July 16, 2006 At Saint Mark Church in Norman, OK
Amos 7:12-15+Ephesians 1:3-14+Mark 6:7-13
While Pentecost is certainly the day the beginning of the church coming to life by the power of the Spirit, this Gospel story is the beginning of the beginning. This sending or commissioning of the apostles is the most direct and clearly expressed expectation Jesus has for his apostolic people. While every age has probably heard different pieces of this instruction address its own specific issues, there are two that stand out for us who are, by the power of this Gospel instructed on what we are to do, and how. Because you cannot just sit here and listen to this Gospel and think it was something for the past about twelve guys Jesus called from their work one day and then left behind. The Word of God is alive, and it speaks to us, not to them never more so than when it is proclaimed in the midst of this assembly. The whole notion of “twelve” being sent carries with it a sense of totality. Twelve” in the culture that preserved this Gospel means everyone because there were twelve tribes that included all of God’s people. So, by sending the twelve, no one is excused, no one is left out.
The first challenge of this instruction lies in the point that he sent them out two by two. They did not go alone. There are no “loners” in the church, just as we believe that there are no “lone” churches. By sending them in pairs, the risk of personalizing or misinterpreting the message is minimized. One keeps the other faithful and true to the message. This is at the heart of and an essential piece of our identity. It is why, from every generation, the interpretation of the messages is not a private, personal matter. We do it together, as a church in communion. Even more so, this instruction speaks a word of challenge and correction to this age of individualism. It is why we are not a stand-alone church here on Tecumseh Road. We belong to something bigger. When we do anything, we must be accountable for what affect it has on others. “Going it alone.” is not the way of disciples of Jesus. We are not in “private practice”. We belong together, and when we are not together in unity, we are not a church, at least not the church that springs from the instruction of Jesus. This is not just a matter of life. This challenge address national foreign policy as well as neighborhood life.
The second challenge is just as important as the first. It concerns the matter of what to take. It is a subtle instruction, and the idea runs counter to much of our way of life. Not getting the point causes us a lot of spiritual distress. “Take nothing.” he says. Jesus was definitely not a Boy Scout. “Be prepared.” says their motto. Not so with Jesus and his mission. Our plans too often get in the way. We get our ideas about how things ought to be for the coming of the kingdom, and then when God’s plan crosses ours, it all gets fouled up. The Kingdom of God is breaking in all around us, and sometimes we get so caught up in our plans, in our dreams, in our expectations about how it’s supposed to be, we fail to see it, or worse yet, we slow down and delay the plan of God.
The instruction of Jesus is simple: “Go.” Just “Go.” he says. Don’t worry about how it’s going work out. God will provide for you. You cannot plan for the reign of God. Whatever you think the reign of God is going to be like will be off the mark. Remember how the apostles were always getting it wrong about Jesus and the Messiah role? It’s no different for us. The baggage we pack will hold us back. We must stop being anxious about what you’re supposed to do or what you are supposed to say. Just go. Live the Gospel proclaimed to us. Be a people of Joy of Peace of Forgiveness. God does not need our plan. We are sent to bring wholeness where there is brokenness. We are sent to drive out evil with the power of goodness and kindness. This is not hard. We are not without help. We are not alone. We have one another, sent two by two at least, and we have the Holy Spirit.