And These Are His Disciples

And These Are His Disciples

NO 6/15/08 MW

Abraham's Visitors

Our Old Testament lesson this morning gives us some valuable clues about our relationship with God – at least, some possible clues. Unless you followed along in your Bible as the passage was read this morning you may have missed the spelling differences of Lord in the passage. Generally, we approach this passage as Abraham and Sarah entertaining God and we give it very little thought beyond that. However, because of the different spelling of Lord we can say that Abraham and Sarah did not know God was their visitor. They were treating strangers in the manner in which they believed God desires.

There are spelling variations of Lord in the Old Testament and each has its own meaning in the Hebrew and later Greek languages. These can be interchangeable so don't write this in stone but rather make it an interesting tid-bit of information: 1) LORD – is the name of God when they are saying, Yahweh. 2) Lord is usually Elohim or Jehovah. 3) lord is a title that might be given to anyone, especially, one that might look important or that owned land, etc.

The reason for me saying this is because in the first verse of the story the word used is Lord, in all uppercase letter, and indicates that it is God who is present. However, in verse three, when Abraham is speaking to the stranger, he uses lord, all lowercase letters, indicating that he does not know this is God. So, Abraham is inviting strangers to rest and dine with him.

This is a practice that we no longer encourage in our present culture. We fear strangers. We see strangers as possible muggers or scam artists rather than the possibility of their being God. And so we may often miss entertaining God in our homes because we fear what might happen if we invite a stranger. Now, if you think crime is more a problem today than in Abraham's time you are terribly mistaken so one doesn't want to use that as a justification for turning God away. Abraham and Sarah entertained God and as some scholars have noted this may be the first instance of seeing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the Trinity.

Next Step in Father of Great Nations

God has come to continue the conversation begun with Abram with the promise of his becoming father of great nations. God tells Abraham, within listening distance of Sarah, that when He returns the next year Sarah will have given birth to a son. At this announcement Sarah laughs followed by a denial that she laughed.

What She Knew For Sure Stood In Her Way

What Sarah understood as the “facts of life” stood in her way to celebrate. She was sure that she knew, no doubt, that she and Abraham were much too old to procreate a son. She understood it was impossible for her body and apparently thought that was true of Abraham as well. All the best scientific data of the day was on her side.

The Conversation Will Continue

Believe it or not, denial or not, God says that their conversation will continue and it did.

The Characterization of Jesus' Ministry

This opened armed display by Abraham might be seen as a characterization of Jesus' ministry described in the first few verses of today's Gospel lesson. Jesus visited many villages teaching and healing. And he calls his disciples. Matthew names those original men who were chosen by our Lord to become like him – a job that developed much slower than one might imagine.

Jesus sends these new disciples out into the community to declare the Good News of the nearness of the Kingdom of God. However, there is a peculiar twist to this event – Jesus is exclusive rather than inclusive. Boundaries are drawn closely together.

Jesus Instructs to Avoid Some

Jesus tell his disciples to go out declaring the Good News of the nearness of God's Kingdom but to avoid the GENTILES and SAMARITANS! They are to go only to those persons who are members of the church of the Chosen People – the Israelites. Jesus refers to God's Chosen People as “lost sheep.”

The Beginning of the End

One might truly describe this event as the beginning of the end for Jesus. He is challenging the perception of his own religious people that they are special to God and those who do not belong with them are lost to God. He describes the believers as lost. Surely, there could be no more bitter pill to swallow than this.

Insult to Injury

Jesus takes a further step by adding insult to injury when he gave to these common men the authority to heal the sick and even raise the dead. No doubt, rabbis had desired these powers. Leaders of the Pharisees and Sadducees had longed to be able to do this but had no such power. Now, right in front of their face, these disciples are demonstrating the fruits of faith beyond imagination while claiming the Kingdom of God is near.

A Year of Evangelism

These passages certainly provide us with stories from which we can develop evangelism here at New Oregon. We are handed, in my opinion, some clues for enlivening the work the Spirit is already about within our walls. Let me quickly share a couple:

Open to Strangers

We are already open to strangers that come join us for worship. I watch as our visitors are welcomed by many of our family. And this does not stop when folks visit more than once. We are warmly excited when someone new worships with us.

We can take that welcoming to a new level but it will take some work on our part. It is possible that we can seek out those who might visit if we reach out rather than wait for them to be present. And we will work toward a way to do this that takes into account our discomforts.

Start With Us

The place to begin our evangelism is right here within these walls. Jesus knew that the Chosen People had from the beginning been given the privilege of taking the Good News to the world. He also understood that they had changed God's challenge into a system of perceiving themselves as saved and others as lost. Jesus was able to see that people had molded their knowledge and worship of God into an exclusive, self-centered means of being special.

We Christians too often fall into that same boat. When we think of ourselves as saved and all others as lost we are dabbling with a dangerous perception of making ourselves out as those who hold the mind of God in our hands. Too often, it seems to me, we turn away from our Savior even as we claim to be serving Him. Consequently, we must learn the Good News of God's Kingdom being near before we go beyond our own walls.

Conclusion

“And these are his disciples...” Matthew wanted us to meet those first disciples and so he listed their names. I want us to know Jesus' disciples today. Here is what I want you to do with me. I am going to count to three and then I want every person in this sanctuary to call out your name – no whispers and no closed lips – call out your name! 1...2...3...Ben. Here, Jesus, are your disciples today!

Let me read a little of an Easter prayer written by Karl Barth, a theologian of the last century, as we are sent out to declare the Kingdom being Near:

“None of us is a great Christian; rather, we are all very small Christians. But your grace is sufficient for us. Awaken us to the small joy and thankfulness that we are capable of, the timid faith that we bring, the incomplete obedience that we cannot refuse – to the hope in the greatness, wholeness, and completeness that you have prepared for us in the death of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and that you have promised us in his resurrection from the dead. We ask that this hour may serve that purpose. Amen.”

We are today the persons who's names are recorded as disciples of our Lord for our Lord's use rather than for ourselves. Now, without moving from your seat, stand up and shake hands with and welcome your fellow brother and sister disciples of Jesus Christ.