Today's Sermon

 

“Wisdom for Ordinary Time"

 

As we continue our worship series on wisdom for ordinary time, I have very unimaginatively titled my sermon, “Service.” The more interesting questions I want us to ask ourselves today are about how we move through the world and how we relate to others as followers of Jesus. The main question I asked myself as I prepared the sermon this week is, “How am I called to show up – for myself and for others – as a disciple of Christ?” Thankfully, we don’t have to figure this out on our own. Jesus shared all kinds of wisdom on this topic. Today, we’ll look at what he has to say in the Gospel according to Matthew, starting with chapter 9, verse 35.

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus had compassion for the crowds. This is not an isolated moment. Throughout his entire ministry, Jesus leads with compassion. He does not teach and heal out of some grim sense of duty or obligation. He does not get upset or angry with the crowds when they continue to share their needs with him. (Though he does use good boundaries and regularly gets away to a quiet place to pray.) When among the crowds, Jesus’ first instinct is always compassion.

As we consider what it looks like for us to be of service - how to show up for ourselves and others – what might it mean to lead with compassion? For example, when someone is cranky with me in the grocery store do I respond with similar crankiness? Or do I recognize that they are probably having a bad day and respond with compassion?

That may be a silly example, but how we orient ourselves – how we move through the world – makes a difference. Is our first instinct when interacting with others snark or kindness? Is it guardedness or openheartedness? Is it cynicism or compassion?

When talking about compassion, author and professor Brene Brown says, “I think compassion is a deeply held belief that we are inextricably connected to each other by something rooted in love, in goodness. I call that God. Not everybody calls that God. My dad would call it fishin’.”[i]

Sure, I guess fishing can connect us! If we hold the belief that we are connected and rooted together in God’s love, then we are called to live with an orientation to compassion. We are called to enter every relationship and interaction guided by our compassion for one another.

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.

Jesus cannot serve God alone. There is simply too much to do. He needed help from the twelve disciples, and that call to go out into the world and to serve continues today. We are all to join Jesus in serving God.

Note also that Jesus doesn’t just feel compassion … he does something about it. Jesus’ compassion leads him to faithful action. He is not going to let the crowds remain harassed and helpless while he has compassion on the sidelines. He is going to send people out to serve their needs.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to Gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

This particular sentence has received a lot of attention through the years. Is Jesus saying that only some people get to receive God’s love? Do the Gentiles somehow not deserve the attention of the disciples? There are all kinds of theories about this, but everyone ends up pointing to the end of Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus gives the Great Commission to make disciples of “all nations.” Jesus leaves no doubt that God’s love is for all people.

That being said, I do find it interesting that the disciples’ ministry begins with some boundaries in place. It’s as if Jesus knows that the disciples simply can’t be everywhere all at once. They can’t be all things for all people. How often do you look at the state of the world and just feel overwhelmed? There is so much to do … where do I even start? We also do not have to be all things for all people. We don’t have to solve every problem at once. Instead, what is one thing – one person – one issue that moves you with compassion? And then, what is one action you can take? That is where we start.

As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons.

There are two specific pieces to the disciples’ mission – proclaim and do. Share about the kingdom of heaven; tell people about the goodness of God. And also - help them. Serve them. Tend to their needs. The two go hand in hand. I was listening to a podcast called “Pulpit Fiction” about this particular section of Matthew – welcome to my exciting life – and one of the pastors on the podcast noted that “Any church that is doing one and not the other is missing the boat. Social justice without sharing the good news of the Kingdom of God is half a gospel. On the other hand, simply telling people about Jesus is an empty attempt at getting followers without doing any good.”[ii]

Based on previous conversations I’ve had with some of you, I would guess that most of us struggle more with the proclaiming than the doing. Especially here in Marin, which is not a very religious area, it can be difficult and awkward to talk about our faith. You want me to feed someone who is hungry? No problem. You want me to share about why I love Jesus? Big problem. I get it. We don’t want to be annoying. We don’t want to make people uncomfortable. We don’t want to be like some of the cringy evangelists we see on television.

But talking about our faith does not have to be off-putting. We have good news to share! We can find ways to let people know about God’s love without demanding that they immediately confess to us all their sins. We can tell people why being a part of a faith community is important for us without demanding their weekly attendance. (Though, inviting someone to attend a church service or event with you is a great way to share your faith!) And when we pair our testimony with acts of service, we show that we aren’t just full of empty words, but that we take seriously the call to be God’s hands and feet in the world.

And where do we see this commitment to both modeled best? In the life and ministry of Jesus. Seminary professor Danny Zacharias notes, “Jesus shows us that the work of the compassionate shepherd is holistic and integral; the preaching of the gospel is never separated from the embodied work of the gospel to bring healing and wholeness.”[iii] Proclaim and do.

You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for laborers deserve their food. 

Basically, go out into the world with nothing! Just the clothes on your back. This is a tough one. We like our stuff! But, I think rather than a referendum on stuff – though that was a recurring theme for Jesus – in this case, Jesus is urging us to open ourselves to receiving. We are called not just to serve and to give of ourselves, but also to receive and to let others care for us.

In that same “Pulpit Fiction” podcast, the pastor noted that to do the work of Jesus, you must be vulnerable. You must rely on others. That’s tough, because vulnerability is often seen as a weakness in our society. We are to always be competent, confident, and sure of ourselves. But, according to Brene Brown, “Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.”[iv] It was her work around vulnerability that really pushed her into the spotlight many years ago. She says that relying on one another, being real with one another, accepting help, is not weakness at all, but profound courage. When we can both give and receive, that is when true relationship is formed. That recognition that we are all in need of one another. We are all connected in God’s love.

Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah? They failed to show hospitality. From the prophet Ezekiel – “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” (Ezekiel 16:49) Who is the disciple who has metaphorically (or actually) shown up at your door? Have you shown them hospitality?

Finally, boundaries. I’ve already mentioned them, and I’ll say it again. Boundaries are so important. If someone doesn’t welcome you, shake off the dust from your feet. If someone doesn’t listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet. We do not have to be all things to all people. Nothing is sustainable without boundaries.

Note that Jesus does not advocate for the disciples to execute any sort of revenge or retribution. They are not to take judgment into their own hands. If they are not welcomed somewhere, they are to simply move on to another house or town. There may be a day of judgment for the unhospitable later, but that is not for us to decide.

Whew, we made it to the end of the scripture passage! There is so much wisdom to be had in just a few verses. But for me, it still comes down to that question – how am I going to show up in the world? Or, put another way, how am I going to share the light of Christ that is within me?

Jan Richardson is an artist and poet who shares the following story. “I was having an Advent chat recently with my friend Father Rob Lord. He is the rector of a church that has been a place of solace for me in recent months, and he is a soul of insight and grace. His office adjoins the church playground, and as we talked that afternoon, an angel periodically bobbed up in the window, complete with a tinsel halo, cardboard wings, and, for a bit of flair, a Rudolph-red nose.

The angel appeared from time to time as Fr. Rob and I talked of such things as Advent and grief, the communion of saints, seasons and time and eternity. He said at one point, God is radiantly illuminating us in ways we cannot see or feel or know. On that Advent afternoon, with the shimmering, cardboard-winged, Rudolph-nosed angel at play on the other side of the window, I tucked those words into my heart.

In these hours, in these days, though we cannot see or feel or know all the ways that God is radiantly illuminating us, may we open ourselves toward that light. May we open our eyes, our hands, our hearts to meet it. May we lean into the light bearing itself into this world for us.”

To which I would add, and then may we share that light in love and in service. That is how we show up. We receive the light, and then we share the light.

Richardson concludes, “And now, I pass Fr. Rob’s words along to you, in the company of this blessing.”

Where the Light Begins, By Jan Richardson

Perhaps it does not begin.
Perhaps it is always.

Perhaps it takes
a lifetime
to open our eyes,
to learn to see
what has forever
shimmered in front of us—

the luminous line
of the map
in the dark

the vigil flame
in the house
of the heart

the love
so searing
we cannot keep
from singing,
from crying out
in testimony
and praise.

Perhaps this day
will be the mountain
over which
the dawn breaks.

Perhaps we
will turn our face
toward it,
toward what has been
always.

Perhaps
our eyes
will finally open
in ancient recognition,
willingly dazzled,
illuminated at last.

Perhaps this day
the light begins
in us.[v]

 

[i] https://thewellnessalmanac.com/2016/04/18/i-am-not-as-sweet-as-i-used-to-be-but-i-am-far-more-loving-brene-brown-says-its-more-than-okay-to-have-healthy-boundaries-in-place/

[ii] https://www.pulpitfiction.com/notes/proper6a

[iii] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-11/commentary-on-matthew-935-108-9-23-3

[iv] https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/daring-be-vulnerable-brene-brown

[v] https://adventdoor.com/2015/12/25/christmas-day-where-the-light-begins/