But now it's six weeks or so later and in a spasm of catching up and trying to refocus my life on the things that I value the most, here it is!
The text was Matthew 9:35--10:8 [9-23]
And here's the video - it's much fancier than I usually do, with scene changes and everything!
Pastor Sharon on Morning Watch, June 11, 2020
And here is the script that I used as a starting point:
Today HUBVID-20 (WAY better than COVID-19) is partnering with Morning Watch, a series from the CK brothers, some Lutheran pastor friends in Greensboro, NC. Will you pray with me?
Come Holy Spirit. Speak to us and turn us into Jesus’ followers, living out Jesus’ mission that we may fulfill the mission of Jesus’ followers: to continue the mission of Jesus himself. Amen.
Back in my student days there was one particular class that was just a mess the whole semester. The students were exhausted all the time, frustrated and confused and outraged over some of the new professor’s grading missteps. And the phrase that kept coming to mind was the one that shows up in Matthew 9:
Jesus saw the people and realized they were
harassed and helpless
like sheep without a shepherd.
Sound familiar?
It sounded familiar to me then and it sounds even more familiar to me now.
For a long time we have lived like a church building was a place where we could be safe, where we could find our shepherd and not have to be harassed and helpless. And slowly, over time, we worried less about the harassed and helpless people who were not in that safe sanctuary with us.
And then came COVID-19. And we couldn’t hang out together in those safe sanctuaries anymore.
All of a sudden I went from being the oddball pastor that confused everybody, to being ahead of the curve in this brave new world of being the church outside of the building.
And do you know what I see?
I see people who are harassed and helpless.
Some from a sub-microscopic virus.
Some from a massive system of patriarchy and white supremacy and violence that is beyond what any one of us can address in a way to cause meaningful change.
Some for reasons I cannot even fathom.
It’s maddening, and saddening, and heartbreaking.
But do you know what Jesus did (you know, the Good Shepherd?) in that situation? When he saw the people he loved being harassed, like sheep without a shepherd?
Jesus had compassion.
And in his compassion, he said to his disciples – the people who had declared that they would follow him – go out and harvest. In that really scary time. To all those harassed and helpless people without a shepherd. Without a sense of how they SHOULD be.
Can you imagine the looks on their faces?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN GO OUT??? IT’S NOT SAFE OUT THERE!!!
At least we can take money and extra clothes and weapons to keep us safe, right?
And Jesus said, ahhhh… no. He didn’t even get snarky about how little they had learned over the last three years.
Instead he made them POWERFUL:
To cast out spirits
To cure sickness
To go to the lost people, the ones who had wandered away
And when he found those lost folks, they were supposed to PROCLAIM.
And if the people didn’t want to hear the proclamation?
Well, then they were to go on their way.
Not hang out and argue.
Not take potshots at how wrong the people were.
Not to use social (or military) forces to beat down those wrong people.
In fact, Jesus told his followers to do the exact opposite… Here is what he said, from Matthew 10:
16“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”]
Well.
Sign me up for that job, right?
Just keep following Jesus, invite others along, and do not sweat it if they decline to come with you. Even if they are frothing mad.
And for all my joking of how terrible that job sounds, the actual fact is that in our baptism, and in confirmation, and when we publicly proclaim that we are Christians following Jesus, what we are doing is SIGNING UP FOR THAT JOB.
Follow Jesus.
Invite others along.
Do not sweat it if they decline to follow.
Just keep following Jesus.
And what is left out of those instructions? Here are just a few things:
Clinging to the Temple
Insisting that Jesus-following only happens in one place or form
Prioritizing “our own people”
It’s a strange life, this business of following Jesus. South Durham Connections and the Parktown Food Hub has a vision board that agrees that the model of how Jesus’ lived is the best model for caring for our neighbors with food and community care.
Because even the people who are not so sure about the rest of what the church says agree that Jesus’ was all about something they want to be part of. Jesus’ was all about the love that our vision board wants to be known for.
We do not turn people away (even when we kind of want to, because people are not always noble and good and fun and kind.)
We do not place restrictions on who is eligible to eat from the Hub.
We even refrain from punishing people when they take advantage of us.
We have pledged to do things like Jesus would do them.
And no matter how hard you THINK it is to do that? Well, you are wrong.
It is even harder.
In fact, it is literally impossible to do.
But some days we get a little closer than others.
Some days we are able to listen compassionately with people seeking so avidly – but hurt so badly by the church – that they talk of starting their own secular church even as they look to a Lutheran pastor for support.
Some days we are able to simply shrug as we realize that a family that proclaims hunger hasn’t bothered to unpack the food they got from us last week before coming back this week for more… of something.
Some days we are able to remember that Jesus said we do not have to spend a lot of time planning a response (or respond at all) to the comments on facebook. Sometimes I even remember I do not have to read the comments at all!
When we are good at following Jesus, it is so incredibly freeing. Freeing because it means we are not staying shackled by the broken world in which we live.
Freeing because we can respond to the pain around us rather than adding to it.
Freeing because we are leaving the buildings and seeing what God is up to out and about, where all God’s beloved are hanging out.
And that is what I invite you to try out today: walk outside of your comfort zone and enter the beautiful, free, terrifying life that is following Jesus.
Be a Jesus follower without worrying about what words to use. Speak from your Spirit-filled heart instead of your favorite old liturgy or memorized prayer.
Be a Jesus follower by believing that the people you do not know or understand are fundamentally just like you: broken and scared and beloved beyond reason or imagination.
Be a Jesus follower by seeking to nourish and love and heal people even if their words and behaviors make you really uncomfortable.
Because Jesus has already done the hardest part, the part we can never do. And as you follow Jesus, speak from your heart and pray that your heart be changed to be like Jesus.
Be moved by the breath of the Holy Spirit and embrace the healing that can only come…
When we follow Jesus.
Amen.
And now, may the grace of God, the breath of the Holy Spirit, and the light of Jesus Christ lead you on into your day, your week, and your calling in life. Amen.
"Some days we are able to remember that Jesus said we do not have to spend a lot of time planning a response (or respond at all) to the comments on facebook. Sometimes I even remember I do not have to read the comments at all!"
ReplyDeleteJesus was very wise, indeed!!!