In the middle of a war, they transmitted military information over the radio —in the clear!— for everyone to hear ... even the enemy!
Did you see Windtalkers, the movie about the members of a Native American tribe, Navajo? They served the U.S. military during World War II in an unusual way: sharing military secrets over the radio.
What kept these men from being court-martialed? Two things: (1) they were under orders to do so, and (2) everything they said was spoken in Navajo, a complex and unwritten language known only to members of the Navajo tribe. Message created in English, translated into Navajo and transmitted over the radio; received by a Navajo and translated back into English: very simple, very effective.
They were the perfect military code.
But, maybe you don’t know that they were not the first "code talkers" used by our military. Something you might not have learned from the movie: the U.S. used code talkers in World War I, too. The first known use of Native American code talkers was in September 1918 when Cherokee troops transmitted message for the allies in their language during the Second Battle of the Somme. Choctaws were used in the same way to help win several key battles in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France. It is reported that within 24 hours of starting to use these code talkers, the tides of the battle turned in the favor of the allies, and within 72 hours, the enemy was on the run.
Even less known is that Adolf Hitler knew about the successful use of code talkers during World War I. He sent a team of some thirty anthropologists to the United States to learn Native American languages before the outbreak of World War II. However, these languages proved too difficult to learn. Still, knowing of Hitler's attempt, the U.S. limited the Navajo code talkers to the Pacific Theater.
Despite every effort, the enemy could not break the code. But, all of this effort would have been of no use without a key element: for every code talker, there had to be a "code listener." This is an essential element to all communication. When someone transmits a message, it must be understood by the person receiving it, or no communication actually takes place.
In this sense, Jesus was a kind of code talker.
Almost everything Jesus said pointed toward a fuller message in the scriptures. He often quoted from or paraphrased scripture when He spoke, trusting that His fuller message would be understood by his listeners. That is certainly what is happening in this week's selection from the 14th chapter of the gospel of Mark when Jesus speaks of the poor.
Some have misunderstood what Jesus meant when he said, “For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me" (NASV Mark 14:7). He is not telling his listeners (nor us) that they need not care for the poor. On the contrary, Jesus is "coding" Deuteronomy 15:7-11, and He is “sending” to a group of “code listeners” who could not help but understand the fuller message.
Care for the poor was a fundamental part of the Israel’s cultural fabric. It was "incorporated" in the early and most foundational parts of the Law.
When some expressed anger that the expensive perfume had been "squandered" on Jesus, He caught them in an attempt to sidestep their responsibilities under the Law. Not a single one of them said, "Seeing this expensive perfume used this way reminds me I need to spend some of my money on the poor." No, they just wanted to point out that someone else’s money had not been used to help the poor. [Side Note: In John 12, the leader of these complainers is identified as Judas Iscariot, the eventual betrayer of Jesus.]
So, code listeners, here is the message: whenever you wish, you may take some of your resources and share them with the needy. Should others direct some of their resources to the needy? If they want to follow the teaching of Jesus, they should. But you never need to wait to see if someone else does it. The poor surround us, and will continue to do so. You only need eyes to see and ears to hear.
And maybe a little “code listening” to help point the way.
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A version of this reflection appeared near the end of the Season of Lent in 2015.
Photo and story about the Navajo Code Talkers:
http://navajopeople.org/navajo-code-talker.htm
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
You can access both of the reading lists, below, by using the links found here: https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//lections.php?year=B&season=Lent
Liturgy of the Palms (March 25, 2018)
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
Mark 11:1-11 or John 12:12-16
Liturgy of the Passion (March 25, 2018)
Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 31:9-16
Philippians 2:5-11
Mark 14:1-15:47 or Mark 15:1-39, (40-47)
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We would love to have you among us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. Join us at 8:00 at the Waco "Egg and I." Good food, great fellowship, and a message we can all understand. Truly an hour like no other.
Enjoy the week!
Steve
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