Finding Faith ... in being tasked with Jesus' ministry

EDITOR'S NOTE: In October 2017 I began a new venture as a synodically authorized minister at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. The ride over the past 3 1/2 years has been an amazing journey of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on June 30, the sixth week after Pentecost. For the summer, we moved to live Wednesday night services, that were simultaneously livestreamed.

This week's preaching text: Mark 6:1-13

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

6 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief.

The Mission of the Twelve

Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Message:

"You can't go home again."

That's an old adage that you may be familiar with. It was originally penned in a book by Thomas Wolfe, but that's a whole long story.

It's taken on it's own meaning since then, and that phrase essentially means that you can never go home to the same place because time marches on. And nothing in this world ever stays the same.

I'm sure each of you has experienced this phenomenon in some way. Maybe it was the first time you came back home for a visit after going off to college. Or maybe it was when you came back from a military deployment. ... Whatever absence that may have taken you away from home for a while.

We know that when when you return, there's a lot of things that look familiar, right? There might be the same buildings in town. A lot of the same faces. ... But just somehow, imperceptibly with time, things have changed.

Maybe your childhood bedroom felt bigger before you left. Or maybe the old gang that you hung out with isn't around any longer.

For Jesus, in tonight's gospel, it's pretty evident. He couldn't go home again because the very people he grew up around -- his family and his neighbors and the community members -- now take offense at his ministry. ... I can't even imagine how that must have felt for him.

Here you have the Son of God, who's assembled a team of disciples who are willing to believe in him and willing to follow him all over the region on his mission trips. ... He's healed the sick. ... He's performed miracles: Just last week in the gospel, he calmed the seas, and a couple of chapters ago in Mark, he fed thousands. ... Literally, thousands have been present to witness his ministry.

But then he returns home to preach and teach in his very own hometown, and the response he gets goes like this: "Who does he think he is? With all his fancy talk about the Good News and and His new commandments? Where did he get all of this new wisdom? After all, isn't he just that carpenter kid from down the street? I mean, isn't that his mother? ... Mary's sitting right there."

Turns out that we find out in tonight's gospel that not even Jesus can go home again. And that text tells us that Jesus recognizes that he was at a dead end. Because the tells us that even he, the Son of God, can't perform miracles for those who don't believe.

This would have been one tragic turn of events, indeed, if it weren't for the fact that our Christ ... our savior ... won't be denied. Jesus didn't get mad and storm off. You didn't get Ticked off at his parents or brothers and sisters for them telling him he'd he's gone too far. He didn't even consider calling it quits. ... He didn't beseech God and ask what am I supposed to do with these people?

Jesus didn't do any of that. ... There was just no quit in our Lord.

Our text tonight tells us that like water off a duck's back, Jesus turns them and says, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” ... I think that's a pretty remarkable and humble statement from our Lord Jesus Christ.

But with that remark, He picked up and just went down the road, ministering in the nearby villages. ... Going on with his teaching and preaching. Not letting the words, the petty words from those in the synagogue at home, get to him.

And he didn't even stop there. He also called together his 12 disciples.

And the text tells us that when he began to send them out two by two, he told them to leave

everything except the staff, to depend on the generosity of those whom they go to minister to. ... But most importantly, he also gave them authority over unclean spirits.

Of course, his disciples listened, even if his family and old neighbors didn't. ... The disciples went out and they proclaimed. They told everyone they could that they should repent. They also cast out demons, and they cured who were sick.

That is what astounds me the most in today's gospel: Just when those closest to Jesus, his family, and all of his hometown tell him that he's getting a little bit too big for his own britches, he refuses to let his ministry be done. ... He digs in even harder. ... Hitting the road again and empowering his disciples to proclaim the Good News of God.

And all of a sudden, the disciples are curing the sick. They're casting out demons ... all in our

Lord's name. The disciples are doing this. ... Not just Jesus!

Praise god! ... He will not be denied!

So, some of you sitting here tonight or listening online, might be thinking, "That's a great story, Pastor, but what does that have to do with me?" ... The short answer is: Everything. ... It has everything to do with you! ... Because Jesus Christ is still sending out his disciples on his behalf. ... Even today, 2,000 years later, equipping them with the Holy Spirit and empowering them with the authority of God.

Faith Family, those disciples are us. ... He's sending us out into our homes; and he's sending us out into our jobs; and he's sending us out into our clubs and social organizations; and he's sending us out into our communities ... with nothing but a staff, and telling us to depend on the generosity of those who we are visiting. ... And then he is charging us with the task of casting out demons and healing the sick.

Of course, as modern day readers of these centuries old texts, the casting out of demons, and the healing of the sick may look a bit different for us. But it is our charge, nonetheless.

Jesus Christ is enlisting us into his army of disciples because he will not let his ministry end because of a few sniping in the synagogue. And he's looking at each of us, tapping us on the shoulders and saying, "I can't get my family and neighbors to listen to me, but maybe you will."

So Faith Family, each of you is enlisted into the army of Christ.

Imagine that each of us is entrusted with the exact same ministry that our Lord and savior Jesus Christ was. And that is to proclaim the Good News in our homes and in our community, and at our jobs ... anywhere where we are invited in.

Have you ever been tasked with more important responsibility?

And that is the Good News for this Wednesday, June 30, the sixth week after Pentecost. ... Amen.