Dear sisters and brothers,
I do like the disciples of Jesus. They are wonderfully predictable. It is so easy to foretell what they are going to think, say or do. The reason for that might be that the disciples are human beings, like myself and that I find myself at their side. I can very well understand that they try to prevent those little children from going to Jesus and disturbing the important teacher. I can fully understand how they try to catch a little of Jesus's fame when he finally enters Jerusalem - I can even see them marching behind Jesus, proud to be in the inner circle around him. I can understand how they ran away in the night when Jesus was betrayed by one of them, and the Roman troops and the men of the High Priest came to get Jesus. Perhaps I would have done the same.
The disciples are human and they are predictable. And what I find fascinating about Jesus is, that he surprises us again and again. I just begin to think I understand him, I just begin to think I know what Jesus will do next, then everything turns out totally different. Just when I think I finally know Jesus, he turns around and says something, does something which totally surprises me. Actually, surprise is not the right word for what Jesus is doing again and again to his first disciples and to us. The right word for what Jesus is doing is actually 'unpredictable'. The first disciples never could be sure what he would do next. Finally they got used to the fact that Jesus shared the table with outcasts; finally they got so used to it that they only asked themselves which one of those tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners would be their host for tonight. Then Jesus turns around and meets secretly in the middle of the night with Nicodemus, an important and well-respected member of the High Council in Jerusalem.
They just got used to the fact that, yes, Jesus would heal the blind, the lame, the deaf; but no, he would not allow them to talk about it. And then he goes and raises Lazarus, his friend, from death, in broad daylight, in front of the whole High Society of Jerusalem. Jesus was unpredictable.
We have just heard fromm the letter to the Colossians: Jesus is the image of God, he is the first born of all creation. And it continues: For God was pleased to have all of God's fullness dwell in Jesus.
Jesus is doing surprising things. Jesus surprises his disciples again and again. They can't predict what he will do. Does that now mean that we have and unpredictable God? Does that mean we have a God nobody understands, not even his disciples, a God who likes to plan little surprises for us?
No definitely not! When we are again and again surprised by Jesus and by God, then that means that our expectation of God - what we expect God to do, and what God expects us to do - are two totally different things.
Yes, Jesus surprises us again and again, but in all those surprises he leads us to a goal. Jesus leads his disciples then, and us today, to something very important. Jesus leads his disciples, and us here and today, to freedom and to responsibility.
Let me show you what I mean and what all of this has to do with us.
One last time Jesus surprised his disciples, one last time he did the unexpected, when he ascended into heaven. Jesus was risen, Jesus had left the grave, Jesus lived again. They thought everything was over, but here was Jesus in their midst. They had seen what had happened the last week: Betrayal, Trail, Cross, Grave. But now Jesus lived again! A miracle, a miracle larger than everything else they had witnessed so far. And now it was absolutely predictable and understandable that they wanted more. They wanted Jesus to take the opportunity, to take over, to start God's realm on earth, once and for all. What Jesus not had done so far, finally, after death and resurrection, he could do now: take over the power, throw out the Romans, clean up the religion. Who could stop the risen one, the powerful, the immortal, the invincible? Let's start the fight! - with the risen Jesus to lead them nobody and nothing would be able to stop them.
That was the dream of the disciples, and I understand very well that they dreamt it. Just imagine the last 2000 years of history, if Jesus had done it. Triumphal takeover, first Jerusalem, then Rome, then the world. No human organisation necessary, no Pope,, no church leaders, because the risen Jesus would reign in Jerusalem. No separation of the confessions, no fight, no argument about religion, because Jesus would give all the answers. No other religions an earth, no disbelief, no doubt, no atheism, because Jesus himself would be the living proof of our faith. That this was a tempting dream I fully understand. No more problems, no more questions, no more decisions to make, for Jesus, son of the all-knowing God would have the answers.
And so they ask: Lord, are You going to start the realm of God, now? The disciples are predictable in what they want, but Jesus, as so often, surprises us. Because instead of saying Yes, instead of taking the power which is just there to be taken, Jesus refuses. He even tells his disciples off, tells them, that nobody knows the day or the hour of the coming of the Lord and then he leaves them and goes back to heaven. But before that he tells the disciples again what he expects from them - what he expects from us: Go into all the world and teach the good news to all creation.
I am quite sure, that this surprised the disciples very much. It is one of the unexpected things Jesus says and does, and it is perhaps one of the things with the most consequences. That Jesus goes back to heaven, when his disciples expect him to take command has consequences to this day, has consequences for us. Because in doing what he did Jesus allows his disciples to grow up. He lets them, and us, become mature adults.
In going to heaven Jesus says to them: I have explained to you again and again how you should live as human beings, I have told you in my parables and in my sermons how you should treat each other. I have shown you in my actions what it means to follow me. Now you are at a point where you have to make your own decisions, where you have to stand on your own feet.
In going to heaven Jesus treats his disciples and us like a responsible parent would treat their child. There comes a point in growing up when the child becomes an adult, when he or she has to make their own decisions. That is the point when the responsible parent has to stand back one step and has to let go. That is very difficult for a lot of parents, and some never manage to do it. Because they fear that their children will make mistakes, that their beloved ones will get hurt. But nevertheless, children have to grow up. At some point, children have to walk as adults.
In Jesus we see God, and in Jesus we see the fullness of God's love, which is so great that God does not keep us dependent children, but sets us free to become responsible, self respecting and mature. God's love sets us free, free even to make mistakes, because that is part of becoming an adult.
If Jesus had stayed, if Jesus had sat for 2000 years in Jerusalem, by now we would have lost all independence, we would have lost everything. At the slightest problem we would run to Jerusalem, would call or email Jesus. Most probably by now we would not even decide anymore what to have for supper. The world would be one gigantic brainwashed place of obedience machines.
But that is not what God wants. God does not want unreflected obedience. God wants free, mature people who make their own decisions.
Jesus gave us a set of rules that show us, how we should treat each other. Jesus has shown us in his life how we can live with each other healthily in peace. But how we organise that, how we let Jesus become the reality in our daily life, that is left to us. Those are our decisions, day by day. To make these decisions is part of the freedom God gave us. It is part of the responsibility, God gave us. It is not always easy, but we are not only given the rules, we are also given each other - and the Holy Spirit - to help to learn to make those decision, to avoid mistakes.
I am very sure that the disciples were disappointed when Jesus didn’t take over. I am so sure because of how easy it is sometimes to be told what to do, to be told what is right or wrong. To be unfree, to be the dependent child can be so very easy sometimes. Not to make our own decisions and instead to blame somebody else, can be very comfortable.
But that is not what God wants for us. In Jesus God sets us free to be grown ups.
In this service you are going to renew your commitment. You will say aloud what it means to be part of this church, what it means to be Christian. But what you say here during the service will only be an outline, a framework. To fill this commitment with life, every day, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, that is what each and every one of us has to do for ourselves. Nobody can tell you in one given moment what to do, because it is you that is in this situation. But in Jesus and through Jesus God gave us the tools with which we can deal with our lives, with the situations we are placed in. In Jesus and through the Holy spirit we are not alone. And in Jesus we see, that God so much loves us, that we are allowed to live in freedom, to walk free.
Paul says: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free! So let us go and live in freedom, let's go and live in the good news of Christ. Amen.
This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.