The Costs and Benefits of Discipleship

A sermon based on Matthew 10.24-29 by John Murray given on June 17

What does discipleship involve - what are the potential costs and benefits of following Christ?  The covenant in the OT laid out the expectations and obligations of both parties.  The NT also provides a set of expectations and obligations for Disciples of Christ.

Today's gospel reading sets out some of those expectations and obligations.

The context that Jesus spoke to his disciples was prior to sending them out to evangelize.  Like any good employer he briefed them on what to expect and on some of the likely outcomes.  He pulled no punches.

He spoke initially of persecution.  He warned the Disciples that just as he had faced persecution so would they – even persecution unto death  Just as some of His own family doubted his sanity and he experienced conflict with the religious establishment – so would they.  His warnings proved prophetic.

Persecution has characterized the church from its inception down to the present.  But not so much in modern western society, i.e., post-world war II, especially in the English speaking world, we have not experienced persecution for a couple of hundred years – discrimination and prejudice, yes, but state sanctioned persecutions or pogroms have not been a part of our story. 

This begs the questions, are Jesus' words in this Gospel still relevant in the wider world and in our tolerant, civil, democratic society?

Well, yes, they are on two levels.  Firstly, in some places the Church is still actively persecuted, e.g., Darfur, parts of the Middle East and Asia.  While the persecution might not be officially sanctioned (but sometimes it is) or involve industrial scale murder, the persecutions may be popularly supported by the locals and result in death for Christians.  In other countries Christians are actively discriminated against and/or barely tolerated.  In some cases they are targets of death squads, drug cartels or politically inspired terrorist groups.  In living memory the church has been actively persecuted in Nazi Germany and under communism.  In some of these places Jesus' warnings about persecution unto death are still very true.

But what about us?  Even in our own society adherence to the Gospels can land you in serious trouble.  While it may not cost you your life in Australia, living the Gospels and acting on the words of Jesus can cost your career, bring financial ruin, the loss of your reputation or your marriage.  Surely not!

Recently, on TV I was a police sergeant sentenced to nine months home detention for bashing an prisoner in the watch house.  After committing the assault he went to erase the surveillance tape which recorded his actions.  A young probationary constable had removed the tape and informed her superior before he got there.   The young constable became the witness for the prosecution. On the day of sentencing, the court gallery was packed with police. I will leave it your judgment whose they were supporting and what her subsequent career will be like. Now I don't know what motivated the constable – social justice, her oath as a police officer, or religious beliefs, or all of the above – they are not mutually exclusive, but sometimes we are called to be faithful to our beliefs even though the consequences may be unpleasant.

Also, think of people like Martin Luther King, whistle blowers, people of conscience who have had the courage of their convictions, to stand by their beliefs and act on them.  Most whistle blowers are not thanked for their efforts and their organizations often extract their revenge for breaking ranks.

Most of us probably won't have to make such stark choices. But the potential is always there for Christians.  When we see wrong, injustice, we are required to act and that action, that Gospel based action can bring us into conflict with society and family.  In the face of bullying, fraud, injustice, violence, indifference etc we cannot remain silent.  Although as humans we possess a great capacity for justification, minimization, rationalization and can pretend it's not that bad or we did not really see it, or want to know about it -  the Gospels still put the imperative on us to act.

In social psychology the Kitty Genovese case is famous example of how people remain uninvolved when they should have.  Kitty Genovese was brutally assaulted and murdered in New York. What made this case different was that the attack was witnessed by between a dozen and 30 people.  In some cases their apartments overlooked the crime scene many of these people saw or heard the attack but did nothing.  In a similar fashion many citizens in Nazi Germany preferred not to know what was happening to their Jewish neighbours. There are times when our silence is wrong.

But what help can we expect in our times of severe trials?  Christians may undergo many trials and tribulations but we don't face them alone.  Jesus said that God will be with us during these times.  He did not say that God will make it all disappear but that it will be made bearable through His presence. God knows our situation, to the extent of the hairs on our head.  He will be there to support us.  We are cautioned not to deny Him, or Jesus will deny us before God.  Knowing that we are not alone can provide the additional courage to stand firm in the time of trial.  Jesus reminds us three times in that Gospel not to be afraid.  It is noteworthy that Peter denied Jesus three times but repented and was forgiven for his denial.

I remember seeing a psychiatrist on TV talking about his research on the coping strategies of mums who had lost a child. The loss of a child must surely be one of the most heart wrenching disasters to befall any parent. He said that mums who believed that their baby was with Jesus were some of the best copers. I don't want to comment on the research but the point is that in our vulnerability, in our hurt and despair we are probably more open to the presence of God than at other times, especially in times of severe trial.  It is not uncommon for people to survive terrible ordeals and to later explain that their faith in God gave them the courage or wherewithal to survive.  Unfortunately, it is a human characteristic to forget the promises we made to God when conditions are back to normal.

In the gospel, Jesus also makes what appears to be the astonishing claim, (v39) Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.  What Jesus is saying is that an authentic life is found in following Him, not in materialism, wealth, career, ideology, sex, drugs or rock' n' roll - instead, real life is found in following Jesus.  A God filled life, a life outside the bounds of our egos, a life focused on God and on our neighbor is the path to an authentic life.  This is not to deny ambition, wealth, careers etc, but focusing on them exclusively is dysfunctional for us, our relationships with God and other people.

I would like to conclude the sermon by looking at some of the more difficult passages of the Gospel reading.  Jesus talks of bringing the sword not peace, of family division – parent against child, husband against wife.

This seems contrary to what is said elsewhere in the gospels and Old Testament – those who live by the sword, perish by the sword, honour your father and mother. So how should we understand these difficult and contrary passages in the bible?

With regard to the reading, it seems just as adherence to Christ and his teaching can bring conflict with the powers that be, it can also bring conflict and division within the family.  When we think of family we tend to think in terms of a nuclear family – mum, dad and a couple of kids.  We generally think that “religion” is a private affair, one between you and God or you and your conscience.  Most of us have friends and relatives who have changed denominations or even religions without causing serious ructions in the family – although in some cases I am sure they do.

The Gospel makes the point that adherence to Christ must take precedence even over the family, your friends, clan, tribe, village or community. If push comes to shove, we must choose God.  No looking back over your shoulder.

Thankfully, most of us won't be forced to make such stark choices and have to live with the consequences. However, try telling the kids you are leaving your money to the church and see what sort of reaction you get.  Or telling mum and dad you're not going to study law or medicine but study for the ministry.

In some countries, changing religions is a capital offence. Even where the consequences are not deadly it can involve banishment form the family, disinheritance, shunning, ridicule etc.  It is not something that is undertaken lightly.  Religion is/was in some of these societies the glue that underpins social cohesiveness. Reject or change your religion and you are rejecting your god, your family, and heritage.   Following Jesus in those societies could have untoward personal consequences.

By way of example, I read in an Egyptian newspaper of a convert to Christianity who wanted to amend his ID to record his new religion.  This had to be done in court.  There was a near riot with about 20 lawyers in court hurling abuse and heckling the applicant. I can't imagine Australian lawyers doing the same thing – at least unless it was billable in ten minute increments.  In another case a convert in Afghanistan was facing death for conversion.  Circumstances such as these most likely existed in Jesus' society and perhaps evoked a similar response.

The words of Jesus should be understood in terms of the culture and the context and their intended audience.  In that society your worst enemies might be inside your own house.

To summarize today's Gospel, it speaks of the costs of discipleships; Jesus pulls no punches on the costs of following Him. But He also talks of achieving an authentic live.  He reminds us that God is present with us in our time of trial and we are to stand firm in social and family situations and not deny Him or fear those who can only kill the body.  If we lose our life we find it – in Christ. 

Amen.