The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Learning through Living

by Fr. Bill Garrison


Please note that the following sermon text was provided prior to the audio recording. The two versions may differ substantially.


After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

—Mark 1:29-39 (NRSV)


There was a fellow named Dave who was a single guy living at home with his widowed father and he worked in the family business. He knew that he would inherit a fortune once his ailing father passed away.

So, Dave wanted two things:

  1. To learn how to invest his inheritance.

  2. To find a wife to share his fortune.

One evening while attending an investment meeting, he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. He was unable to pay attention to the speaker or take his eyes off her. At the break he sought her out.

“I may look like just an ordinary man,” he said to her, “but in just a few years, my Father will die, and I'll inherit at least $20 million dollars.”

Impressed, the woman requested his business card.

Two weeks later, she became his Stepmother.

Have you ever noticed the difference between the person that starts and grows a business and those that follow, people sort of like Dave in the story? Those that follow don’t have the same kinship with the organization that the originator does.

Whenever I am in Oklahoma, I see a brand of commercial we don’t seem to have much here in California. Featured in the commercial are the owner’s kids. This seems to be especially true in the car business back there. I admit I can hardly watch the kids parading around talking about what a fantastic organization they have grown up in. I can’t help but think about the employees of the business, often stakeholders in the business of long duration I am sure, who deserve to be making the commercials instead of the kids. I wonder how those employees feel. It just can’t be good for company morale, I would imagine.

You see those kids cannot possibly understand the business in the way the founder does. The founder took the big risks. The founder put in the hours, the sweat and blood, the sleepless nights, to begin and build the business. Unless you have been through the experience you can’t possibly understand the process or truly appreciate what has been created.

And when the kids take over more often than not the business fails shortly thereafter. There are exceptions of course, but historically I have found this to be true. They just don’t truly understand the ethos of the business, nor do they have the deep feeling of protection and care for the organization that the founder had.

You see we human beings learn through doing. We learn through our failures, our pain, and tough times probably more effectively than we do our successes.

I remember when one of my daughters was about two or three. She kept trying to stick her finger in the flame of a candle. I kept telling her no, hot. It didn’t matter. She just kept trying to stick her finger in the flame. So, please forgive me I probably failed as a father; I said ok, go ahead. She did and from that moment on she kept her fingers out of flames. It didn’t really hurt her, and she had learned a valuable lesson. By the way she gave me a really dirty look.

I think the gospel passage today alludes to this human reality. We learn through doing and are taught through the pain and suffering that comes with the experience. I know in my lifetime I have learned almost everything the hard way. I keep thinking I will start learning another way, but I don’t seem to. How about you?

Now this gospel is so rich with information I want to mention a few things quickly as I move toward the point. We learn that Jesus lives in Capernaum as does Peter and a couple other disciples. We learn that Peter (Simon) is married. We learn that his mother-in-law has a fever. Then as soon as Jesus heals her, and he does so on the Sabbath against the law as understood at that time, she does what women were supposed to do in the first century. She began to serve them. And then in the evening, when it was no longer the Sabbath the sick was brought to Jesus and he healed them.

And now we get to the point. Thanks for putting up with my digression. The next morning, really early, while it was still dark, Jesus want out to pray. His disciples found him and told him that folks were looking for him. Where had he gone? But, on hearing this information, instead of going back to town he said “Let’s move on to other towns and proclaim the message in those places.  Let’s not go back.”

Now imagine how those in Capernaum felt. The guy that could heal them had left town with no warning. That same person who could also feed them had left town. They were getting used to having him around to take care of things. Why would he leave? What kind of loving fellow was this? He talked a good game but obviously didn’t love us the way we thought he did. Now we are on our own and we are going to have to figure things out for ourselves. What’s up with that? Some might have remained angry for the rest of their lives.

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Photo by Mstudio from Pexels

The answer I think lies in the relationship Jesus was hoping to have with us. As we discussed earlier, we learn through living and doing. We find wisdom in the pain encountered in life. We learn to appreciate the life we build just as the entrepreneur learns to care for the organization she builds. Depending on Jesus for our welfare would disrupt that growth process. Instead of doing everything for us God gives us the gift of God’s self. God partners with us in our struggles. Meanwhile we grow into the people God is creating us to be.

And so, we ask one more question as we close. What would have happened if Jesus had stayed in Capernaum? Each day the crowds would have grown and the decision to leave would have become tougher to make. And if Jesus never left there would be no Passion Week, no Good Friday, no Resurrection Sunday nor Day of Pentecost. All that would have been left might be a small booklet on the teachings of Jesus and the acts of his healing. Ultimately Jesus came to do more. He came to build the road to eternal life. He had to get up. He had to move on. There was work to do elsewhere.