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A sermon based on the biblical story of a scorpion asking a frog for a ride across a river, which ends with the scorpion stinging the frog. The sermon uses this story as an analogy for human nature and the difficulty of changing it. The main theme is discipleship and self-sacrifice over self-preservation. The sermon also touches on the importance of humility, generosity, and reliance on god. It encourages the listeners to let go of their attachment to wealth and material possessions and to embrace the kingdom of god.
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I have a little fable: A scorpion asks a frog for a ride across a river. They both need to escape rising floodwaters. The frog refuses, fearful of the scorpion’s sting. “But I cannot swim,” insists the scorpion. “Besides, if I stung you while you’re swimming, we both would drown.” With misgivings, the frog consents to ferry the scorpion over the flood. They are halfway across the river, when the scorpion jabs its stinger into the frog’s back. The frog feels a sharp pain. Numbness begins to creep into his legs. “Now we both shall die!” the frog croaks (pun intended). Adrift in the swirling water, the scorpion shrugs. “I could not help myself. It is my nature.” They both sink and drown. The end. The scorpion’s request disguised the real choice: Would you prefer I sting you now or sting you later? The scorpion’s nature wouldn’t allow anything else. Creatures (including people) are what they are. No matter how charitably one acts toward them, their innate character and personality emerges – such as attacking one’s rescuer, even at the cost of one’s own life. We will return to this fable and life lessons it provides in a little while. But we must weigh at the outset how hard it is to change human nature. It is human nature to preserve and conserve: preserve our security and conserve our wealth, as individuals, as families, and as congregations. Our gospel lesson today is about discipleship. Discipleship is more about sacrifice than preservation– specifically, self-sacrifice over self-preservation.
Once again we cross the threshold into the upside-down world of God’s kingdom. Last week, Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” Let’s not forget how radical that gesture was. In those days, young children were tolerated as a nuisance until they were old enough to contribute to the household. Jesus turns cultural norms upside-down by “welcoming” little children. In the next scene, which opens our lesson today, a reputable man kneels before Jesus and inquires, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” No doubt this man is highly regarded – perhaps one of his town’s most generous citizens. Jesus exchanges a little banter about good works, feeding the man’s ego. But in the end Jesus dismays the inquirer: “As much as you have, sell it. Give your wealth to charity. You will gain spiritual treasure in heaven. Then come and follow me.” The inquirer slinks away, in shock and gloom, for he has great wealth. It’s hard to change human nature. Preserve and conserve, that’s human nature. Discipleship turns human nature upside-down. Runny-nosed tots are welcome in God’s kingdom but a ranking member of polite society is not, unless he radically changes his priorities. Another upside-down moment comes next when Jesus is back-stage with the disciples. He opens as if it were an obvious point: “Won’t it be hard for the people of wealth to enter into the kingdom of God!” The disciples register amazement. Scripture affirms over and over that wealth is a sign of God’s blessing. Jesus repeats the claim, adding a riddle:
“How hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. “A camel can pass through the eye of a needle more easily than someone well-off can enter the kingdom of God.” So it’s easier to change a camel’s nature (or a scorpion’s) than for a wealthy person to be saved. Who then can be saved? is the astonished response. “For human beings, impossible. But not for God. All things are possible for God.” We share the disciples’ astonishment: Will no amount of generosity and goodwill thread that needle? What other goods hamper salvation — worldly accomplishment, for one. (Not even a Nobel prize qualifies a person for the kingdom of God.) Kindness? Self-discipline? Patience like Job’s? No. By God’s grace alone do we receive eternal life. We are confused. So is Peter. He’s made sacrifices, plenty of them, to follow Jesus. For Jesus, Peter gives up all that gives him cultural identity: family, home, vocation. Peter would seem to be proud of being humble. He renounces wealth. He protests that he and the other disciples gave up everything for Jesus’ sake. Jesus answers pastorally, with only a hint of criticism: “No one who makes such sacrifices on my behalf – and on behalf of the good news I bring – will not receive a hundred-fold in return. But this includes the persecutions I will suffer.” This potential for persecution foreshadows Jesus’ own trial and execution. At bottom, Jesus is affirming Peter’s great sacrifice. Materialism is an illness. Give It Up.
Jesus forsakes anything a person might achieve or amass by personal effort, no matter how noble. Such reward is of limited duration anyway. By oneself, reaching the kingdom of God is impossible. For God (with God), nothing is impossible. It is not how much money one gives away that merits entrance into God’s kingdom, any more than how much money one makes. The good news of this gospel lesson is that we never have to earn God’s grace. Rich or poor, there is grace enough for all. God shows us grace without regard to merit. Be sure: Jesus has you and me in his sights. To us Americans today, Jesus might preach, Give up your competitive getting and keeping. Give up the most American trait of all: self-reliance. Our nation values production, consumption, and armed readiness. Conserve and preserve might be our motto. In order to make room in our lives for God’s grace, we need to let go of “preserve and conserve.” Give It Up. Replace self-reliance with reliance entirely on God. Does selfless discipleship make you uneasy? It should. A disciple’s path is traveled lightly, without baggage. However, a disciple’s path is not traveled easily. Faithful discipleship comes at a cost. Remember, we travel in God’s upside-down world. Do you recall hanging from a bar by your knees as a child? You didn’t care how silly you looked, or that lunch money fell out of your pockets, or that the pressure in your cranium made your temples throb.
there are no winners or losers, and there is always sacrifice. But such is the nature of discipleship. Which reminds me of the frog and the scorpion. Asking for help crossing the torrents is not in the scorpion’s nature. Letting the frog survive is not a choice. The scorpion is an independent cuss, possibly a narcissist. For the frog, offering a scorpion a ride on its back was in the frog’s nature. Not a choice. Just so, self-sacrifice isn’t a choice for a disciple. Self-sacrifice is in the nature of a disciple. Ultimately, self-sacrifice is our personal responsibility as children of God baptized into the body of Christ. Discipleship requires confidence, despite a lack of certainty. Discipleship requires perseverance, despite a lack of clarity. You need certainty or clarity? Give It Up.
There is important advice in this fable for us collectively as God’s people, the church. Church leaders know from experience that the important decisions are not really choices at all, but responses to the call of discipleship. We need to be clear about God’s mission for the church in this particular time and place. God will present the church with opportunities to advance the kingdom of God. God is still speaking if only the church will listen. Our task is to act as faithful stewards of the resources God makes available. The things we own are God’s. We are only looking after them. Witnessing to Christ is not a competition. Churches do well to remember that in the upside down values of God’s kingdom, comparative rank is irrelevant. The last may be first, the first may be last. For the church, too, sacrifice is so necessary. The illusion of privilege? Give It Up. We don’t have a right to anything. Even our next breath is a gift from God. Whatever you’ve come to think defines the good life, Give It Up. Whatever in your nature resists God’s love and care, Give It Up. Whatever feels upside-down, go for it. Amen.