Graham Tate

Listen and Go

“He called the twelve and began to send them out,” (Mk. 6:7). Jesus called. Then the disciples were sent. And they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. The command “go” could not be obeyed without the call from Christ.

In this very scene we see the Disciples as being just that, disciples. They are living, moving, and breathing through discipleship. This way of life is through Christ Jesus. And rightfully so; discipleship can only be true if it is in Jesus. We often think of a life with Jesus as an ideal one. At face value, however, discipleship is not something attractive or even enticing. Sometimes, we think that if we just do it this way or act that way we are disciples of Christ. Maybe, if we give thanks often and pray for others we are disciples of Christ. Discipleship, however, is not a program that is accomplished by following certain rules or achieving certain goals. True discipleship is completely separate from that rationale. It is a way of life. Discipleship is hearing and obeying the call.

In this Gospel reading, Jesus returns to his hometown in Nazareth. When I think of coming home from school, I am usually filled with excitement to see those to whom I’m so close. To share with them everything that has been happening. When Jesus arrives to teach his people the Word of God, they toss it aside. They say, “we know this guy; he’s the carpenter, the son of Mary! What can he know that we don’t?”. Let’s just say, the pressure is on.

We see Jesus’ message as essentially not welcome. Mark says that because the Nazarenes do not believe, Jesus could do no mighty works there. In fact, Jesus marveled at their unbelief. So what does Christ do in this apparent moment of weakness? He calls on the twelve. He sends them out to preach in his stead. He calls. They answer. He says, “go”. They go.

What does this mean for us? This story zeros in on the call from Christ and his sending of the twelve. This is a time that we see Jesus as weak. Or at least with our lack of understanding we see him as being powerless in the manner that Mark describes. But as Paul so eloquently wrote in the 2 Corinthians passage that was read for today, “when I am weak then I am strong”. This is made evident through Christ himself in this Gospel for today. Christ in a moment of apparent weakness is suddenly strengthened through the sending out of the twelve. The twelve answer the call and multiply the message.

In our very lives we experience this strength in weakness that Paul speaks of and Christ imitates. When I dwell on this paradox, I immediately think of prayer. It is in prayer that we are weakest and most vulnerable and yet closest and strongest through Christ’s presence. And for many of us, it is at our weakest times that we turn toward the Lord in prayer. We must empty ourselves in order to be filled. Two weeks ago Shelby talked about centering prayer or contemplative prayer in her sermon. This is the form of prayer in which one empties himself to be simply in the presence of the Lord Christ. Now, not only is that hard to do because of the thousands of thoughts that we have darting in and out of our mind, but also it is a form of prayer that really does make us vulnerable because we are exposing our very spirit. However, this emptying is exactly what we need to do.

This Gospel story shows us the importance of Christ’s call and consequently our response. This emptying of ourselves through prayer is a way in which we open ourselves completely to hear the call of Jesus. The call is never a one-time deal. Christianity is not a one-time deal. We’d like to think that at our baptism we become sinless creatures made in the image of God and we are done. But as we all know that is not the way being a Christian, a disciple, works. It is a journey. So too we must realize that the calls of Jesus are never ending. And no two calls are the same. Each and every one is different for every person.

Last semester, I attended a lecture at school on the Ethics of John. There was a religion panel composed of several former religion professors and one priest. The discussion was absolutely incredible but I remember one thing in particular that has been sitting with me ever since. One professor described the life and the walk with Christ as one that demands us to constantly convert. That is, we must constantly transform. At first when I heard these words I was a little confused. I must constantly convert? But I am Christian; I don’t need to convert. Well, what exactly was this professor trying to say?

Although this pertains to the Gospel of John, this idea of constant conversion applies directly with today’s Gospel reading. You see, Mark’s message is showing us the meaning of discipleship. To be a true disciple of Christ we must empty ourselves through prayer. We must breathe prayer. If we empty ourselves spiritually, it allows us to heed the call and thus we convert and we transform through the will of God. That process, that life is discipleship in Christ. Our heart and will must be knitted and united with the Lord’s.

Many of us had cookouts or get-togethers to celebrate the Independence Day yesterday. We all give thanks for America’s 233rd birthday. But, we’ve got to ask, what does that mean for us today? There is more to the fourth of July than American pride, flags, burgers, hotdogs, etc. It is because of July 4th, in fact, that we are able to be Christians. We stood up for ideals that we still cling to today, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. What does that mean for us today as Christians in a much more integrated and connected world? Our freedom strengthens we Christians of America because it allows us the liberty to empty ourselves through prayer and to be brothers and sisters in Christ throughout our nation and throughout the world. Through this remembrance of our day of Independence, we give thanks for the freedom that we have to live with and for Christ.

And because of our freedom, we gather together every Sunday to worship, as we all are today. It is in the Eucharist and in the service that we are able to empty ourselves and listen for Christ’s calling. While we are here we are strengthened together in the glory of God. At the end of the service, the deacon or celebrant sends us out to go forth in the name of the Lord. We go into the world as Jesus sent his disciples away from him to teach. Likewise, we must also, heed the call, go out and preach through action and through words. Listen, and Go.

AMEN.