II Corinthians 12:9-10;Mark 6:2-5 by Rola Al Ashkar

A man and his son were once going with their donkey to market. As they were walking along by its side a man passed them and said: “you fools, what is a donkey for but to ride upon?
So the man put the boy on the donkey and they went on their way. But soon they passed a group of men, one of whom said: “see that lazy youngster; he lets his father walk while he rides.”
Then the boy got off, and his father got on. But then they passed a woman, who said: “shame on that lazy man to let his poor little son trudge along.”
Then both the man and the boy rode on the donkey. As they passed another group of people they said to them: “aren’t you ashamed of yourself for overloading that poor donkey?”
The man and boy got off and tried to think what to do. They finally carried the donkey and walked.
You know the god old saying: “Please all and you will please none.”

I want to invite us to reflect a little on our own lives; how much do we allow others to dictate our lives? It is easy to say we are free individuals, but how much do others’ opinions matter to us? And how much of them actually affect our choices and actions?

I come from a society that is like Jesus’s, very tight and closely intertwined together. Since everyone knows everyone, each had something to say about your life: the study major you’re choosing, your partner, your job, your beliefs, your clothes, your hair color (Seriously, I have a neighbor in my village who always tells me to straighten my hair and dye it with a lighter color, so I’d possibly find a husband).

On the other hand, the American society is a very individualistic society; people here have been trained to respect others’ space, and when I first came to seminary here, I’ve had some troubles expressing my opinions without stepping on anyone’s toes, because the way I was raised: your preference is my business.

But whether here, in the East or elsewhere in the world, we all live in an inward insecurity and a secret need to get approval and consent from others. I know when I went to college I chose to do Computer Sciences not because I liked it, but only because it is challenging –a major that is only for men- and till now I still don’t know whom I was trying to impress: my parents, my surrounding or just myself.

Jesus himself was a victim of others’ perception of him. Our gospel for today tells us that he wasn’t able to do much in Nazareth. But right before that, he was coming out of Jairus’s house where he had just performed the biggest of his miracles, the biggest of any miracle: raising someone from the dead. And on his way there he “accidentally” healed a woman with hemorrhage, and restored a demon possessed man. So the problem isn’t in his capability of performing powerful deeds per se, but it is the anxiety, the unease, and the insecurity which he felt among people who did not believe in him.

There is a verse I really like in the book of Ecclesiastes that says: Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Which means: Circumstances will never be just right. Aunty Acid, my favorite Facebook character expresses it in a better way; she says: I always start diet on the same day: tomorrow!

So do not wait for the right atmosphere, don’t expect a perfect setting, because it will never happen. But even more importantly, do not depend on people for consent. If you keep looking for acknowledgment and approval, you will never achieve anything. People will always tell you about better ways to do it; they will always have their opinions on how you should be; how you can improve.

It is hard for us to imagine that Jesus himself was influenced by others approval. But, I love the development of the story in Mark. He says: “Then he went about among the villages teaching.” So, that didn’t stop him from pursuing his ministry elsewhere. He didn’t even try to convince them or convert them: ‘hey guys give me a chance I’ll prove I am good!” but couple verses later he calls his disciples and says to them: “If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.”

Jesus’ instruction to “shake the dust off our feet” reminds us that we are accountable for our intentions and actions, regardless of whether they will be approved or not.

Jesus did not think that he wasn’t good enough, he did not doubt his abilities. The gospel says: “And he was amazed at their unbelief.” In other words, he wasn’t amazed at his own helplessness but at their unbelief.

Paul picks up on that when he talks about his own weakness, “I am content with weaknesses . . . for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul is not ashamed of his weak side; he finds it an opportunity to press on and keep going, to challenge himself and depend on God’s help and empowerment.

There are situations in our lives where God calls us to stand firm, to make choices, to make hard decisions. And God gives us the power to live by the results of those choices. And there are times when we fail, when our choices fail us, just like Jesus’s, just like Paul’s; at those times God gives us the freedom to move on, to “shake the dust off our feet” and let go.

May God give us the trust to believe that God can give us power in our weaknesses, the confidence to believe in what we are able to do according to God’s power that is at work within us, and the wisdom to know when it is time to just let go, and move on…