Sermon for September 9, 2007

I had said "yes" in response to being asked to handle a project. When I was sharing this with a clergy friend he asked me, "Do you know what you are getting yourself into?" Fortunately this time I did! Although, haven't we all said "yes" to something and only after we have agreed to do it found out it entailed far more than we were led to believe? We discovered a job far more complicated and a commitment far more intense than we thought. Here in this short dialogue we have three short parables of Jesus. In each parable Jesus is asking the same questions: "Do you know what you are getting yourself in for?" or, "Are you really willing to make the sacrifices necessary?"

I chose the portion of I Kings to get us started. Here, Elijah is recruiting Elisha to follow in his steps (God had told him to do so, see I Kings 19:16). Elisha's response is to ask permission to go home and say good-bye to his family. Elijah's response may seem harsh to our ears, but as I read it I hear him saying: "It is not me but God who has called you. Do what you deem is best." The decision is up to Elisha; Elijah has simply obeyed the direction of God. What happens next is not in Elijah's hands.

Elisha does say good-bye to his family. He kills the oxen he is plowing with and cooks them with the wood from his plough. As he does this he is indicating that he is cutting off his old life and is beginning a new one as the student of the prophet. He has made a complete disconnect from his former life. He goes off and finds Elijah.

Now we come to the dialogue of these three with Jesus. Two of the men involved are volunteers and the other one is recruited by Jesus. We will begin with the first one, a volunteer. He likes what he sees in this community that Jesus has about him. He has a desire to become a part of this community. Yet, he does not fully understand what it means or what it will mean to be a part of it (I am not sure the disciples understand fully at this point, either). Jesus simply asks him if he has counted the cost of what discipleship means. Does he realize the sacrifices this group will make in the coming days? Does he see Calvary in the future?

We visited one of the New Hampshire Shaker communities a number of years ago. We were fortunate, because two of the founding women were still alive. (If you don't know, Shakers were a religious movement that did not believe in sex—easy to see why it was a one-generation movement!) As we were a small group that day we were invited to meet with one of the founders. As we sat on the porch of her home she shared with us the founding of the community and what it meant to be a Shaker. She told how their ranks would grow in October as the winter approached. They gave people six months to live and learn about the Shaker community before asking them to commit to the community. She smiled and said, "Usually in April when the days became warmer most of the fall 'converts' would leave." They had begun to understand the meaning of what it meant to be a part of this community and had chosen not to become a part. There are certain expectations of those who become a part of a community.

The second man in this dialogue is recruited by Jesus, "Follow me." Jesus is seeking a decision from this young man. Maybe he has been with the crowds for a while and Jesus is indicating it is time for him to come to a decision. His response: "I will, but let me first go and bury my father." Now, everyone listening knew what he meant. His father is not dead. Had his father been dead he would be keeping the vigil required of him and would not be in the crowd listening to this young rabbi. He is stating that when my father dies, in another five, ten, twenty years, then I will be able to come and be a follower. Until then I will stay with my father/family.

Tony Campolo tells of a young woman coming into his office in tears. He asked her what was wrong and she responded that her boyfriend had proposed to her the night before. Tony says he was somewhat befuddled with this. He knew the young man, and he was a nice Christian young man with a good deal of potential for serving the church. He did not have two heads or anything else abnormal that he knew about. As they discussed the proposal he discovered her problem. Her boyfriend did not share in her zeal and call to overseas missions. She knew God was calling her to the mission field and the young man did not feel her sense of calling. The decision was to follow God's call on her life or… Tony shares that several months later he and the young man watched her plane take off from the Philadelphia airport as this young woman left for India. The call of God was stronger than any other call in her life.

The last man in the parable is another volunteer. The only stipulation is that he go and say good-bye to his family. This sounds to us like a reasonable request. After all did not Elisha go and say good-bye to his family after Elijah called and placed his mantle on him? However, we need to look closely at the verb that is used. The real meaning is to go and ask permission. It is common in the Middle East and many other cultures to use such language. When leaving a home you would say, "I go with your permission." It is not that the host is going to deny your leaving but this formality is expected. Thus, the young man is saying, "Yes, I will follow you IF my father gives me permission." Everyone in the crowd knows that the father will say no. He needs this young man to help with the fields, etc. He would not let him go from his authority.

We discovered that our sons often used us to say "no" for them. They would come and ask something that they knew we would not approve of. Then they would call their friends and report that they wanted to go but mom/dad had said "no". Now they sounded disappointed but when we saw their faces it was a sense of relief that mom and dad had taken the burden from their shoulders and could be used as the foil for their not going. The young man is using his father to say "no" to Jesus. His father will be his excuse. Let me go and get permission.

Jesus is claiming in these three short parables to be the "highest" authority in the lives of those who follow him. His Middle Eastern audience would be shocked over this. Ken Bailey tells of how his Middle Eastern students used to gasp in disbelief when they realized the claim Jesus is making on their lives. In a society were the earthly father has complete control over you it is hard to imagine that another has a higher authority. Jesus is demanding that his followers claim him as the highest authority in their lives. Higher than any earthly authority. Our actions speak louder than our words.

Jeanette Cliff George played Corrie ten Boom in the move The Hiding Place. Jeanette tells of her coming to Christ and how she handed to God two lists. One list was those things that she was good at, liked doing and would be more than willing to do them for God. The other list was a list of things she did not want to do, was not good at and would rather not do them at all. She says that as far as she can tell God has mixed up the two lists. She has a hard time memorizing lines, bright lights hurt her eyes and she is allergic to most make-up. Thus she became an actress.

Who do we say is the highest authority in our lives? Who are we willing to commit ourselves to? This is the question that Jesus poses in each of these parables. Here, we too are confronted with the decision as to who has authority over us.

I was getting my car serviced one day. I used the garage regularly and had become friends with the owner/mechanic. He knew who I was, what I did and we often had discussions about religion, etc. One day there was another man in the bay who was having some work done on his car and who knew church language but did not use it in the context of the church! After several lengthy outbursts the owner introduced him to me, "I would like you to meet Rev. Plourde." The man immediately began to apologize to me for his language. I stopped him. I simply said, "I am not the one you need to be concerned about."

These three short parables of Jesus would have, and still do shock the minds of those who hear them and fully understand what Jesus is saying. "I am the highest authority." He asks us again, "Who is the highest authority in your life?"


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