Its time to be "on the way"

"God offers all of us the amazing opportunity to join in this sacred work.  We have the great privilege of being the hands and feet of Christ in a hostile and hurting world, and there are countless ways to participate.  We can work with joy in the face of difficulty, speak the truth in a place of deceit, choose integrity when corruption is the norm, offer comfort in a time of grief, challenge injustice to protect its victims, and offer forgiveness in the midst of brokenness."
        --Richard Sterns in Unfinished

Jesus begins his teaching on the parable of the sower by the command "Listen".  He would later tell his followers to pay attention to "what" (Mk 4:24) and "how" (Lk 8:18) they hear.  This listening theme was important as he was about to teach one of the essential truths through parables.  Parables are allegories and metaphorical explanations of reality.

Jesus then says "Listen! A sower went out sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and the birds came and ate it up." (Mk 4:4)  Jesus would explain that he is not giving a lesson on the daily life of a farmer, but that God the Father was the sower and His seed, was His Word that gives true life.  On the way to the field, this farmer had some seed fall on a walking path.  The Greek phrase is literally rendered "by the way".  The seed fell "by the way".  While the seed is shared indiscriminately, some ends up "by the way".  The intended destination of the seed was the fertile soil, but "by the way" represents a place outside the will of God.

That phrase "by the way" comes up again in the 10th chapter of Mark, where we hear the story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus.  The text tells us that he was a blind beggar who was sitting "by the way". (Mk 10:46).  The story tells us that as Jesus, who was on the road (literally, on the way) passed by and that Bartimaeus yelled to get attention from Jesus.  Eventually, Jesus would call Bartimaeus to himself and heal him of his blindness.  Upon healing, the texts says that he immediately followed Jesus "on the way".

Bartimaeus went from "by the way" to "on the way".  Unlike the seed that was "by the way" and destroyed, Jesus continues to invite us from the margins of "by the way" to the miracle of being "on the way".

So many Churches are comfortable being "by the way".  Content to be close to Jesus when he passes through, but not participating in his mission by joining him "on the way".  Churches that are "by the way" will often yell out to Jesus to fulfill their needs, but lack the courage to encounter Jesus and leave where they want to be in order to go where Jesus leads.

Churches that are "on the way" follow Jesus and minister where he ministers and love the way he loves.  It is not hard to identify churches that are "on the way" because the fruit of God's Spirit, the gentleness of Christ presence, and the humility of those who know that they were once "by the way" is evident to all.

Its time to check your location?  Are you "by the way" or are you living that adventure in which you were created for by joining Jesus "on the way".

"It is not enough for us to simply enlist; we are called to join the battle."-- Richard Sterns