July 8, 2007 Sermon
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Emmanuel Episcopal Church, San Angelo, Texas
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost / Proper 9C
July 8, 2007
William B. Wright
Lesson: Isaiah 66:10-16
Psalm: 66:1-8
Lesson: Galatians 6:(1-10)14-18
Gospel: Luke 10:1-12, 16-20
Picture, if you will, a large field with a crop of peaches just right for picking. Since the crop is just right, the owner of the orchard decides that he must hire pickers to go into the field to pick the peaches before they ripen too much and begin to rot. He sends his laborers into the orchard with the good feeling that he has told them just what he wants done. They have good supervision and are good pickers. So he returns home. In a few hours he returns to check the progress of the work to find that the orchard has been only partially picked and only a small group of workers are at work picking.
He finds that most of the laborers are arguing over which part of the field should be picked first. Others are arguing among themselves about whether the crop is really ready to be picked or not. Still others are found sleeping in the field, sure that they will not be seen by the owner. The owner finds it necessary to find other laborers to salvage that part of the crop which can be picked before it rots.
This story is one which is intended to make a point about the work of the Church in the world. We are reminded in our Gospel lesson for today that "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." I might add to this statement that it is hard to get good help now-a-days. The laborers are few indeed. Many are not interested in bringing in the crop at all, and those who do wish to do so are often found arguing about which part of the field should be picked first. Others are simply asleep on the job.
As Christians we find ourselves in a great big world where the vast majority of people are still either non-Christian or so nominally Christian that it would be difficult at best to recognize them as Christians.
A few years ago it was in vogue at youth camps and EYC meetings to hold trials with the intention of seeing if there were enough evidence to convict the person being tried of being a Christian. The trial included a judge, jury and witnesses who testified about the person on trial. Many of the young people were startled to find that there was almost no evidence to prove that they were Christians or to show them as being in any way different from non-Christians.
Our Lord gave his Disciples and his Church the Great Commission to "Go therefore and make disciples or all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," (Matthew 28:19) and teaching them to obey all that he has commanded us.
We have the commission. They question is, "What can we do about it? How do we live into the Great Commission?" The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.
In our Gospel lesson for today Jesus is sending out missionaries to do his work. Luke reports that this is the second time that he did this. In the 9th Chapter of his Gospel Luke tells us that Jesus sent out the twelve disciples to do the work of mission. He told them to travel light, to preach and teach where they were welcome, and to knock the dust off their feet where they were not welcome. The Scribes and Pharisees had a belief that Gentile territory was unclean. Even the dust in Gentile territory was unclean. So the good Orthodox believer was to knock the dust off of his feet when he reentered Jewish territory. Jesus is telling the disciples to treat the people who do not listen like Gentiles and just knock the dust from their feet and move on to those who would listen.
At the end of Chapter 9 we read stories of those who want to follow Jesus. They are reminded that it will not be easy. Hardship lies ahead as well as persecution and death. They cannot look back or carry on with normal activities of life. The mission is totally demanding of their time and attention. The time is short.
This is followed by the lesson we read for this Sunday as Jesus is sending out of the seventy to do the work of mission. He sent the seventy out two by two in order to assure that they would have support in their mission work. As in the case of the twelve they are to travel light but be aware of the dangers about them. They are like sheep in the midst of wolves. There is work to do. The harvest is ready. Preach and teach, travel light, welcome hospitality, but knock of the dust from their feet at the places they are rejected. They were to return with joy and speak of the success of their mission work and would be assured by Jesus that their names are written in heaven.
The way the mission work is reported in the Gospel of Luke would seem to indicate that Jesus sent the twelve disciples to the twelve tribes of Israel to take his message to his fellow Jews. In the Jewish understanding the Gentile nations of the world numbered seventy. The story of the sending out of the seventy would seem to mean that the mission of the seventy would be to include all in the mission work of Jesus, and the Gentiles are complemented for their response to the message. Moses was assisted by seventy elders to do his job. Jesus would select the seventy to take his message to all.
As modern Christians we have the job of continuing the work of those early missionaries. When we renew our baptismal covenant at baptisms and confirmations we promise that we will proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. (BCP p. 305) We are pledging ourselves to be missionaries for Christ in our daily lives.
In our 1928 Book of Common Prayer the question is asked in the Offices of Instruction, "What orders of Ministers are there in the Church?" The answer is given, "Bishops, Priests, and Deacons: which orders have been in the Church from the earliest times."
Now we will look at the Catechism in the current Book of Common Prayer of 1979.
The section of the Catechism which deals with "Ministry" is found beginning on page 855 of the Prayer Book. It is most interesting to read and mediate upon as each of us consider the call we have to ministry.
To the question, "Who are the ministers of the Church?" the answer is given, "The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons." Notice that lay persons are listed first of the ministers of the church. They are by far the most numerous ministers and in many ways the most effective ministers of the church because they do most of their ministry "out there" beyond the walls of the church building.
When asked "What is the ministry of the laity/" the response given is, "The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and, according to the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church." To this is added the later response in that section of the Catechism that "The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God."
We come to church to give thanks to God and to pray as a community that we will be faithful in serving God and in our calls to ministry. We call the celebration we attend the Holy Eucharist. The word Eucharist is Greek for Thanksgiving.
We are involved in a Holy Thanksgiving today for the many blessing we have received from God and the calls we have to minister in God's name. We are involved in ministry here, but we are being fed and prepared for ministry when we leave here as well.
I was once Rector of a parish that had a sign over the door of the church where the members of the congregation left the building after worship. The sign read, "You are now entering the Mission Field."
If you want to find some way to begin the work of mission right away, just look around you while you are beyond the doors of Emmanuel Church this week. Most of the people you meet will have little or no touch with church and many are seeking. You can start being a missionary by simply inviting a friend to church.
The harvest is plentiful, but the labors are few. Pray that the Lord of the harvest will send labors for the harvest.
Amen.
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Revised: 07/16/07