A small group of confused disciples, huddled behind locked
doors somewhere in Jerusalem, stunned by the sudden appearance of their living
Rabboni.
And then those words: “As the Father sent me, so send I you.” (John 20:21)
Simple words, but fearful in meaning.
And then those words: “As the Father sent me, so send I you.” (John 20:21)
Simple words, but fearful in meaning.
For the Father sent his Son as a sheep among wolves, sent
his Son into the valley of death, sent his Son from heaven to hell.
An earthly father would sacrifice nearly everything to save his son.
The heavenly Father sacrificed his Son to save nearly everything.
An earthly father would sacrifice nearly everything to save his son.
The heavenly Father sacrificed his Son to save nearly everything.
Simple words that could hardly sink in all at once.
For their Lord was sending them out into the dangers and death of true discipleship
.
For their Lord was sending them out into the dangers and death of true discipleship
.
To be in the center of the curious crowds had often been
exhilarating.
To distribute the baskets of fish to the hungry thousands had been positively heady.
To sit at his feet and be the privileged of the inner circle had been deeply satisfying.
They had been called to follow, and they had.
But now they were being sent, and they trembled at this new calling.
For now began the real test of their faith: danger, scorn, rejection, betrayal, torture, death – the way of their Lord.
And that Lord said: “…so send I you.”
To distribute the baskets of fish to the hungry thousands had been positively heady.
To sit at his feet and be the privileged of the inner circle had been deeply satisfying.
They had been called to follow, and they had.
But now they were being sent, and they trembled at this new calling.
For now began the real test of their faith: danger, scorn, rejection, betrayal, torture, death – the way of their Lord.
And that Lord said: “…so send I you.”
They could’ve turned a deaf ear.
They could’ve run.
They could’ve looked at each other and said, “You do it.”
But they didn’t.
As the Son had obeyed the Father, so they obeyed the Son.
The doubting Thomas presumably took the Good News to Parthia, Persia, and India.
Mark established the Christian church in Alexandria.
James became a martyr under Herod Agrippa I,
Peter under Nero.
Matthew is said to have suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia,
Bartholomew in Armenia,
Thomas in India,
Andrew in Achaia,
Matthias stoned and then beheaded.
And thousands who came after them, for the cost of discipleship is high.
They could’ve run.
They could’ve looked at each other and said, “You do it.”
But they didn’t.
As the Son had obeyed the Father, so they obeyed the Son.
The doubting Thomas presumably took the Good News to Parthia, Persia, and India.
Mark established the Christian church in Alexandria.
James became a martyr under Herod Agrippa I,
Peter under Nero.
Matthew is said to have suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia,
Bartholomew in Armenia,
Thomas in India,
Andrew in Achaia,
Matthias stoned and then beheaded.
And thousands who came after them, for the cost of discipleship is high.
The willingness to sacrifice a throne in exchange for a
cross is incomprehensible to us, or safety in exchange for suffering..
Incomprehensible, unless the Lord of new life breaks through the barred gates of our lives;
unless the risen Christ breathes on us the power of the Holy Spirit.
For when that happens, the called become the sent.
To the far ends of the earth?
Incomprehensible, unless the Lord of new life breaks through the barred gates of our lives;
unless the risen Christ breathes on us the power of the Holy Spirit.
For when that happens, the called become the sent.
To the far ends of the earth?
Maybe.
But the place surely includes our community, our workplace, our church, our school, our home.
That may not lead to a martyr’s death, but it constitutes as real a test of our true discipleship,
as it did for Andrew, Peter, James, and all the others.
For Jesus said: “So send I you.”
But the place surely includes our community, our workplace, our church, our school, our home.
That may not lead to a martyr’s death, but it constitutes as real a test of our true discipleship,
as it did for Andrew, Peter, James, and all the others.
For Jesus said: “So send I you.”
Does that really mean me?
