A Sermon for the Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 28, Year B)
November 14, 2021
Text: Mark 13:1-8
I speak to you in the name of our loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been captivated by the world of superheroes—those powerful, larger-than-life characters from the comic books who use their incredible abilities to save others from harm.
I love superheroes. If you don’t believe me, all you have to do is ask my father, and he’ll tell you. As a young boy, one of my favorite television shows was the classic “Batman” series from the 1960s. You know the one I’m talking about. It starred Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, the “Dynamic Duo” as they were called, who ran around Gotham City in bright, spandex costumes, saving the city from villains like the Joker and the Riddler. Well, when I was little, I wanted to be just like Batman. So, one day, my father—being the creative person that he is—made me a blue, plastic mask and a yellow utility belt and a blue cape, and I was all set! I had all I needed to go out and save the world.
My love for superheroes continues to this day. In fact, whenever a new superhero movie comes out in the theaters, I’m usually there on opening weekend.
One of my favorite superhero movies to come out in recent years is The Avengers, a movie that features not just one character from the comics but a whole team of characters, made up of some of the most iconic superheroes ever imagined—heroes like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and of course, the Incredible Hulk. I’m sure you’ve of at least a couple of these names before.
As I was preparing for my sermon this morning, I was reminded of a great scene from The Avengers. Toward the beginning of the movie, a fight breaks out between two of the heroes—Thor and Iron Man. Captain America decides to try and break up the fight between these two heroes, and as he’s getting ready to intervene, another character named Black Widow says to him, “I’d sit this one out, Cap. These guys come from legend. They’re basically gods.” Then, Captain America turns and says to her, “There’s only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t dress like that.”
If you’ve ever seen a picture of Thor, you probably understand what Captain America is talking about. Thor has long, blonde hair. He’s built like a Greek god. He has the power to fly and control thunder and lightning. He wears armor from head to toe and wields a large hammer as his weapon.
What I love about that moment in The Avengers when Captain America says to Black Widow, “There’s only one God,” is that he’s able to see all of these amazing heroes for who they are and, more importantly, who they’re not. The creators of the film probably didn’t intend it this way, but for me, it’s almost like a wink and a nod to the audience, reminding us that these stories about superheroes going out and saving the world are fun and entertaining, but that’s really all they are. They’re stories, drawn from people’s imaginations. They inspire us and make us feel good, but at the end of the day, we know the difference between fantasy and real life.
In our lives as Christians, we’re called to be just as perceptive—to know the difference between serving God and serving those idols we create for ourselves. We’re called to put our whole faith and trust in God and to resist putting our faith and trust in anything else.
In our Gospel lesson for this morning, which takes place in Jerusalem during the final days of Jesus’ life, Jesus warns his disciples that, once he’s gone, they’ll face many challenges and temptations as the Kingdom of God grows closer and closer to fulfillment. There will be natural disasters, wars, and famines, Jesus says, and he warns them that they’ll be tempted in ways that may lead them away from God or distract them from the work they’ve been called to do as his disciples. His warning to them is this: “Beware that no one leads you astray.” In other words, “Keep your eyes open, and stay alert!” “There are temptations around every corner!”
Temptations—those idols we create for ourselves—come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, don’t they? I’m sure we can all come up with lots of examples on ways that we’re tempted every day to turn away from God and put our trust in other things. They come in the form of certain people we encounter in our lives—those who claim to have all the answers figured out or those who assure us that they can solve all of our problems. Temptations also come in the form of those materials things in our lives that have power over us—things we turn to in order for us to feel whole again.
What Jesus is trying to tell his disciples—and what he’s trying to tell us this morning in our Gospel reading—is that none of those people or material things can save us. We may think they can, and for a little while, it may seem as though they have. But, in the end, only the one, true God can save us. Only the one, true God can fill that God-shaped hole in our hearts.
This God, by the way, isn’t a superhero. He doesn’t walk around dressed in fancy armor, carrying a large weapon. This God came to live among us as a lowly man from Nazareth, a carpenter’s son, who spent most of his earthly ministry traveling from place to place, teaching people and showing them that love and service to others is the only path to abundant life with God. This God came to live among us to show us that there’s no greater love than to give one’s self in order for others to live and thrive in God’s Kingdom.
For the past several weeks, we’ve been talking a lot about stewardship here at Holy Spirit. This is the time of year when many Episcopal parishes emphasize stewardship and talk about the importance of giving back to God that which God has already given us. This is also the time of year when many parishes conduct their annual giving campaigns and ask members of the parish to make a financial commitment to support the church in the upcoming year.
When we talk about stewardship, many people automatically assume that we’re only talking about giving our money or making a pledge to the church. Of course, making a pledge and supporting the Church’s mission through the giving of our financial resources is extremely important. Not only does it help us plan for the future, but it also enables us to reach out and share the love of Christ with those in our community who are in need.
But, stewardship is more than just the giving of our money. Stewardship is the right ordering of every aspect of our lives. It’s the act of giving thanks to God for all of the many blessings that God has given us and offering our whole selves back to God for the purpose of building up God’s Kingdom. It involves the giving of our time, our talents, and our treasure. Good stewardship invites us to turn away from the cares and occupations of this world—those temptations that distract us from the work of the Gospel—and to refocus our lives back on those things that are life-giving.
Today marks the official end of our stewardship campaign for 2022. We’ve asked our parishioners and close friends of the community to make a financial commitment to the Church in the form of a pledge. For those of you who’ve already made a pledge to Holy Spirit, I want to thank you for your support. Your gifts will be put to good use over the coming year.
For those of you who haven’t made a pledge yet, I want to thank you for all that you do for our parish, and I also want to encourage you to consider making a pledge. It’s not too late. I know it can be scary or intimidating to fill out a pledge card, especially if you’ve never made a pledge before or you’re concerned about not being able to fulfill your commitment. I know what it feels like to take that risk. But, what I would ask you to consider is this: Even if you have to start with the smallest amount, write a number down and turn in a pledge card. The pledge cards we fill out and offer to God represent more than just numbers. They represent our faith in God and the belief that God has brought us to this place to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world. As a parish, we have so much to give to our community. We have so much to offer those who are seeking a spiritual home and a place where they, too, can offer their time, talents, and treasure for the building up of God’s Kingdom.
So, if you haven’t already, I hope you’ll join me and others in making a pledge to the church. As we come to the end of our stewardship drive and recommit ourselves to the ongoing work of this parish, I pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to be present in us and among us, inspiring us and giving us the strength we need to continue the work that lies ahead. Amen.
A video of this sermon is available below, beginning at the 24:15 mark.
The Rev. Eric Mancil 