THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN DRIVEWAY
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Lenten Vespers Homily
By The Rev. Dr. John A. Dalles
Lent 4: Mk 8:11-26
The Pharisees were looking for a “sign”. It is possible that the sign was right in front of them and they did not see it? That is certainly how it sounds.
It makes me think of one particular sign that is posted along my morning commute, on Dorseyville Road, before I cross the river.
Being a Native Pittsburgher, you would have thought that I was well aware of this particular sign. No it wasn’t a stop sign or a yield sign. Nor one of those dramatic deer crossing signs. This particular sign says:
“Hidden driveway”.
So, as I was moving down the road, as I came round the bend, there it was, on a telephone pole. Telling me that just ahead, I could expect to see a hidden driveway.
When I saw it – it made me laugh.
Why?
Because just about every driveway on Dorseyville Road is a Hidden Driveway. Why one particular driveway warranted a “Hidden Driveway” sign seemed a bit of a puzzle.
So as I mused on that, and continued along, and came to another bend in the road. As I did, I said to myself before the curve: “Hidden Driveway!” with a bit of a chuckle. Like, yeah right, there will be another one up ahead… but not believing it.
And do you know what?
Sure enough. There was another “Hidden Driveway” sign.
As I went a bit further along, another, and another and another.
The more of them I saw, the funnier it seemed.
There sure are a lot of signs to be seen, if you happen to look and pay attention.
The Mystery of the Hidden Driveway…
…Is a lot like our scripture passage.
I. THE PHARISEES
The Pharisees were looking for a “sign”. The sign was right in front of them – all along – and they just did not see it.
Why didn’t they see the sign?
- Were they too opinionated?
- Too full of themselves?
- Too unwilling to think that someone other than them might have an insight into the situation?
What does Jesus say about them?
“Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
We hear that.
And we think –
- Jesus is the sign.
- He is right there!
- How are they missing the sign?
- The sign has been given.
- To that particular generation.
- There he is in the flesh.
- Emanuel. God in the flesh.
How can they not see it?
And then a bit father along, Jesus says to “beware the yeast of the Pharisees, and the yeast of Herod”. That little bit of influence that can turn public opinion. That can blind one to the truth; that can be light a bright shiny object dangled over there, to distract you from what is happening right in front of your nose. So that you do not see the sign:
“Hidden Driveway”
“Hidden Messiah”
“Hidden Christ”
There he was, almost everywhere. And they did not see.
They would not. They could not see it.
Then there were the disciples.
- They had spent a lot of time with Jesus.
- They had decided to follow him.
- They had heard him preaching.
- They had seen him healing.
- They knew his love and his attention.
- First hand.
- They knew the sound of his voice.
- His pattern of activity and prayer.
- They were the insiders.
SURELY IF ANYONE WAS GOING TO SEE THE SIGN THAT JESUS WAS
- LORD AND SAVIOR,
- THE LONG EXPECTED ONE.
- THE ONE THAT THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS SAID TO LOOK FOR –
- IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THOSE DISCIPLES.
RIGHT?
But when it came to “getting it”, they were oblivious. At least that is what Mark tells us in his Gospel account.
And if you came to a curve on Dorseyville Road that you’d been around a thousand times before, but one fine morning saw a sign that had been there all along – well –
What does Jesus say?
“Do you not YET understand?”
III. THE BLIND MAN
And then there is that blind man.
We have become accustomed to what Jesus was doing:
- Turning the world upside down.
- Giving honor to the poor,
- The neglected.
- The people with noticeable ailments.
- The people who used to be called “poor souls”.
Jesus saw them. Others looked away, or pretended they weren’t there. Jesus saw them. And he had compassion. And he did something about it.
In this case, he heals the man. Not all at once. In stages.
It seems to me that the healing took place in stages to help the disciples – that if they ever needed a sign. Jesus was the sign. The miracle of sight restored to the blind. That was a sign.
- Jesus began his healing work.
- At first, the blind man said that people looked like trees walking about.
- But then, Jesus gave him more.
- And he was truly healed.
- He saw everything clearly.
Somehow – something like that was happening in the disciples’ hearts and minds, as they watched Jesus give sight to the blind man.
- Oh.
- Ah ha!
- Now the light begins to dawn.
- Now I get it.
- The meal we are about to share is free from the yeast of the Pharisees. And the yeast of Herod.
- It is a sign of the love, saving grace, and greet sacrifice of Jesus.
- All the signs are right here in front of us.
- It isn’t a mystery.
- It is the truth of Jesus Christ. Amen.
This is an original sermon by The Rev. D. John A. Dalles, Interim Senior Minister and Head of Staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA . It was delivered on the date indicated in the text. You are encouraged to read it and reflect upon it. Please keep in mind that the sermon is Copyright © 2020 John A. Dalles. Permission from the author is required to reproduce it in any fashion.
This is an original sermon by The Rev. D. John A. Dalles, Interim Senior Minister and Head of Staff of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Pittsburgh, PA . It was delivered on the date indicated in the text. You are encouraged to read it and reflect upon it. Please keep in mind that the sermon is Copyright © 2020 John A. Dalles. Permission from the author is required to reproduce it in any fashion.
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