL, BOXING, SOCCER, AND OTHERS.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOT’S TIGHT END – ROB GRONKOWSKI HAS BEEN UNDER A CONCUSSION PROTOCOL THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT HAS NOW BEEN CLEARED TO PLAY IN TODAY’S SUPERBOWL.

AT THE FIRST SIGN OF INJURY, A PLAYER IS PULLED FROM THE FIELD TO UNDERGO A SERIES OF SIDELINE TESTS – A CONCUSSION PROTOCOL – TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THEIR INJURY, AND WHETHER THEY CAN CONTINUE TO COMPETE.

PLAYERS ARE OFTEN HELD OUT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS, IN SOME CASES, UNTIL SUBSTANTIVE HEALING HAS TAKEN PLACE.

I BRING THIS UP AS SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT DURING TODAY’S GAME, AND ITS MOST VIOLENT HITS; AS WELL AS A WARNING TO PARENTS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE ATHLETES.

BUT I HAVE ALSO BROUGHT IT UP, AND BORROWED THE LETTERS CTE, TO MAKE ANOTHER POINT – A DIFFERENT ONE; ONE I AM CALLING – A CARING PROTOCOL.

ONLY THE MOST ARDENT FOOTBALL FANS WILL WATCH THE 4-6 HOURS OF PRELIMINARY REPORTING AHEAD OF TODAY’S GAME.  MOST OF US ARE JUST NOT THAT INTERESTED IN HEARING THE TALKING HEADS SLICE AND DICE THE GAME FROM EVERY CONCEIVABLE ANGLE – AD NAUSEAM.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE WILL MISS, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE ANALYSIS, IS THE HUMAN-INTEREST STORIES ON MANY OF THE PLAYERS IN TODAY’S GAME.

TO THEIR CREDIT, THE NFL AND THE NETWORKS WILL FEATURE SOME OF THE ATHLETES, AND THEIR STORIES: WHERE THEY’VE COME FROM; WHAT THEY’VE OVERCOME; HOW HARD THEY’VE WORKED; TO GET TO TODAY’S GAME.

IN SOME CASES, THE NETWORKS WILL ALSO FEATURE SOME OF THE GOOD THE PLAYERS DO: THE CARING WAYS THEY PROVIDE FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES, INDIVIDUALLY AND CORPORATELY, AS A TEAM, AND IN SOME CASES, THROUGH THEIR OWN FOUNDATIONS.

THESE STORIES WILL GET LOST, FOR THE MOST PART, OR WILL NEVER BE SEEN BY MOST OF US, BECAUSE WE’LL NOT HAVE TUNED IN THAT EARLY.

SO, THIS MORNING, AMIDST ALL THE HYPE OF THE GAME, AND ALL THE FOCUS OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE FIELD, WHICH IS, AFTER ALL, WHAT THE GAME IS ALL ABOUT;

I’D LIKE US TO SPEND SOME TIME THINKING ABOUT WHAT A CARING PROTOCOL MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR US AS FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST.

AS SOME OF YOU WILL REMEMBER, UNLIKE ITS COUNTERPARTS, MATTHEW AND LUKE, WHO BEGIN THEIR GOSPELS WITH JESUS’ BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD, THE GOSPEL OF MARK BEGINS WITH JESUS ALL-GROWN-UP.

THE GOSPEL OF MARK BEGINS WITH JESUS’ BAPTISM AT THE HANDS OF JOHN THE BAPTIST; THEN JESUS’ TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS; AND THEN – BOOM – JESUS IS FAST AT WORK IN MINISTRY.

THERE’S NO BUILD UP, NO PRELUDE, NO CALLING OF THE DISCIPLES OR GETTING THINGS TOGETHER TO GET STARTED – JESUS JUST GOES TO WORK!

WE’RE ONLY AT VERSE 29 OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK, AND JESUS IS ALREADY TEACHING, AND HEALING, AND CARING FOR PEOPLE.

JESUS HEALS PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW, AND BY EVENING THERE’S A PARADE OF SICK, DEMON-POSSESSED, DEBILITATED PEOPLE ARRIVING AT THE DOOR OF HER HOUSE LOOKING TO BE HEALED BY JESUS AS WELL.

HE OBLIGES – ONE AFTER ANOTHER AFTER ANOTHER – AND ONE COULD CONCLUDE FROM MARK’S WRITING, THAT JESUS HEALED PEOPLE ALL NIGHT LONG, EARLY INTO THE NEXT MORNING, WHEN HE FINALLY ESCAPES, TO GO OFF, AND BE ALONE, AND PRAY.

NOT LONG AFTER, HIS DISCIPLES COME LOOKING FOR HIM, LETTING HIM KNOW THERE ARE STILL OTHERS IN NEED OF HIS HEALING TOUCH, BUT JESUS IS READY TO MOVE ON AND SPREAD HIS MESSAGE;

SO, THEY GO, AND HE BEGINS TEACHING IN SYNAGOGUES IN OTHER PLACES, BUT HE NO MORE GETS STARTED, WHEN THOSE IN NEED SHOW UP AGAIN, BEGGING FOR HIS HEALING, CARING TOUCH.

AND SO, IT GOES, THROUGHOUT JESUS’ MINISTRY.  A CARING PROTOCOL, ENACTED IN WHATEVER MANNER NECESSARY TO BRING HEALING AND WHOLENESS TO THOSE WHOM JESUS ENCOUNTERS.

AND THAT’S THE GREAT THING ABOUT JESUS’ MINISTRY – IT’S TAILOR MADE.

IF IT IS HEALING THE PERSON NEEDS – JESUS HEALS.

IF THE PERSON IS HUNGRY – JESUS FEEDS THEM.

IF IT’S FORGIVENESS FOR WHICH THEY ARE LOOKING, JESUS FORGIVES.

IF IT’S CARE AND UNDERSTANDING THEY NEED – JESUS PROVIDES IT.

TIME AND AGAIN, THOSE APPROACHING JESUS, OR WHOM HE APPROACHES, HAVE A PARTICULAR NEED; A SPECIFIC SITUATION; A SPECIAL CONCERN; WHICH HE ADDRESSES WITH THEM, INDIVIDUALLY; UNIQUELY; ONE ON ONE.

EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO TOUGH LOVE, LIKE WITH PETER, ZACCHAEUS, THE RICH YOUNG RULER, OR FACING DOWN THE SCRIBES AND THE PHARISEES, JESUS GIVES THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO HEAR, EVEN IF THEY DON’T LIKE HEARING IT.

CARING FOR OTHERS; CARING FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHERS; TAKES MANY SHAPES AND FORMS; AND IS OFFERED TENDERLY, THOUGHTFULLY, EXUBERANTLY; BUT, AT TIMES, WITH HONESTY AND TRUTHFULNESS.

IF YOU’VE EVER VISITED THE CHURCH OFFICES YOU KNOW THEY BACK UP TO THE CO-OP DAYCARE DURING THE WEEK, WHICH MEANS WE HEAR PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON IN CLASS.

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO ONE OF THE TEACHERS, MS. DAWN, HAD ONE OF THOSE “ANDY AND OPIE TYPE TALKS” FROM THE OLD ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW.

1. DAWN HAD PULLED A CHILD AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE CLASS, IN THE HALLWAY BEHIND MY OFFICE, AND SHE WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THE SUBTLE, NUANCED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONESTY AND CARING.

EVIDENTLY, THE LITTLE BOY HAD OFFERED HIS HONEST OPINION ABOUT A FELLOW CLASSMATE’S ARTWORK.  HE DIDN’T LIKE IT, AND HE HAD TOLD THE CHILD SO.  AND IT HAD MADE THE OTHER CHILD CRY.

1. DAWN WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO THE CHILD ABOUT BEING MORE CARING. “WELL, MY DADDY SAYS YOU MUST ALWAYS TELL THE TRUTH; AND THAT’S WHAT I WAS DOING. I TOLD THE TRUTH – I DIDN’T LIKE HIS PICTURE.”

NOW, POOR DAWN, HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO AFFIRM THE CHILD’S HONESTY, AND, THAT WHAT HIS FATHER HAD TOLD HIM WAS TRUE;

WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, EXPLAIN TO THE CHILD ABOUT NOT HURTING SOMEONE’S FEELINGS.

MEANWHILE, IN THE OFFICE, WE WERE ALL QUIETLY LAUGHING AT THE PHILOSOPHICAL CONUNDRUM FACING CHILD AND TEACHER.

DAWN DID A MASTERFUL JOB OF EXPLAINING TO THE CHILD HOW TO BALANCE HONESTY WITH CARING;

HOW TELLING THE TRUTH IS IMPORTANT, BUT SO IS CARING ABOUT ANOTHER’S FEELINGS; ESPECIALLY THE FEELINGS OF A CLASSMATE.

WE’VE ALL FACED THIS SAME CONUNDRUM, AND I’M SURE, SHARED IN THE STRUGGLE OF FINDING JUST THE RIGHT BALANCE OF TRUTH-TELLING AND CARING.

JESUS CERTAINLY DID.  HE KNEW WHEN TO CARE AND WHEN TO CONFRONT.  HE KNEW WHEN TO LOVE, TENDERLY, AND WHEN TOUGH LOVE WAS NECESSARY.

JESUS TAILORED HIS TREATMENT TO THE PERSON’S NEED, AND TO THEIR PARTICULAR STATE OF MIND.

A CARING PROTOCOL.

SO, I AM WONDERING, WHAT THIS WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR US… FOR WE, WHO CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIANS, AND WHO PRESCRIBE TO JESUS’ TEACHINGS…

WHAT WOULD A CARING PROTOCOL LOOK LIKE IN OUR LIVES?  IN LIVING OUT OUR FAITH?  IN DEALING WITH OTHERS?

THE ANSWERS ARE IN THE LESSONS WE LEARN FROM CHRIST; AND THIS MORNING, FROM THE GOSPEL OF MARK’S WORDS ABOUT JESUS.

FIRST, WE ARE TO GO RIGHT TO WORK!  JESUS DID NOT HESITATE; HE DID NOT PROCRASTINATE; HE DID NOT WEIGH OUT ALL THE PROS AND CONS OF HELPING; HE HELPED.

SOMETIMES, I THINK WE GET STUCK TRYING TO WEIGH ALL THE PROS AND CONS; MAKING OUR FOR AND AGAINST LISTS OF REASONS FOR DOING OR NOT DOING SOMETHING; APPOINTING A COMMITTEE TO STUDY THE ISSUE;

WHEN IT WOULD JUST BE EASIER TO HELP!

IN A FORMER COMMUNITY IN WHICH I LIVED THERE WAS AN ORGANIZATION, THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE, A CATCHALL OF CARING FOR PEOPLE.

AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED, IT WAS A PLACE PEOPLE WENT FOR HELP, AND FOUND IT.

OVER THE YEARS, WITH CHANGES IN LEADERSHIP, THE NORTHSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE DEVELOPED A STRATEGY, A PHILOSOPHY FOR DOING BUSINESS.

“A HAND UP, NOT A HANDOUT.”  IT WAS A PHILOSOPHY WITH WHICH MOST OF US WOULD AGREE; AND ONE WHICH IS NOT ONLY MORE BENEFICIAL, LONG TERM, FOR THOSE IN NEED, BUT FOR THE HELPING AGENCIES THEMSELVES.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT SLOGAN IS TRUE: AND IT IS HOW MOST OF US OPERATE WITH REGARD TO HELPING OTHERS; I’M ONE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY PERCENT BEHIND IT!

BUT I ALSO KNOW, THERE ARE TIMES, WHEN SIMPLY GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED, IN THE MOMENT, CAN BE THE MOST CHRISTLIKE THING WE CAN DO!

JESUS DIDN’T OFFER A PHILOSOPHY; HE DIDN’T DESIGN A BUSINESS PLAN FOR OPERATING HIS CARING MINISTRY; HE SIMPLY HELPED.

SECONDLY, IN MEETING THE PRESENTING NEED, WHATEVER IT WAS, SICKNESS, HUNGER, A NEED FOR FORGIVENESS, AN AFFIRMING WORD, JESUS TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE WHOLE PERSON.

HE MET THEM WHERE THEY WERE, MET THEIR IMMEDIATE NEED, AND THEN HELPED THEM GET TO WHEREVER THEY NEEDED TO GET TO NEXT.

IN OTHER WORDS, JESUS MET THEIR NEED, BUT HE ALSO HEALED THEIR SOUL.

HE’D FEED THEM, AND FORGIVE THEM;

HE’D HEAL THEM, AND TELL THEM TO GET UP AND GO HOME;

HE’D DELIVER THEM FROM DEMONS AND TELL THEM TO FOLLOW HIM INSTEAD.

HE’D FORGIVE THEIR SINS BUT OFFERED TOUGH LOVE WHEN NECESSARY.

JESUS TREATED THE AILMENT… BUT HEALED THE WHOLE PERSON.

THIS, I BELIEVE IS WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO DO.

WE SHOULD MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE FOR WHOM WE ARE CARING, BUT WE MUST ALSO ADDRESS THE ISSUES, THEIRS PERSONALLY; AND AT TIMES, SOCIETIES’ ISSUES; IN ORDER TO BRING TRUE HEALING AND WHOLENESS WHERE NEEDED.

AND WE MUST PRAY.  JESUS PRAYED.  A LOT!  IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO SAY WE’LL BE PRAYING FOR SOMEONE – HOW OFTEN DO WE SAY THAT? – WE MUST ACTUALLY FOLLOW THROUGH AND PRAY!

PLEASE, IF YOU COMMIT YOURSELF TO PRAYING FOR ANOTHER, EVEN IF IT WAS JUST A LINE IN PASSING, WHILE TALKING WITH SOMEONE, WHILE LISTENING TO THEM SHARE THEIR LIFE WITH YOU; PLEASE, AS A BELIEVER, FOLLOW THROUGH, AND PRAY FOR THEM.

FINALLY, AS QUICKLY AS JESUS BEGAN HIS MINISTRY OF HELPING, HE WAS ALSO QUICK TO MOVE ON: TO THE NEXT PERSON, THE NEXT TOWN, THE NEXT GROUP IN NEED OF HEALING, HELPING, AND WHOLENESS.  IN OTHER WORDS, HE MOVED ON TO THE NEXT NEED.

I THINK THIS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE FOR ALL OF US.

THERE’S SO MUCH TO BE DONE; “THE POOR WILL BE WITH YOU ALWAYS,” JESUS SAID, AND IT HAS PROVED TRUE.

40 MILLION AMERICANS ALONE, LIVE IN POVERTY; 13.3 MILLION OF THEM ARE CHILDREN; AND THIS DOESN’T EVEN BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF NEED AROUND THE WORLD.

THERE’S NO END TO OUR NEEDS, AND THE NEEDS OF OTHERS.

THANKFULLY, GIVEN THE ABUNDANCE OF GOD’S GRACE AND CHRISTIAN GENEROSITY, THERE’S ALSO NO END TO THOSE WILLING TO HELP, AND CARE, FOR EACH OTHER.

A CHRISTIAN CARING PROTOCOL – THIS IS OUR CALL TO MINISTER UNTO OTHERS.