Pentecost 5 Matt. 10:24-39 6/19/05

It’s Not Easy Being Green

Kermit was born in Leland, Miss., in the 1950's. He wasn’t originally a frog, or probably even green. Jim Henson, the creator of all the muppets, first made him out of his mother’s old coat and a ping pong ball. Over time, Kermit developed into the very recognizable frog that we know today. He can sing and play the banjo. He has a job as a reporter. And he has relationships that matter to him and to those Kermit cares about.

At some point, Jim Henson gave Kermit a song to sing, called "It Isn’t Easy Being Green". In the song, Kermit expresses his wish that he was something other than green, something more to his liking. Over the course of the four verses though Kermit comes to see the benefits of being who he is and accepts himself. Over time, Kermit comes to see the blessings in being green and can show his thanks for it.

As I was reading the Gospel for this Sunday some misbegotten brain cell fired up and popped Kermit and his theme song into my consciousness. The thought came to me that it isn’t easy being green and it isn’t easy being a Christian disciple either. At the time when this Gospel was written, persecution had begun. People were being hauled into court, tortured and executed for being Christians. Families were being split apart. Discipleship was proving to be very costly. It was a scary time and some Christians were abandoning the faith.

The writer of Matthew doesn’t try to sugar-coat the idea of what it means to be a Christian. To be a Christian means being a disciple. Being a disciple means taking on the same mission and the same risks as Jesus. It means putting the Self - one’s ego, one’s will, one’s pride, ones’ comfort, one’s wishes/preferences even - aside, and seeking to do God’s will just like Jesus did.

And you know what? The very fact that these words of Scripture have survived over two thousand years means that to be a Christian today means being a disciple. And being a disciple today also means taking on the same mission and the same risks as Jesus. It still means putting the Self - one’s ego, will, pride, comfort, wishes - aside, preferring to do God’s will just like Jesus did.

It’s funny; when I looked at the lessons for today I couldn’t for the life of me imagine how I could bring Father’s Day into my sermon. But, as I wrote this sermon I came to see that this is a perfect lesson for a day that lifts up fatherhood.

Father’s are to be models and examples for their children. And what better modeling can a man do than live out his call to discipleship with courage and dedication. What more can a father do to deserve a special day of celebration than to set an example for his children by putting aside his Self by attending church regularly, by engaging in Bible study and prayer, by using his gifts in service to God, by risking his comfort through witnessing to co-workers and friends, by making his pleasures and wants secondary to doing God’s will?

And, this is not a little once-a-year Father’s Day sacrifice, nor is it limited to fathers or even to men. We are all called to lose our lives every day as Jesus’ disciples.

Some are called in big ways such as the ELCA pastor who has given up a part of his life to go to Jerusalem and serve an English speaking congregation there. Or there is the Palestinian organist he met whose church and weekday work are on one side of the wall that Israelis built, and whose home is on the other side. He waits at least two hours every day at army check points for permission to go to his job. What a temptation it must be to bypass the waiting on Sunday by just staying home in bed.

There is also the man who risked his livelihood, and even losing all he had, by refusing to take part in an unethical business deal. His belief that he was called to witness to his faith by standing up to a boss who insisted on using below grade materials in houses they were building cost him his job.

There is the man I know who though old enough to enjoy a well earned retirement continues to work both for pay and otherwise, but finds time to serve in various way at church too. There’s the man who told his prospective employer before he took a long sought job that he couldn’t work certain shifts because he was needed at church. There’s the older woman who has her share of aches and pains and would be justified in seeking to be served by others, but has chosen instead to have a life filled with serving others.

And then there are all the men (and women and young people) who could sleep in, go fishing, mow the lawn or do something else on a Sunday, but come to church instead. There are all the teachers and helpers in Sunday school and VBS, all the women in the WELCA, all the singers and bell ringers, cooks and cleaner uppers, altar guild members, acolytes and crucifers, gardeners and fix-it men, committee and council members, who sacrifice themselves in service to God.

Finally, there are all the unknown people who take up their crosses each day by inviting people they know to church or helping someone in the name of Christ. These are disciples. These are people who have responded to Jesus’ call, who don’t mind being different from others in a society where church is not considered relevant. These are people who throw off the modern motto of "what’s in it for me?" in preference for "what can I do for my Savior?".

And what of others - people who don’t want to be bothered with church, people who put Self first, people who don’t choose to follow Jesus even though they know what He did for them? What will happen when the day comes that they stand before the Father in heaven? Jesus’ words are harsh: He will not acknowledge them. Does this mean that they won’t be saved? No, we are saved entirely by faith in Christ and nothing we do or don’t do will effect that.

But can you imagine standing before God and suddenly, finally understanding what salvation by grace means, finally realizing what a sacrifice Jesus made for us and how often we just blew Him off. How being in relationship with Him through discipleship could have changed our lives? In fact, we will all stand there that day, and no matter how good we may have been, we will realize how unworthy we are to be called disciples of Christ. Christians.

None of us, not you and not me, can brag about being worthy. I am all too aware of the times each day when I have failed in my calling as a Christian, when I have put ME first, when I have refused to submit to God’s will, when I have sought comfort and pleasure over service, when I have shied away from witnessing to my faith, when I have betrayed my Lord. And I’m sure that when you reflect on your sins of omission as well as commission you see much the same failure.

Let Jesus words drive us not to despair, but to our knees. Let us confess our sins and be truly relieved as we hear our absolution. Then let us recommit to being Jesus’ disciples once again.

We don’t have to go through some extraordinary conversion experience where we decide to give up everything to follow Christ. We don’t have to become missionaries in a foreign country or sell all we own so we can open a mission in some inner city neighborhood. We don’t have to stop playing golf or having things that make life more enjoyable. We don’t have to make any major changes.

All we need to do is make the effort to become more aware of who we are - Christians, disciples of the One who gave His all for us. Then, commit to sacrifice just a few extra minutes each day to live out your discipleship. This may be taking time to read Scripture and pray more, doing a kindness for someone or telling someone what Jesus means to you. Finally, consider how you fit into the body of Christ, the Church, and perhaps commit an additional hour a week to worship, Bible class or some service project here.

If you do this, like Kermit, I think you’ll find the blessings in who you are and feel the joy that leads to a thankful heart and life. In time, you’ll find that though it may not be easy being green, God makes it easy being a Christian disciple.

As a reminder of what you are and to give you an opportunity to witness to your discipleship, I’ve made up stickers. Pick a day when you will be around other people and affix your sticker to your blouse or shirt. When others ask you what it means, tell them, "It’s not easy being green and sometimes it’s not easy being a disciple, but I’m grateful Jesus called me to be so." Amen.