Star Trek

Venerable Joan Clark

Matthew 10:1-42

We recently saw the return to TV of yet another “Star Trek” movie. Trekkies are everywhere. There are trekkie conferences, and trekkie clubs. And still millions flock to the movies to see the new generation of “Jim” and “Spock,” “Bones,” and “Scotty” venture into unknown space. Star Trek was one of the first shows to have a diverse cast and to ask questions about what it means to love, to explore and respect other peoples and territories, to assist others different from ourselves, to venture forth on a mission of compassion and brotherhood/sisterhood.

You can hear it now, can’t you? The beginning music of Star Trek and William Shatner’s narrative voice: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

What has so fascinated us with this movie. What still tugs on our heart-strings when we hear those venturous words? There’s something about a mission into the unknown, something about the characters’ dedication and loyalty that makes us wish we were only so brave, so noble.

Perhaps you are more noble and brave than you think! Jesus’ disciples certainly were. Like Star Fleet, they too ventured out into unknown territory, often hazardous territory in search of the lost, the bewildered, the strayed, the sick, and they brought them back on the “disciple-ship” of life.

When you go out into any unknown territory, you will always run into some kind of adventure, and sometimes that adventure will be dangerous. You may need help from God to navigate the way. But “go” you do! Why? Because that’s your mission!

Like the ground-breaking show Star Trek, which had a mission of its own, we too, as disciples of Jesus, have a mission. And it’s a serious one. It’s a mission to “go”! “To explore every new town, healing its sick, exorcising its demons, warning its wayward, rescuing its lost. To go in the name of Jesus where no one yet has dared to go.” “To prepare the way.” “To prepare for Jesus’ coming!” It requires loyalty, faith, daring, courage. It requires the kind of person we all want to be. The kind of people we, as followers of Jesus, ARE.

And we too are called to “go!”

And why not? Without “going,” we cannot forge new paths like the starship Enterprise, or discover new worlds and life-forms, as star fleet’s mission commands. Without “going,” the Jewish people never would have left the slavery of the Egyptians to follow God to the promised land. Without “going,” Abraham never would have left Haran. Nothing happens without some significant “going” involved. And without “going,” we cannot move forward in our faith, spread the good news of the gospel, and make it to God’s promised kingdom.

We need to “go,” trusting that God will lead us, knowing there will be some troubles, but also knowing that “where we are” will never be sufficient for our lives and our hearts. And we never go alone.
For Christians, Jesus is our guiding star. Just as God was always there for the Jewish people, leading the way through deserts and across rivers, so too is Jesus with every disciple who goes out into the world to proclaim God’s coming kingdom.

Every disciple is both follower and proclaimer! Every disciple is obedient even as he or she calls others into obedience to the One True God.

“Turn this way” is the cry of the prophets! You’re turning the wrong way! You’re going down the wrong path. You’re headed in a direction that will get you into trouble. Follow me. I will lead you homeward. This is the mission of a dedicated disciple. We lead homeward to God those who are “lost in space.”

Jesus disciples go out from town to town, proclaiming the good news of the coming kingdom of God! It’s coming! they cry. Get ready! Let us help you be ready!

For those who are downtrodden, the prophetic message of the disciples is better than “good news!” Already Jesus’ disciples are healing the sick, and restoring the weary. For those who have been doing ill, the good news is a “sign of hope!” “We can help you find your way!” “Let Jesus be your guiding star!” For those who scoff, the disciples’ message is a message of warning! “Stop! Turn around! You are heading the wrong way!

Being a disciple of Jesus is like promising to be a kind of compass to those who can no longer find their way. It’s opening the eyes of the blind, and unplugging the ears of the deaf. Following Jesus means you also have a prophetic mission to save all you can! “Go!” Jesus says. “Go into an unknown world, into unknown places, find those who are lost, and bring them home to God!”

There are so many stories of prophets in the Hebrew scriptures. They are the often unappreciated, unheeded voices of scripture, trying desperately to take God’s voice to those who will not or cannot hear it. And yet God tries again and again, again and again to reach every single person. God will leave no stone unturned in this mission to bring the people of YHWH home to their beautiful garden place in relationship with God. This is Jesus’ mission. And now it’s yours.

Whether Nathan or Elijah or Moses or Noah, or the many other prophets who spent their lives saying, “Let us help you find the way”, the final decision is up to those “with ears to hear.”

All you need to do is “go” and give the “good news,” give Jesus’ message of hope to everyone you meet.” Some will listen. Some won’t.

For those towns who won’t hear you, Jesus says to his disciples, “kick the dust off of your feet at them, and move on.” In the language of the Romans, you might say instead, “wash your hands of them.” Jesus “kicks the town of Bethsaida to the curb.” And he “leaves them in the dust.”

What does this mean? Jesus tells us. He says to those cities that “even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you!”

In our language of today, it’s kind of like saying, “There’s a hurricane coming. It’s time to evacuate. It’s time to come inside with me. Please don’t stay out in the storm. There’s a place of rest, of feasting, of warmth, of safety. Trust me. Come with me.

If some won’t listen to you, at least you’ve tried your best. Even Star Fleet can’t save them all. Even Jesus couldn’t reach every town or every person.

So, don’t worry about how many you can pick up on the way with the two hands and feet you have –only worry about “going” in the right direction.

YOU have a mission.

Jesus knew that God’s mission would be soon fulfilled –soon God’s presence would be known in the lives of many. It could never be too soon to repent, and turn back to God, Jesus said. He knew, the time would come for every one of them when they would need to make a decision. Life is short. And time goes quickly.

When the last days arrive, Jesus told his disciples, there would be the separation of wheat from chaff, the blessing of some and the judgment of others. Those who have been downtrodden into the dust will be lifted out, says the psalmist (113). Those who have lived high on the hog will be “dusted,” says the Deuteronomist (Deuteronomy 28:24).

In Paul’s language, the grave awaits those who turn away from God. But those who follow Jesus will have everlasting resurrection life! They will be lifted up!

It’s your job as one of Jesus’ “star fleet” to give the everlasting Life of Jesus to as many as you possibly can, to lift out of the dust every one you can lift, to leave no stone unturned in the search to save God’s people.

There’s an urgency to Jesus’ voice in this scripture today. He sees that his time is limited, and he needs to save as many as he can. He will need his disciples to help. As Jesus’ disciples too, you are the prophets who hear the call of the ram’s horn! Who hear the call of Jesus’ voice. It’s a call to urgency, a call to prayer, a call to mission, a call to go out into the unknown and to carry Jesus’ message to a hurting and confused world.

And for Jesus, everyone is worth it!

Jesus is depending on you to be a prophet for someone who needs to hear his call!

You aren’t just someone out there wandering around aimlessly not knowing what to say. YOU are someone’s Noah! YOU are someone’s Moses! YOU are someone’s Jeremiah! YOU are someone’s Nathan!

Look…..following Jesus isn’t easy! Jesus’ disciples were sent into the world like lambs among wolves! They were at the mercy of those they proclaimed to. It was never an ideal job to be God’s prophet, especially when you had to tell people things they didn’t want to hear. Being a prophet was a risky business. IS a risky business. But the reward of God’s kingdom is so very sweet, and so very beautiful.

All you have to do is keep on moving. And that’s really Jesus’ message for you. It’s a “war zone” out there. Just keep on saving, keep on proclaiming, keep on helping, keep on healing. Just keep on moving along with the most amazing good news in the world. Because every person is worth it!

Have any of you kids seen the movie, “Finding Dory”? Well, in that movie, Dory (a blue fish) has a lot of trouble remembering things, but she eventually finds her way home, because she just “keeps on swimming.” Just keeps on “going” no matter what happens. She always finds a way to do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said.

As disciples of Jesus, we too need to keep on swimming. It’s rough out there. Jesus doesn’t promise us an easy road as a prophet for His kingdom or a bearer of the gospel. Jesus doesn’t imagine that everyone will listen or that everyone will even be nice. But Jesus does promise us that the end of our journey will always end up in God’s kingdom, along with all of those we’ve saved along the way. And what a grand feast that will be!

We are Jesus’ group of earthly guides for people who are lost. We are the ones who see the way. Because Jesus IS the Way, the Truth, the Life. And our life is made to go this way with Him!”

Is it easy to make those proclamations in a world filled with doubters and haters? You bet it’s not. But just as when Jim and Scotty and Bones and Spock return triumphant and victorious to earth after another one of their awesome missions, you too will be filled with joy when you see the lives you have saved and the joy you have brought to others by helping them back to Jesus.

You have a mission in life as one of Jesus’ chosen people, one of His needed helpers. “Go!” “Keep on going.” “Proclaim Jesus’ good news to everyone you can!” Be Jesus to even one person in your life, and your life will never be the same!
 
Bishop Peter sums this passage up by saying: you and I, when we walk into a shop, visit another home, welcome someone into our home, write a letter to the newspaper, join a protest march, make some soup for a sick friend, etc, are the presence of Jesus today in the world. That is awesome—awesome privilege and awesome responsibility. Ian writes, “the presence and power of Jesus are made real in his followers.” May it be so for each of us.