Thursday, August 11, 2005
David Anglada, mission director for the Metropolitan New York and New Jersey Synods
Text: Matthew 10:10-42


Whenever I participate at synod assemblies or other ELCA gatherings throughout the country, and especially today, the verse of Scripture that comes to mind is one which flows from the pen of the psalmist who said, "How very good and pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity," which, if I may paraphrase, would go something like this: "Behold! And how good and joyful a thing it is for Lutherans, sisters and brothers, to dwell together in unity!" We are indeed united in Christ as one church that gathers in assembly for fellowship and for the business before the church.

Now, churchwide assembly is a different thing for different people. For some it's a time for good fellowship and good networking and finding out what is happening throughout the church. Others have come to this gathering with their personal agendas and to exchange their individual God-sent wisdom in how we should proceed into the future as a church. For others it's a time for good discussion and healthy debate. And then there are those who might see this occasion as an opportunity to visit Disneyworld. However, I personally believe that we are here today because we love our church! Even when it becomes difficult to agree with each other and to sit at the same table as brothers and sisters in Christ who are, indeed, marked with the cross of Christ forever! We will seek to love and forgive and understand and acknowledge that there is a living Christ, in each one of us, and that each one of us has been called by name to be a disciple of Christ in the world.

In our Gospel text assigned for this morning, Matthew reminds the early church of the joys and the costs of discipleship. The early church was having its struggles, living out their faith in the world they had questions regarding authority, leadership and how to be a true disciple of Jesus. Matthew recalls Jesus' instructions to his apostles, and he taught them that discipleship was not going to be an easy task in the world as they live out their faith. But he also lifts up their spirits by telling them that discipleship was also about joy.

If we recall Chapter 10 in Matthew's Gospel, in this missionary discourse, Jesus has not gone easy on his followers. He gives his followers an instructional manual of discipleship. He calls his disciples to a potentially overwhelming task. Listen to these words: "To heal the sick, to raise the dead, to preach in the streets and proclaim Good News, and to cast out demons." Then he says many home and family are to be thrown to the side. And Jesus also taught them, "Take no gold, no silver or copper in your belt - no bag for your journey." Jesus warned his representatives that persecution is to be accepted; his followers are to be fearless in the task of being God's chosen ones, the embodiment of God's kingdom. Jesus also cautioned his newly-appointed missionaries that they may not always receive a kind welcome. In fact, they would be confronted and endangered by the Lord's enemies.

Now, allow me to ask you a question. Have you ever wondered what went through the minds of these early disciples? Have you? Allow me to just dance and play with the text for a minute. I know I have seven minutes left. Okay! Here's what I believe took place: Perhaps they said to each other, "What have we gotten ourselves into? What's wrong with the rabbi and the teacher? Is he okay?" Perhaps one of the disciples - most likely Peter, I believe - was a pre-Lutheran and said, "Are these new teachings acceptable within a confessional statement of the church?" Or maybe another disciple - Juan - I'm sorry; John - he was Spanish, wasn't he? Yes. Juan. Maybe Juan or John was a pre-liberationist theologian in the making and said, "This does not follow the hermeneutical circle method."

Well the early sections of these narratives is harsh, then hard-hitting. But at the end of Jesus' missionary discourse to his disciples the harsh tone is switched and we hear words that are more joyful to the ears of the disciples, who are about to just have a heart attack after listening to the complex demands of following Jesus Christ.

My good friends, discipleship is not easy. Discipleship is costly, and it gets messy once in a while. Jesus commissions his disciples to be his representatives or missionaries throughout selected villages in that region. They have been given authority to proclaim Good News to the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberation to those who find themselves in a state of brokenness. They have been empowered to heal the sick and to expel out evil spirits, but they are also cautioned that life will be difficult.

However, Jesus enlightens them and says, "But whoever welcomes you or receives you is receiving me;" or, "The way they treat you, they are treating me." Please note that Jesus is very intentional to his disciples. It is very clear that they are representing him. Jesus continues by saying, "If they receive or welcome me, they welcome the One who sent me." Jesus is telling his disciples that they are strangers now, and whoever welcomes them or welcomes you, provides hospitality to you, will be blessed by God!

In the following verse Jesus gives them another picture to look at: "Whoever welcomes a prophet, a messenger of God or a righteous person, receives the reward of a prophet or the reward of a righteous person." Here Jesus conveys to his followers that the household or family who welcomes you is blessed with the presence of the prophet. The non-welcomer misses out on the reward of the prophet's presence. Also, whoever gives you or the little ones cold water will also be blessed; they will not lose their reward. What is Jesus getting at? That discipleship is going to be costly. However, they will rejoice when they go out as strangers in the world and hear his words.

My sisters and brothers in Christ, I would like to suggest to you this morning that these few verses in Matthew's Gospel, chapter 10, speak volumes to us who are gathered here today. You and I have been marked with the cross of Christ forever, and we are commissioned to live out our baptismal calling in the world. It will not be easy to live out this calling that you and I received at the baptismal font when we were baptized. Discipleship is not easy. It will not be easy to be a church that proclaims Good News in a culture that is saturated with negative messages from the media. It is difficult to be a church in the world - a church that renounces corporate and governmental sin. It's difficult to be prophetic. It's a time for us - you and I and the church - to be able to say to the world, "Thus sayeth the Lord." It will not be easy to be a church that embraces diversity, that welcomes and invites everyone to the Table as sisters and brothers in Christ.

However, there are some folk who would prefer to maintain the status quo and never be a changing church in the world. Some would prefer to make our beloved church a private club - a church of exclusion.

Discipleship is not easy, my friends. It's an awesome task, but I believe that our church is up to the challenge. It will not be easy to be a church that listens to the cry of people who hurt in our communities and barrios. The woman who has been physically abused by her husband and does not know whom to turn to. That single parent who does not know how to make ends meet. Those families whose loved ones are in the military and are uncertain about their futures. Teenagers, women and men who feel excluded from the church because of the barriers that we ourselves have put up. So, can we as a church say "We will walk with you in this journey. We will be a listening church."

It is not an exaggeration to say that the church we love has had its struggles, and, yes, moments of saying just like the disciples, "What have we gotten ourselves into?" And yet, we can celebrate together that God has called us to be the church in the world. And, yes, it will be challenging for us. However, Jesus Christ has promised to be faithful to his church until the end of ages. Christ has promised us that he will not abandon us, nor leave us comfortless.

While discipleship is tough, we can also celebrate the joys of discipleship. Today our church can celebrate with joy that Sunday after Sunday the Good News is being preached in over 11,000 congregations and that strangers are welcome and are invited. We can celebrate with joy the Good News of Christ that is being preached as we open new ministries and congregations in urban cities and in rural America. These ministries are celebrated in English and in 28 other languages. Day by day our church is becoming a gorgeous mosaic. We celebrate with joy that we believe in the unity of the church, and therefore we have commitments for ecumenical dialogue. We celebrate with joy that as a church we are bold to say that we are willing to dismantle racism in our church, whether overt or in secret. As a church we are proud to live both the joys and the costs of discipleship. The task is not easy, but we are assured by Christ himself that we belong to him and that he will not abandon us.

In our last synod assembly, our chief missioner, Bishop Stephen Bouman, ended one of his homilies with these words: "We are indeed a minority in the world who are marked with the cross of Christ forever, on a mission with a message from the Master.

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.