Where's Waldo?
Matthew 20:20-34
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!” Jesus stood still and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
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There was a book that came to mind as I thought about this passage from the Gospel According to Matthew. It was a book, actually, a series of books, which has been known to frustrate young and old alike. I'm talking, of course, of the infamous puzzle books known as Where's Waldo. Martin Handford, the author and illustrator, thought up the idea after his art director asked him to create a picture where a person with peculiar features would be the focal point. After some tinkering, Handford started the series of Where's Waldo (or Where's Wally in the U.K.).
You wouldn't think it would be hard to find Waldo in Handford's illustrations. After all he wears a red-and-white-striped shirt, a hat with a bob, and glasses. But Handford throws in look-a-likes and other deceptive tricks to throw you off Waldo's trail. And perhaps even more frustrating, is that Handford has shrunk Waldo over the series to a size of 0.026 sq in in books four through seven! If you're wondering, that's an area about twice the size of a pinhead. Yet, we run into a problem when we find Waldo among the crowd of other characters. When we see him, even though he's so small, we ask ourselves, "It now looks so obvious! Why wasn't I able to find him sooner?"
And that is the puzzling question we find in Matthew's Gospel. At first glance, we might assume that the disciples would be ones who could see Jesus for who he was, but it was more often the case that those who we would least expect understood the role that Jesus played in the story of creation. The same is true for us as we wrestle with the ongoing complexities of life and the changing realities in which we are trying to adapt. At times we are confident in living out our calling and hope that comes from God, and other times we might have a difficult time following that shining light. In those moments, our self-centeredness, arrogance, or ignorance, keeps us from accepting the truth from those we have dismissed.
Do you know what kind of mindset I’m talking about? I’m talking about those moments when we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we refuse to acknowledge the truth from anyone who we don’t like. It’s a kind of toxic mentality that feasts on our worst traits and fear and prevents us from letting go and moving on in grace. Perhaps you can think of a moment this past week where you have neglected or missed the opportunity to hear the words of grace and truth from someone else. It’s okay if you can name one because that is an essential step for all of us as we figure out what it means to live in a community of faith with one another. It’s a community that will have it’s growing pains, as we see with James and John, and it is a community that sometimes silences and loses patience for those who it thinks don’t belong.
If we can claim those faults as our own and learn from then, then we will find that we are taking the necessary steps to see the light of God in all those who are around us.
And that is the beautiful part of the whole gospel narrative. The beautiful part where God keeps sending women and men, people of all backgrounds and walks of life into our midst to remind us of what is truly important. As the disciples bickered about who was greater than the rest, they forgot what Jesus' ministry stood for in the grand scheme of creation, that first shall be last and that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve all people. In those moments, where we act like the disciples, God sends a reminder that says, "Hey! I think you have to take a step back and reassess some things that are on your heart." It took a reminder from two blind men who were sitting on the side, calling out to Jesus, because they knew who Jesus was and what he stood for, a community where all were welcomed and valued.
Remember the words of the psalmist who tells us that we are wonderfully and beautifully made. Maybe these are words that we don't hear enough, so may you find reassurance that you are someone who is wonderfully made, someone who possesses the hope, light, grace, and compassion of God. Know that you are claimed and sealed in God's eternal love. We don't hear that enough. It is my prayer that during this time, we can reconnect with that life that gives us hope. It is my prayer that for the remainder of this season, we will learn to love ourselves more deeply, love each other more deeply, and come to appreciate and embrace the things that unites us as a human family.
During this time, I encourage you to hit the reset button. While I know that things outside and around us are certainly concerning, we can use this time to grow as people of faith and as people who believe in the importance of community. I know that for some, being home will be lonely, will feel isolated. I know that for some, it may feel like you can't stand being in the same room with the same people anymore. And of course, I know that for many others, life will continue to look different day by day.
Turn off the news, unplug for a bit, after our virtual worship of course, and spend time doing something you haven't done in a while. Take a walk, build that model or replica that's been gathering dust in the closet. Call up that family member or friend you haven't talked to in a long time. Though we find ourselves in a wilderness setting, we are ever more connected and presented with an opportunity to live out the mission and will of Love incarnate.
Be on the lookout for messengers of God's good news; if you aren't paying attention, you might miss it. It could be in the glory of a clear day, the songs of the birds, or come from the places or people we have not welcomed or tried to ignore or silence.
Take advantage of this time where we hit the pause button. Practice graciousness and setting aside our tendencies to grab hold of power and selfishness, and don't forget to welcome in the way in which God reminds us of the hope we have in Christ. Amen.