As the Father Has Sent Me

Cliff Loesch
May 18, 2008
John 20:19-23
Jesus Said, "As the Father Has Sent Me…"

       Scientists have been experimenting with nanotechnology for several years and some amazing advances may be on the way. You're probably familiar with the term, nanometer-it refers to very small things: think of a millimeter and then think of something that is one millionth the size of a millimeter-or that would be one billionth of a meter. Very small. To put it into perspective, it would be about like the size of a marble compared to the size of the earth. Or, according to the National Geographic, "a nanometer is the amount a man's beard grows in the time it takes him to raise the razor to his face." (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology) But in a nutshell, nanoparticles will be helpful in medical science in at least two different ways. For one thing they will enhance the images that doctors see in MRI tests, making it possible for the doctors to make a more precise diagnosis. The nanoparticles will act as lights, if you will, to brighten and sharpen the MRI images. And another way the nanoparticles will be helpful is that they will be used as delivery vehicles for drug therapies. The expectation is that this nanotechnology can deliver smaller and more precise doses of medicine to the exact places needed. With smaller doses and more targeted delivery, there should be fewer side effects or collateral damage to surrounding tissue from powerful medicines. So to sum up-these tiny particles will be used to fill the body with light, so to speak, and to be agents or carriers, of hope for healing. (ibid.)

       John 20:21-22 says, "Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" To me, it is very interesting to focus on the phrase, "As the Father has sent me."

       When we think of ministry-and even when we think of what Jesus was sent to do-we often think of proclaiming good news; we think of preaching. But not everyone can preach, we realize. And, of course, not everyone would even want to. I mean, in our own congregation, if we decided everyone should have a Sunday morning to deliver a message, it would take over two years before everyone would even have a chance. That is not enough opportunities for ministry. But of course we know that not everyone is called to preach. And there are many other kinds of ministry.

       Think about that phrase again, "As the Father has sent me." What did the Father send Jesus to do? When Jesus first started his public ministry, he stood up in his home synagogue in Nazareth and read a passage of Scripture from the book of Isaiah. And then he told the people that those words of Isaiah had been fulfilled in their hearing; that is, Jesus was saying that he, himself, was the fulfillment of those words. Or that those words would be fulfilled through his ministry. Walter read for us a moment ago the words Jesus read as he launched his own ministry. Of course Jesus made many more statements about his mission and purpose. Yet at the very outset of his public ministry, he used these words from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."

       It's possible, of course, to spiritualize these words and say that they only refer to the realm of personal sin and salvation. And that's what many people do: "the poor" means the spiritually poor; "the captives, the blind, the oppressed" refers only to the spiritual dimension, some would say, and that Jesus didn't really speak to the outward or social or political arenas of life. But even though many people spiritualize these words in this way-you cannot make a very strong case for it, because as you examine the work of Jesus you see a very broad ministry-a ministry that touches many different aspects of life. In other words, Jesus took a very holistic approach. And every dimension of life was important.

       Several years ago, I wrote a little paragraph for the Good Friday service. I stumbled across it again this year, and printed it in the worship folder on Resurrection Sunday. I'm going to share it this morning-and expand on it a little-so it may sound familiar since it was in the bulletin just a few weeks ago. But in that paragraph I ask, "What inspires you most about the life of Jesus Christ?" As you think about the whole of Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection, what, for you, are the most meaningful aspects of Jesus' life and ministry? Here are a few to consider: The way he reached out in love across social divisions-and think, here, of the way he made time for children and raised the status of women and the way he reached out to Samaritans-despite the prevailing prejudice against them. Think also of the way Jesus fraternized with tax collectors and others who were considered sinners or outcasts. Really there was almost no social line that Jesus did not cross. Yet Jesus made time for influential or wealthier people as well-no one who came to him was turned away. He met with Nicodemus one night-a Pharisee who seemed to be a seeker. He went to the home of another prominent Pharisee, and probably met with quite a few other important people there. And there was Joseph of Arimathea-the one who owned the tomb where Jesus was laid. He was also, likely, a friend and supporter of Jesus. But in addition to the many ways that he reached out in love across all social divisions, also consider the way he preached peace, and love for enemies; the way he confronted power structures that needed reforming-and think here of his confrontations with the religious people. Also consider the way he modeled a life of prayer-making prayer a daily practice and sometimes spending whole nights in prayer; think of the way he associated with anyone-even the outcasts of society. He touched a leper. That was unheard of-it was unthinkable by most people. And also note the way he demonstrated total trust in God; the way he chose not to worry about temporal things or the future; the way God's power worked through him with signs and wonders and healings; the way he taught with authority; the way he embraced his purpose in life and could not be swayed from it-even when it became clear that some were seeking to destroy him; think of the way he showed true friendship-remember Peter, for instance, who denied Christ three times. Even after that, Jesus reached out to Peter in friendship and love. Consider also the way Jesus exhibited gusto for life-he was a person that people invited to parties and some people criticized him for this. Remember also the way he extended mercy and forgiveness and grace; the way he cared for the poor; the way he took people outside their comfort zones to help them gain a deeper understanding of God; and remember the way he was willing to lay down his life out of love for you and me; and the way he's made it possible for you and I to know God personally and directly.

       Indeed, the ministry of Jesus was very broad. His ministry touched lives in many, many ways. And Jesus says to you and to me: "As the Father has sent me…so I send you." And thinking about these amazing breakthroughs in medical science that might be just around the corner-where nanoparticles are sent throughout the body and somehow they know just where to go to fill the body with light and to carry hope and healing-isn't that a picture of what we're called to do? "So send I you," Jesus said. "As the Father has sent me." In all those many ways to go out into this world and bring healing and hope-and to fill the world with God's light: what a calling.

       And today is graduation Sunday-the day we honor our graduates and think about the many possibilities that lie ahead. And it's a day for all of us to recover our sense of God's call on our lives. How have we been sent into the world? What kinds of ministry will characterize our lives? How will we bring light? How will we deliver healing and hope to our needy world? May the Lord give wisdom to each of our graduates as they find their next steps forward, and may the Lord help each of us to see the many opportunities for ministry that exist in the midst of our daily lives.