Lent 2: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35

February 28, 2010

    One year on vacation Jean and I drove along country roads out west following the route of the Oregon Trail. Like the pioneers we traveled slowly each day stopping frequently to read signs and study locations. Also like the pioneers did not have air conditioning.

    One stop in Wyoming was at Independence Rock which is just that a huge rock surrounded by sage brush and barrenness. The rock got its name because settlers had to reach here by July 4^th in order to get over the mountains before winter. Another stop was the Continental Divide in Wyoming. This is also a barren place with only a dirt path to lead you to the spot where two stone markers have been placed.

    The desolation surrounding both these places is a reminder even now of the hardships and sacrifices the pioneers faced. They had to fend for themselves for food, for water, medicines and depend on what God provided. They toughed it out. The graves of loved ones lost along the way can still be found.

    One would naturally wonder then from the perspective of our digital tv, computer, couch potato, fast food, sports fever, shopping mall kind of world what would have given these folks the inner strength and courage to undertake such a risky journey? Could we see ourselves doing today what they did?

    Without question they were driven by a dream which was more powerful than any threat they had to face. For some the dream was to find gold and become rich. But for most the dream was simply to make a better life. Either way it was their "dream" that kept them going and helped them stand firm. Do we have a powerful dream like that to help us stand firm?

    Today I think of the journey of those pioneers as a metaphor for walking with Jesus. Jesus not only asked people to believe in him. More often he called them to follow him. There are a minimum of 12 distinct references to this in the gospels. Some are found in more than one gospel.

1. "Follow me and I'll make you fish for people." (MT 4:19) (MK 1) (LK)
2. "If any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves and pick up their cross and follow me." (MT 16:24) (MK) (LK)
3. Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." (MT 8:22)
4. Jesus saw Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. (MT 9:9) (MK) (LK)
5. Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (MT 10:38)
6. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (LK 14:27)
7. "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (MT 19:21) (MK) LK)
8. Jesus found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." (JN 1:43)
9. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. (JN 10:27)
10. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. (JN 12:26
11. After this he said to Peter, "Follow me." (JN 21:19)
12. And then again: "Follow me!" (JN 21:22)

     

    Life with Jesus is about following. This is the test of believing. It's about denying self. Carrying a cross. Sacrificing. Stretching our comfort zones. And why? Because Jesus had a dream. Actually it was not his dream, but God's. Jesus was the one anointed to demonstrate the dream by setting people free from all the things that hold us in bondage - from diseases, demons, injustice, poverty, hunger, sin (not caring about the people God cares about). Salvation from these enemies was and is God's quest and the quest concerns the whole human family.

    Jesus stood firm in living for this dream despite all threats from King Herod, religious leaders, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, even death itself. Jesus believed in the cause and the ultimate victory. And so he set his face toward Jerusalem and did not turn back.

    In every generation the pioneers of Christian faith have been asked to do the same, to accept the dream of Jesus as their own and the risks and sacrifices that go along with it. Today we modern pioneers face threats too. Sometimes the threats are despicable rulers like King Herod. More often though our biggest threat is undoubtedly the god of the belly that Paul warns about. The god of personal pleasure and gratification which seduces us into thinking of salvation as having more and more. The result is that we become so dependent on things that we no longer sense our dependence on God. And so we are afraid to do anything because we don't have enough of this or enough of that. Many become simply lazy, spiritually lazy.

    Last fall I asked Sam to count up the number of visitors from the friendship pads. Wee had families and individuals. This is a positive sign. We can expect new residents to visit here. Visitors are human beings whom God loves. It is imperative to reach out and welcome the new person who may be sitting next to you. Or we might pass in the hallway. Are we doing that? Do we wear our name tags to help break the ice? When we remember spiritual ancestors who crossed deserts and mountains and suffered and died for the sake of God's dream it is not much of a burden clip on a name tag and shake hands with someone we do not know.

    Think about when you are called to serve in the church or perhaps in the community. Do we say: 'I'm sorry. I don't have time for that. Or I'm not qualified.' Sometimes those can be legitimate reasons to say NO. But not all the time. Again, if our spiritual ancestors crossed deserts and mountains and suffered and died for the sake of God's dream is it too much of a burden to say "YES" once in awhile and devote time and effort to the Lord's work?

    This is a stewardship issue in relationship to God. If we believe in the mission of the church to make disciples for Jesus, if we believe in healing hurts and building up souls, if we believe in training the young in God's truth so that they will not depart from it, if we believe in these missions then do we support them to the best of our ability with our time, our talent and our finances? Again, if our spiritual ancestors denied themselves and gave sacrificially, is it too much to ask that we stretch ourselves too?

    Are you part of a small group like a SS class, prayer circle or midweek bible study? Small groups were the seed bed of the Methodist movement started by John Wesley in England. When new persons came to Christ they were organized into classes of about 12 people each. It was in these classes that they were nurtured in their faith, they prayed and cared for each other, and held one another accountable to the faith they professed. As a church grows more of these small groups are needed. Would you be willing to lead one?

    "Thus you will know them by their fruits." (MT 7:16, 20)

    We are not saved by what we have. But we are called to use what we have for the sake of God's Kingdom. That commitment begins in the heart, but it doesn't stop there. The journey of Jesus to Jerusalem is a reminder that salvation comes with a price. It does not come without risk and sacrifice. Never has, never will. But there is a guarantee. And that is despite the hardships there is indeed a better life beyond the horizon. The golden age is not yesterday, but tomorrow. The best is yet to come. Is this the dream that stirs in us?

    Jesus says, "do not be afraid." We do not journey alone. God is with us on the trail. God provides every day. The witness of those before us testify to this faith.

    Jesus could have had it all for himself. But he had a dream of something better. And so he stood firm against Herod by saying: "I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work…and so I must be on my way." Jesus stood firm in God's mission of salvation despite the cost and because he did all generations to come have benefited.

    What about us? Do we stand firm in our things by saying 'I don't have time to do that?' 'I don't have enough to give?' Or do we stand firm in God's quest for a better life to come by saying 'yes, count me in. I'll do what I can because God will finish whatever we cannot do.'

    It's amazing what can happen when respond like that with even a little trust and a little faith. As Jesus taught: "For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (MT 17:20)