“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” (Lk. 10:1). In every generation, Jesus appoints men to go forth and prepare the way before Him. Surely Jesus could do the work Himself—indeed as God the Son He was the creative Word that made all things. But Christ has determined that the Church shall operate not as a dictatorship, but as a fellowship, a body, His Body. So He sets us to task. And where are we to go? We go to those places that the Lord is about to go. Where is that? To the ends of the earth! There is no place that Jesus is not looking to save and redeem. But within this mission field, here in Easton and Talbot County, in our workplaces and neighborhoods, we must ask the Lord, “Where are we to go?” Where exactly are You planning to move next; to whom are You about to visit? We must inquire of Christ what is the next place, because we want to be going ahead of Him, not moving on away from Him.
“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’” (Lk. 10:2). The fields are ripe, the seed has been sown and the grain stands golden in the fields. There is not so much a shortage of crop to harvest, as there is a shortage of servants to bring it in. God has prepared such a harvest in this place, that if the Lord’s laborers went to gather it up, there would not be room enough in all the churches to hold the people.
It is not the laborers’ initiative to choose to go into the harvest field. Yes, the worker must be willing, but it is the Lord of the harvest who chooses to send the laborers or not to send them, who decides to bring in from this field and not from that one. This is why we must first “ask the Lord of the harvest.” We must find where He wants us to go ahead of Him, so that we bring in the right crops. Right now is the correct time to harvest blueberries and last month was the right time to harvest wheat. But what if we were to go into a cornfield and start harvesting the ears of corn? First, we’d find that the corn is little more than blisters; second, we’d destroy the good crop that could have been harvested in the autumn. And it’s worth noting that if you go to New England, it would be too early for blueberries, even; where we are affects where God sends us out. Following God’s initiative is critical for the Kingdom of God to come in power and its fullness.
“Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves” (Lk. 10:3). After we are appointed, and after we have prayed for the Lord to send out laborers, when the Lord says to us, “Go!” we must then GO! Asking Jesus to send out people to bring in the harvest is not enough. It’s not enough for us to sit comfortably within these walls and “do church.” When sent, we must go and do the work that He has given us to do. There is all manner of ministry in the Church: he gave “some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11). I am jealous of Fr. Nate’s God-given gift that allows him to walk up to all manner of people and speak Christ to them in a very personal way. But Fr. Nate’s giftedness doesn’t mean that I can neglect my duty to reach out to those who need the Lord.
When we go into the world, we shouldn’t be surprised when we face obstacles. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33). We go out as lambs among wolves. We are sent not to force ourselves and our message upon others, but to show them the Savior, the only One Who has the words of eternal life. The world converts like the wolf, by devouring and tearing apart. The Church must convert gently.
“When you enter a town and are welcomed there, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you’” (Lk. 10:8,9). As we minister to the world, gently like lambs, we should accept what is given to us whether it is humble or grand: we should eat what is set before us. That means that we should not pine for what we don’t receive but the next Christian does, or long for the days when we had better things, or think about how much nicer the next place might be. Also, it means that if we are offered splendid things, we should not turn them away out of a sense of false humility. The thanks that we receive is not thanks to us, but it is a response to God’s goodness, and the offering is holy unto Him.
I don’t know if you argue with God at all. I talk to God, but I find that He doesn’t always see things the way that I do. So I wrestle with Him, like Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the Lord, and I tell God all that’s on my mind and in my heart. So we argue a lot, like an old couple (and it seems like I’m the one who’s always contrary). Anyway, six and a half years ago when my family had decided to move (back) to the Eastern Shore, I told God that he was crazy. How did He expect me, a Hawaii-boy, born in Baltimore and raised in paradise, to come to the country and serve Him in some place off the beaten track? So I argued with Him about it.
Finally, I agreed with Him that I would move; but I told Him I didn’t like it. Well, praise God, He didn’t leave me alone. I was mad that God sent me here, and so I went on a retreat and, looking back, my intention for the retreat was to sulk and pine for two weeks. But God met me and spoke to me in personal way. And what He told me was this, “Don’t despise My sheep. They’re not yours. I’m just asking you to watch over them. Don’t despise My sheep.” At first, I was miffed that God would talk to me like that. But as I prayed, God broke my heart. He broke my heart and then He opened it. Because I had it so tightly wrapped around my own self, it couldn’t be opened any other way. And He gave me love for His people and allowed me to see the value of their offerings to Him.
We are called to heal the sick. I have been touched, and I know the Bishop has too, by how much healing is on the heart of this congregation. Ministering to the hurting and sick is beautiful. And you know that the most deadly sickness that you’ll find in a person isn’t MRSA, AIDS, cancer, ebola, SARS, or anything like that. All of those diseases have treatments or at least the potential for a cure. The most deadly disease, for which man has no cure, short of a miracle, is sin. Sin is 100% fatal; sin has infected 100% of the population; sin has no cure other than a miracle. And that miracle came on the cross, and it is new life in Christ Jesus that we receive in Baptism.
“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’” (Lk. 10:10,11). Sometimes, people will not receive the good news, and Jesus instructs us how to respond. We are not to hold a private pity-party and mope around. We are to go into the streets, into the places where we previously proclaimed God’s love. We are not to hide the message of judgment any more than we are to hide the message of salvation. We are to wipe off the dust, purge ourselves of anything that we may have picked up from those who have rejected God. Sometimes, a person won’t receive God because of a demonic power that he has no desire to give up, and we need to pray release and proclaim release from those powers.
Still, we must not forget the message. “The kingdom of God is near.” Did you notice the difference in the proclamation to those who reject? To those who accept God’s healing is said, “The kingdom of God is near you.” But, “The kingdom of God is near,” is said to those who refuse. Why the difference? Those who receive the kingdom find the reign of God to be life and salvation; God is the King who conquers all oppressors and sets man free from every chain. The kingdom of God is near and personal; it is a source of comfort and joy. But those who reject the kingdom find the reign of God to be their destruction and downfall; God is the King who executes judgment upon men and who comes with fire and sword. The kingdom of God is a threat and danger; it is the source of their defeat. Just as the same sun falls upon wax and mud and softens the wax yet hardens the mud, the same fire and sword will cause rejoicing among the righteous but cause terror among the unrighteous. The righteous will see the fire as their purification and the sword as their deliverance, while the unrighteous will see the fire as their ruin and the sword as their end.
“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name’” (Lk. 10:17). As we pray in thanksgiving for the Eucharist, God has sent us out to do the work he has given us to do. We have been given power to carry out an impossible mission. How could you and I ever hope to go ahead of Jesus and prepare the peoples for His presence? I know for a fact that I am utterly unable to pray over anyone and heal them—I can’t channel my chi or life-force onto someone else; I can’t give people something that I don’t have. But I also know for a fact that I have prayed for people and they have received healing and miraculous answers to prayer. And I went back to Jesus stunned and told Him, ‘Lord, even the demons in this person’s life submitted 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’” (Lk. 10:18–20). Jesus’ statement can be understood in two ways. First, He is proclaiming that Satan’s end is at hand; the last enemy is death, and death shall soon be defeated. The second way we can understand it is as a greater warning. Satan was an exalted angel before his fall, but Jesus witnessed Satan’s demise. The power that we receive is a delegated power from God, just as the glory of Lucifer before his ruin was a reflection of God’s glory. Both point to the same conclusion, however, that we are not the source of this power but, as Jesus said, “I have given you authority.”
In the midst of so much apocalyptic talk, it’s easy to feel like an insignificant pawn, an ant that might get stepped on at any moment. But Jesus will not forget us. Just as He proclaimed before He was taken up into heaven, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me,” He has bestowed authority on us. And He has promised that nothing shall harm us.
In this battle that rages on till Jesus comes again and the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, we may get hurt. We may suffer wounds, just as Paul bore on his body the marks of Jesus. As he said, “Let no one cause me trouble for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Gal 6:17). What does that mean? Well, in 1 Cor. 11, Paul tells of some of the things that marked him for Christ.
“Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spend a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked” (1 Cor. 11:24–27).
Paul says all of this, not to boast in himself, but to show how in his own weakness God’s strength is revealed, that he glories in the Cross of Christ.
Jesus said repeatedly that we will suffer: that no servant is greater than his master, that we are blessed when men hate us, exclude us, insult us, and reject our name as evil. But He promises us that nothing will harm us. Even if we are wounded, we shall suffer no real harm. Even if we are insulted, our standing with him will remain the same. Even if we are rejected, we are accepted as sons and daughters of God. Nothing shall harm us. The world cannot defeat us. Let the world say, “I’ll kill you, then.” And let us look the world in the eye and, to their astonishment reply, “Hallelujah!” For our names are written in heaven.
