5th Sunday after the Pentecost

June 15, 2008


Nose to the Grindstone


We live in a society where resumes are of vital importance to getting employment.

These documents are carefully scrutinized in order to see if the person is qualified for the task at hand.

For example, every ELCA pastor has to fill out a massive tome that is referred to as a “mobility form.”

It is more like writing a doctoral dissertation and it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort.

The mobility forms are then carefully scrutinized in order to see if a pastor is qualified for a congregation.

Of course, in addition, I was always amazed at synod assemblies to see pastors running around flattering the bishop in order to get the biggest and the highest paying churches in the synod.

So, in light of all of this, what are the qualifications to be a follower of Jesus Christ?

It would seem that someone like a scribe a Pharisee, a Levite, or even a rabbi would qualify, for after all they would have the knowledge and education to be good disciples.

In today’s gospel Jesus calls his disciples to follow him.

He calls twelve disciples and he gives them the authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every disease and every infirmity.

That’s a pretty awesome task, isn’t it, so we would think that the people Jesus called, such as Peter, Andrew, James, and John would be have perfect resumes in order to do the job.

Then, we come across Matthew and Judas, which would certainly be questionable.

As incredible as it may seem, Jesus chose four fishermen, two publicans and one traitor as his disciples.

Hardly the best qualified and certainly not the brightest and best.

So, what does it take to be a disciple of Jesus?

What kind of people does he call to follow him?

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus looks at no resumes, mobility forms, or formal applications.

Jesus calls forth sinners, Jesus calls forth the least of these, and Jesus calls forth the least likely.

If we go forward a bit, we find that Jesus even calls Saul, the one who stood approvingly guarding the coats of those stoning St. Stephen, Saul, the one who was on the way to Damascus in order to persecute the church.

That is all rather incredible, isn’t it.

So, what does it mean? What does it take for someone to be a disciple?

What kind of disciples is Jesus calling forth today?

It is a matter of faith, a matter of trust, and a matter of heart, and it is a matter of being willing to drop nets, to leave the tax collectors desk, and to follow him.

It is a matter of being willing to put the nose to the grindstone on behalf of the gospel of Christ.

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote very vivid words about discipleship in the dark and frightening days in Germany in the 1930’s.

He writes: “What is said about the content of discipleship?

Follow me, walk behind me. That is all.

Going after him is something without specific content.

It is not a program for one’s life which would be sensible to implant. It is neither a goal or an ideal to be sought.

The call to discipleship is a commitment solely to the person of Jesus Christ, a breaking through all legalisms by the grace of him who calls.

It is a gracious call.

Discipleship is commitment to Christ.” (Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works Volume 4 pgs. 58-59)

Our call then, is to simply follow Christ in trust, in faith, and without fear or reservation.

Brother Roger of Taizé tells us that “Christ never forces our hand.”

He writes: “You want to follow Christ, and not look back. Will you dare to put your trust in the Gospel time and time again?

Will you keep setting off anew, drawn on by the One who walks quietly beside you, never imposing himself?

The Risen Christ is present within you, and goes before you on that way. “ (Brother Roger of Taizé: The Sources of Taizé, page 9)

So, there you are.

We are called in baptism to become followers of Jesus, and to follow him without hesitation.

Jesus did pray for us on the night of his betrayal and here is what he said: “Sanctify them in the truth; thy word is truth.

As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.

And for their sake I consecrate myself that they also may be consecrated in truth.”

And here, dear hearts, is where we come in:

“I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may be one; even as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that the may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

So, there we are.

We are called, we are consecrate, we are in Christ, we are in the Father, and we are sent.

But sent to do what?

Let’s go back to the gospel for today.

Preach the word, let people know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, heal the sick, and have authority of the evil in the world.

That is the call, and it is a call that does not remain safely on the printed pages of Matthew’s gospel, it is the call for us today, right here, in the midst of this dark, frightening, and troubled world.

So, how do we do all of that? It certainly can’t be easy.

No, dear hearts, it isn’t.

But hear the words of St. Paul in today’ epistle:

“Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God.

More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

We, the disciples of Christ at the corner of Moorpark and Leigh have absolutely all of the spiritual tools we need to be disciples of Jesus.

Even when things look discouraging, even when we wonder about the days ahead, Christ is with us, and as we journey even through hard times, even when we think we can’t, the Christ who called James, Peter, John, Paul, Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Brother Roger of Taize, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, will give us the strength, give us the grace, give us the tools, give us the hope, and give us the courage to carry the gospel far beyond whatever we had ever hoped or dreamed.

How do we do this?

Simple: We put the nose to the grindstone and get on with the task at hand: right here, right now.

In the words of Brother Roger let us pray:

Jesus , hope of our hearts, when we realize that your love is shown above all in forgiveness, something in his is soothed and even transformed. We ask you: “What do you want from us?” And by the Holy Spirit your reply: “Let nothing trouble you; dare to give your life.”

Amen

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