Split Infinitives....

Matthew 28v1-10,16-20 ‘Split Infinitives’

9.5.2010 6.30pm Evening Service.

Do you split your infinitives?

In some circles apparently it is a terrible mistake to mistakingly do! It is wrong to occasionally do!

Was that a split infinitive? I think it is, but I am really not sure! I was brought up and educated in the 60s and 70s during the period when it was considered inappropriate to teach rules of grammar. The theory seems to have been: ‘Just let the children write creatively without the restriction of rules’. So I find all these things a mystery. I think I can just about tell a verb from a noun, but that is about it. Grammar I am useless at! To badly do is what I am resigned to!

I expect you are familiar with the most famous example of a split infinitive. Which one am I thinking of? ‘To boldly go where no man has gone before’ - the famous strap-line of the Star Trek television series.

‘To boldly go’, however, might be a good description of the disciples after the resurrection. In Matthew 28 that is certainly what they are challenged to do. And us also! Are we boldly going in God’s name?

Our infinitives it is good to boldly split! Since the word ‘infinitive’ is obviously related to ‘infinite’, splitting them is appropriate from a Christian point of view. The resurrection brings us into the realm of the infinite; we taste the beginning of eternal life and God’s infinite Kingdom rule. But our full enjoyment of that is still to be. Our infinite is split, as we wait in hope. And in our split infinitive we are to boldly go in Christ’s name into all the world to share his love. Our infinitive is supposed to be split by Christian service!

That is what our reading from Matthew is all about. And perhaps Matthew’s telling of the resurrection suggests another split infinitive to the Star Trek version: ‘To joyfully go’.

We are looking at some of the endings of the Gospel at the moment, and we heard last week, as we looked at the closing words of Mark’s Gospel, that the disciples were described in brilliant realistic fashion by Mark as ‘Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid’ (Mark 16v8)

Matthew is careful to add in his version that they were also joyful. They may have been full of fear and failure - but they were certainly joyful, v8. ‘So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell the disciples.’ Christ was risen!

And Matthew wants to emphasise, in his closing of his Gospel, that in their resurrection joy the disciples were to ‘go’ to share the great good news. The women went to the disciples - and they rejoiced. The disciples went to Galilee - and they were sent. The disciples were sent to the world - and we rejoice and are also sent. Will we also ‘joyfully go’?

It seems to me that Matthew emphasises three things as he tells of the disciples joyfully going.

1. Worshipping - to gratefully worship

In v9 the women, when they meet the risen Christ, they clasp his feet and worship him. In v17, when the disciples see him, they worshipped him - although it seems some still also had stubborn doubts in their heads. Worship was the inevitable attitude as they were confronted with the risen Christ.

How about us today? Are we are worshipful people? Not just outwardly, but deep in the heart?

It seems, according to Matthew, that to truly worship involves meeting the risen Christ. It was only as they met Christ that they were truly caught up in worship. Do you know him? Are you open to meet him afresh?

I was reading about a man whose life seemed to him to be bland, boring and meaningless. Disgusted by a saccharine sermon, he rushed home to verify for himself what the priest had been saying. He turned to the Gospel of St Mark, and began to read. He later wrote:

The feeling I had occurs sometimes when you are walking along in the street, and suddenly you turn around because you feel someone is looking at you. While I was reading, before I reached the beginning of the third chapter, I suddenly became aware that on the other side of my desk there was a Presence.

This was so striking that I had to stop reading and look up. I looked for a long time. I saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing with the senses. But even when I looked straight in front of me a the place where there was no one visible, I had the same intense knowledge: Christ is standing here, without doubt.

I realised immediately: if Christ is standing here alive, that means he is the risen Christ. I know from my own personal experience that Christ is risen and that therefore everything that is said about him in the Gospel is true.

This certitude in the reality of Christ permeated Metropolitan Anthony Bloom’s life, making him a much sought after speaker, spiritual father, and confessor. Someone who became caught up in true worship.

So, worshipping - to gratefully worship.

2. Making Disciples - to energetically witness

The church, v19, was to go and make disciples. The good news was to be shared energetically in the power of the Holy Spirit, people baptised in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and taught everything Christ had commanded.

That is what we are doing in our church isn’t it? ‘Springboard to Discipleship’ is doing it explicitly - seeking to teach the faith so that we grow in discipleship. We are about discipleship training! Maybe we should have a big banner outside the church saying ‘Discipleship Training Centre’. That is why we are here.

But is the church ‘going out’? I fear that sometimes when Alpha is mentioned, when Springboard is mentioned, people are shutting off and not thinking, “I could invite that person or this person.’ Who are we thinking of going to, in order to share the faith that people become Christ-followers, baptised, and taught the Way to life? Who are you praying for, and longing for an opportunity to share the gospel?

So making disciples - to energetically worship.

3. Obedient to the teaching - to fully obey.

That was to be the third mark of these Christians as they joyfully went. They were, v20, ‘to obey everything I have commanded you’, says Jesus.

As we meet the risen Christ are we willing to obey him? Many people are not. They want an easy going Christ who they can occasionally cheer from the stands. They don’t want a Master who tells them how to live. Yet if he is the risen Lord then we are called to radical obedience and radical discipleship. That is what discipleship means - to follow. And to say ‘No, Lord’ is an oxymoron. If he is Lord, then we have to say yes.

Yesterday was VE Day. Imagine a soldier in the army. As he stands there, Field Marshall Montgomery walks past, stops, and commands ‘Soldier, you are needed! Run this message to General Smith.’

What would you do?

You could say, ‘I must say I am impressed by your uniform!’

What would he say to that?

Or, ‘I was very excited about your earlier victories, Sir’

Would he be impressed?

Or, ‘I promise to think about you warmly once a week with a few other keen fans!’

Would that be ok?

It most certainly wouldn’t. You have to obey a Field Marshall.

How much more the Risen Christ, Lord of All.

Obedient to the teaching - to fully obey.

So, do you split your infinitives? I hope so! The infinite is here in the risen Christ. But we don’t just wait comfortably for eternity. We are to split the infinitive - in worship, in witness, in obedience. Split your infinitives. To joyfully go!