Jesus Says, “Yes, and . . “

Mark 6:30-34
July 19, 2009

How many of you have seen Pee Wee’s Big Adventure?
Pee Wee Herman was a Saturday morning children’s character who was a lovable nerd.
In the movie Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, his classic bicycle is stolen and he goes off across the country to find it.
Along the way he meets a waitress in a truck stop.
In one scene he is talking with her about her big dream in her life.
She says, “My big dream is to go to Paris, but . . .”
To which Pee Wee quickly responds, “That’s what’s wrong with the world today everybody’s got a big but.”

I don’t recall Jesus ever having a big ‘but.’
Jesus never let the present circumstances, the so-called reality of the moment, stop him from dreaming and believing and living his dream, which was his life’s mission.

Lots of times we have big ‘buts’ though, don’t we?
When we are young we might say, “Yes, I would love to go to college, but I don’t have the money, but I have to take care of my family, but, but, but . . .”
The seven last words of the church are usually preceded by a big ‘but.’ “But we’ve never done it that way before!”
Sure, we’d love to feed the hungry, but we don’t have the resources.
Of course we’d love to host Presbytery, but we’re so small.
Yes, I want to follow you, Jesus, but I have some questions I need answered, but I need to take care of my dying parents, but I have a business to run.

They say that a dying organization is one in which the leaders say “Yes, but . . .” more often than they say, “Yes, and . . .”

In English we say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I think my vote is with PeeWee Herman, the road to hell is paved with big buts.

Here’s the story.
The disciples have just earned a promotion.
At the beginning of the 6th chapter of Mark they had only been disciples, followers of Jesus.
Here in verse 30 of chapter 6 they are now “apostles.”
Disciples are followers, students, learners.
But apostles literally means “sent ones.”
In Mark 6:7 Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs.
He sends them out with his message and with healing power.
So here in verse 30 they come back promoted from disciples to apostles.
It takes a lot of work to get promoted.
It was a successful sending – they taught, they preached, they cast out demons, they healed.
And they come back tired.
Jesus is a good shepherd and he sees they are tired.

Does he say, “Yes, I see that you are tired, but we’ve got a lot more work to do”?
No. The Good Shepherd says, “Yes, I see that you are tired, and I’ve got the boat ready and I’ve reserved a beautiful little Bed & Breakfast on the other side of the lake and dinner is being prepared as we speak. Let’s go.”

So, the newly promoted and tired and hungry apostles get in the boat with the Good Shepherd and head across the lake. They can almost taste the fried chicken and apple pie alamode.
But what happens when they get to the other side of the lake?
Huge crowds of people had seen them. They recognize not only Jesus, they also recognize the newly empowered apostles.
They run to get there before them. They, too, are tired. They, too, are hungry. They, too, need healing and rest that a only the Good Shepherd can give.

And what does Jesus say?
“Yes, I see how hungry and hurting you are, but we have reservations at this B&B and dinner is about ready. Come back tomorrow.”
No. Verse 34 says, “At the sight of them, his heart broke--- they were like sheep with no shepherd.”
“And Jesus went right to work teaching them.”

The sensible thing would be to say, “Yes, but . . .”
The prudent thing would be to say, “Yes, but . . .”
For his newly promoted apostles the healthy thing, even, would be to say, “Yes, but . . .”

No, when Jesus sees a need, when Jesus’ heart breaks, when the lost sheep begin appear . . .
Jesus never says, “Yes, but . . .”

So, you may think that this is one of the sermons when I am saying, “Be like Jesus.”
Well, no and yes.

First of all, “no.”

You can’t be like Jesus.
Many lives are destroyed when people begin to think they are Jesus.
You aren’t Jesus.
You can’t do it all.
You aren’t the Good Shepherd.

They are times when we are tempted to think, “If I don’t do it, then it won’t get done.”
John Westerhoff says that is a modern atheistic affirmation. “If I don’t do it, it won’t happen.”
I sometimes get stuck in that thinking, don’t you?

Jesus is the one in control --- not me, not you. Jesus is the one who makes it happen.
Even when he sends us out to teach, to preach, to heal --- it’s Jesus who does it.

So, no. Jesus is human and divine.
You, my friends, are only human. I say “only” but according to Psalm 8 “human” is pretty darn awesome-tastic.
You, my friends, get tired, don’t you?
You, my friends, get hungry, don’t you?
You, my friends, get sick, don't you?
You, my friends, need rest, food, fellowship, leading.
You, my friends, need Jesus.

So, no. I’m not asking you sacrifice your mental and physical health to be like Jesus.
I’m not asking you to climb up on your cross and die like Jesus.
There’s a great line in a Tom Waits’ song, “Come down off that cross. We could use the wood!”
There’s only one Jesus and you, my friends, are not him!

On the other hand, I am asking you to be like Jesus in another sense.
Try getting rid of your big ‘but.’
When confronted with a big dream, or a big challenge, try to get rid of your big ‘buts.’
When you see hungry people on the street and you’re already tired, you yourself are hungry . . .
Instead of saying, “Yes, I know those people are hungry, but we don’t have the resources.”
Try this instead, “Yes, those people need to be fed, and we can feed and we can teach them and we can get help from Jesus and other apostles and other brothers and sisters who trust him.”

It’s natural for us to say, “Yes, but . . .”
It’s supernatural to say, “Yes, and . . .”

And is a conjunction.
And is a word that connects one idea with another.
And is a word that creates partnerships.

I love to hear excited kids use the word “and.”
"I want to be an astronaut and a rock star and a fireman and today I’m going to the Worlds of Fun and I’m going to ride the rollercoaster and the carousel and my friends are going, too, and I’m hungry!"

The next time your big ‘but’ starts to get in the way, try thinking instead of that conjunction, that connector, that word that pulls big ideas together.
Yes, but . . . really gets us nowhere. In reality, “yes, but . . .” puts the car in reverse.
Yes, and . . . gets us moving, connects our big ideas with Jesus’ mission.

All you folks who were involved in the summer program . . .
I’m sure you’re tired.
I’ll bet you’re hungry, too, because you spent four weeks feeding others and neglecting yourself.
The Good Shepherd sees you’re tired and hungry.
And the Good Shepherd is ready to lead you beside still waters.
And he’s ready to restore your soul.
And he's ready to prepare a table before you.
And he’s ready to fill your cup with blessings.

Let him do it.
Get your rest.
And then, let’s let the Good Shepherd help us feed the next crowd of hungry people who show up.