Wingham United Church

June 14, 2026

Our Mission – Should We Choose to Accept It

Matthew 9:35-10:20

        Not long after Jesus taught and fed the crowd of thousands at what we now know as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ ministry continues to draw great crowds. The people are anxious to hear his message of hope. Many come to be healed of their various ailments. Others are simply curious, seeking entertainment and wondering what miraculous deed Jesus will perform next. There are others in the crowd waiting to hear what Jesus will say next. While many see Jesus as a possible saviour, there are others who view him as a threat. Whatever their reason, there are always many people gathered around.

          Jesus looks out upon the crowds and feels a sense of deep sadness, born of compassion. His people, God’s chosen people, are lost. Those entrusted with caring for them, for shepherding God’s people, have failed them. Now, they cling to this new vision being offered. They have been starving for such spiritual nourishment and enlightenment. Jesus sees this and realizes that even he can’t do it all alone. There are just too many that need to hear the good news and too many that need healing for him to reach them all. He needs help, and he asks God to provide the workers.

          As is often the case when we pray to God for help, it has already been provided. Jesus already has twelve disciples who have heard everything he has told the people and seen all he has done. So, he empowers them to do the work that needs to be done and sends them out to carry on his mission.

          This passage is often referred to as Jesus’ Missionary Discourse. It is seen as a model for how his disciples of every age should serve God. That means us. That means everyone in the church today should be listening to Jesus’ words. This is as much our mandate as it is for the twelve men named in this scripture.

          His first instruction seems curious in our time. The disciples are to go only to the people of Israel – God’s lost sheep. Gentiles and Samaritans are to be avoided. It isn’t until after Christ’s death and resurrection that the disciples are instructed to share his message of salvation with anyone other than the people of Israel. People today wonder why. It seems odd, until we remember our First Testament readings when Israel is so frequently identified as those to whom the world will come for guidance. God’s chosen people were to be the light for the whole world, so it makes perfect sense that Jesus would begin with them.

          That is, perhaps, something we in the church today should consider. Everywhere I go, I find churches that wonder how they can attract new people. Most don’t want to change anything in the way they are used to operating. They just hope that new people will suddenly show up at their door and join them. We here at Wingham United have been blessed in recent months to have several people do just that, and for that, we are very grateful. We are also aware, however, that it isn’t something that happens very often.

          So, what should we do? My advice is not to focus on attracting new people, but on bringing back the old ones we have lost. Like Jesus sent the twelve out among the people Israel, one for each of the tribes of Israel, we should also be reaching out to those closest to us: families, friends, and neighbours. People often tell me how important their church is to them, and how their week seems incomplete if they miss worship on Sunday morning. It makes me feel good to hear those things, but perhaps it would do better if we told other people. Share with your children what your community of faith means to you. Why do you come here, and why do you think they should come with you? Give to others as freely as you have received. When we bring back those who call this “their church,” others will follow. We won’t have to wonder how to attract new people, we already will.

          Jesus’ next instruction to his disciples is also perplexing. He is sending them out on a trip. They will travel long distances on foot, yet he tells them not to take any money, or even a change of clothes. They are to trust in the gratitude and hospitality of those they go to serve and not on their own resources. That requires a lot of faith. It also compels them to do what they are sent out to do. If they arrive at a town with enough resources to book a room for the night, they are likely to do so. If, however, lodging for the night and food to eat depends on them finding a willing ear and a grateful host, they are more likely to get down to work and do what they are there to do.

It also humbles them. These disciples are not like any of the modern-day televangelists who live in multimillion dollar mansions and are driven to church in a limousine. These are humble, ordinary people like the ones they hope to encounter on their journey. Their only reward for following Christ’s call is the contentment of receiving their daily bread and the fulfillment of knowing they have made a difference in the life of another.

          Jesus goes on to tell them that when they arrive at someone’s home and are invited in, to give their host the benefit of the doubt. Bless the home and those who live within it. If things don’t go well, you can take back the blessing later, but you are far more likely to succeed in your mission if you begin by expecting it to go well. Go in thinking positively and good things are far more likely to happen.

          It won’t always work out, however. There will be times when you do everything right, but the other person is just not ready to hear what you have to say or to accept it. Don’t argue or fight. Say what you came to say, and if the other does not accept it, walk away. To knock the dust from your feet means to leave it behind and move on. Don’t feel like you have failed. Don’t worry or obsess over the other person’s refusal to listen. Just let it go.

          Sometimes, all you can do is plant seeds. Give the other person something to think about, to ruminate on. Given time, perhaps they will see the wisdom in what you shared. Sometimes, you open a door for someone else to finish what you began. Let go and let God. Arguing or trying to force another to believe what you believe only angers the other and strengthens their resolve.

          The church has a long history of ignoring that advice. Throughout our history, the church has engaged in coercion and even war to try to force others to do as they want them to do. It has proven disastrous, and the current decline of the Christian church is evidence that forced conversion is not conversion at all; that love demanded is not really love.

          Just as Jesus sent his disciples out as sheep among wolves, we are being sent out to share a message many people don’t want to hear. The world has programed so many to think a certain way, to be and act a certain way, and change is difficult. Change means accepting that you may have been wrong, and we are all too proud to accept that easily.

          I know people who have memorized their responses to challenges to their faith. They have carefully scripted what they will say to those they wish to convince that the Christian way is the best way. Jesus tells his disciples to avoid that tactic. Scripts don’t work. Well-practiced speeches rarely convince anyone. What gains people’s trust and opens their minds to what you have to share with them is speaking from the heart, saying the words the Holy Spirit gives you in that moment. That is where our truth comes from.

          To see a resurgence in the life of the church, and, far more importantly, to see those we care about adopt a life of faith, we need perseverance and patience, and a willingness to be vulnerable in sharing why we believe they should hear what we wish to tell them and take it to heart.

          My title for this message is reminiscent of the Mission Impossible movies, but I don’t think our mission is impossible. We have someone so much better than Tom Cruise to lead us to a successful outcome. Jesus never said it would be easy, but the rewards we are promised, in our own lives and in those we will touch through our efforts, are far greater than anything we could ever give up in the attempt to share our faith with those we love. And when the mission seems lost, we know we can trust Jesus to save us.

          Rev. Colin Snyder, MDiv