August 16, 2020 - Pastor Message
04/20/2024THE YEAR OF DISCIPLESHIP INTERGENERATIONAL DISCIPLESHIP
“And Jesus answered, ‘Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old’” (Matthew 13:52).
Jesus offers this instruction following a series of sayings on the kingdom of God. His sayings call to mind both religious and natural experiences with which the people of his time would have been familiar but also challenge them to see new insights and make new decisions. He gives the same challenge to us.
How often do we hear the same old Bible stories, think of them the same old way, and reach the same, old, tired conclusions, which, interestingly, never really challenge us to do anything different. It’s as if we read our preferred meaning into the biblical texts instead of letting the texts speak God’s truth to us. Yet our faith teaches us that God’s Word is alive, striking to the heart, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing through our narrow vision and preconceptions (Hebrews 4:1213). If we truly encounter God in his Word, there is no way we can walk away the same person. Clay exposed to the flame must take a new form.
So we must be shaped by our encounter with God in his Word. The Word cries out to be heard by all, following Christ’s command: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:1920). To accomplish this mission, we must learn from what has been effective in the past and be willing to learn what could be more effective in the present and into the future. In other words, we must bring from our storeroom both the new and the old.
Regarding the old, there are timeless truths about God and his revelation of himself and his will that do not change, such as the fact that Jesus is the Son of God incarnate and that his story is faithfully recorded in the four gospels. Regarding the new, ever-evolving means of communication require that we adapt our own methods of sharing that story to newer technologies that can reach people in meaningful ways today. The most obvious means today is the internet, whether it be as simple as email or as complex as the latest most popular form of social media. I know that many people out there still resist going online, and I share some of your concerns, especially about social media. To this day, I still do not have a personal Facebook or Twitter account. Having worked in a high school for eight years, I’ve seen firsthand the damage that unchecked social media can do. Yet, if we surrender that space to the enemy, how much more damage can he do? We must find a reasonable and prudent balance between utilizing modern communication technology for good and avoiding the negative aspects.
We simply cannot avoid the internet today and claim to be carrying out the mission Jesus entrusted to us. It’s not as if it were an entirely new and alien technology. The internet has been a reality now for nearly 30 years, and we all use it, whether we realize it or not. If I go to the store and use a credit or debit card, I’m using the internet. If I take my car to the garage, I’m using the internet. If I go to the doctor’s office, I’m using the internet. All of these services are connected to the internet; so why aren’t I?
The only answer, honestly, is sheer stubbornness at this point. So let’s let go of that stubbornness. Let’s embrace the present while still holding firmly to the timeless truths of the past, and let’s help shape the future, with the help of God’s grace, into a world that is more and more like the kingdom of God, by using both the old and the new.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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