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Encountering God by the Rev. Carol M. Simpson, Associate Pastor 13 June 1999 -- Ordinary 11 TEXTS: Genesis 18:1-15; Matthew 9:35 - 10:23 © 1999 C.M. Simpson

The theme of our weekend retreat in Normandy last weekend was "Encountering God." During the course of the weekend, we sought to encounter God through Scripture, Silence, Prayer, Ordinary Things, Music and the Psalms, as well as through worship and the Lord's Supper. Today's scriptures seem to offer a logical follow-up to that theme, for in these, as in all scripture passages, we discover how God works in human history, and how God wants us to work hand-in hand with Him.

In the passage from Genesis which we read earlier, Abraham had an encounter with God. In the heat of the day, Abraham sat at the entrance to his tent, quite possibly dozing in the warm sun, for he was already an old man. When he looked up, perhaps startled by some small noise, Abraham noticed three strangers standing near him. He obviously hadn't heard or seen them approaching, but as soon as he saw them, he ran to them and greeted them, and offered them hospitality. He offered them shade, and water, an opportunity to wash the dust from their feet, and then he ordered his wife, Sarah, to prepare not just a quick snack or a light meal, but a feast, consisting of cakes made from the choicest flour, milk and curds, and the meat of a tender young calf. Something about these strangers brought out the best in Abraham.

I wonder what Abraham thought, though, when they asked about his wife and called her by name? How could they have known her name? And not only did they know her name, one of the men said to Abraham, "I will surely return to you in due season and your wife, Sarah, shall have a son." Only then do we discover that Sarah has been standing just inside the tent eavesdropping on the conversation. And she laughs at the notion that at her advanced age she should have pleasure and bear a child, a truly ludicrous notion from her standpoint.

The opening line of this passage tells us that the Lord appeared to Abraham as he sat at the entrance of his tent. These strangers were God's messengers. God spoke to Abraham and Abraham responded. He responded with hospitality, and with a readiness to be part of God's plan. Sarah laughed, but Abraham quietly accepted this new reality, obviously believing that nothing is too wonderful for God.

Just imagine how Abraham and Sarah's lives were changed by that dramatic encounter with God. They may have rediscovered a new level of intimacy. They surely were drawn together by the joys and challenges of parenting. But far more than that....they were undoubtedly strengthened in their faith. God's first promise to Abraham had come when Abraham was 75 years old. That was when the Lord called him to leave his homeland and promised to make of him a great nation. When Isaac is finally born, Abraham is 100 years old. That's twenty-five years of promises unfulfilled, but frequently renewed. And at last, the promise becomes reality. Abraham and Sarah have a son from whom that great nation will finally descend. This story can help us remember that God's timing and ours are not always the same!

It is also worth remembering that Abraham did not have any clue that the three strangers who appeared at his tent were messengers from God. He did not know of the promise that they bore, yet he greeted them warmly, set a fine feast before them, and played the perfect host. This passage calls to mind the statement Jesus makes when he says, "In as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, ye have done it also unto me." We do not know how or when or where, or through whom, God will come to us, so we need always to be prepared and we need to greet and treat each stranger as if he or she were Jesus.

Our second scripture passage was taken from the Gospel of Matthew. In this part of the story, Jesus calls all twelve disciples to him and sends them forth to do ministry in his name. The disciples each had an encounter with God. Jesus had called each of them personally and individually to follow and to become hearers and doers of God's Word. Now He commands them to proclaim the good news wherever they go, then also tells them to "cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons." Sounds impossible, and the disciples probably had plenty of doubts about their ability to do any of those things. Sure, they had seen Jesus do them, but He was special. He had some sort of direct connection with God. How were they supposed to be able to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons?

The reality is that once we have encountered God, once we have let God fully and completely into our lives, and given our lives to Him, we can do whatever God commands us to do. And not only CAN we do it, we are commanded to do it. Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit will come to us and will empower us for the mission and ministry to which we are called. Careful reading of today's lesson tells us that the tasks to which we are called will not always be easy. Jesus informs the disciples that they will encounter resistance to the ideas and messages which they preach. He warns them that they will not be welcome everywhere they go, and that they will most likely be neither rich nor comfortable on their journey. This doesn't sound like a very good sales pitch or pep talk, does it?

Jesus says to them, "I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves." Wait just a minute, we think, maybe this assignment isn't such a good idea after all. The pep talk continues: "They will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues." Just what I always wanted! And to top it all off, Jesus tells his disciples that they will be hated by all because of His name. Why don't they just walk away at this point? What is it that makes them stick with Jesus after such a dismal and depressing discourse?

The reality is that their lives have already been changed by Jesus. They have not only witnessed his healing touch applied to hurting lives, and myriad other miracles, they have also been recipients of His love and forgiveness. They have seen God's power flow through Him, and they have discovered new strengths within themselves. There is no limit to what people can accomplish when they are on a mission from God.

Jesus called his twelve disciples together: Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot. Jesus gave these men authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness and to preach the kingdom of God.

It is remarkable that the twelve disciples worked so well together, considering the significant differences between them. Philip was a scholar. Matthew was a tax collector, so the others would have considered him a traitor to his people. Simon (the Canaanite) was a member of a nationalist group, the Zealots. Judas Iscariot was not even from Galilee, but was an out-of-towner who most likely brought his own customs into the group. They were nearly as diverse a bunch as we are! So what bound them together? Only this: They were on a mission from God

God uses ordinary people. That's the first thing we need to recognize. God doesn't use the most talented people, God doesn't use the most beautiful people, God doesn't use the most articulate people. God uses ordinary people like you and me. We might think there are reasons why God would not want you and me to serve Him -- reasons having to do with our various inadequacies. However, as imperfect disciples, we're in good company:

Abraham was too old. David was too young. Moses stuttered. Hosea's wife was a prostitute. Amos spent his time pruning sycamore trees. Elijah was depressed. Jonah ran from God. Noah got drunk. Jacob was deceitful. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Solomon was too rich. Naomi was a poor widow. Samson had long hair. Elisha had none. John the Baptist was too stern. In many people's eyes, Jesus was too lenient. Martha was a worry-wart. Mary was lazy. James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven on their adversaries. Peter was afraid of death. Lazarus WAS dead. Thomas doubted. But God used them every one. God doesn't look at our resumés. God looks at our devotion. God doesn't look at our SATs. God looks at our willingness to go the extra mile.

God looks for people who have a great passion for serving others.. This is why the church has contributed so much to human society. Notice our text for the day. Jesus told his disciples to heal people of their diseases. Look what has happened since that time. From the early centuries of Christianity, we see Christians being moved to do something for the sick and hurting. The oldest hospital in existence today is the Hotel Dieu in Paris, established by St. Landry around A.D. 600. Before that, Fabiola, a disciple of St. Jerome, is credited with having built the first hospital in the western world in Rome, around A.D. 400. Today, in the U.S. many hospitals are called Saint this hospital, or Saint that hospital, attesting to their religious origins. There are Catholic hospitals, Lutheran hospitals, Baptist hospitals, Presbyterian hospitals, and so on.

Max Anders in his book titled, JESUS, points out many ways in which the healing arts have been intertwined with the Christian faith. He notes that Florence Nightingale was a devout follower of Christ. As a result of her compassion which was rooted in her faith, she initiated the institution of modern nursing. And "The Red Cross," Anders continues, "is a cousin to the YMCA, the Young Men's Christian Association." Anders also points out how important Louis Pasteur's faith was to him. Pasteur, of course, revolutionized the practice of medicine. One of the reasons he was so successful was that he knew he was on a mission from God. When he died, he was holding on to his wife with one hand, and to a crucifix with the other."

We, like Florence Nightingale and Louis Pasteur, and like those early disciples, are on a mission from God. We are to bring healing in the lives of people who are hurting, whatever that hurt may be. If their need is for healing--and we are skilled in the healing arts--then we are to minister to them as we are able. If their need is emotional or spiritual, then we are to be there to share Christ's love with them in whatever way we can.

Once we have encountered God, we can no longer be inwardly focused. We are compelled to look outward, where we cannot help but notice the emotionally, spiritually and physically wounded of our world. Jesus calls us, as He called those twelve disciples so long ago, to commit our lives not just to weekly attendance at worship, but to daily service to others. Yes, the task is at times daunting, but also wonderfully rewarding. Time and again we have witnessed the power of our prayers, most recently with the Hunt family and their premature baby, Garrett. Not only is Garrett holding his own, gaining weight and getting stronger every day, but Gary and Karen have felt supported and strengthened by our prayers. They have felt God's peace even when their minds screamed panic. And last week we prayed for Peggy Smithhart who was suffering from a severe and potentially very damaging eye infection. On Monday, when she returned to the doctor, he was amazed to discover that the eye was almost completely healed with no signs of permanent damage. He told Peggy how rare such a complete healing is and that he had never seen such a rapid recovery. Peggy was obviously greatly relieved, but she told the doctor that she wasn't particularly surprised. When the doctor looked startled at that remark, Peggy explained that since a lot of people had been praying for her, the healing came as no great surprise to her.

We encounter God in myriad places in our lives, and we enable others to encounter God through our caring and sharing. Today we have celebrated our ministry to children, another place where we serve as disciples. We encounter God, are strengthened in our faith, and then help children to know and encounter God in their own way through scripture, song, sharing and prayer. We each are called, as those twelve disciples were called so long ago, to move from knowing God to serving God. And serving God means serving one another. Jesus said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

We are the laborers who are called to serve in the mission fields of God. It matters not whether that mission field is a hospital, a church school classroom, a Habitat For Humanity building site, or our own home. God comes to us, as God came to Abraham. God comes to us, calls us by name, and sends us forth to heal the sick, comfort the bereaved, spread the good news, welcome the stranger, and love our neighbor. Let us rejoice today in God's presence in our lives, in God's willingness to come to us, to use us, and to empower us so that we may be laborers in His vineyard, stewards of His gifts, and disciples of His Son.

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