First United Methodist Church
July 14th, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Shadow Missions
Most of you have probably heard of the term, “Going Viral.” It’s when one person shares something that someone does or says, and then the person they shared it with shares it with someone else, and they do the same, over and over again. One becomes two, becomes four, becomes eight, becomes sixteen, etc.
The truth is, whatever happens in today’s world, it’s like the news spreads and it spreads fast across the globe in minutes. It’s one of the luxuries of our modern era. But in the days of Jesus if news was going to spread like that, if it was going to go viral, it went viral through hearsay, through gossip and through the rumor mill. One friend told another and she told her best friend and her servant overheard it and told his master and then runners were sent to various places to tell the story of what was going on.
And once the message began to spread it was subject to all this interpretation and speculation, just like in our day. That’s what’s happening in this passage.
Jesus has been traveling about the countryside teaching and healing and performing miracles and he has developed quite a following. People travel with him and everywhere he goes, news about his activities is shared with anybody who will listen. And now this news has reached Herod, the ruler, the Tetrarch of Galilee. As people keep talking about all this good stuff that has been going on, Herod traces back the source and the name Jesus of Nazareth keeps coming up. The question that is being asked all over town is really the question of this gospel: “Who is this guy?”
Nobody in Herod’s circle knows who Jesus is, but they do know that he has a following and that these followers are beginning to declare their allegiance not to Herod and not to Caesar, but to Jesus. This is a defining point in the gospel because Mark is setting up a conflict, or a collision between the kingdom of this world and the Kingdom of God.
Mark’s original readers would have been familiar with the history and hypocrisy of Herod. And they would have immediately recognized the difference between a Kingdom administered by someone like Herod and a Kingdom administered by Jesus. And that’s what we need to see also.
Let’s think about it:
Jesus had disciples. Herod had soldiers.
Jesus serves and humbles himself. Herod is arrogant and rules with an iron fist.
Jesus prays for and blesses those who persecute him. Herod kills his enemies.
Jesus lifts up those who are in low positions and tries to give them dignity. Herod tramples over people like that.
When Jesus blesses and heals people, he often keeps it a secret between himself and that person. Herod advertises his power and generosity every chance he gets.
The question imbedded in all of this is which kingdom is going to win out? Which kingdom is going to get our allegiance ultimately?
Everybody sitting here is probably going to say, “Well the Kingdom of God, of course.”
And this is where I say, “Beware of your shadow mission.”
And you may be thinking, “What is a shadow mission?”
We all have them. Herod had a shadow mission. John had a shadow mission. Even Jesus had a shadow mission. And so do we.
A Shadow Mission is when we start to take the leadership away from Christ and we use our gifts to serve ourselves rather than God. It’s when we emphasize our rights, rather than working toward a compromise that might serve the greater good. It’s not a complete 180 degree turn from our call. It’s more like a 10-15 degree turn in the wrong direction. But the gap widens over time.
Think about what happens when you use a compass. If you are just one degree off course, at first you can’t really notice, but if you continue to walk for a mile one degree off course, you will end up nowhere near the place you intended to travel.
You see, each one of us is called to be a disciple. We’re each given gifts and we are called to use our gifts throughout the world for the sake of other people as we do good work and cultivate relationships to fulfill the mission that Christ has laid before us. It’s our purpose. We cannot live without a purpose.
Therefore, if we don’t pursue the mission for which God designed and gifted us, we will find a substitute. A shadow mission is when we are tempted to use our gifts for other purposes, and it leads us off our true path in the direction of selfishness or comfort or arrogance.
John had a shadow mission. His mission was to prepare the people for Jesus. But he also had a baptism ministry and it was growing. At one point he was tempted to just keep growing his ministry. He could have worked to become more influential than Jesus or he could fulfill his mission of preparing the world for Jesus and then step aside. He had a choice to make. Am I going to be jealous? Or am I going to allow myself to become a part of a bigger story?
Jesus had a shadow mission and that was to be a messiah without suffering. That was what the temptation in the dessert was all about. You don’t have to be hungry. Turn these stones into bread. Bow down and worship me (Satan) and I’ll give you this whole world. You don’t have to suffer, just call on the angels to rescue you.
Jesus and John rejected their shadow mission and remained true to their call from God.
Herod’s shadow mission was his self-image. As a Jewish King he should have been leading his people in developing a strong spiritual life in the midst of the Roman occupation. Instead, he’s having a party for himself. He has invited all of his friends. This isn’t because he is a generous person. It’s because he wants to show off his wealth and gain power. When he tells his step-daughter he will give her anything she wants, he’s showing off his power. When he grieves because she asks for John’s head on a platter, it isn’t because he really cares that much about John; it’s because he’s worried about how John’s followers will react. Every time Herod makes a decision in this passage, he has an opportunity to repent and accept his mission for the Kingdom of God, but instead he rejects it and cuts off John’s head.
All human work is meant to be rooted in what God is doing. While most of us are not as powerful or as evil as Herod, we all can be unintentionally derailed from our original mission, which is then replaced by our shadow mission. Our primary mission is [what?] – to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
That’s what Jesus did. He traveled around Galilee making disciples by preaching and teaching and healing wherever he found himself. But if we look closely at Christ’s method, or his procedure, or his step-by-step manual – that’s this (hold up a Bible), folks – what we see is a man who stops what he is doing when he encounters somebody and takes a moment to pour God’s love and grace into them.
We are equipped to do that too. Our mission begins with love. We are to pour God’s love and grace into people wherever we find them. Our shadow mission tempts us to question which people should receive God’s love.
I spent part of my week last week livestreaming the Northcentral Jurisdictional Conference – that’s the conference where they elect, retire, and appoint bishops. Two bishops retired. Both bishops were African Americans. Both of these Bishops were old enough to have lived in our country during a time in which they were treated as if they were less than human. And yet, they grew up focused on Christ, filled with love and grace, and to be elected as a bishop, that vessel has to be really big, and they were able to serve God and us in a capacity that very few are able to accomplish.
Imagine growing up in a world where you don’t feel fully human.
Over the past few weeks, we have heard some different thoughts on cultivating joy. One of the best ways to battle our shadow mission is to focus on joy.
When we do that we begin to realize that the mission that really matters is casting the vision of how good God is and how blessed I am or you are and even they are to be a child of God.
Christ is our light, and we are a city on hill shining that light. Think about what happens when you get closer to a bright light. Your shadow shrinks.
Once we embrace that, God’s kingdom becomes real, and we are able to live in meaningful relationship with one another. Christ becomes not only the center of our lives, but the focus of our mission.
Great things are accomplished. People’s lives are changed. The hungry are fed. The poor are cared for. And a little bit of God’s kingdom gets planted and grows on earth. Let’s pray:
Invitation to Discipleship
God’s love for you is real and alive in your hearts today. As you leave here, go in peace, knowing that Christ, the Lord of Love and Life is with you. Bring God’s peace to each and every person that you meet. AMEN.
