Mission Zeal i
Zeal is the eager and ardent interest in the passionate pursuit of something. People are zealous about politics, they
are zealous about their careers, they are zealous about healthy living, and they are zealous about sports teams.
The Israelites were a zealous people. Three months after the Lord had liberated his people from slavery in Egypt by
the dramatic parting of the Red Sea and the resounding defeat of Pharaoh and his army as that same sea then crashed down
on them, the Israelites were understandably feeling rather zealous for the Lord. There camped at the base of Mount Sinai
Moses summons all the elders of the people. Moses tells them that the same God that has just delivered them from slavery in
Egypt has decided that if they obey God fully and keep his covenant, out of all the people of the earth God would make the
Israelites his kingdom of priests and his holy nation. Again the Israelites feeling rather zealous for the Lord respond, “We will
do everything the Lord has said." God responds to their zeal by descending on Mount Sinai. Thunder shakes the heavens
lightening splits the sky, a thick cloud covers the mountain and a loud trumpet blast causes everyone in the camp to tremble.
As the whole of the mountain trembles violently Moses ascends Mount Sinai from the presence of the people. God speaks to
Moses his commands starting with “you shall have no other gods before me”. Moses returns to the people and tells them what
commands God would have them obey. Filled with fear the people zealously yell to Moses, “Everything the Lord has said we
will do” Once again God summons Moses up the mountain, this time God would give him the tablets of stone the
commandments were written on. The people zealously awaited his return.
But Moses was a long time in coming down, 40 days and 40 nights to be exact. It is then that a most incredible thing
happens. The people who had just witnessed the judgment of plagues and the parting of a sea and the shaking of a mountain
at the presence of God almighty, those same zealous people that repeatedly said, “we will do everything the Lord has said”
those people gathered around Aaron and said, “come make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who
brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." How quickly they lost their zeal for the Lord.
What is wrong with those people? How can they be so zealous for the Lord one moment and the next they are
worshiping a golden calf? How can people so quickly lose their zeal? It‟s a good question isn‟t it? The apostle Paul thought it
was such a good question that he asks us the same thing. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians that these things did
not happen so that we can shake our head at the fickle zeal of the Israelites. Paul says, “These things were written down as
warnings for us, So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:11-12)
Today we take this warning of the once zealous turned idolatrous Israelites seriously as we consider our mission zeal.
Because if a people who experienced the things the Israelites did can lose their zeal for the Lord it could happen to anyone.
Thankfully today God puts before us a stark contrast to the idolatrous Israelites. Today we consider two disciples that
are an example of mission zeal. Saint Thaddaeus also known as Saint Jude and Simon the zealot are excellent examples of
mission zeal. Almost nothing is known about Simon. There are two events where his name is mentioned one is the text before
us and the other is the ascension where his name is in the list of those present. Here he is distinguished from Simon Peter by
being called the zealot. Some think that associates him with a terrorist group that fought the Roman occupation. Even if that
were true Jesus uses this passionate personality to be one of his zealous disciples. Jude we know more about. And although
in our text he is not identified as being zealous, all that we have to do is take a look at our second lesson for today and we see
an example of a disciple that was zealous for the truth and purity of God‟s word. He is not afraid to identify godless men and
dangerous false doctrine. In our second lesson we also read, “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the
fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.”
(Jude 22-23) It is clear that Jude also is very zealous for the mission of going to make disciples of all nations.
The question is how do they do it? How are Simon and Jude able to remain zealous for the Lord? What keeps them
from losing their zeal and falling into idolatry like the Israelites? I think we can gain some insight from the gospel lesson that is
before us today. There we read, “1 He [Jesus] called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits
and to heal every disease and sickness. Jesus had asked his disciples to pray that God would provide workers for the harvest
field in the verse right before. Now he sends them out as the workers. And the first thing we who wish to keep our mission
zeal notice is who Jesus sends out. He sends out his disciples; his learners. Jesus taught his disciples before he sent them
out on the mission. In chapter five we get to listen in on one of their lessons as Jesus teaches them a lesson that is now know
to us as the Beatitudes. Jesus understood that if he were to send these guys out without teaching them first they would not
only do damage to the harvest field but their assured failure would cause them to loses their zeal.
For those of us who wish to keep our mission zeal it is imperative that we do the same. We too need to be disciples or
learners of Jesus. We need to spend time with him. In other words, Bible study. In Deuteronomy 6:6-7 we hear God say to
us, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk
about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” God
wants us to be learners of him because he knows there is no better way to create mission zeal in a person then to have them
spend time reading about a God of power who created them, a God of love who disciplines them, a God of mercy who saved
them. If you have not spent much time with Jesus lately then I encourage you to do so today. The more time you spend with
Jesus the more zeal you will have for his mission.
The first thing that we noticed was that Jesus called his learners to him. The next thing those who wish to keep their
mission zeal notice is that he “gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.” Jesus gave
to his disciples power. Man is no match for the unholy trio of the devil, the unbelieving world, and our sinful flesh. There has
never been an intellect that could argue a person into heaven nor has there been a personality that could charm one from a life
of sin. Jesus knew if the disciples went out into the harvest field by their own power they would come back with their tales
between their legs and seriously lacking mission zeal.
For those of us who wish to keep our zeal for the mission we also must go into the harvest field with power - not the
power of an evangelism program, nor a new church, nor a pastor‟s preaching, nor the people‟s personality. We go out with the
power of Jesus. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me therefore Go...” you too have been
given power. Jesus has given to you the power of Word and Sacrament, the Bible and Baptism. Jesus has given to you the
power to make disciples of all nations. Remembering that we are sent with the power of Word and sacrament is another way to
safeguard our mission zeal.
After Jesus lists the names of the zealous apostles like Jude and Simon and gives them a brief description of the
mission field they would be serving we see two more things that can help us to keep our mission zeal. In verse 7 Jesus
instructs, “As you go, preach this message: „The kingdom of heaven is near.‟ This is the same message that John the Baptist
was preaching it is the same message that Jesus had been preaching. Now Jesus sends out his apostles to preach that same
old message. Now no doubt they said more than the kingdom of heaven is near. But the core of the content was simply to
warn people of the consequences of their sin and to point them to Jesus; God‟s promised Savior from sin. The payment for the
world‟s sin was soon to be made on the cross. The kingdom of heaven was near indeed!
Week after week we do the same thing. Week after week we hear the same old message that calls us to repent of our
sins like giving in to the temptation to lose our mission zeal. And week after week we are directed to Jesus our Savior from sin.
Week after week the same message that John the Baptist preached the same message that Jesus preached the same
message that the disciples preached is the same message we preach. Week after week law and gospel is preached. For
those who wish to keep their mission zeal week after week the law shows us our sins and the gospel shows us our Savior.
Week after week God safeguards our mission zeal.
Finally then we read in verse 8 that Jesus encouraged his zealous disciples to be men of reflection. Jesus said,
“Freely you have received, freely give.” So clearly and quickly the Israelites had forgotten what grace they had received from
the God who delivered them from slavery. Jesus encourages his zealous disciples to remember God‟s undeserved love for
them. They were to remind themselves that none of them were anything special none of them were wise, none of them were
influential according to the world‟s standards. They were, for the most part, but poor fishermen. And yet Jesus said to them,
“Come follow me.”
When we take the time to reflect on the kind of people that we were. That we were part of the all that had fallen short
of the glory of God. That not many of us were wise by human standards; not many of us were influential; not many of us were
of noble birth. We were for the most part the average Jane and Joe. And yet Jesus said to you and me, “Come, all you who
are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without
money and without cost.” (Isaiah 55:1)Freely you have received grace from God. Freely you have been washed clean of all
your sins even your sins of zeal-lessness. Freely you are invited to dine at the banquet table of heaven. Remembering that
freely you have received from God makes you zealous to freely give to others. It makes you zealous for the mission.
Losing zeal for the mission can threaten anyone. Even the great church in Ephesus who was sent the letter that read,
“it is by grace you have been saved”, even they were tempted to lose their mission zeal. In Revelation we read, “You have
forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.”
(Revelation 2:4-5) So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!
God be praised in Jude and Simon we have an example of two men who remained zealous for the Lord. And God be
praised we have from Jesus some simple ways to safe guard our mission zeal. Spending time with Jesus, trusting in the power
of His word preaching the gospel and reflecting on his grace for us and for all is how God safeguards your mission zeal. Amen
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Matthew 10:1-8
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Saint Sunday November 1 2009
Pastor Harmon Lewis @ Saving Grace Mobile, AL