Markers of Discipleship

Proper 9 (Pentecost 4) Year C
July 6, 2025

The Reverend Will Berry

+ Beloved in Christ I speak to you today in the name of the God who leads us towards abundant life; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Please be seated.

I want to start out today’s sermon with a two-part question that I hope will guide us as we reflect on this morning’s Gospel. What are the markers of Christian discipleship, and how do they influence our ministry in the world?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus and his disciples are on the go. As we heard last week, Christ has “fixed his eyes” on Jerusalem and is doing all he can before arriving at his destination. Today we see him sending his disciples out to do the work of God’s Kingdom; to proclaim good news to the poor and to cure the sick and cast out demons. We also hear him acknowledge that the road ahead won’t be easy, and that it might feel a bit like being sheep who are sent out in the midst of wolves.

As one biblical commentator notes, “there’s a lot going on in this scene.” Jesus has selected seventy-some people and has sent them out in pairs into the villages ahead of them. He warns them, rather soberingly, that some of these towns will not accept them—but encourages them not to take it personally. Instead of sending them out with provisions like food and water, Jesus encourages them to rely on the hospitality of strangers.

At the end of today’s Gospel, Jesus also talks about seeing Satan “fall from heaven like lightning” when his disciples tell him that the demons have been submitting to them in his name. He encourages his disciples to remember that they belong to God and that their ultimate prize is in heaven and not in any sort of personal glory, as if it was their own names that the demons were submitting to.

What Jesus essentially offers in today’s Gospel is a roadmap for Christian discipleship, and it’s as much for us as it is for those seventy-some people in Galilee. So let’s go ahead and break down what I think are six markers of discipleship that we find in today’s Gospel. By no means are these comprehensive, but I think they offer us some insight into who we are called to be as we enact God’s ministry in the world.

The first marker of discipleship that Jesus mentions in today’s Gospel is community. If you notice, Jesus begins by sending his disciples out in pairs instead of sending them out on their own. On the one hand, this fulfills ancient Jewish laws around needing two persons to testify and agree on something—in this case, the Gospel. The book of Deuteronomy, for example, says that “a matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). We actually see Jesus reference this later in the Gospel of John when he says “even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid” (John 8:17)

But more than that, sending his disciples out in pairs reminds them of their dependence on each other. It also creates a system of accountability and support as they encourage each other in the work of God’s Kingdom. Friends, this is because discipleship is not a solo journey. It requires community and connection with our siblings in Christ. Without that community and connection, we can become easy prey for those ravenous wolves that Jesus mentions.

The second marker of Christian discipleship that we see in today’s text is vulnerability. Now, this may be a tough one, but notice again how Jesus sends his disciples out with nothing—no purse, no bag, not even a pair of sandals. The only thing he tells them to bring with them is God’s peace—which is the third marker. Now, I don’t know about you, but peace doesn’t usually fill an empty stomach. But Jesus says that the peace the disciples bring with them will be the catalyst for the hospitality they’ll receive. In fact, their entire mission is dependent on it.

It might be strange to think about sending his disciples out in such a state of obvious neediness, but through their reliance on the hospitality of others, Jesus shows his disciples what God’s Kingdom is like. Unlike so many kingdoms of the world, God’s Kingdom is not the kingdom of the self-made man who pulls himself up by his own bootstraps. God’s Kingdom is the Kingdom of neighborliness.

But Jesus warns his disciples that not everyone is going to offer them hospitality, which leads to the next marker of discipleship—discernment. Jesus makes it abundantly clear that his disciples should learn when to recognize that things aren’t working and to move on. He tells them to “shake the dust off their feet,” but to still leave those who have rejected them with the Good News of God’s Kingdom.

Friends, I wonder, how many times have we boiled a pot that’s already been boiled? How many times have we kept doing the same thing, expecting different results? Sometimes, we just need to pack up and move on. And Jesus encourages his disciples to discern when it’s time to do that and when it’s time to linger for a little while longer. To use another metaphor from the Gospels, when a gardener scatters seed on the side of the road, sometimes it’s going to take root and sometimes it isn’t. We shouldn’t take it personally. Our call in those moments is to spread the Good News and move on.

This leads us to the penultimate marker of discipleship that Jesus talks about in today’s lesson, which is humility. Ultimately, the work of discipleship is not about us. Whether people receive us or not, whether we see amazing things happen (or lackluster things), we are not the ones who ultimately get the credit—or the scorn. We are simply messengers for the One who sent us.

As our rector Adam, shared with us last week, one of the most liberating things about the Gospel is the acknowledgment that we are not God—and thanks be to God for that. Ultimately, we are responsible solely for the task that is given to us. We are responsible for showing up, for “putting our hand to the plow” as Jesus said last week, and for persisting even in the face of adversity.

Which leads us to the final marker of discipleship that we find all throughout today’s Gospel; perseverance. Friends, Jesus never tells us that the journey of discipleship will be easy. Sometimes, like in today’s Gospel, he even says that it’s going to be dangerous. But Jesus always promises that God will be with us and that we’ll never be alone. We can keep going knowing that we already have everything we need and that the power of the Spirit has been gifted to us.

So, as we cultivate community and foster vulnerability, as we proclaim peace and encourage hospitality, as we discern what’s working and what isn’t, as we practice humility, and as we persevere through whatever adversity we face, we walk forward together towards the Kingdom of God as we enact and embody God’s beloved community in the world.

Y’all, this has been another tough week in the life of our country. We’re seeing more and more examples of just how much prejudice, indifference, and greed there is in our nation and in some of its leadership. We’re watching as people get snatched up off the street simply for the color of their skin, for their national origin, or because they “look like they belong in a gang.” Building the beloved community of God where everyone has inherent worth, dignity, and value, and where the poor and vulnerable are protected and lifted up feels like an uphill battle—and it is.

But we are reminded today of the people who we are called to be in the midst of all this; a people who are anchored in Christ-shaped community together. In a world of violence and turmoil, we are called to extend God’s peace and to preach Good news to all who will hear. In a world of narcissism and chest-thumping pride, we are called to practice vulnerability and humility, not trusting in our own abilities but in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In a world that no longer seems to know the difference between right and wrong, where children can be ripped from their families and where people can be put in actual cages and joked about being fed to alligators, we are called to practice spiritual discernment and to preach moral clarity; to know what needs to be changed and to shake the dust off our feet when some hearts inevitably can’t be moved. And above all, we are called to persevere; to keep our eyes fixed on that Beloved Kingdom where all things will at last be gathered together in Christ, where there’s room for everyone at God’s table, especially the most vulnerable among us.

No, the work won’t be easy, but it’s never been easy. And yes, sometimes it may even be dangerous. But y’all we are called to do the work, because in Christ, the work is who we are. We are members of one body and we share in one mission; which is to join in with the Holy Spirit of God as she reconciles all things in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So today dear friends, we pray that our lives will be shaped by the characteristics and qualities of Christian discipleship, and we pray for the strength to walk forward together, ever closer towards the beloved Kingdom of God. To quote a hit song from the late 70’s, there ain’t no stopping us now. Just like the seventy disciples, we’ve been sent out, and through the power of God, we’re going to keep moving.

Amen.

© 2025 Will Berry

Image credit: Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash