The Rev. Dan Rondeau
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church & School
Exodus 19:2-8a | Psalm 100 | Romans 5:6-11 | Matthew 9:35-10:8
The Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting: and his faithfulness endures from age to age. Psalm 100:4
The pattern was set long ago. The heart of God was revealed to a murderer. The goodness, mercy, faithfulness and loving kindness of God was entrusted to a murderer, a man with a speech impediment. Can you believe it? What's more the revelation of God's plan, of God's love was spoken to this misfit from a bush that was ablaze with, but not consumed by, fire. Can you believe it?
The plan of God was furthered on that day when Moses took off his sandals, and hid his face while he listened to God. God's plan was furthered on that day and, at the right time (according to the Apostle), found fulfillment in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Can you believe it?
Everything since the burning bush has followed the pattern revealing God's faithful love. Everything that brings us here this morning is another expression of God's love revealed long ago in the burning bush and fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus. And what brings us here this morning are the myriad experiences of God's grace mediated through all of creation—even through people we love.
From the burning bush the Lord said to Moses, "I have seen the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them…." (Exodus 3:7-8) And God was faithful, God delivered.
Jesus, Matthew tells us, "went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Mt 9:35-36)
"I have seen the misery of my people…I have heard their cry…I know their sufferings…I have come down to deliver them."
As Paul reports it to the Romans: "While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly….God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us…." (Romans 5:6ff)
"I have seen the misery of my people…I have heard their cry…I know their sufferings…I have come down to deliver them."
The Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting: and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Through the eyes of Jesus, the ears of Jesus, the heart of Jesus, God saw the misery, heard the cries, understood—from the inside out—the suffering of the people and "he had compassion for them." He had compassion for the weak, the crippled, the blind, the deaf, the poor, the outcast, the man at the margins, the widow begging for a living, the orphan stealing to stay alive, the tax collector, the prostitute, and sinners of all kinds. God's saving love was in motion.
"The harvest is plentiful," Jesus said, "but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." I wonder if any of the 12, as they prayed, believed they were God's answer to the prayer for more laborers.
Probably they had been following Jesus for some time. They had watched as he taught and cured and invited people into a loving relationship with the Father. They would have prayed, I believe, in response to Jesus' request. But I am pretty sure that like you and me none of them would have dared to think of himself as God's answer to the prayer for more laborers. After all, who were they? Fishermen, tax collectors, political activists, ordinary guys of First Century Palestine.
The need is still great, isn't it? A quick look at the news, a quick listen in the neighborhood or in the workplace tells the story: there is still illness, hurting, suffering, misery in abundance. We don't have to look too far to find the "harassed and helpless, [the] sheep without a shepherd."
Like the 12 of Matthew's story, we pray that God will do something, send somebody to help. Who are we after all? Pretty ordinary men and women of Twenty-first Century America. We've been hanging around Jesus long enough to know the amazing power contained in his teaching and grace. But we still can think, "Who am I to dare believe I am God's answer to this prayer?"
And yet we know, in our heart of hearts, that we are part of God's answer to the plea to send more laborers. We know, because we have come to Word and Sacrament often enough and been refreshed and renewed. We know because, in our best moments, we have gone into the world from here to make real the seeing, the hearing, the understanding of God and to make real the desire of God "to come down and deliver." And, to our amazement, our smile, our words, our touch, our desire to extend God's love, our presence, has, by God's grace, made a difference.
We have experience, but to continue in ministry we challenge ourselves and ask, what difference do we make in the lives of people? We who know Christ, we who know that while still sinners Christ died for us, we who find the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation offered freely to us, we who pray that the Father send us out to do the work, that is, to love and serve as faithful witness of Christ our Lord, we must ask what difference do we make?
The question goes something like this: Are the sick, the suffering and the dying better off because I follow Christ? Rephrased: is there one sick person, one suffering person, one person who is dying that is better off because I am Christian? Have I, as a follower of Christ, as God's apostle, seen, and heard, and on God's behalf acted to make life a little better for this one person whose name is known to me and God?
Do the hungry, the homeless, the folks at the margin find their lives improved because I know Christ? That is, can I find at least one person whose life is changed because of me and because I know Christ?
Is there at least one child who, by my words and example, has come to know God's love? Is there at least one child who finds light and hope in my words and example as I follow Christ?
There are many kinds of prisons, shackles, and torments in the Twenty-first Century. Family members, friends, neighbors are imprisoned by hopelessness, tormented perhaps by meaninglessness, shackled because they are unable to forgive or unable to receive forgiveness. Is there at least one such prisoner set free because I follow Christ?
You don't have to save the world, Christ has done that. But I do not doubt that you are the best laborer, the best apostle, the best ambassador for Christ to one of God's children in need. Please know how proud I am to serve with you; I am proud to labor along side you as together we make real God's love. You are a blessing to me.
Moses was called to minister for God. Peter and Andrew, James and John and the others, flawed as they were, were called to minister for God. They didn't feel fully prepared, they didn't feel ready, they didn't have enough money, or education, or time, or stamina, or wisdom, but they were God's answer to the prayer to send laborers. They were sent to make real the healing and saving power of God's love. As inadequate as we may feel, we, too, are God's answer to prayer.
We can do this. We are doing this work—with God's help. With God's help we are here "To know Christ." With God's help we are sent from here "To make Christ known." And that is really something, thanks be to God.
Please listen to the blessing as you are sent out today: "Go forth into the world in peace; be of good courage; hold fast that which is good; render to no one evil for evil; strengthen the fainthearted; support the weak; help the afflicted; honour all people; love and serve the Lord, rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit." Trust God's blessing, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to make it so in your life and mine.
Amen.