Matthew 9:35 – 10:8
The 1963 movie Lilies of the Field…
- Obtained a groundbreaking Oscar for actor Sidney Poitier.
- The first African American to win the award.
The story is set in the Arizona desert.
- Poitier portrays an itinerant laborer named Homer Smith.
- Homer pulls off the road…looking for water for his battered car’s radiator.
- There…he discovers a group of impoverished nuns.
- Refugees from war-torn Europe.
- Now eking out a living from the dry soil.
- The Mother Superior believes Homer Smith’s accidental arrival is God’s answer to her prayers…
- For someone who will come and build a chapel of adobe bricks on the ruins of an earlier failed attempt.
Well…Homer sees it differently.
- He asks to be paid for some repairs he made around the primitive convent.
- And he Quotes Luke 10:7:
- “The laborer is worthy of his hire.”
- And Mother Superior responds by quoting Matthew 6:28:
- “Consider the lilies of the field…how they grow…they toil not…neither do they spin.”
As the story progresses…Homer ends up building the chapel.
- He finds a part-time construction job to help pay for materials.
- Like Mother Superior…he also has a dream.
- He wants to be an architect.
- But he exhausts himself with crushing labor in the hot sun.
A crucial scene comes when his dedication inspires many of the Hispanic day laborers in the region to donate materials and labor.
- This leads to a crisis for Homer.
- If he allows others to help…will it still be his accomplishment?
- His pride causes him to quit.
But then…he realizes his skills in design and supervision and motivation.
- The laborers gladly share the back-breaking labor.
- And so…this becomes both his triumph and the community’s accomplishment as well.
When the chapel is completed…Homer quietly drives off: (Singing Amen).
- Well…Homer becomes a figure in local legend.
- The new chapel becomes not only the home for the community’s life of worship…
- But also…the launch pad for schools and hospitals to be part of a growing ministry.
Homer Smith struggled with the idea of working with other laborers.
- OK then…if anyone could ever accomplish everything without the help of others it was Jesus.
- He was able to feed the multitudes by blessing and breaking bread.
- Healing? He did not even need to be present.
Matthew…in today’s reading…is describing not just days…but weeks and months:
- Journeys between cities and villages.
- Hours spent speaking and healing.
- There is no suggestion…as there are in other places…that Jesus failed in any way.
But Jesus compassion leads him to lament to his apostles that the work of the kingdom requires more workers.
- More laborers to bring in the harvest.
- The one who is more self-sufficient than anyone.
- Feels the need for collaborators.
- Which leads to the calling of the twelve apostles…the twelve collaborators.
Why twelve?
- I am not sure…but it seems that Jesus is drawing a parallel between the twelve tribes of Israel…
- And the twelve disciples.
During the era of the great prophets…
- The Assyrians conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and led their 10 tribes into exile.
- Later…the two tribes of the southern kingdom…Judah and Benjamin…
- Were led into exile by the Babylonians.
- A couple of generations later they were permitted to return to their homeland.
- But there was still a feeling of being incomplete.
- Ten tribes were missing.
- These twelve disciples were chosen to show that God’s kingdom is one of wholeness and homecoming.
Today…we as the Body of Christ are meant to represent wholeness and homecoming as well.
- We are complete when we are all together.
- Jesus referred to those of daily life in his teaching:
- Shepherds…sowers…day laborers…homemakers…lawyers…
- Scholars…the rich…the poor…
- Mothers and harvesters.
These are still part of our world…to be sure.
- But our daily lives also include marketers…programmers…truck drivers…mechanics…
- Professional athletes…broadcast television…smartphones…the internet…oh…and so much more.
Well…the teachings of Jesus still apply today.
- And we are meant to share the compassion of Jesus for these “harassed and helpless” sheep.
Among the twelve apostles?
- Militants like Simon the Zealot.
- A tax collector.
- Peter…the betrayer.
Perfection is not a requirement for membership in this body of Christ.
- Nor are our tasks meant to be equal in expenditure of energy or time of commitment.
- We do not have the same skills…the same outlook or the same politics.
In the movie…Lilies of the Field…there was the doubtful owner of a construction company who donated materials for the building of the chapel.
- And then there was the nonbelieving owner of the café.
- There were some who donated chandeliers and stained glass.
- Others became stained with sweat as they carried heavy loads up and down the ramps as the chapel was built.
- Mother Superior was the great overseer.
- And Homer Smith was the brains behind the operation.
- All had something to do.
- All were important workers.
- Some would be remembered.
- Others only recalled as a name mentioned in passing.
But they…like us…all have a part in the great work of Jesus…the Kingdom of God.
- We are called to great ministries.
- We are called to be collaborators.
- We are called to Call out new apostles.
- We are called to mentor each other.
- All together.