A Day in the Life...

 

Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
9:9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him.

9:10 And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples.

9:11 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

9:12 But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

9:13 Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners."

9:18 While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."

9:19 And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples.

9:20 Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak,

9:21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well."

9:22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." and instantly the woman was made well.

9:23 When Jesus came to the leader's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion,

9:24 he said, "Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him.

9:25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up.

9:26 And the report of this spread throughout that district.

 

Let me tell you about a hectic day of my own, from “long ago, in a galaxy far away,” as the expression goes. How long ago? Well, this day happened before I was married, and during the Jimmy Carter/Walter Mondale campaign for the White House in 1976. I was serving as the executive director of a tiny non-profit organization that I had a hand in launching that year in my home area of Venango County, PA. The organization was formed to coordinate and facilitate what was then known as “public access television” on two unrelated cable TV systems in Oil City and Franklin, PA. This was a time WAY before YouTube or even the Internet, and public access was a provision that the Federal Communications Commission envisioned would allow the public “access” to produce and air local TV programming over a town’s cable television system. Unfortunately, the regulations did not provide for the means to produce these programs, only requiring the operators of cable TV systems to open a channel for access to “cablecast” them. This meant that in most communities served by cable TV, people had no way to take advantage of this access. Enter our small non-profit known as “Venango Video,” which provided and managed two small TV studios and a mobile production van to make public access TV a reality for our area. Using telethons, private contributions, and a few federal and local grants, we launched two cable TV “stations” on local cable TV systems. Initially, Venango Video entered a cooperative relationship with a “TV and Media” class offered by our Vocational-Technical School in Oil City, and began incorporating both their television production equipment and their students in helping to produce and air our programming. After “narrowcasting” several weekly programs hosted by local “celebrities,” providing live coverage of city council meetings, and airing a few parades and “local color” festivities, I got an interesting phone call that set up one of the most hectic experiences—and days—of my life.

 

The call came from the assistant campaign coordinator of Senator Walter Mondale’s staff. Mondale, as some of you may remember, was on the Democratic ticket as the vice presidential candidate during the 1976 campaign. Walter Mondale was to make a campaign stop in Oil City, to give a “major campaign address” in the band shell at Justus Park, a small town park along the Allegheny River. They had been told of our fledgling cable TV operation, and asked if we would be willing to “cover” the event for our access stations. Knowing that the national media would descend upon our little burgh as well, it was an intimidating thought, but I also knew it would be an incredible experience for our students, and a great “break” to build our local TV audience. I said “yes” to the invitation, and a couple of weeks later, met with Mondale representatives when they were in town for the advance work. They gave me official press passes for me, our volunteers, and our students. 

 

Early in the morning on the day of the campaign visit, our “team” began to set up our camera stations in Justus Park. Mind you, we had old black and white, “instructional” grade television equipment, and we were setting up our cameras next to huge, state-of-the-art, color television equipment being deployed by the national media, including several camera stations with “PBS” logos on them. The Mondale people got permission for us to set up our cameras right next to the PBS people, who told us they were there to telecast the speech for the popular “MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” Being a “fan” of this nightly broadcast, I was pretty excited. Our students just liked the attention they were getting from the national TV crews, who were asking them all kinds of questions about our local TV efforts. 

 

At one point, a man with PBS press credentials came over to me to offer the power connections at one of their camera positions for us to “plug in” our simple equipment. I thanked him, and struck up a conversation with him. As we talked, I noted his badge said “Director” on it, so I asked him if he was a TV director with PBS. He told me that no, he was actually with ABC Sports, but was a friend of Jim Lehrer, and from time to time, would accompany him on such a “remote” telecast to direct the “show” for him. He then introduced himself as Chet Forte, who I knew as one of the most famous TV directors in all of televised sports (He was the director who “pioneered” Monday Night Football!). As I stumbled over my words, I did manage to eke out that I was also a “big fan” of Mr. Lehrer, to which Mr. Forte said, “Here, tell him yourself.” I turned around and there was Jim Lehrer, standing behind me in his trademark trench coat. He introduced himself to me and the several of our TV students standing around me. Was I impressed? Youbetcha!

 

The public event came off without a hitch, but after the rally ended, Senator Mondale’s representatives asked me if we had a “portable rig,” as they wanted to invite us to the private gathering being held in the Holiday Inn adjacent to Justus Park. We did have a primitive Sony “Porta-Pak” system (also black and white), so our best student camera person (who had “mastered” the quirky Porta-Pak) and I followed into the hotel. Once inside, we were the only “mobile” team who had to plug in, as the Porta-Pak’s battery was dead. “Jim,” the student operating the camera and lugging the heavy video recorder over his shoulder, did an amazing job posturing for camera shots among the network TV crews, and I did my best to make sure the extension cord to his unit did not trip up any of the dignitaries orbiting around the Senator (who would later be elected Vice President to Governor Carter). At one point, I was given a chance to ask a couple of questions to the candidate, which we would later include in our local TV production of that exciting day, which was certainly one to remember for us all. At the end of the day, after all of the TV equipment had been put away, the tapes reviewed, and all of our students safely returned home, yours truly went home to collapse.

 

There is an epilogue to this most hectic day of my young adult life. I was still living at home during that time, but had pretty much been absent from the house for a couple of days, getting our equipment and student crew ready for the Mondale Rally. I literally hadn’t seen my parents for three days. Unbeknownst to me, an NBC News crew had caught my brief interview with Senator Mondale in their camera shot. Later that night, my mother was talking on the phone with my grandmother, who asked if she had heard from me yet, to which my mother answered that, no, she had not heard from me, but that I must be OK, as she saw me, alive and well, on the NBC Nightly News.

 

While this may be the longest introduction to a Bible message in recent history, it is the story that kept running through my head as I read today’s Matthew text covering a “day in the life” of Jesus of Nazareth! As hectic as that 1976 day was for me—and even as I recall it, my heart starts to race again—a “typical” day in the life of Jesus tops it, big time! Why, in this short text from chapter 9, Jesus heals the woman who was hemorrhaging, raises a dead girl, calls a new disciple, and experiences his own version of being “seen on the NBC News” (“And the report of this spread throughout that district…”). As we read through the Gospels, it is clear that this would be a “typical” day for Jesus, days in which he would add historic teachings, such as the multitude of parables he told, as well as the Sermon on the Mount. He would encounter and heal all kinds of people, cast out devils, and would have numerous “discussions” with religious leaders, including quite a few who were trying to trip him up. The penalty for a “bad answer” could be death, which he obviously did unfortunately experience, later. We know Jesus spent considerable time “forming” his group of disciples, which included more than a few boat trips across the Sea of Galilee, as well as a storm or two, from which he would rescue them by calming the winds and waves. If all of this was not enough, Jesus might also find himself serving up lunch to over 5,000 people, picnic style. Miracles such as this populated his short, three-year ministry. And as one who sacrificed so much for our benefit, he still said he prefers mercy over sacrifice. As an itinerant pastor, I would have been disappointed to have such a short tenure as three short years in any of my appointments, but look what Jesus accomplished in HIS three years of ministry!

 

A day in the life of Jesus was sure something else. As I read through the lectionary passages for this weekend, I couldn’t help but think of how Jesus just “worked.” What do I mean by “just worked”? Let me offer a few examples. You might think of a few of your own, as I offer these prompts:

 

Marriage “just works.” Dara and I recently celebrated 46 years of marriage. It just “works” for us. We so much enjoy each other’s company, love to travel together, have countless hours of meaningful conversation about life, the universe, and everything, and have been blessed to raise a wonderful family, to boot. Now, I know you are going to say, “But a good marriage takes WORK!” Sure it does. And you don’t think the life Jesus lived took much work on his part? What about all of those times he had to “go off by himself to pray,” or just to regroup? Or the difficulty he had “guiding” those disciples? Peter was a handful, obviously. But marriage just WORKS, when each party puts the effort into it. We have grown comfortable with each other, but not to the point of taking undue advantage of this “comfort.” We each still want to bless the other and please the other. And we have never tired of finding new ways to experience and express our love, one for the other. It all just WORKS, and I am so thankful for this!

 

Apple products just WORK. Years ago, at about the time I had grown frustrated with Microsoft-based operating systems and “PCs,” Dara bought me my first Apple product—a Generation Three iPod. From opening the expertly-packed, artistically-designed “music maker,” it just WORKED! (And I was a guy who built his own PCs for myself and my family members, but had tired of the glitches and viruses, and waiting 10 or 15 minutes after turning it on before using it, while the computer “updated” its security.) We started making the “great migration” to Apple computers, phones, and electronics, and have never looked back. This sermon is being written on an Apple iMac with a 27 inch “Retina” screen and over a terabyte of “fusion” memory. It has never glitched in its eight years on my desktop, nor has my MacBook Pro laptop. Apple stuff just WORKS.

 

One more example: the U-Haul people. We just bought a new car, and like the previous three cars before it, we needed a hitch put on for our bicycle carrier. I went to the U-Haul site online, typed in the make and year of our new car, ordered the appropriate hitch their website offered, and scheduled an appointment to have their expert installers put it on our car. It took five minutes of computer time, and about an hour and a half with the car in their shop, a couple of weeks later. When it comes to hitches and a nice neat job of installing them, U-Haul just WORKS.

 

Again, Jesus just WORKS! We modern followers and disciples know we can rely on him for our redemption, guidance for living, healing for our bodies and souls, as needed, his “ear” for hearing and addressing our prayers, and comfort and peace when the winds and waves of life buffet us. Jesus just WORKS. And while we understand that, like using Apple electronics, we often don’t know HOW he is working, or why he sometimes takes a different path than we think or wish he would, he just WORKS. The Apostle Paul hit the nail on the head in Romans 8 when he wrote, “God causes all things to WORK together for good for those who love God and who are called according to God’s own purpose.” And we trust Jesus to “work” for eternity! 

 

We can only imagine, based on the stories the Gospels tell us, what a “day in the life” of Jesus must have BEEN like then, and certainly now, as our watchful, living Savior! I love that scene in the movie, “Bruce Almighty” where that character starts getting the “prayer emails” from God’s children across the globe, and is quite quickly overwhelmed. And yet, even with us all crying out, all having our own “basket” of needs, all wanting to stay on God’s “good side,” God just WORKS for all who love Jesus. Amazing, isn’t it?

 

I worry about the “notoriety” we in the church are giving to Jesus in our day. I just heard that the Rev. Pat Robertson just died, and like so many of us, he was a conflicted character regarding the witness he gave for Jesus Christ. On one hand, he really pioneered religious broadcasting, especially via satellite, and the early days of specialized cable TV channels. On the other hand, he kind of lost his mind and ran for President of the United States, only later to hold court on his flagship TV show, the “700 Club,” where he suggested that gays and sin were responsible for everything from the terrorist attacks of 2001 to hurricanes that devastated parts of the country. I would never question that Rev. Robertson loved Jesus, but he often had a funny way of giving God “credit” for some horrible stuff. And here we are, as United Methodist Christians, providing a lousy witness to the world regarding the first word of our denominational moniker. If you look up “united” in the dictionary, you will NOT see a picture of the UMC! And yet, somehow, each “side” in the current disaffiliation debacle loves Jesus. We just don’t offer him much good PR. Aren’t we glad that, ultimately, God is “in charge” of God’s own image? Maybe the church should call Apple or U-Haul for pointers?

 

Maybe all of this is why God appointed a Sabbath Day? Both God and God’s creatures probably need a break from such hectic “days in the life.” We all need a rest, even the Deity! Amen, Dear Ones!