Reverend Ref +

SERMON
5 Pentecost
Proper 7A

One of the problems with long gospel readings is that I spend most of my time trying to figure out what point I want to preach on. It's times like this that I almost wish I were a Baptist preacher and could just pick my text and give an exegetical dissertation. Almost.

So for all the potential, all of the possibilities about church/state alliances, trials and tribulations, First Coming or Second Coming and public proclamations, I want to focus on the disciple/teacher relationship that Jesus mentions.

"A disciple is not above the master .... It is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher." One of my commentaries points out, and rightly so, that we are called to continually learn from Jesus. I think, however, that that is a hard concept for us to grasp. Yes, we probably all think it is important to learn something new every day, but this seems different.

Education for us usually has a starting point and an end point. High school begins and ends and you get a diploma that says you passed. College begins and ends and you get a diploma granting you "all the honors, rights and privileges pertaining to that distinction." Graduate school begins and ends and you get an $80,000 piece of paper in Latin that you can't read without a copy of the translation that may or may not be temporarily misplaced somewhere in the office. Or you become an apprentice plumber, electrician, bricklayer, whatever, with the goal of learning the craft so that, one day, you may attain the rank of master.

And we continue to learn. We read the trade journals, do continuing ed, keep up with industry standards and changes, but I don't think that is what Jesus had in mind. What the commentator and I see eye to eye on is that we must continue to learn, continue to follow, continue to serve without a definitive end in sight. In other words, we will never reach the point where Jesus says, "You've learned all I can teach you. Here is your degree, now go forth."

Our goal is to be like the teacher, to be like Jesus. To be like him in our knowledge of scripture. To be like him in our compassion for those less fortunate. To be like him in accepting the outsider. To be like him in our prayer life. To be like him in our devotion to God.

And if you come across anyone who says, "I have the answer," or condenses the gospel down into an easily defined list of who's in and who's out, or has a timetable for interpreting the signs of the end of the world, be very very careful. Because not only have they over-simplified scripture to fit their own interpretations andunderstandings, but they have also fooled themselves into thinking they've graduated from Jesus school and have been conferred a degree with all the honors, rights and privileges pertaining to that disctinction. They have put themselves on equal footing with Jesus. And that should make you nervous.

Jesus isn't simply passing on knowledge as if he were preparing you for some cosmic GOE, or with the goal of turning you loose on the world because you know the answers. Jesus is modeling a way of life for us to emulate. He shows us how to integrate faith, life and learning. He is telling us that it is enough for the student to be like the teacher, not that the student is to be equal with the teacher.

How are we to be like Jesus? Well, without blowing our own horn too much, by following our own mission goals. Invite people to join us; Include them in our ministry; Inform them of our understandings on scripture, tradition and reason; Proclaim the kingdom of God; and Rejoice in our relationship with God. Additionally, do all of that based on love not hate, based on inclusion not exclusion, and based on a theology of abundance not scarcity.

It may not be popular with those who want to define Christianity based on a modern set of holiness codes, it may be too vague for those who crave tightly defined rules, and it may be too open for those who desire a signed confession of faith, but I'll tell you this: it will force you to continually examine your relationship with Jesus and it will force you to continually emulate the one who first loved us.