Driving Lessons From Jesus

Mark 1:29-39

If you had to pick one of the most compelling questions about the Christian faith, you might choose, “Was Jesus truly raised from the dead?” or “Does God dictate everything that goes on in a person’s life or is there more free will involved?” or “Why is it when you get four Baptists together you have at least eight opinions?” These are mostly serious theological issues the church has wrestled with over the centuries.[1]

One question you’re not likely to put in the “serious” category is, “What kind of car would Jesus drive?” Of course, after bringing up such a question and with a little research, I found an environmental group that’s asking this very thing.[2] What would Jesus drive? Would Jesus drive a Honda Accord because it says the apostles were all of one accord?[3] Maybe if Jesus would have borrowed Jacob’s car, he could have escaped some of the tight spots he was in. We don’t know what kind of car Jacob drove, but it was faster than Esau’s. Genesis 27:41-46 says Jacob was able to escape Esau’s fury. You know where this is headed but it’s really a moot point because Jesus can’t get a driver’s license.

We know this because he applied for one in West Virginia. And the Department of Motor Vehicles flatly turned him down. Apparently all things are not possible as Matthew 19:26 says. At least not in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Jesus Christ was born Peter Robert Phillips Jr. He currently lives (of all places) in Washington, D.C. Phillips changed his name to Jesus Christ some 15 years ago. He claims that the name change was made to honor the Jesus of the Bible in whom he has personal faith. So now Jesus Christ has a U.S. passport, a Social Security number and a Washington, D.C. driver’s license, but no license in West Virginia. The 35th state would not grant Jesus Christ a state identification because Phillips had not been able to legally change his name from that written on his Florida birth certificate.

So if you ask the question, WWJD…What Would Jesus Drive? the answer is Jesus wouldn’t drive. At least not in West Virginia.

The Jesus of Washington D.C. might not be able to do much in West Virginia without wheels, but Jesus Christ of Nazareth was able to do plenty in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and up and down the Jordan River Valley. Plenty. Just look at our text today.

The Jesus of Mark’s Gospel is on the move. Over and over again, Mark has Jesus “immediately” going here, and “immediately” going there. Twenty-seven times in Mark, Jesus is “immediately” going somewhere. Can you imagine having that much urgency going on in life without being able to drive? That’s the pace of Mark’s Gospel.

We have three sections or paragraphs in our text today. And Mark gives us three linked events. First, Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (vv. 29-31). Second, many sick and demon-possessed people from Capernaum were brought to Jesus (vv. 32-34). Third, Jesus retreats to pray before moving on (vv. 35-39). While Jesus was not zipping around in a Jaguar or Ford Escort, he certainly was doing a lot of driving in this text. Let me explain what I mean.

Jesus had just spent the day in the synagogue in Capernaum. It was the Sabbath. After the service … by the way Jesus exorcised a demon in that worship service so there probably weren’t too many people sleeping in church that day…Jesus heads straight to Peter’s house. Now, remember, on the Sabbath, the law observing Jew couldn’t do much. Nothing coming close to work was allowed. But here’s Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law from a high fever. Mark doesn’t waste time and space telling us what the reaction was from the religious leaders but we know don’t we? They were infuriated!

Jesus smashed right into those stuck in tradition. In Mark’s Gospel, this begins a long trip of Jesus driving his enemies nuts. Over and over again you’ll find that Jesus put people before tradition. He put human need before our comfort zones.

My wife loves the musical, The Sound of Music. If you ever watch this program with her, she knows every line spoken…and sung. Maria is a nun / governess. She’s unorthodox in being a nun, and doesn’t seem to fit the mold so the head of the convent encourages Maria to think about another calling in life. One song says, “How do you solve a problem like Maria? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?”

In an earlier time, this was the dilemma faced by Jesus’ critics and by some of us too. We want Jesus to fit into our ideas and ways of doing things. But Jesus has his own way and he’ll drive you nuts if you try and make him yield. What stubbornness, tradition, or habit is Jesus crashing into in your life right now?

People who followed Jesus learned one thing over and over – that if they let Jesus drive, he would take them into uncharted territory. Once word got out that Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law (by the way, we must assume Peter was happy about this though the text doesn’t say so), the whole city comes to Peter’s house. There he cured and cast out demons. He did things no one had done before.

Where can Jesus drive you today? What un-charted territory can he take you to? Can Jesus take you to new life in a hopeless marriage? Can Jesus heal cancer? Can Jesus grant you a new and more fulfilling career? Can Jesus soften the heart of your hardest relative? Can Jesus redeem you though you have that deep and hidden sin that you don’t want anyone to know about?

There is a GMC truck commercial right now where Howie Long, the former professional football player, is riding with Jerry. Jerry is sitting in a road construction delay and Howie says, “What are you waiting for? Do you know what a skid plate is for?” He’s encouraging Jerry to go off-road with his superior GMC pickup. Experience something new. Realize your potential. Go for it! All of these messages work great for commercials but Jesus says the same things to us about more important matters – our lives! Will you say “yes” to the new territory that Jesus wants to drive you to today?

The last thing this text points out about Jesus driving is that he knew when to stop for fuel. After a day of healing and excitement, everyone figured there would be more of the same the next day. But when his followers started looking for him, Jesus was not to be found. He had gone to pray. Jesus knew that he served out of God’s fullness, not out of his own human emptiness. This is a vital lesson for anyone who serves God in their life. You have to serve out of God’s fullness in your life and not out of your emptiness. If you’re empty, you need to fill up. The thing is, being filled is not something we can do ourselves. This place is not a service station where we check your spiritual oil, fill you up with high-octane ministry fuel, and send you on your way. Those things can all happen here…but not at our command.

Serving out of God’s fullness begins with being filled with God. How is your prayer life? When’s the last time you “wasted” time simply being in a spirit of prayer with God?

Crashing into traditions. Taking us into uncharted territory. Providing an example of serving out of fullness instead of emptiness. These are lessons in driving from Jesus.

Amen.

[1] This material about Jesus getting a driver’s license comes from an article I read, “Jesus Christ
Can’t Get a Driver’s License,” in Homiletics, January-February 2006, Volume 18, Number 1, pp. 47-49. A portion of this sermon comes from this article though I’ve re-worked it to reflect my style.