Proper 9 :: II Kings 5: 1–14; Psalm 66:
1–8; Galatians 6: 1–16; Luke 10: 1–11, 16–20
This is the homily given at St. John’s,
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania by Fr. Gene Tucker on Sunday, July 7, 2019.
“SENT OUT IN PREPARATION”
(Homily text: Luke 10: 1–11,
16-20)
“....the Lord appointed seventy[1]
others and send them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town where he
himself was about to go….” (Luke 10: 1)
Jesus’
ministry is expanding….Back at the beginning of chapter nine of Luke’s Gospel
account, we learn that Jesus had sent out the original twelve disciples to
proclaim the kingdom of God. There, the instructions He gave them were somewhat
similar to the instructions given to this second group of seventy.
In
time, more groups will be sent out to tell the world about the wonderful things
that God had done, and will do, in the sending of Jesus Christ to live among
us. We can number some of those who were sent out: Paul’s companions Silas, Barnabas and Luke,
for example, or Apollos, or Simon (the former magician, see Acts 8:9 –13).
Down
through the years, countless thousands have gone out, preparing the hearts and
minds of people everywhere to receive the Good News (Gospel) of Jesus Christ,
preparing them to welcome the Lord into the places He Himself intends to go,
into the lives of people.
The
instructions given to that group of seventy were quite simple. We can enumerate
them as follows:
1.
It won’t be easy. In fact, it may be
dangerous: “See,” the Lord says, “I am sending you out
like lambs in the midst of wolves.”
2.
Travel lightly: “Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, and no sandals.”
3.
Don’t use your ministry for personal gain: “Stay in one place, eating and drinking
what is provided for you.”
4.
Use your time and energy wisely and
productively: “Whenever they do not receive you, shake off the dust of that
town in protest against them.”
Now,
in our time and in our place, we have been commissioned and sent out ahead of
the Lord to prepare the way for Him, into the hearts and minds of people we
encounter daily. Much of what the Lord said when he sent out this second group
applies to us today, even though some of the circumstances of the society in
which that second group labored differs from our own situation today.
Let’s
apply the Lord’s instructions to ourselves, using the four points we made
above:
1.
It won’t be easy: The more I think about it, the social setting into which we are taking
the Gospel resembles much of what the Apostles (and others) encountered as they
went into the Greco-Roman world of the first century. Thankfully, we don’t risk
being beaten or even killed for sharing the Gospel like they did[2],
but some of what we will encounter will be very much the same: We will face
indifference, and we will face a religious landscape which tolerates all kinds
of different belief systems, valuing each one as being equal to all others. We
will also encounter people who know little or nothing at all about the
Christian story, about the Bible, or about the great heroes of the faith.
2.
Travel lightly:
It would be easy to get wrapped up in “church-y stuff” as we share the things
of God. But knowing something about our wonderful Episcopal/Anglican history,
heritage, or the riches of fine liturgical worship are likely to be counter
productive to those who are entirely new to the faith. So the admonition to
“Keep it simple” is the best approach. Stick to the basics about what God has
done in the world, and what God is doing in our own lives. Begin there.
Eventually, if what you’ve shared finds a good home in someone’s heart, you can
introduce them to these other things in due course.
3.
Don’t use your ministry for personal
gain: This instruction might apply more to someone who’s
being compensated for doing the Lord’s work, such as an ordained person, or an
evangelist. But no one should use their ministry to gain an advantage over
others. God’s gift of Jesus Christ is a free gift, one given without a hidden
agenda which would seek to obligate a potential new believer in any way.
4.
Use your time and energy wisely:
The sad, but blunt, truth is that not everyone will receive and accept the Good
News. At some point, that will be clear as the interchange with others unfolds.
In
the end, what counts are three things: That we have been sent out by the Lord, that
we have been faithful in that work, and that our names are recorded in heaven.
Thanks
be to God!
AMEN.
[1] The ancient manuscripts of Luke differ. Some
of them say that the Lord sent out “seventy”, while others say “seventy two”.
The number may be related to Moses’ appointing of seventy (or seventy two)
assistants to help in governing the people of Israel. These assistants were all
granted a measure of God’s Spirit to enable them to do their work. See Number
11: 16 – 30.
[2] I am reminded that tradition tells us that
all of the original twelve Disciples who became Apostles died a martyr’s death,
except for John..
