Following Jesus - A sermon for Pentecost 5c based on Luke 9: 51 - 62 and Galatians 5: 1, 13 - 25

So what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? This is the question at the heart of today's scripture readings. And the answers given by Jesus are certainly more than a little bit disturbing.

The gospel reading finds Jesus and his followers in Samaria. That they should be there is itself somewhat surprising. After all Samaria was located in the Northern kingdom. Centuries before when it had been conquered by the Assyrians, many people had been deported elsewhere within the Assyrian empire whilst in keeping with colonial practice others had been brought in.

What followed was a story of two people with a fractured relationship. Down South the Judeans looked on newly constituted Samaria with distaste. They saw in what today we would describe as a racist way, a people who were half breeds - different than they had once been. Furthermore the two peoples had religious differences. The Samaritans saw only the first five books of our Bible, the Pentateuch, as sacred. More than that there was a difference as to where God should be worshipped. For Jews, it should be in Jerusalem whilst Samaritans built a temple at Mount Gerazim.

By the time of Jesus this conflict was longstanding. The Jews had the upper hand militarily. Indeed they had destroyed the Mount Gerazim temple. But the Samaritans were more than capable of hitting out, an example being the strewing of dead bones in the Jerusalem temple during the life of Jesus.

So perhaps whilst it is a surprise that Jesus didn't avoid Samaria as many Jews did, it is no surprise that there were those amongst the Samaritans who had no intention of receiving the Jewish Jesus whose face "was set towards Jerusalem." Indeed we can imagine their rejection to have been vociferous.

But how should rejection be handled? This is indeed a big question for today in a society in which Christianity has become a minority voice. The answer of Christendom would have been to use force. History tells us of many such cases with laws to enforce conformity and even the forced baptism of Jews and Muslims. James and John would seem to be of that mindset. Perhaps recalling how Elijah had called down fire from heaven to destroy a military detatchment from Samaria, they suggest such a judgement might again be appropriate.

But this is not the way of Jesus. Coercion in its varied forms is not compatible with the way of Jesus. Moving on is instead his way. This does not mean giving up on the Samaritans - indeed he goes on to another Samaritan settlement. And ultimately we learn that there will be Samaritans who become followers of Jesus. But take note that this owes its happening not to shaming nor to force but to the inherently respectful attitude of Jesus.

Today we do well not to slip into a bunker mentality or to demand that others see the world as we do. Instead the Jesus way is to be respectful of those whose religious beliefs are either different from ours or non existent. Domination is not a gospel option. For all too often it leads verbal or physical violence and takes us to what Mark Twain describes as the condition where we have enough religion to hate but not enough to love.

Indeed Paul writing to a faith community in Galatia riven with internal controversy some years later, emphasises the importance of peaceful qualities. He is writing to a community where many have rejected him for not insisting that Jesus followers should become Jewish first. He argues that Jesus followers should embrace the Holy Spirit rather than legalism. It is not that the has no interest in the Torah - far from it for later he will defend himself before a court stating that he is not was a Pharisee. But he contends that the Law is summed up in the single commandment;

"You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

And so it is that he points to the qualities that are the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. These are good fruit which are of the Holy Spirit. These are fruit in keeping with that summary of the Law. These are fruit which we see in their fullness in the Jesus whom we seek to follow and to make the pattern of our own lives - a total contrast with the Christendom that used Jesus as a weapon to enforce conformity, a total contrast with James and John at this stage in their journey.

But Jesus seeks to guide us into this way of living whilst emphasising that to be a follower of him requires commitment. Sometimes it is easier to be committed when that commitment is against someone or something. Yet Jesus calls for commitment to his ways of love joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. And does he not make his point strongly!

For he does not promote discipleship as a form of therapy that will make everything alright. Far from it! He calls us into discipleship that contains risks. There's no promise that being a follower of Jesus will make you "happy all the day." There's no promise of economic security or even of popularity. Instead the road of following Jesus is a road with much vulnerablity - as indeed has been the case with Jesus himself. Indeed he speaks of himself as one "with nowhere to lay his head" - something which ought to be meaningless to us in modern Britain but which is all too full of shocking meaning!

Indeed following Jesus is about a new beginning. Today we greatly emphasise the role of family. Family values are often spoken of even if I'm not always sure what it means. But Jesus challenges this. The challenge is of course expressed with no small degree of hyperbole. After all burying a parent is part of honouring one's mother and father as we are commanded to do in the 10 commandments. Saying farewell to one's family before going on a journey seems only reasonable and courteous. Even Elijah allowed Elisha to say farewell to his parents before following him. So what is Jesus' point?

I think it is about the fact that our families are the products of past events and handed down DNA. They cannot exist without the pasts which take them to their current place of being. On the other hand the Kingdom of God is about a new future. It look ahead to new ways of being. So Jesus sets the past against the future in this teaching. Read literally this is dangerous nonsense - after all does not Jesus himself commend his mother to the Beloved disciple as he hangs dying on the cross! But he certainly calls us to a new future in which we are drawn into the wonder of his all embracing love even in a world that is not receptive.

So this morning we are called to move forwards. We are called to Christlike lives. We are called to take the risks of commitment for a future we can only partially understand. We are called to defy the logic of the age.

So will we? Will we?

The late but never to be forgotten Olive Morgan

Olive Morgan who died a few weeks ago was a truly remarkable lady. Her contribution to the Methodist blogosphere was unique. Anyhow here is an interview with her that I recommend. It took me very much back to when I met Olive at the Methodist bloggers gathering a couple of years ago



If you wish to make a donation in memory of Olive this is the place to do so.