March 5, 2008 - "Love is a Verb"

Title: "Love is a Verb"
Text: John 21:1-19
Day: Special Midweek Lenten Service
Date: March 5, 2008

Messiah Lutheran Church has an official mission statement. Can anyone tell me off hand what it is?

“To make the life and teachings of Christ available to all people throughout our community and live a life as our Savior Jesus Christ taught us on a daily basis.”

Mission statements much like this one have become wildly popular among American churches in the last century or so. And, while I have never done an in-depth study on the rise of mission statements in churches, I have a hunch as to why churches began developing them in the first place. It all has to do with American Economics.

You see, businesses have mission statements that try to explain what they sell, to whom they desire to sell it, and why their product is so important. They publicize their mission statements everywhere: on their building, in their product pamphlets, on their business cards…everywhere. And all of this is done in an attempt to let people know precisely what this company is all about. An added benefit, of course, is that it helps the company employees remember what they are all about, too!

Now, in our American culture we have a wonderful thing called “Freedom of Religion.” It is wonderful in that no one is forced to be a Christian or a Buddhist or a Muslim. People have the right to choose their religion, and they get to do so from a smorgasbord of religious groups and organizations available in the United States. The downside to this wonderful Freedom that we have is that Christian denominations have been pretty much forced to compete with one another for members. Freedom of Religion, while I support it whole-heartedly, makes churches act more like businesses trying to attract clients than churches called to nurture disciples.

So, since we have an affinity with big businesses, churches in America began to pick up on this business practice of developing Mission Statements, because they began to see that it gave these companies some sense of direction and purpose. Therefore, more and more churches began to make mission statements of their own. In fact, churches all over the country spend lots of money to specialists who will help a congregation in developing, writing and implementing mission statements specific to that particular congregation.

But here’s the thing about mission statements - at least in my opinion - whether they are written for a business or a congregation: I think mission statements should be superfluous. They are intended to tell people what a particular community or group is all about. They are intended to let people know the identity and purpose behind a particular group or organization. But – ideally – I think these things should be shown by the group’s ACTIONS, and not simply by the WORDS on their pamphlets. In other words, I believe that I should be able to watch what you DO, and that will tell me what you BELIEVE.

I think our story from the Gospel of John is a great example of what I’m talking about here. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus has already been crucified, the women have already found the empty tomb, the resurrected Jesus has already appeared to the disciples two times and both times Jesus had given them a distinct charge to GO. But our story today starts off with the disciples gathered on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias. We get the feeling at the beginning of this story that the disciples are sad, that they are depressed, that they feel lost without their Rabbi. They don’t know what to do now. No one says a word until Peter makes the decision to go fishing. It was what he did before Jesus had called him, after all. It was something he knew how to do. It was something that was comfortable and familiar. But we are told bluntly that they caught nothing all night long. Peter couldn’t even claim to be a fisherman anymore!

Then we get this curious story of the resurrected Jesus appearing to the disciples one more time. With a little helpful advice from their teacher, the disciples catch so many fish that their boat could barely stay afloat. And with that, Peter recognizes this man on the shore as Jesus. He and the rest of the disciples make their way to shore, where they are invited to a scrumptious breakfast of fish and bread.

Peter must have felt better seeing his old friend. He must not have felt so lost anymore. He must have felt like a disciple again. But then, after breakfast, Jesus began to question him.

“Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my lambs…Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.”

“Tend my sheep…Simon son of John, do you love me?”

“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

“Feed my sheep.”

Three times the resurrected Jesus asks Peter to profess his love for him, and three times Peter is able to confidently affirm that love in words. But Jesus is not satisfied only with Peter’s words; Jesus’ responses (“Feed my lambs,” “Tend my sheep,” “Feed my sheep”) all give Peter some way to SHOW his love for Jesus. It was like Jesus was saying, “Show me what you DO, and I’ll tell you what you really BELIEVE.” Jesus was giving Peter his final mission charge by reminding him that LOVE IS BEST USED AS A VERB.

Jesus invites Peter and us to follow his example. Jesus did not just profess his love for people in words; rather, he translated that love into ACTION.

He didn’t simply tell the man with the withered hand that God loves him and send him on his way; his healing touch was an ACT OF LOVE.

He didn’t just blow off the man who was born blind; he restored his sight as an ACT OF LOVE.

He didn’t die upon the cross just to spite the religious leaders and the government officials of the day; his death on the cross was the ultimate ACT OF LOVE.

And so we are invited to follow this example. We are invited to show our love to Jesus through our ACTIONS. By this, everyone will know that we are disciples of Jesus: not by our mission statement, not by the words printed in our newsletter, but by our ACTS OF LOVE. Let us together show the world that LOVE IS BEST USED AS A VERB.

Amen.