The Ordinary Person's Divine Commission
Some of the most beautiful and
poetic words in the entire Bible are in today’s Psalm. “I will hear what God
proclaims – for the Lord proclaims peace. Kindness and truth shall meet,
justice and peace shall kiss.” These words are beautiful and appropriate
because hearing God is a theme in today’s scriptures.
The first reading occurs after
the splitting of the Kingdom of Israel. There were 2 kingdoms. The Southern Kingdom had 2 tribes, the city of
Jerusalem, and the Temple. The Northern Kingdom, was the
10 other tribes. Powerful, wealthy and worldly, it had its own temple and Gods.
Prophets and priests told the king everything he wanted to hear. (This could be
a profitable career.)
Amos from the south goes north
proclaiming prophesy of God. They didn’t like what Amos had to say and asked
him to leave.
Already, in the Gospel of Mark
we learned how Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath. The temple priests didn’t
like what Jesus had to say. They asked him to leave and plotted against Jesus.
So, Jesus went and found the
12, his apostles.
Amos and the 12 are proof that
God does extraordinary things with ordinary people.
Amos was a shepherd and tender
of sycamore trees. He was a migrant worker. Alone, he contemplated God and was
given a divine commission, prophesy repentance.
The 12 apostles were common
folk. Seven were fisherman and one a tax collector. Two were zealots. One was
probably not Hebrew. Another was greedy and betrayed Jesus. They were ordinary.
Jesus sent them 2x2. Take
nothing except your staff, the sandals on your feet, and a single tunic. Jesus
gave instructions, a divine commission: heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach repentance.
God was doing extraordinary
things with ordinary people, giving them a divine commission.
Paul writes about our divine
commission. God chose us before the foundation of the world. God destined us to be in accord with the
ONE, to bring Christ to the world. We exist for the praise of His glory. We are
to work for justice, peace, and to be channels of grace. We are to proclaim the
Kingdom of God.
Amos had nothing, the 12 took
nothing; yet, they walked with God trusting in His divine grace. A grace found
in prayer, contemplation, and their friendship and gratitude with God.
Our problem is the idea of taking nothing. Our stuff gets in the way of nothing. The freedom to walk with God
doesn’t come from our stuff but through prayer and contemplation. Through prayer and comtemplation friendship and gratitude follow. We become friends with
Jesus. We recognize the Holy Spirit in the whispers to our heart. We are
grateful for God's grace in our life.
Until we get to this point, we
tend to be complacent (an I don’t care attitude). The blind leads the blind in
a world where our stuff gets in the way: the stuff where our morals are
establish by pop culture; the stuff where leaders make decision without regard
for justice and human dignity but, for their own glory; the stuff of ministers
who don’t preach Christ but preach what the world what it wants to hear.
God calls us from complacency
to action.
I didn’t have a story as an
example of my point until Friday when my wife took me to lunch. Driving on an empty parking lot another car came
across aisles and parking spaces straight for us, heading to the exit.
“Look!! That car is going to
hit us.” And Janet hits the horn. She tells the driver of the other car to pay
attention and lists all the things the driver did wrong. The driver of the
other car never slowed and couldn’t benefit from Janet’s critique.
I said, “Don’t be so upset. You
saw the car coming; you could’ve just moved out of the way.” But, Janet
continued her analysis of the other driver’s lack of etiquette.
I finally said, “Stop
fussing, that driver can’t hear you.” Janet looked at me and said, “I’m not
fussing at them, I fussing at you.”
Did I say that I love my wife?
As Christians, we are challenged to
move beyond our complacency. Janet moved to someone who would listen to
her. Jesus said, "if they will not listen leave there." Move from complacency by rooting yourself in Jesus Christ who
sends each of us to preach repentance, proclaim the Kingdom of God, and continue his
mission of salvation.
God can do extraordinary things
with ordinary people.
God works through us. Be open
to the whisper of the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. Bring Christ to the
world and to proclaim the Kingdom of God where kindness and truth shall meet,
justice and peace shall kiss.
Brothers and sisters, this is
our divine commission.
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