Bible Text: Psalm 103:1-10, 22 Luke 9:51-62 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Norm Story | Series: Lectionary

“More Than Just Words” 2016
Psalm 103:1-10, 22 Luke 9:51-62
A pastor received a summons for jury duty, and she went to the courthouse just as
the law required. During the process of selecting jurors for the actual trial, an
attorney, noticed that she is a pastor, and asked:
Do you think you can render a verdict on this case without letting your
religious beliefs affect your decision? She answered: I hope that I would never
make any decision without being affected by my religious beliefs, by my faith
to guide and direct, to inform and help me decide. At the attorney’s request she
was excused from serving on the jury… apparently faithful and committed Christian
discipleship was not among the qualities he was looking for in a juror.
Faithful and committed discipleship is when our faith-relationship and spiritual
journey with God does affect our every decision and choice in life… for by striving
to follow the example and teaching of Jesus, our faith will gradually permeate
our whole being and our discipleship will be more than just words. In today’s
Luke passage, his ministry in Galilee has ended, and Jesus is just beginning his
journey toward Jerusalem. He set his face is an idiom meaning that with resolve,
the Lord is focused on fulfilling his purpose, obedient to the will of God, – costly
betrayal and death for the sake of our salvation. Nearing the end of his mortal life
and earthly ministry, along this journey, Jesus is now focused on discipleship,
preparing those he will leave behind to become the Church, for when he is “taken
up” on the cross and at the ascension. More than just a destination, this journey is
about discipleship and what it means to follow Jesus Christ, … which is to embrace
the path of obedience that Jesus walked… for Jesus is seeking and calling true and
faithful disciples, who are willing to serve, love and follow which is something deeper
and a bit more demanding than following him on Twitter or hitting “like” on Facebook.
Skipping ahead in the text, along the way of this journey, a man enthusiastically
volunteers to become his disciple.
Luke 9:56-58
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you
wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air
have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Clearly, this would-be disciple is drawn to join and follow, but his understanding of
what is involved is weak and shallow. Jesus wants him to know the true cost before
he promises to follow, and to know that discipleship is not about our comfort and
ease, for this world with all its stuff is not really our home. Just as it was
Jesus, faithful discipleship is a costly journey toward our Jerusalem that calls for
sacrifice & service in obedience to God’s will.
Luke 9:59-60
To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, first let me go and bury my
father.” But Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for
you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
That sounds harsh, even cruel to our ears and our ‘sense of Jesus’, but in that
culture, the dead had to buried within 24 hours. So had the father of this would-be
disciple actually been dead, that son would have been holding vigil over the body
and not have been out and about where Jesus was preaching. This man wants to
wait until after his father eventually dies, and then, follow Jesus later when it would
be more convenient. But that’s not good enough. The call is to decide and follow
Jesus, now.
Luke 9:61-62
Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at
my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks
back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Those listening when Jesus first said this, would have understood the cultural
nuances and inferences of this would-be disciple: – let me wait until I can make
arrangements back home, – let me first get permission from my family to leave… but
Jesus does not accept any higher authority over our lives. He alone must be our first
priority and our ultimate loyalty, with no competing distractions, not even family or
friends. Let’s be honest, most of us would prefer and strive for our lives to be more
smooth and easy, with no obstructions along the way. But being Christ’s faithful
disciple as he defines it is not about signing up for a complacent stroll through life.
True discipleship, which is following the way and path of Jesus, is a life-long
commitment of deepening and expanding faith as we increasingly surrender more of
ourselves to God, with his grace, truth, peace and call increasingly affecting
every part and aspect of our lives. This faithful discipleship is accomplished as
over time and experience by, enduring this life’s hurts, disappointments &
challenges, our rough and arrogant edges can be worn away and smoothed, and we
are thereby made fit for the Kingdom of God. Our difficulties, challenges and
unpleasant struggles in life are what teaches us the most toward our spiritual
development and accomplishes the most toward our fitness for God’s Kingdom…
because desperation and defeat can create open space where the Holy Spirit
can work and transform our lives. Jesus wants to reset our priorities on the
important areas of life, that we love God; heart, mind, soul and strength over all else,
and that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And if we can get that right,
then all the rest will fall right into place. In this passage, Jesus is saying some
very hard things to hear, and his demands are difficult, uncomfortable and
absolute.
Jesus Christ himself has modeled the level of commitment he wants and commands,
as in obedience to God, he journeyed toward Jerusalem where he was betrayed,
beaten, crucified and died. Fellow travelers, we are invited and called to follow:
Matthew 16:24-25
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them
deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to
save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
All 3 would-be disciples could have followed Jesus, but instead they offered
excuses… it’s too much, not convenient or not now. Jesus called for commitment
beyond mere words, and that same call to faithful discipleship comes down to
us.
So what does it take to distract or derail my faithfulness? What does it take for me to
resent and refuse reconciliation? What does it take to keep me from participating in
worship? What does it take to interfere with my Bible reading and prayer? How is the
free offer of grace changing how I live my life? Now I don’t believe that anyone
comes to worship or joins the church intending to be inactive or lukewarm in their
faith. Nevertheless, obstacles in life can and do hinder and interfere with our
Christian faithfulness and effectiveness as disciples. At times we are totally faithful to
our Lord’s invitation to follow and sometimes we are not. So is the point of this
passage about threat and condemnation?, is it simply a demand that we do
better and accomplish more? Jesus was on the most direct route to Jerusalem
going straight south passing through the region of Samaria. Jews and Samaritans,
hated and resented each other with an intense animosity, and so they refused to
receive Jesus, rejecting his message. We know that the way of Jesus leads to life
and blessings, that he is worth following, but we have other things to do. We intend
to follow, but decide to take care of other things first.
The truth is, you and I are like those Samaritans sometimes. All of us has at
one time or another, have flatly refused to follow and go with Jesus. There
have been times when we heard his call on our lives, and we knew what he was
asking us to do, say or sacrifice, or what he was asking us to refrain from or stop
doing … and yet we persist in our stubborn refusal and disobedience. That
Samaritan village is every single one of us, at times. In response to the stubborn
rejection by the Samaritans, the disciples are ready to call down wrath and fire from heaven eager to consume and punish those insolent Samaritans, who have dared
offend and reject Jesus their Lord … but then, Jesus is a lot more disappointed
with the disciples, rebuking his offended disciples, rather than the Samaritans.
And why is that? Because their plan and desire for a consuming fire of retribution
went against all that Jesus came to accomplish. Because Jesus came to save
sinners, losers and outcasts. Jesus was on his way to die for the redemption of all
God’s children that we might all live in loving relationship with our Creator. This is
the season of God’s grace, forbearance and mercy, not the time for wrath,
judgement, burning and destruction. And when the time of judgement does finally
arrive, it will be carried out by God, not by the disciples or by us. And that is the
point of this text and the message that I believe we of the Church most need to
hear and heed. In the news we see a world caught up in extremism and violence, a
people with no sense of middle ground or forbearance. Truth and integrity are
routinely ignored, rejected or ridiculed, and saying anything to score a few points or
attack an opponent. A sense of shared common good and the community of all
humankind seem to be concepts lost in our troubled world and culture, and this
disease has spread even to the Church.
I am deeply troubled by some of the images we see of Christians. I cringe at some of
the images of the Church our world sees, for in our text Jesus severely rebuked
the disciples for wanting to rain fire on those who disagree. That same lesson
also applies to us, for this is still the season of God’s forgiveness and grace; and
trying to call down the fires of judgment and wrath, lashing out in anger or not letting
go of resentment are not how Jesus would have his disciples respond. I believe,
one of the most visible aspects of God’s love and grace, is in the granting of
opportunity, of more time and space, and not immediately exacting fiery judgment
against us. Even as we sin and shamelessly rebel against God and God’s truth, God
gives us more time to turn back into the light of his love. God’s patience is a
precious and subtle aspect of mercy and grace. God is absolutely infinite in
wisdom, power and strength. God could coerce faith, absolute commitment and
obedience. God could compel faithful church attendance and service. God could
force generous stewardship and giving. God could enforce reconciliation, justice and
peace like a mother forcing her children to play together nicely.
God could have made us all perfect little Christian automatons. But instead God
chooses to grant us unbelievable freedom. God places love, life and grace out
before us and we can assent, or we can resist and reject. The power to refuse
God’s gracious love and blessings is actually an open expression of God’s grace
and love. And it is that same freedom that makes it possible for us to love and
truly receive Christ for ourselves and for our discipleship to be more than just
words. Faithful Christian discipleship is far more than stubborn righteousness and
our effort. It is when God’s grace reigns in our heart, as it redefines and affects
how we live and love.
Psalm 103:1, 8, 22
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. The
Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my
soul.