May the mumbling commence!
What are we waiting for? There is Good News to spread. The time is ripe. The harvest is plentiful. And the workers are too few. Even as we make the commitment to go ourselves, we should pray for others to join in our labor. But, with what attitude should we go out into our world with the Good News? Let’s take some clues from this passage from Luke chapter ten:
Luke 10:1-20 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.' I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths.
He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name."
He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." (Verses 1-20)
Travel light. Oh, boy! I look at the many things that we have in our home, and I ask myself: “How can I travel light?” Traveling light is a matter of faith. Can we trust that God will provide the things we need? Can we feel comfortable with being at the mercy of those who we bring the gospel?
Pick one home, and stay there. Do not grumble about the food and drink of the house. Do not seek a home where you might be fed better or fed the food and given the drink that will remind you of home. Jesus says it again: “Eat what is set before you.” That can be quite a challenge when you leave your comfort zone.
One does not even need to leave the United States to come upon some of these issues. My wife and I spent time in the southeastern United States. There is nothing quite like southern hospitality and southern cooking. I have found it is sometimes best not to ask what you are eating.
Expect both acceptance and rejection. How does our message change for those who accept and those who reject? Not much – those who accept our Good News are to be told, “The kingdom of God is near you.” Those who don’t accept our Good News are to be told, “The kingdom of God is near.”
The kingdom of God will come whether we accept it or not. It is our choice. Will we let the kingdom of God pass us by, or will we seize the opportunity to claim it for ourselves and lead others to claim the kingdom for themselves?
What power we have in our knowledge! Let us use our knowledge wisely – in a godly way. Godly wisdom benefits everyone, and joy is a by-product. There is joy like we have never known in the kingdom of God!
So, let’s not seek dominance. Let’s seek the reality of our dependence on God and our interdependence on each other.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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