Easter V, Cycle B
“Bear Fruit and Become My Disciples!”
May 18, 2003
The Rev. Dr. David M. Wendel
Lessons: Acts 8:26-40; I John 4:7-21; St. John 15:1-8
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my
disciples.”
This past Monday and Tuesday, I was on retreat with my brothers of the Sangre de Cristo chapter of the Society of the Holy Trinity. One of our discussions centered on “discipleship”, and Pastor Luther Matheson, on the pastoral staff of one of our few Lutheran mega-churches, shared that at his parish in Albuquerque, from their mission statement, to their strategies, to their congregational structure, it’s all about discipleship. They say it’s all about discipleship—making and equipping and empowering disciples. “What that means, translated into actual parish practice”, said Pastor Matheson, “is being involved in church programs. At our Lutheran version of a mega-church,” he said, “discipleship means being active in church programs, and we’re all about developing programs that will involve people.” In fact, Pastor Matheson told us, the latest ministry, is an arts and crafts “ministry” on Wednesday nights. It’s not really a ministry, he said, but it is a program—and if discipleship equals involvement in a church program, anything that involves people will do.
Contrary to most mega-church pastors who lift up that model, Pastor Matheson was NOT affirming the idea that discipleship means involvement in church programs—in fact, he was expressing frustration that discipleship, in much of American Christianity, has become nothing more than involvement in church programs. A frustration that grows out of Jesus’ own words about discipleship. A frustration that comes because many Christians ignore Jesus’ words in our gospel lesson, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so become my disciples.” You look at the landscape of American Christianity, and wouldn’t you think Jesus said, “My Father is glorified by this, that you get involved in church programs, and become my disciples.” The model for success in ministry, in many churches in America today is, “get people in the door, get them to join the church, get them involved in programs.” That’s how churches grow, that’s how they are successful, that’s how they gain, and retain members—through involvement in programs.”
And then, you have Saint Luke’s, where we’re trying to cut down on programs for the sake of programs. You have Saint Luke’s, where we don’t want programs, unless they serve a spiritual purpose—like the Monastic Guild, the Women’s Bible Study, the Sunday Solemn Vespers. And why is Saint Luke’s so—odd? Why is Saint Luke’s going against the grain, refusing to build bigger and better programs to involve more and more members? Because we really are about—discipleship. We are about discipleship, that comes from bearing much fruit. And what is that discipleship? What is the fruit that we are to bear, through which we truly become Jesus’ disciples?
There are many good fruits that we are to bear as disciples—but it all grows out of one thing. Love. We read in First John today, “The commandment we have from God is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also…Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.”
Being disciples, IS all about love. We are called to do lots of things, as disciples, but it all grows out of love. When we love, we are bearing good fruit, and we are being Jesus’ disciples. The Great Commission, for example: go therefore into all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has taught us—grows out of love; our love for all nations and peoples, our love for our Lord, that causes us to want all people in the world to hear the good news of salvation in and through Jesus Christ. To serve as a medical missionary in Africa, for example, is good fruit: but it is good fruit because it grows out of love for the hurting, the hungry, the ill, the dying in our world; it grows out of the love of God that is in us, that calls us to love our neighbor, and our enemy, because He has first loved us. To be a pastor, for example, is, hopefully, to bear good fruit, and be Jesus’ disciple, but you become a pastor, out of love for Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and love for the flock he died to save. Discipleship is all about bearing good fruit, that grows out of, love.
But let me remind you, you don’t have to go to Africa, or be a pastor, or preach the Gospel in China, to bear good fruit, and be Jesus’ disciple. On the contrary, few of us are called to that kind of discipleship. Indeed, it just may be that those grandiose, monumental, public forms of discipleship are secondary, to the discipleship each and every one of us is called to—every day of our lives—that of bearing fruit, by loving those closest to us. I always appreciate Martin Luther, with regard to doing good works—bearing good fruit, who again and again, reminds us that being a pastor or a monk, traveling overseas to spread the gospel are fine things, but the greater challenge, is to love your spouse, to care for your children, to be a respectful and trusting co-worker; to show love in one’s daily speech and actions. In many ways, it would be easier to pack up and go minister among the aborigines in the Outback in Australia, than it is to love and care for your spouse, day after day, without fail, being patient, kind-hearted, and a good listener. In some ways, it might be simpler to spend all your time pastoring a congregation, than to go home and patiently help your kids do their homework, deal with their pot-smoking and running around as teenagers, and try to mold and shape them into faithful Christians. Wouldn’t it be more fun to get involved in the arts and crafts ministry at church every night of the week, rather than have coffee with the person in the cubicle next to you at work, who’s going through a painful divorce? The hardest fruit to bear, as I’ve said before, is often the fruit of loving those closest to us. And yet, that is truly, the greatest challenge, the greatest fruit of all…the greatest form of discipleship--loving daily, our husband, our wife, our children, our next door neighbor, our co-worker. To love those closest to us—to love those we interact with day after day, hour after hour, minute by minute, takes great commitment, and energy, and fortitude. Which is why we’re not into developing program after program after program here at Saint Luke’s. Because that’s not what discipleship is really about. Because we don’t want to drain you and deter you and keep you from, true discipleship—which is, loving one another, because God loves you. Our desire, at Saint Luke’s is to focus on the main things—worship, Christian education, servant-hood—and then send you out, send you home, send you to your families, and friends, and neighbors, and co-workers, with enough energy and life, left, to LOVE! As the scriptures tell us, to love your brothers and sisters—and your enemies, but especially, to love those around you, who need love as well—who need, your love, as well…everyday—all day.
And I suppose I should say, that the new member luncheon, and delivering bread to our visitors, and collecting items for Lutheran Refugee Services, and being a greeter, and working with the Sunday School and youth, are important things, and are discipleship. But only, if they’re done in love. Only if they are truly, fruit that is born, as Jesus’ disciples, to bring glory to the Father. Because that’s—what it’s all about. Love, that is good fruit, that makes disciples, and so, brings glory to the Father in Heaven!
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.