Are you a hard worker? When you think about the time that you spend each week in the office (be it physically or virtually) do you think you work more or less than the average person? I suppose it depends on which average person you choose to compare yourself to, right? If you were to compare yourself to the average American worker, who according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics[1] works an average of 44 hours per week, then you would have to work at least 45 hours per week to be considered a hard worker. If you find that you are simply an average worker when compared to your fellow Americans than might I suggest you compare yourself to the average worker in the Netherlands. Workers in the Netherlands on average only work 29 hours per week. If you are still having trouble beating the average than you can always compare yourself to the American teenager who works on average 24.1 hours per week. If you can’t do better than that, then It is going to be hard to convince many people that you are a hard worker.
But perhaps you have no problem working harder than a teenager, a Dutchmen, or even the average American worker. Then might I suggest you challenge yourself and see how you compare to the average worker in Columbia. In the modern age the average Columbian worker works 48 hours per week, statistically longer than the average worker in any other country. Sonia’s people are a hardworking people. How would you do when compared to a Columbian; would you still be able to consider yourself a hard worker? If so than why not challenge yourself further and compare yourself to the average American manufacturing employee of the 1800s who worked a grueling 100 hours each week; that is 14.3 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No holidays, no vacations, no sick days, just day after day of endless work.
There are not many of us who could say that we work as hard as the average American manufacturing employee of the 1800s, David McMiller might come the closest, He is a self-confessing workaholic, but I don’t think even David works that hard. As I said, there are not many who could consider themselves to be a hard worker when compared to the average American manufacturing employee of the 1800s, not many, but there is at least one.
In our gospel lesson from Mark 1:29-39 we see Jesus hard at work in His office as the Christ, that is hard at work as the one set aside for the specific purpose of saving us from our sins. Take a quick glance at our gospel lesson and phrases like “as soon as”, “after sunset”, and “very early in the morning” are scattered throughout a text that shows us what the average day in the life of our Savior Jesus looked like. When you look at this text you quickly come to the conclusion that Jesus is hard at work in His office as the Christ 24/7/365.
Let’s take a closer look at the phrase, “as soon as” and I will explain what I mean. In verses 29-30 we read, “29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. Jesus had spent the first part of His day at church. In those days, churches didn’t have resident pastors who were called to a specific church, like I am here. Instead, the church leaders would invite various teachers, experts of the Scriptures, to lead them in worship. It is not surprising to us that Jesus was often asked to lead worship services at the various churches He visited, His teaching often amazed His listeners because he taught them as one who had authority. Speaking from personal experience I can tell you a few hours spent teaching and preaching has a surprisingly draining effect on a man. Additionally, this morning was especially draining on Jesus because in the course of the service Jesus is confronted by a demon that He is compelled to expel.
As soon as Jesus gets done leading worship, teaching a bible study, and performing an exorcism He goes to the home of Simon and Andrew where a few of His close friends have gathered to relax. After the morning He has had I think we would all agree that Jesus deserves some time to kick off His sandals, turn a little water into wine, and enjoy His afternoon. But as soon as Jesus walks in the door, He discovers there is more work to do. Simon’s mother-n-law is seriously ill and the disciples wondered if Jesus might show the same kindness to her as He had shown to the demon possessed man earlier that day.
How would you respond? Or more importantly how have you responded in the past? You are not the Christ, but you are Christians. You may not be called upon to lead a worship service, teach a bible study, or perform an exorcism but you have been called upon to encourage one another, grow in your faith, and confess your sins. Considering you are here today or listening at home, I would say you have done a pretty good job of being Christian, at least here at church. But what about when you go home? Later this afternoon, will you show your family the same kindness as you have shown to your fellow members here at Messiah? It is all well and good that we see you as a kind, caring, and compassionate Christian, but is that what your family sees when you come home? Or do you reserve all your Christianity for church so that by the time you come home you are all Christianed out? As soon as you walk in the door do you make it clear to your family that your patience has run out, your kindness has reached its quota, and your attention span is at its limit? My Christian friends, if we lack the energy to be Christians in our own homes among the people that are nearest and dearest to us, then I might suggest that we need to work a little harder.
Thankfully Jesus worked a lot harder. Jesus was not just the Christ for those who gathered for public worship, rather Jesus was the Christ for His friends and family who gathered in the privacy of their homes. In verse 31 Mark tells us Jesus went to Simon’s mother-n-law, 31 took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” Jesus helped her up, but this miraculous healing did more than help Simon’s mother-n-law. The kindness of the Christ for people both public and private is now presented to God the Father in exchange for the callousness so often found among Christians like us. Jesus worked hard in His office as the Christ so that our callousness might be forgiven.
Now let’s take a closer look at the phrase “after sunset”. In verses 32-33 we read, “32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door.” Jesus has had a long hard day at the office, but at last, the day came to an end. For the Jewish people the day ended at sunset. With the setting of the Sabbath sun the weekend was concluded, and the work week was begun. In a few hours, shops would be reopened, and merchants and venders would be hard at work making a living for their families. Typically, most people would be focused on the work of the week. However, when you teach with the kind of authority as Jesus had taught and you show that you have the power to drive out demons as Jesus had just done, people tend to talk. From house-to-house news spread about Jesus. Everyone was curious about what more the Christ might have to say, so they gathered at His door.
Again, what would you do? Or more importantly what have you done in the past? Again, you are not the Christ, but you are Christians. You do not teach with the same innate authority that Jesus possessed, but that does not mean that your confession does not get people’s attention. You may not drive demons out of other people but your ability to overcome demons in your own life tends to make people talk. When your coworkers become curious about your Christianity and they gather at your desk, what do you say? Maybe you don’t say it with your words, but with your actions do you make it clear that your Christianity is contained to Sunday and really has no bearing on the other days of the week? Are your business dealings cold and without compassion? Are your free time activities in conflict with your confession? Are there separate compartments for fun and faith in your life? My Christian friends, if we are content to contain our Christianity to one day of the week, then I might suggest that we need to work a little harder.
Thankfully, again, Jesus worked a lot harder. Jesus was not just the Christ one day of the week, Jesus was the Christ every day of the week. That’s why even after the Sabbath had ended Mark tells us in verse 34, “34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.” Throughout the entire week Jesus continued His work as the Christ, not just so that the crowds gathered at His door might come to know Him, but that you who know Him now might know Him better; so that through His work you might be forgiven for compartmentalizing your Christianity. Jesus worked hard in His office as the Christ so that one day we Christians might gather at His door.
Finally, let’s take a closer look at the phrase, “very early in the morning”. In verses 35-37 we read, “35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” When I first read these verses, I thought how nice it was that Jesus finally got a moment to rest. After the day and night Jesus just had I am glad He got some time to himself, even if He had to get up at 4 O’clock in the morning to do it. Everyone needs a little “me time”, right? But the more I thought about it the more it occurred to me that the time Jesus spent in prayer was not about “me time”. Think about the kind of prayers that Jesus prayed. About His friends who deserted Him He prayed, “Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name”.[2] About the hard hearted people who rejected Him He prayed, “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings”.[3] Concerning the people who were hammering nails into His hands and His feet He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”.[4] When you take a look at the kind of prayers Jesus prayed you come to realize His prayers had very little to do with “me time”.
I think I first thought of Jesus’ early morning prayer as “me time” because most of the time I spend in prayer is time spent talking about me. I mean y’all are peppered in there to be sure, but the vast majority of my prayers are about me. There are a lot of prayers asking God to forgive me. There are an equal number of prayers asking God to help me. There are far too many prayers asking God to give me. If my prayer life were a play y’all would have supporting roles but it is clear that the star of the show is me. I hope your prayer life is not as self-absorbed as mine is. I hope the misguided, hard hearted, and hateful people of this world are dominate players in your prayers. Because, my Christian friends, if your prayers are as self-absorbed as mine then we need to work a little harder.
Thankfully, yet again, Jesus worked a lot harder. As the Christ, Jesus was more concerned about others than He was about Himself. In verses 38-39 it becomes very clear what Jesus spent His morning praying about. We read, “38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” Jesus was determined to be the Christ, not just for the people in Capernaum, but for all the people, in all the villages, in all the world. Jesus was focused on being the world’s Christ so that Christians all over the world might be forgiven for their self-absorption. Jesus worked hard in His office as the Christ so that people all over the world, including the people in this room you could be saved.
Are you a hard worker? Chances are you work harder than some but not as hard as others. Jesus is one of the hardest if not the hardest worker I can think of. Jesus worked 24/7/365 in His office as the Christ. He worked hard to forgive your lack of kindness to your family, He worked hard to forgive your compartmentalizing of your Christianity, He worked hard to forgive your self-absorption, and He worked hard to forgive all of your other sins. Jesus worked hard to save you from your sins. Because of His work, you are forgiven, you will stand at His door, you are saved. Perhaps, out of gratitude for all His hard work on our behalf, we Christians can find it in our hearts to work harder for our families, harder during the week, harder throughout the world. To God be the glory. Amen
[1] https://www.bls.gov/tus/charts/
[2] John 17:11
[3] Matthew 23:37
[4] Luke 23:34