The Greatest Quest
There’s a scene in the early moments of Peter Jackson’s movie, The Hobbit, that always makes me smile. Bilbo Baggins (the character from the title) is chosen by Gandalf (the wizard) to be part of a great adventure and suddenly finds himself reluctantly hosting a motley group of raucous dwarves.
Amidst their loud and obnoxious eating and drinking, the discussion eventually turns to the purpose of their upcoming quest: defeat a dragon and recover a treasure. As one of the dwarves points out, the task would be difficult enough for an entire army. But with a party of just thirteen—“and not thirteen of the best nor the brightest”—it’s virtually impossible.
“Do you forget,” another argues, “we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons.” When asked exactly how many dragons he has killed, Gandalf chokes on his pipe. The implied answer: zero.
Yet off they go, a rag-tag collection of inexperienced, would-be heroes intent upon defeating whatever evil they might encounter.
It reminds me of Jesus’ first disciples. He chose an odd, hodge-podge of individuals to turn the world upside down: several fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, a thief... There were no rabbis, no trained scholars or teachers. They came from radically different backgrounds and had radically different agendas and perspectives. Their personalities didn’t always jive and they often competed with each other for their Master’s attention.
At one point, as Jesus prepared to endure the suffering of the cross, they were busy arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24).
There were no “dragonslayers” among them. Yet Jesus commissioned this crew to engage in the greatest quest in history: to partner together in taking the Gospel to the ends of the earth and in making disciples of all nations.
The situation becomes even more curious when we insert ourselves into the story: imperfect, frail, undependable, and fickle creatures whom God has asked to join Him in reaching the nations with the Good News. We clearly aren’t qualified, often aren’t motivated, and tend to have trouble working side-by-side to accomplish this monumental task.
But even as we entertain doubts about our ability to fulfill the mission, Jesus offers a crucial reminder: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Someone infinitely greater than Gandalf leads the way—the One who has slain the Dragon through His sacrificial death and resurrection. Therefore, our ultimate victory is assured.
The question isn’t whether or not God’s quest will succeed. The question is whether or not we will participate in it.
When Gandalf shows up seeking someone to accompany him on the adventure he’s arranging, he admits that it’s difficult to recruit anyone. To which Bilbo responds: “I should think so—in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner!” He concludes with, “We don’t want any adventures here, thank you!”
What about us? Will we Bilbo our way out of our calling, claiming to have no use for God’s adventure and refusing whatever discomfort it might involve? Or will we accept the invitation to partner with Jesus and His team of mismatched servants to reach the lost with the hope of salvation?
Are we up for the adventure of a lifetime?
GO
Ask God to show you how to join His mission. Pray for wisdom and discernment and consider participating in SOAR, ACTION, TREK, and FOCUS.
