Search Party

Samuel Goldwyn, the famous movie mogul who was half of Metro Goldwyn Meyer, was once criticized for not being more socially conscious in his movies, that he produced entertainment without any redeeming social importance. He replied, “If you want to send a message, use Western Union.” And he had a point. A movie or a book or a painting that self-consciously sets out to “send a message” is usually not anywhere near as interesting as one that just tries to tell a story in a meaningful and engaging way.

But even if he wasn’t trying to send a particular message with his movies, messages still came across loud and clear anyway. Ben Shahn, a 20th century American painter and writer, wrote a book called The Shape of Content, which I had to read for a class on aesthetics, or the philosophy of art. He talked about the fact that no matter what you actually say, no matter what you think you are trying to say, what comes across is often a lot more than you intended.

For instance, you can say, “I love you,” in a dozen different ways. Maybe more. How many can you think of? There’s the “I love you” that’s accompanied by a dozen roses and an evening out; there’s the “Of course I love you,” tossed over the shoulder while checking the TV guide for that evening’s kickoff time. There’s the “I love you” to the teenager going off to college, and the “I love you” to the child you’ve just had to ground for a week. The words are the same, but the message is different each time.

So you see, the words alone aren't enough. We have to see the words play out in context, in action, in character and relationship. We have to watch the story unfold to get to know who is speaking, and why. We have to hear the story to recognize ourselves in it, and to be made ready to respond.

Let me try to explain what I mean: Last week we looked at Abraham’s call and response, and at Matthew’s, and at Peter’s.

This week we’ve read a little bit more about Abraham’s response to God's call, and are looking in more detail at Jesus’ charge to his disciples. These are both “call” stories, and there are differences and similarities between them. Probably the biggest contrast is between the jobs they are being called to. Abraham was called to GO somewhere new, and the twelve disciples were called to DO something new. We really don’t know what Abram was like before God called him. In all likelihood he was a sinner, too - since we all are - but that’s never really an issue with Abraham, is it. His obedience is reckoned to him as righteousness.

But both Peter and Matthew knew they were sinners, because they’ve had it drummed into them by a thousand years of experience with the righteousness of the God of Moses, and by a lifetime of hearing from the Pharisees about all the stuff they have to do in order to be acceptable to God. You may remember that when Peter first realized who Jesus was, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” [Lk 5:8] And of course no one was lower than a tax collector like Matthew.

In the Old Testament call story, Abraham is given a vision of descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the shore. In this New Testament call story, Jesus gives his disciples a vision of sheep milling around and a field ready to be harvested. In both cases God is calling them to lift their eyes above their own circumstances, their own visions of their futures.

At this stage in the game, Jesus is keeping his disciples relatively close to home. Their targets are clearly local: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [Mat 10:5-6] Later on, of course, when he gives the Great Commission, Jesus pulls out all the stops, telling the disciples to “Go into all the world.” There’s a good reason for the difference, though. In this first instance it’s a training mission. The disciples are apprentices; they’ve been watching their teacher at work, and now he’s going to let them try their hand with a first-level mission. When Jesus gave the Great Commission, they’ve already graduated. They’ve completed their internships, passed their boards, and received their licenses to practice. They’re ready to be let loose on the world.

But again, in both cases, Jesus gives them what they need to accomplish the task. In the first mission he gives them an example and clear instructions, on the second he gives them a broad mandate and, later, completes their equipping by giving them the Holy Spirit.