A Sermon by Bishop Munib Younan: On the occasion of Adrainne Gray's consecration as deacon

Today's post features a guest sermon by Bishop Munib Younan, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land. It was preached for our joint service of the English-speaking and Arabic-speaking congregations of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Jerusalem on 17 September 2017.

(Note: in the ELCA, deacons are "consecrated." In the ELCJHL, they are "ordained.")

All the photos are by Ben Gray. You can see more photos of the day (and of the ministries of the ELCJHL) at http://www.elcjhl.org/links/photos/

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Photo by Ben Gray/ELCJHL

Sermon for the Ordination of  
Ms. Adrainne Gray as deacon

Preached by Bishop Munib Younan

Luke 17:11-19, “Service and Gratitude”

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

This morning we heard that when our Lord Jesus was on the road between Samaria and Galilee, he entered a village, and ten lepers approached him. They called out to him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus did not know them. He did not know anything about them. He did not ask their gender, or their race, or their religion. He did not ask them to first get a permit, or a note from the doctor, or to provide references from their employers. He knew all he needed to know: They were sick, and needed to be healed. Therefore he said to them all, without discrimination: “Go, and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were healed. All ten of them were healed!

This morning, as we are gathered to witness the ordination of our sister Adrainne into the ministry of diakonia, this Gospel lesson is very important for us. Jesus did not hear the cries of the ten lepers and then choose to heal only the deserving ones, only the polite ones, or only the sickest ones. His love, his mercy, and his healing are for all.

In the same way, the servant of God is not picky about who to

serve. When our Lord calls us to follow him, and sends us to be his hands and feet in the world today, he expects us to follow the same ethic. As the American Catholic activist and writer Dorothy Day once said, “The Gospel takes away our right forever, to discriminate between the deserving and the undeserving poor.” The love of God in Christ Jesus is for every human being—man and woman, black and white, rich and poor, local and international, citizen and non-citizen, friend and enemy, occupier and the occupied.

When we read about the commissioning of the first deacons in the 6^th chapter of Acts, we notice that the office of deacon was not meant to be a position less than the ministry of the Word, but a complementary one. The ministry of service was vital to the ongoing mission of the early church. The twelve could not accomplish their calling without the deacons, and vice versa. It was only through their equal partnership that the church could feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, and care for the widows and orphans, and at the same time teach and preach. As a result of their faithful accompaniment in mission, we read in Acts 6 verse 7: “The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

Dear Adrainne, we give thanks this morning that you have heard the call of God on your life, and that you have answered. When you said to the Lord, “Yes, I will follow you and I will serve your people,” I’m sure you never imagined God would bring you to Jerusalem! But as Jesus did not discriminate between the ten lepers who asked for healing, a deacon must also be ready to serve all who are in need, wherever they are in the world. And here you are! The Lord has opened your heart to the Palestinian people, and to our church, and we welcome you.

You have been sent here among us as a missionary, and a very special kind of missionary—one who has been sent to share the Gospel not only at the pulpit, but also in the world. But, in fact, we have suffered greatly from more narrow understandings of mission. In the past, missionaries have come to this place only to impose systems of belief or cultural values. They have brought us colonial ideas and have called it healing. We have no need of this kind of mission today.

But today when Adrainne is ordained, we welcome her as a missionary who will share the Good News through service. She will preach through her hands, her feet, and her open heart. This is the ministry of diakonia which our Lord has established, and to which every believer is called—service to the poor, to the oppressed, and to all who are in need.

In our world today we speak often about “prophetic diakonia.” In our understanding, this diakonia is more than charity or alms-giving. Prophetic diakonia is not only serving those who are oppressed but challenging the systems of oppression. It is not only feeding the poor, but lifting up the poor so they can stand on their own feet, that they may be able to sustain their own futures. It is not only giving material help to alleviate suffering, but also courageously standing against the powers and principalities which perpetuate such suffering. As followers of Jesus today, and as the global church, we are called to this prophetic diakonia.

Photo by Ben Gray/ELCJHL

When we think about the story of Jesus and the ten lepers, it is interesting to note that after they got what they wanted, they were so gratified they forgot to thank the Healer. Only one of them—the Samaritan, who was considered a stranger and even an enemy—remembered to come and thank Jesus for the healing he received.

Dear Adrainne, as you take on this new role as deacon in the church, do not expect that many will thank you for your service. Experience shows us that we humans are most of the time like the other nine lepers! As we read in Luke 17 verse 18:

“Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’”

We are often lacking gratitude to God for the gift of grace we have received, and we definitely lack gratitude for those who serve among us. We prefer whining, complaining, and criticizing over thanking or blessing.

Adrainne, your service will often go unnoticed. People will forget you. They will even criticize you. They will get the healing they need and then you will never again see their faces.

But we do not serve to be thanked for our efforts, and we do not preach to receive compliments for our beautiful words. We do not answer the call in order to receive special stoles or pins on our shirts.

We serve because Jesus served. We share the Word because it has changed our lives. And we love, because he first loved us.

Dear Adrainne, as you receive the deacon’s stole and pin today, be encouraged. Although you may not receive many thanks, remember that this sign of your calling is also the sign that you are not in this alone. When God calls, God qualifies and equips. You are not only sent, but strengthened for this service. The love of God in Christ is with you. And the church is also with you!

Your calling is but one part of our communal call as the global church of Jesus Christ. Together, each in our own way, we are fulfilling God’s mission to feed the hungry, to care for the orphan and the widow, to liberate the oppressed and occupied, and to bring about God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

We give thanks for your willingness to answer the call among us. May God bless you, and may God bless your ministry, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

Photo by Ben Gray/ELCJHL