The Radical Cost of Being a Missionary

In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Jon Barnes argues that the modern definition of a missionary is flawed. By looking at the story of Jonah and the life of apartheid survivor Colin Eusta, Barnes shows that mission is not about traveling far or holding a professional title. Instead, it is about the willingness to enter your own Nineveh: the people and places you most want to avoid. The hidden danger of our current culture of belief is a paralysis that stops us from participating in the work of God. This message is for those who feel their faith has stalled. It offers a way to move past comfortable agreement into the difficult, often painful reality of living out your convictions in the presence of an enemy.

The Illusion of Believing Without Participation

We often mistake intellectual agreement for active faith. In the story of the tightrope walker Blondin, thousands cheered that they believed he could cross, but only one person was willing to climb onto his shoulders. The crowd treated belief as a spectator sport, while the volunteer treated it as a life-altering commitment.

Barnes uses this to point out a failure in modern religious practice: we treat faith as a list of ideas to accept rather than a path to follow. When we define mission only as traveling to exotic locations, we ignore the difficult work of engaging the Ninevehs in our own backyards.

> Standing on the sidelines in cheering, that is the easy part. When the people in the crowd were called to action, to participation even after seeing Blonden's skill at walking the tightrope, they were a little reluctant to do it themselves.
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> -- Rev. Dr. Jon Barnes

Why the Obvious Enemy is the Necessary Destination

The story of Jonah is usually read as a tale about a fish, but Barnes points out that the fish is a minor detail. The real conflict is the tension between Jonah and the Ninevites, an enemy empire that had conquered his people.

The city responded to Jonah's reluctant, five-word sermon with total repentance. This reveals a simple truth: the effectiveness of the message did not depend on the missionary's enthusiasm, but on his willingness to show up in a place that felt like a death sentence. By avoiding our own Ninevehs, we are not just protecting our comfort. We are withholding the grace that our enemies need to change.

The High Cost of Lasting Reconciliation

The most difficult point Barnes makes is that true mission often requires embracing the person who caused us the most pain. He tells the story of Colin Eusta, who found his former torturer from his time in an apartheid-era prison living as his neighbor.

Conventional wisdom would suggest choosing distance, safety, or justice. Instead, Eusta chose to embrace his tormentor. This is the 18-month payoff of faith. It is an act of extreme discomfort that creates a radical shift in the social system. It requires a level of patience and emotional labor that most people lack, which is why it is the only path to genuine reconciliation.

> Colin shared with us that that moment was one of the most difficult of his life because he had a decision that he had to make. He was overcome with anger and fear, and he had to ask himself would he let those reactions control his response.
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> -- Rev. Dr. Jon Barnes

When Immediate Pain Creates a Moat

The system of apartheid relied on division, keeping people in separate areas so they would not trust one another. Eusta's decision to cross that line was not just a personal choice; it was a disruption of the system.

When we refuse to engage with those we despise, we reinforce the walls that keep us divided. The immediate discomfort of facing an enemy creates a lasting advantage later: a capacity for grace that can transform a community. As Barnes notes, if God can achieve repentance in an entire city through a half-hearted, reluctant prophet, the potential for those who are fully committed is immense.

Key Action Items

• Audit your Ninevehs: Identify the people or communities you are certain God or your conscience would never call you to serve. (Immediate)
• Move from agreement to action: Stop asking "Do I believe?" and start asking "What is the next step of participation?" (Immediate)
• Practice radical proximity: Seek out one person or group you have been avoiding and initiate a gesture of grace. This will be uncomfortable; that discomfort is the sign of progress. (Next 30 days)
• Commit to the long-term work: Recognize that reconciliation is not a single event but a process of working through pain that may take years to yield fruit. (12-18 months)
• Release the need for perfect effort: You do not need to be a perfect messenger to be effective. Your willingness to show up in the hard places is more important than your eloquence or your emotional readiness. (Ongoing)