Deadly Distractions

Joseph Winston

September 24, 2006

Sermon

Grace and peace are gifts for you from God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.1
Distractions can literally kill you. One example that comes readily to mind
is using a cell phone while driving. Research has shown us time and time again
that if you talk and drive, your ability to make judgments is dramatically impaired.
When you are on the phone, the time it takes for you to respond to a given situation
increases since you are paying attention to your conversion.
Recent data indicates that almost three-quarters of all crashes and over one-
half of all near misses are the result of the driver not paying attention.2 The most
common driving distraction is the cell phone.
This should not surprise anyone since over one-half of us have a cell phone.
We think that it is our God-given right to have a conversation on the phone when
1
Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2, Philippians
1:2, 2 Thessalonians 1:2, Philemon 1:3
2
80 and 65 percent respectively

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and where we want. We answer the phone in church, we call our friends during
the movies, and while we are driving in the car, we look up phone numbers and
talk to people.
Recent human factors research has proven what our mothers used to tell us
when we tried to watch TV while we studied. You cannot do two things at the same
time. New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, and several other states have
taken these words of wisdom to heart. These states only allow the driver to use a
hands free phone. While this is a step in the right direction, it does not go far
enough. The basic fact is that using any type of cell phone while driving means
that you are four times more likely to be in an accident.
Even though we know better, we continue to use a cell phones while in the car.
As far as I know, no one has given us a conclusive answer on why we do this. My
opinion on the subject is that each of us believes that everyone wants to talk to us.
We have always wanted to put ourselves in the center of the universe. Today’s
Gospel Lesson shows us that problem has existed for at least two thousand years.
Today’s reading starts with a brief introduction by the narrator. He tells us that
Jesus and His disciples are leaving Galilee. Our attention is then focused by the
narrator on Jesus as He tries to tell His disciples one more time that He is on
the way to the Cross. But the disciples do not understand what Jesus has to say.
They are too busy being distracted by delusions of grandeur to even ask Jesus any
questions. When the group finally arrives in Capernaum, Jesus has had enough. He
wants to know what they were arguing about. Maybe He hopes, they were having
a deep theological discussion on why the Messiah must suffer and die. Instead

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of answering Jesus, all twelve men are silent. The narrator then informs us what
was really going on. Their attention was focused on their egos and was diverted
away from the road that Jesus was traveling. Realizing that for their safety the
disciples need to keep their eyes on the road, Jesus calls the group together for an
object lesson. Jesus starts the class out with His basic premise. If you want to be a
Christian then you must take care of everyone. To illustrate this point, Jesus draws
from the crowd a person that most people would miss. He then tells the group,
that when His followers bring these hidden people into the church, they are in fact
bringing Jesus and His Father in their midst.
Because we all believe that we are the most important aspect of creation, each
of us have acted like the disciples. All of us have turned our eyes inward and
looked only at ourselves. In doing so, we have not heard Jesus teaching us, we
have elevated our own standing in the community, and we have missed those we
have been called to serve. In other words, we have been sidetracked on the way and
these distractions are preventing us from seeing the Cross, the invisible people,
and God.
For most of the world, the cross is a problem. Not only does the cross embody
the suffering that its victim undergoes but it also represents the powers that allow
such forms of cruelty to exist. God’s solution of dying seems to make no sense. It
looks like Christ’s death on the cross places some value in submitting to pain and
it also appears to validate the evil forces that enslave people. Many great minds
have noticed this issue and have come to the same basic conclusion. While we do
not know why Jesus had to die in this horrible manner, we know that the forces of

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suffering and oppression are wrong. When we do not face the cross and condemn
the great evil that supports this form of torture, we empower evil that wants to
enslave all of us.
Beneath each of us is a great network of individuals that we normally do not
think about. These people provide us with many basic services that range from
trash pickup through the fruits and vegetables on our tables. Our general incli-
nation is to forget the people that serve us. Jesus reminds us that we cannot take
these people for granted since God loves everyone. If we do not tell these people
about God’s acceptance, not only are we are condemning these individuals but we
are also not loving our neighbor.
Jesus makes a surprising promise. When we welcome the invisible individuals
in His name into our midst, we are entertaining both Jesus and His Father. Because
these people do not look, act, or think like us, we follow our natural instincts
and do not look for these sort of people. When we keep these people away from
church, we are also keeping Christ and His Father away.
As in driving, these diversions on the road of life can prove to be deadly. When
we ignore what Jesus has taught us, it is more than likely we will do what we want
and when that happens, we will drive off the road and we will be hurt.
Despite our love affair with things that divert our attention away from the road
of life, we do not require the help of a God who tells us that distractions while
driving are deadly nor do we need anyone to pass some sort of divine legislation
that makes it illegal for us to have an accident. We already know this. We have
experienced this suffering firsthand.

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 All of us have some idea of the pain that we cause when we are not paying
attention to those around us. We see the hurt in their eyes and hear the agony in
their voice. When our relationships break down and fail, we feel the wounds that
we have created.
Instead of having someone tell us what to do, we need someone who can come
to us and show us how we are to live. This is why God sent His only Son Jesus to
live with us. Jesus is the one human who lived life as God intended it to be lived.
And in doing so, He showed us how we are to live.
Up to now, we have heard about our condition and that God has sent us an
example for us. However, as Lutherans we should be asking ourselves the ques-
tions, “Where is the Good News? Where is God’s unconditional acceptance of the
unacceptable?” To see the Gospel in today’s Gospel Lesson, we have to turn back
to the first chapter of Mark. The first words out of Jesus’ mouth in Mark are, “The
time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the
good news” (Mark 1:15).
God has freely given us the gifts of time and repentance. In time, we live, we
love, and we die. Time is also a precious commodity. We all have a limited amount
of time here on the earth.
Repentance is nothing more than changing your mind. This is the first step in
a new direction, a new road that leads us to eternal life. As Lutherans, we believe
that it is God’s Spirit that gives us the ability to accept God and the power to
change.
God knows that we will be distracted on the road of life. God knows that we

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will make bad choices. God knows that we will have accidents. In spite of this,
God continues to give us life and more opportunities where we can ask God for
repentance. This is the Good News.
Distractions can kill you. When you drive a car and do not pay attention to
what is happening around you, you are likely to have an accident. Living without
Jesus is also unsafe because you do not know what you should be looking for.
Jesus wants us to know what is on the road of life. That is why He has given
us the resources like the Bible and the Church that tell us of His love for us and
how we should live. But His concern for us did not stop there. Jesus has also given
us our neighbors, our friends, and our families. They too can help us see what we
might miss. Go to them; talk with them. Welcome them in the name of Jesus.
“The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.”3

3
Philippians 4:7.