A Volunteer Church?

When someone glances around our place of assembly, they see a lot of volunteers: volunteers to clean the building, bring food for the needy, pictures of work-days with many happy volunteers. What about Jesus and his church? Are they volunteer? I do not find the word “volunteer” in the Gospels but there are some answers to the question. Consider Matthew which we explored in class last Sunday.

Jesus calls four men to “follow me” and they do (4:18ff). Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom throughout Galilee. He heals many and people from all over the area followed him (4:23-35). Seeing the “crowds” Jesus went up on a mountain and sat down to teach about the kingdom of God. His disciples are the primary audience but the crowds are listening over their shoulders. He ends with a call to obedience to his teaching and the crowds are astonished. Coming down from the mountain great crowds follow him (7:28-8:1).

What shall we make of the crowds? Are they volunteers? Perhaps we should call them “seekers” (6:33). Jesus ministers to a wide variety of them (Mt. 8 & 9). When Jesus saw the crowds, harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd (9:36), He called his twelve disciples, empowered them, and sent them to labor in the harvest (Mt. 10). In the midst of this story, there are some volunteers who offer to follow on their terms (8:18-22; Lk. 9:57-62). Jesus responds with the terms of true discipleship.

Then comes the time when Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the living God, but he does not understand. From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples what it means to follow him in God’s way, not human ways (Mt. 16:13-21). It is from Jesus’ journey and these disciples that Jesus promises to build his church. I ask again about Jesus and His church – Is it volunteer?

—Tom Yoakum