Luke 10:1 After this, the Lord appointed seventy other talmidim and sent them on ahead in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 He said to them, “To be sure, there is a large harvest. But there are few workers. Therefore, plead with the Lord of the Harvest that he speed workers out to gather in his harvest. 3 Get going now, but pay attention! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a money-belt or a pack, and don’t stop to shmoose with people on the road.
5 “Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘Shalom!’ to the household. 6 If a seeker of shalom is there, your ‘Shalom!’ will find its rest with him; and if there isn’t, it will return to you. 7 Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for a worker deserves his wages — don’t move about from house to house.
8 “Whenever you come into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is put in front of you. 9 Heal the sick there, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they don’t make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off as a sign against you! But understand this: the Kingdom of God is near!’
16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, also whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the One who sent me.”
17 The seventy came back jubilant. “Lord,” they said, “with your power, even the demons submit to us!” 18 Yeshua said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Remember, I have given you authority; so you can trample down snakes and scorpions, indeed, all the Enemy’s forces; and you will remain completely unharmed. 20 Nevertheless, don’t be glad that the spirits submit to you; be glad that your names have been recorded in heaven.”[Complete Jewish Bible]
-------
"The kingdom of God has come near." The seventy evangelists appointed by Jesus were to proclaim this to every person they encountered--whether those people welcomed or rejected them. It didn't matter how the people received the message. What mattered was that the message was proclaimed.
We in the church may measure our worth by how many people accept the message about God that we proclaim. If our congregation is growing, we must be saying the message correctly. If our congregation is not growing, we must be doing something wrong. Yet, that's not how Jesus directed those seventy people to count their worth and success of their mission. Jesus said, "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." The power is not in the messenger. The power is in the one who sent the messenger. When we are true to the message, we are doing the work of God.
Lord God, give us the courage to proclaim your presence even in difficult circumstances and especially when we might look foolish. Amen.
Jill Bergman
Associate Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, Minn.
Master of Divinity, 2003
Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.
2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.
4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.
5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!'
6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.
7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.
8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you;
9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
11 "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'...
16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!"
18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.
19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."[New Revised Standard Version]
---------------------
"The kingdom of God has come near." The seventy evangelists appointed by Jesus were to proclaim this to every person they encountered--whether those people welcomed or rejected them. It didn't matter how the people received the message. What mattered was that the message was proclaimed.
We in the church may measure our worth by how many people accept the message about God that we proclaim. If our congregation is growing, we must be saying the message correctly. If our congregation is not growing, we must be doing something wrong. Yet, that's not how Jesus directed those seventy people to count their worth and success of their mission. Jesus said, "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." The power is not in the messenger. The power is in the one who sent the messenger. When we are true to the message, we are doing the work of God.
Lord God, give us the courage to proclaim your presence even in difficult circumstances and especially when we might look foolish. Amen.
Jill Bergman
Associate Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Columbia Heights, Minn.
Master of Divinity, 2003
Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.
2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.
4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.
5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!'
6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you.
7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.
8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you;
9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.'
10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say,
11 "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'...
16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!"
18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.
19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.
20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."[New Revised Standard Version]
---------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment