Discipleship is Foolishness

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
May 22, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
1 Peter 2:2-10; Acts 7:55-60
“Discipleship is Foolishness”

Discipleship is foolish to us, foolish to the world, and it was foolish to the first disciples.
That is the foundation of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Who wants to sign on? It is foolish to the world because Jesus does not use his privilege for power and glory. It is foolish to the first disciples because they expected Jesus to act with power and glory for them, and it is foolishness to us when we finally come face to face with the teachings of Jesus. So with that as in introduction, let me say some things about why it is foolishness to each.
Foolish to the first disciples
In order to understand the stoning of Stephen, we have to go back to the beginning of the book of Acts. Jesus has been crucified, resurrected and ascended to the heavens. The disciples were alone, waiting. The promise of the Holy Spirit hung in the air with expectation. But what would a life in the Spirit look like? They had no idea, so the disciples go back to what they know. They go to managing, forming committees and creating an air of control in a time of uncertainty. They sound like good Presbyterians!
The disciples gathered together, looked around, and realized they needed someone to take the place of Judas. So they created a task force. This task force was commissioned with the responsibility of finding someone worthy to serve as a disciple. It is fascinating to see that the first impulse of these former outsiders was to figure out who was worthy enough to be an insider. They moved to time of prayer and study. And at the end, they took dice, rolled them and came up with Mathias.
A great deal of time and energy were put into filling the final seat of the official disciples. Jesus picked twelve Jewish men to be his disciples. So, it would be easy to see that the standard for leadership in the church would always be twelve Jewish men. Or so they thought. As a result of this flawed thinking the disciples appoint Mathias. And after all this energy and work to find someone worthy to serve, Mathias is never mentioned again in the Bible, ever. Keep this in mind as we move forward a few chapters.
The important work of preaching and teaching was only allowed for the select few. But, in order to do this important work, people had to make sure the food was served. So, servers were selected. And one of those selected for this less than glorious work, was a man by the name of Stephen. Show of hands, who has heard of the disciple Mathias? And who has heard of the first Christian martyr, Stephen? I do not think that is an accident. Let me tell you why.
The story of Stephen’s death reveals how easy it is for the followers of Jesus to get caught up in foolishness, thinking it is essential to ministry. While the disciples spend energy on filling positions, the most important witness to faithfulness comes from those who work in the kitchen. Jesus calls us all to serve and make disciples. Our response, in every age, is to substitute this work with management and attempts to control the uncertain places in our lives. Stephen’s story is not only important because he is the first martyr but because he points back to Jesus’ intention for the disciples. Stephen, the table server, is brought before the authorities and gives a testimony to his faith. This unlicensed preacher has the longest and most powerful sermon by anyone in all the book of Acts.
Add to this the strange familiarity of Stephen’s death and the message becomes clearer. He is brought before the authorities. He is taken out of the city and killed. And as Stephen is dying he commends his spirit to God, and he prays forgiveness for those who are killing him. Sound familiar? This is Jesus’ death. Jesus’ death came after he serves the disciples at the table. And his service to them was to show them that greatness in the kingdom comes from service and not from power and control. Stephen’s story is not simply the first in a long line of Christian martyrs, but a witness to the pitfalls and struggles for the followers of Jesus. When all else fails, when the message seems foolish, stop trying to control and manage, and find some way to serve others.
Foolish to the World
From the very beginning the message of Jesus was foolishness. After all, consider those whom he chose to spread the message. From all we can read, the founders of the church, the first generation of disciples were not the cream of the crop. They were not the best educated. In fact, most of them were illiterate. They did not have or had limited access to those in power. Judea was not the center of the universe, and Galilee had a poor reputation. And, the God they followed was executed in a humiliating manner. These are exactly the sorts of things that can make evangelism difficult. How do we clean that up, make it more appealing?
The church throughout the ages has worked to answer this question. We have used apologetics, to try and prove the foolishness is not really foolishness. We have created committees and structures and sought legitimacy from outside sources. But, in the end, the foolishness remains. God cannot be made relevant in a way that makes Christianity a nice addition to a well rounded and respected life. Jesus ministered to the wretched of the earth. Jesus ate with sinners, outcasts, and called for the end of purity codes and exclusion. And that is never going to be relevant in cultures which worship violence, domination, and power.
Foolishness to us
So we have some decisions to make. Will we come face to face with the foolishness? Will we come to grips with our own struggles with this story? Will we recognize that we are not as put together, competent as we would like? Will we recognize the places in our own lives where we have settled for management and control instead of service? In other words, are we going to serve or will we keep seeking our own Mathias who will be the magic bullet to make everything alright?
This may not sound like good news, but it has the power to transform our lives. Because God works with the humiliated and excluded, we have a story of radical inclusion. For some that will come as good news and for others it will be seen as foolishness. But the truth remains. We are welcomed into the household of God, not because we are good managers or competent or because we have worked hard enough. If we can truly grasp that and peel away the layers that we have carefully constructed to hide our deep seated insecurities, (big pause) transformation is possible. We have no need to hide from God, ultimately because in hiding, we are only hiding from ourselves. If we truly grasp this, we will be set free to do what God has been calling us to do all along: Serve people!
The stone that was rejected by the builders, the first disciples, the world, and even us, is the foundation for God’s kingdom. The rejected places of life, the rejected people in life and the rejected places in our lives are the foundation of the kingdom. What are the places in your life where you have been rejected? What has been said of you that is most destructive and feeds the self doubt or even the self hatred? What has been named as foolish by others, yourself and the world? Whatever it is, it can be transformed and used for the kingdom of God. Amen? Amen!