May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord our rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
Well new friends. It is good to be here. Who knew that connections on Facebook could lead to a new connection at Northwood. It has been wonderful getting to know your pastor, Scott. And if all the things he has been saying about Northwood are true, then I am even more grateful to be amongst you and worship with you. You are good people!
And it's interesting that in today's Gospel in Luke, it's all about making new connections, but not by clicking on a Facebook friend request, but by knocking on doors. And if the thought of that gives you the heebie-jeebies, you are not alone. That feels like one of the worst things Jesus could ask me to do. Knock on the door and share the good news with a stranger. Umm, no thank you.
But there is something in Jesus's commission to the 70 that gives it a different perspective and might even change my mind about what it means to be sent out to share the good news. And so maybe it's best to start at the beginning. And it begins like this: "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." Now I always find it funny when the passage starts with something like "after this" - because my brain always focuses on that. After what?! Well, in a quick recap, it was after Jesus commissioned the twelve disciples, after Jesus fed the 5000, after the disciples declared Jesus to be the Messiah, after the Transfiguration, after the disciples argued who was the greatest, and after Peter wanted to call down fire on the town that didn't welcome Jesus. And Jesus’ response to pretty much all of it in some form was “knock it off” - to all the fear, the pride, the bitterness, and the trying to control everything.
And so after all that, Jesus is declaring that it is time for his message to go beyond the people of Israel, to the whole world. The commissioning of the twelve was to represent the whole of Israel, but now the 70 is for the world. And in pairs they were to go. But the thing that I have never ever noticed before when reading this passage was the next part of the commission, "to every town and place where he himself intended to go." First, I had forgotten this commissioning happened while he was still amongst them and was continuing his own work and walk to the Cross. But even more so I hadn't noticed that they were go to the towns and places where he himself intended to go. They were to go ahead of Him.
This was a John the Baptist type commissioning of prepare the way of the Lord. Making the way ready for the Lord to come into their midst. And a “to be curious” exploration of the responsiveness to such an upcoming visit. This commission of curiosity is through Jesus asking them to go in with open hearts and minds, but also with open hands, not carrying with them any money, bags, or footwear.
And those hands aren't even to greet people along the road, even if that seems strange when the whole point is to make a connection; however, it's the also the first reminder that this isn't about those being sent. Or more, it won't be in their power or action, but about letting the people of that town be themselves and sharing themselves in the way that is authentic and free. In the sharing of peace, there won't be manipulation or exploitation or deceit – it will be a letting the chips fall where they may. Or more specifically, letting the peace land where it may.
Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you." This is big. It's an offering of peace with no expectation of peace being offered in return. And it's not even a "you have to take my peace" situation which so often seems the case in sharing the Gospel, no matter our theological leanings, but a "if the peace doesn't land on them, it will be returned to you.”It is an offering of peace that reminds us that the power to share that peace is beyond our own capabilities and actions. That’s big-time Holy Spirit work right there. The peace is to be shared, not forced, and you, too, are to remain in peace and not have it taken away, or buried by another's hostility or anxiety or deception, or disinterest. To lose your peace in the service of others is not as God intended. Jesus' peace is beyond all that we can ask or imagine, and there is more than enough for all.
And so, it is with Jesus' provision that comes through hospitality. Jesus told them, "Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide…not move about from house to house." It is very clear is that this was not the time to be putting dividers up between what was lawful or desirable to eat and what was not. This was about allowing the people offering the hospitality to truly be authentic in their offering and getting to know them in their fullness, with all their customs and traditions and favorite foods and drinks to share with their guests. This isn’t about us getting to decide what we want to eat or to pick the accommodations we prefer.
It is possible that perhaps the level of their hospitality could be an indication of their reception of the disciples' offering of peace. We certainly know and have experienced and even participated in both heartfelt and mere obligatory giving or receiving. But the only way to truly get to know a person or situation is in the remaining. Not in the buzzing about - moving from place to place, person to person. But in the remaining. In the breathing in the same air. In seeing as the other is seeing. In the knowing and being known.
From there, Christ’s work could be done. “Cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you." I think this may be why the "remain in" is so important. Remaining in becomes relationship. – then whether it’s healthy or harmful, becomes part of the discernment of whether God’s peace landed in the house. And it is in the remaining that the stories and struggles are shared. It’s there that it's possible to do the work that Jesus called them to do. To be invested enough to have it be felt that the kingdom of God has come near to them.
And if it turns out that the peace didn’t land and was returned, then this too was part of preparing the way for where Jesus himself was to go. And in time, he would respond with either blessings or woes, but for that moment either the work of peace and healing was happening, or it wasn’t. And if it wasn’t then they were just told to move on. "But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.” The peace has turned to protest, but the call to carry nothing with them is being spoken again as well. Carry not even the dust of those places where the peace did not land. Carry not even the dust of the responses where the peace was not welcomed. Carry not even the dust of the actions where God’s blessings were blocked.
Because at the end of the day its not about you or me, and it’s not ours to carry, and we learn its not even about Jesus, as he too, is doing the work that God called him to do. “Whoever listens to you, listens to me, whoever rejects you, rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the One who sent me.”
But my friends, be assured, that even if its not about you, it is about the Spirit's power working through the you that is uniquely you. And where we are sent will also have uniqueness, both our strengths and our frailties, factored in. You are to carry nothing but to embody the peace that passes all understanding. And my guess and my hope is that you all have some pretty cool stories of how the Spirit has worked through you in the lives of others, even in the smallest of actions, of a hug or a cup of cold water. You may even have some really big stories to tell of where God’s power working through you offered the opportunity to witness healing in some way.
But I love that Jesus took the opportunity to have one more “knock it off” moment in these verses. The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” And Jesus confirmed that these things happened and told them what he saw as the power of peace rested on them. But here comes the knock it off.” Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Rejoice not in the actions that are not yours beyond the power which God has given you. But rejoice in the knowing of the One who remains in you and with you, who loves you, who knows you, who calls you by name.
And so my friends, I pray that you will hear the call to go and prepare the places where Christ himself, through the Holy Spirit, intends to go. I pray that you will know the peace that rests on you and in you no matter where you go. And I pray that the power of God working through you who is uniquely you, will bring healing, hope, and the hospitality of our true home.
Amen.