We
have a fascinating gospel passage this morning, don't we? It starts off with
Jesus doing what Jesus does: teaching, preaching, and healing. It's beautiful.
And then Jesus shows his compassion for the people, which makes it even better,
wanting them not be harassed and helpless and without a protector and leader. All
that in the first 2 verses!
Then
we hear of Jesus speaking to his disciples, setting the stage for what he's
going to ask THEM to do. He's going to share with them his mission, and invite and
expect them to continue along in it. Because "disciple" doesn't mean
someone who is along for a ride; it means someone who chooses to follow - and
we learn from these folks, and know from our own experiences, that sometimes
following can be difficult. Especially when we're trying to follow the example
of Jesus to live out the mission of God.
So
the first thing we get, naturally, is the full list of those first 12
disciples. Now, my guess is that many of us, if we were choosing a team of
people to share a common mission, we'd choose the best equipped, the best
trained, the most energetic... right? For healing, we want the best doctors and
nurses. For teaching, we want folks on the cutting edge of the latest models of
education. For preaching, we want the people with impressive degrees in
theology. Right?
Yet
here we get the list of those that Jesus chooses. One who will deny out of
fear. One who is a brother along for the journey. A couple of fishermen. One who will question. One who will openly
doubt. One whose job swindles for personal profit. One who is a zealot. One who
will betray.
Fascinating.
God's mission is to be done, and Jesus chooses a mishmash of everyday, ordinary
people. Folks who have given up their past titles and positions in order to follow
Jesus. And not just on some 3-hour-tour; this is a life-forever-more
experience. Welcome to the Island, if you'll pardon the Gilligan pun.
It's
these 12 who are then told that they will not be the be-all and end-all; in
fact, before they even begin, Jesus lets them know that their jobs will be to
train others to do their jobs. Biblical succession planning: it's important,
it's part of God's mission, and it's the same thing that Jesus is doing with
them.
That
is their job, as Jesus' followers. Go out, do what Jesus did, say what Jesus
said. Proclaim the Good News - tell the world that the Kingdom of Heaven has
come near! And do this with folks who are disillusioned, who are frustrated,
who have left the faith communities for whatever reasons. And certainly don't
expect to get rich doing it!
Point
of clarification: the disciples were not independently wealthy; nor were they
suddenly exempt from earthly needs. Biblical hospitality indicated that guests
were welcomed with generous hospitality. So they could expect meals and lodging
and clothing, but not riches to hoard away. Jesus' teaching matches biblical
hospitality in that the disciples were not permitted to withhold their teaching
and ministry should someone not be in a position of affluence to cover their
expenses.
So
- let's get back to what they are meant to say to proclaim the good news!
Because there is an important point to be had from Jesus' exact words. When
speaking about the kingdom, Jesus doesn't say "Let's get ourselves ready
for the kingdom, for when we go there." Instead, he declares: "The
Kingdom of Heaven has come near." The kingdom is not a far-off
destination, it's part of our on-going journey.
If
this is how we - both as individuals and as the community - understand the kingdom,
how then do we proclaim it? How do we live it? How do we share it?
We,
a mishmash of ordinary, imperfect people, respond to Jesus the same way those
first twelve did. We listen to the call to be Christ's followers, and we engage
with God's people. We do our best to live as participants in and with God's mission,
where the kingdom of Heaven is drawing near... and nearer... and even nearer
still! And this nearness of the Kingdom will be achieved through the mission by
the work of the people.
Now,
there is a nuanced distinction here in our understanding about the Kingdom. It's
a distinction of being passive or active in how we will encounter the Kingdom
of heaven, and how we will see our lives in the here and the hereafter.
Person
A, the person for whom the kingdom is somewhere out there, will perceive that
showing up at a church is enough: it's a Spiritual Top-Up for the week, a
feel-good time where we can gather in community, pray, hear the beautiful
messages of scripture, and head home to the "ordinary" or
"secular" time, the other 167 hours in the week. This person will be
feeling prepared for the hereafter, when they trust and believe that they will
go to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Person
B, the person for whom the Kingdom is perpetually being brought nearer, will
also be in the church on Sunday mornings, but their perception will be slightly
different. It will be to celebrate being a part of that community, hearing the
same beautiful scriptures, raising the same prayers, but also to be challenged
and inspired to go and do church
throughout the week. This person is seeking ways to live out God's mission
during those 167 hours (give or take, in my experience it's hard to be
missional when you're sleeping). The person with this perception is constantly
looking for glimpses of the kingdom; a kingdom that is both here and not here,
now and not now. These glimpses are like catching a faint aroma on a breeze or
seeing the slightest presence from the corner of the eye. It's there - it's
definitely there - but if we try to pinpoint the source, we won't be able to.
So
it is up to us to decide how we think about the kingdom. It's up to us as
individuals: what is our understanding of the kingdom, and what is our calling
to engage with the rest of the world around us. "Go and make
disciples!" we're told - find and empower other people who will also
teach, and preach, and heal. It's also up to us as part of the wider community,
to discern how we collectively respond to shared glimpses. How might we
together use the gifts and skills and resources in ways that are collaborative
and complementary, so that we can encourage more participation from God's
people: people who are active, who are engaged, who are willing to grow
spiritually in the service of Christ, who are also catching those glimpses of
the imminent and transcendent Kingdom of heaven.
Now,
these glimpses, these hints... I believe that God is providing these to us intentionally
- to encourage and support us. We know that going out there and BEing the
church can be hard. God knows it, Jesus knew it and spoke about it. It's
subversively counter-cultural, in that it goes against the capitalistic,
individualist society that has prevailed for thousands of years. It's
intentionally thankless, as disciples do not expect or even want accolades for
their efforts, as that would distract and detract from the Glory to God that is
intended through the works. It is missional, however, and next week I'll speak
a bit more about what it means to be faithfully missional.
But
these glimpses are exciting, and energising too, as they invite us to redefine how we integrate the
truth of the kingdom into our lives, and how we actively participate in God's
mission to bring that kingdom even nearer. We are challenged to redefine how we
hear the message of being disciples, and making disciples. We are challenged to
redefine our relationship with God and with the world; both now and in the age
to come, both how we are and how we could be.
May
God give us the faith to trust that the kingdom is near. and the courage to
live in the wonder of receiving its glimpses, and the strength to faithfully
respond to be and make disciples, thereby living every moment as Kingdom
people.
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