Unusual gifts are not uncommon in our family. I never know quite what to expect, like the 1945 flambeaux red VAC Case tractor that my husband gave me as a gift on our first wedding anniversary. You might say that the farmer did indeed take a wife! It was beautiful to look at, polished to a shine and gleaming in the sun. But there was a slight problem: Larry actually expected me to get on and drive it! And so I did. Or at least I tried. I climbed onto that seat with great fear and trepidation; it sure looked like it was a long way to the ground! "Let out the clutch," he hollered, which, by the way, I could barely reach. But pop it, I did. The tractor gave a jolt that almost bounced me off the seat. But after several false starts, I was on my way. White knuckles and all!
Jesus has left Galilee and is on the road to Jerusalem with James and John, among others. They have chosen to take a shortcut through Samaria despite the deterrents along the way, like the ill feelings between Jews and Samaritans. There was a long-standing feud about where the real holy place of worship was. The Jews claimed it was the Temple in Jerusalem; the Samaritans, Mt Gerizim. There were also issues with regard to mixed marriages in the Samaritan culture. They didn't want the Jews around, plain and simple, so it wasn't particularly safe for them to make the three-day journey through Samaria. They risked being attacked as they traveled through the countryside and the villages where no one would take them in for a night.
So they kept on going. Now when Jesus sent the disciples out on their first mission, he told them, "Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them." But James and John were mad. They wanted to command fire to come down from heaven and consume the Samaritans. After all, the prophet Elijah had done it, killing kings, that is. But the disciples had only been given authority to heal the sick and cast out demons. I don't think that that included commanding fire to come down from heaven to annihilate them. Sounds like they've stalled along the way for lack of power, because Jesus said no. An emphatic no, that is.
I sure didn't know what I was getting myself in for when I finally did take off on that tractor, grabbing onto the steering wheel for dear life. It sure looked easier than it was. My first lesson in solo driving happened in the back yard where I spent my time doing figure-eights on the lawn. And believe me, that was dangerous business as I tried no to collide with the LP tank. As I tried to avoid flattening the corn in the adjacent filed, not to mention the possibility of emptying the swimming pool. But somehow, I managed to stay on track,. White knuckles and all.
Now something tells me that prospective disciple number one might have been a little too willing to go, that he didn't see the obstacles before him. He might have been a little too eager to follow Jesus where he went. Jesus warned him of the perils of discipleship. Would he follow Jesus in the face of rejection? Would he run out of fuel and stall along the way? It takes a lot of courage to be a disciple, to stay on track. But you know, a little fear isn't a bad thing from time to time. It builds character, white knuckles and all!
Now one of the things that I had to get used to was stopping to shift gears. And I think it would be a good time to review that as we move on to prospective disciple number two. Let's start in neutral. This one wanted to bury his father first, which was not an unreasonable demand, given the culture. Burials were usually done a couple of days after death, and to bury one's father was considered to be one of the most honorable acts that a man could perform, taking precedence over everything else. No wonder he wanted to stay. Time to shift up a notch, because funerals often turned into raucous affairs that were not exactly respectful of religious beliefs. Makes you wonder how they could connect with God--or could they? "Let the dead bury their own dead," Jesus told him. We're shifting again, into high gear this time. Because Jesus has told the man to go out and proclaim the kingdom of God. Now that might be some white knuckled driving!
And then there's reverse, which cares me to death. There are no mirrors and there is no way to see where you are going except by turning your head, and unfortunately, I haven't quite mastered the art of letting out the clutch and looking behind me at the same time with the danger, I must say, of crashing into the machine shed! Prospective disciple number three has a little problem with that. He wanted to go back and say good-bye to his family. But following Jesus isn't about looking back. There are no rear-view mirrors to see what is behind you, because when you do look back, you can't walk the straight path of discipleship, and you will crash into that spiritual machine shed.
We've told the story of three prospective disciples this morning, and we have one more. Daisy, you will be baptized in a few moments as you begin your journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now God doesn't expect you to just stand there and admire that holy tractor. He expects you to climb on and start it up as you get ready for the ride of your life--the life of discipleship. Don't be afraid to pop that holy clutch and feel the Jesus jolt as you start down the path. You may have a false start of two, but don't worry. Your church family won't let you stall as they nurture you on this sacred ride. It's okay to have that slow-moving vehicle sign attached to your faith; you'll be stopping to shift gears from time to time as your faith grows stronger. And remember, you have received the special gift of God's grace that will keep you going no matter how hard the journey may be,no matter how rocky the path may be. So climb on the holy seat and grab onto the wheel--white knuckles and all, for you will see God, polished to a shine, gleaming in the sun, welcoming you into his family. For you, Daisy, are a disciple of Jesus Christ!
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