YES!

A couple of weeks ago, Kathleen and I rented the movie “Yes Man”. Have you seen this movie? The movie itself was just o.k, but I thought the plot was really intriguing.

Jim Carrey plays a man named Carl whose default setting is “No”. Do you know people like this? No matter what opportunities, invitations, or possibilities present themselves, he always says the same thing: “No.” When the film opens, we find him at his worst. He screens his calls, and won’t answer, even when it’s from his best friends. When they do track him down and ask him to come out with them he always says no. He works as a loan officer in a bank, and spends each day stamping “rejected” on loan applications, saying no to each one. No matter what comes along, his answer is always the same: “No.”

Again, do you know someone like this? I do. I know lots of people for whom the word “no” is always easier to say than the word “yes”.

But something happens to Carl. An old friend invites him to attend a seminar…and the title of the seminar is “YES!” There, he learns the power of this three-letter word…and is encouraged to use it in response to every single question, opportunity, and possibility that comes his way. Almost overnight, Carl goes from being a person whose default setting is “no”…to becoming a “Yes Man.”

I was thinking about this movie as I read today’s Gospel lesson this week. Jesus’ hometown is full of people whose default setting is “no”. “Could Jesus the carpenter really be this wise?...NO!” “Could Mary’s little boy, all grown up really do these powerful things?...NO!” “Do we really believe all that he’s telling us about God?...Of course not!” Jesus comes back home after stilling a storm, healing, and forgiving…he brings all of this to the people he knows best…places it right in front of them, offers every bit of it to them…and what do they say? “NO.” No thanks. No interest. No faith.

So what happens to them? The lesson tells us…nothing… “he could do no deed of power there.” So, for the people of Jesus hometown, when the Son of God comes to visit…there is no healing, no forgiveness, no stilling of storms…all because their default setting seems to be “no.”
Do you know people like this? I do. In fact, sometimes, I’m a person whose default setting is “no.” Maybe you’re like me. Maybe sometimes it’s easier to say “no” to things because when we say “no” we can control the outcome, it’s more predictable…it’s safer.

Where does this get the people of Jesus’ hometown? Maybe the scariest part of the lesson is how Jesus responds to all those “no’s”. He has two reactions. First, we’re told that he was “amazed by their unbelief”-translation: he is dumbfounded that they have NO FAITH. Then secondly, the lesson tells us: “Then he went…” After offering all that he had to offer, and hearing “NO” over and over again, what does Jesus do? He leaves. “Then he went…” left his hometown and traveled elsewhere. Jesus doesn’t seem to have much time for people whose default setting is “NO”.

Who says “YES” in today’s lesson? There is a whole group of “YES MEN” and they have been saying “YES” ever since they first met Jesus. Maybe that’s why he likes them so much. Maybe that’s why he spends so much time with them.

The disciples know how to say “yes”. In fact, they seem to say “yes” to just about anything. Jesus asks: “Do you want to go out into strange towns and villages you’ve never visited?” and they say “Yes!” When you go will you leave all your food behind? “Yes” Will you leave all your money? “Yes!” Will you leave everything? “Oh, yes!” And that’s what they did. They left everything behind and went out to tell people about God’s love.

In essence, Jesus is asking them: “Will you trust God enough to provide everything that you will ever need?” and they say “YES”.

Disciples of Jesus are people who say “Yes”…they are people who have switched their default setting from “NO” and never looked back.

How do we switch our setting from “no” to “yes”? In the movie, Jim Carrey’s character finds that life begins to change for him when he says “yes” to things? Our lives will change if we begin to say “YES” to things as well.

“Yes” to letting Jesus carry some of the weight of our problems for awhile. “Yes” to opening our hearts and minds to new ways of thinking and doing. “Yes” to new people we have yet to meet, speak to, or know. “Yes” to the forgiveness that we’ve said “no” to for so long… “Yes” to the God who is more than willing to provide everything that we need to live.

In fact, whenever the question relates to us, if you notice…God’s answer is always “YES.” In fact, Jesus seems to be the ultimate “Yes” man. Will you come and heal my daughter?...Yes. Will you help me find meaning for my life?...Yes. Will you quench my thirst?...Yes. Will you forgive my sins?...Yes. Will you help me live?...Yes.

In fact, Jesus is so yes-oriented that when he’s asked to give his own life in place of ours…the answer, without hesitation, is yes.

We have a God who says “yes” to us. Even when our default setting is “no.” Even when we stumble and fall. Even when we make mistakes. Even when we have a hard time getting to “yes”…God still says it.

So what kind of person are you today? What kind of person would you like to be tomorrow? What kind of people could we be, if we only let go enough to say “yes” more often? Could we become the kind of disciples who are yes-men and women..the kind who trust God enough to say yes to the journey and yes to the new life that Jesus said yes to for us?