I’ve always been a bit uncomfortable with the evangelizing instruction: “Ask Jesus to come into your life.” Why? Because it is Jesus who asks us to come into his life. “Follow me!” Jesus said, even if it may be outside your comfort zone (Matthew 8:20). The question isn’t “are you running with me Jesus?” (the title of a Malcolm Boyd prayer book back in the late 1960’s) but rather the first question in my person-inventory: “am I walking with Jesus?” It is a walk: maybe three miles per hour, slow enough to contemplate where we are, where we’re going, who and what we see, and if we have the faith resources for the days ahead (even though according to Jesus, “tomorrow will worry about itself” Matthew 6:34). The pandemic allows us to slow down from normal hectic schedules, and in that alone it may be a blessing.
I find it a bit disconcerting that Jesus travels to locations and encounters people who make me a bit uncomfortable. Caution is a guide-word that I’ve learned to live by: mind your own business; don’t invade someone’s privacy, let sleeping dogs lay. But Jesus wanders into strange places and byways: in Gadara near burial tombs he encounters angry demoniacs, he touches a dead girl, an unclean woman, and a leper. With his touch he takes our illness and uncleanness into himself and gives us his spiritual health in exchange. He embraces guilt by association with sinners and tax-collectors…and us He wanders into pagan territory north of Lake Galilee where he asks theological questions and finds “great faith” in unlikely people. He doesn’t seem to mind that his disciples fail to wash their hands before eating or wander into grain fields on the Sabbath to glean. He seems to go out of his way to court “good trouble” thus putting Pharisees and Sadducees on his case as constant critics.
There is a consistency to Jesus that draws my adoration. He is able to count the cost of the cross and not waver, speak truth to power, embrace non-violence (put away your guns! Matthew 26:52), and reveal the abundant resource of God’s love and grace. By following Jesus we have an opportunity to experience God’s life-plan for the universe and imagine our part in it…which may take us to the edges of life as well as to heaven. We walk where he leads the way.
So we walk in the way of Jesus, baptized into a trinitarian relationship that joins us to Jesus. Political oneness may be elusive, but baptism generates unity for Christians and negates social and racial divisions. For a ministry that grows out of baptism we no longer ask: “what do I get out of it” but rather “what can I give to Christ-in-the-other person?" Baptized, we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:26-28), even with those at the edges of society or suffering neglect in the middle of it. Jesus goes to the edges of safe and familiar territory to gather the nations as the Light of the world.
In his light we see the light. Jesus began his ministry in the old northern tribal territories of Zebulun and Naphtali where the people were hurting the most, “living in darkness…in the land of the shadow of death” (Matthew 4:12-17). The people were far from Jerusalem, far from safety, living along the historic invasion routes of imperial armies through the plain of Megiddo (from which we get the word Armageddon). It may seem at times that we are living in like circumstances on the edge in the darkness of a pandemic, climate change, and a disintegrating future. But this is when the Jesus light shines the brightest and the Jesus love warms the heart and the Jesus Spirit links people together…even out on the edges of society and power and privilege.
We pray: Precious Lord, you did not neglect those who were hurting and desperate but touched them with your life-saving love. Touch us as well through faith, and bring your light into our darkness and your peace into our divided land. Equip us to boldly continue your ministry in word and deed with gratitude, selflessness and generosity. And bless us with your Spirit of comfort and consolation. Amen.
We sing: LBW #487. “Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus” —verses 1 & 4
Let us ever walk with Jesus, Follow his example pure,
Through a world what would deceive us. And to sin our spirits lure.
Onward in his footsteps treading, Pilgrims here, our home above,
Full of faith and hope and love, Let us do our Father’s bidding.
Faithful Lord, with me abide, I shall follow where you guide.
Let us also live with Jesus. He has risen from the dead.
That to life we may awaken, Jesus, since you are our head.
We are your own living members; Where you live, there we shall be
In your presence constantly, Living there with you forever.
Jesus, if I faithful be, Life eternal grant to me.
Pastor Joel Nickel
Peace Devotion 8/30/2020