Making a Difference
Luke 10:1-12, 17-20
July 8, 2001
This morning we continue our journey with Luke’s account of Jesus and the disciples as they head to Jerusalem. Luke opens this chapter by saying, “After this, the Lord appointed seventy others.” The “after this” provides a bridge back to our story last week when Jesus illustrated the cost of discipleship to three “would-be disciples” who found the cost of discipleship just a little too high. The theme of discipleship continues this week as Jesus commissions seventy new missionaries.
The Gospel this morning is really made up of two parts, the commissioning of the seventy and their joyous return. Matthew and Mark also tell this story, but each of them only talk about the commissioning of the twelve disciples. Luke’s version is the only one that tells of the sending forth of the seventy. It is also the only version that describes their joyous return and their victory over evil.
Luke tells us that these seventy individuals are sent out on a messianic mission. They were to go to the cities and villages where Jesus and his disciples would soon venture themselves. They are sent on ahead of Jesus to pave the way for Jesus’ eventual visit.
We note that Jesus sends out the seventy in groups of two. Jesus sends them out two by two because it not only provides companionship for the journey, and the ability to hold up each other when the going gets tough, but it also provides a double dose of faith and wisdom to witness to others. Also, according to Mosaic law, two witnesses were required for a testimony to be credible.
Jesus tells the seventy that there is much work to do, but not enough people to do the work. “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few.” He also tells them this evangelistic mission will be dangerous. “I send you out as lambs among the wolves.” Jesus knew they would face opposition and danger in preaching a new and different message. There is also a sense of urgency in their mission. Jesus tells them to travel light. “Carry no purse, no bad and no sandals.” He also tells them not to even take the time to greet anyone they meet on the road. The harvest is not only plentiful, it is also ripe. There is no time to waste.
The seventy missionaries are told that they may not be successful, or well received in every town. Not everyone will be open to their message. You see, these seventy were going into towns where people were worshipping many false gods and they didn’t want to give up all their gods for One God. These missionaries were competing with all of these false gods.
I heard a funny story the other day about competing. It seems there was a barber in a small local town who had been the only barber in town for years. Everyone went to this barber to get their hair cut. Then, one day a big hair salon franchise came to town and opened up shop. They advertised,
“All Haircuts for $3.00”
Slowly, the barber’s business began to dwindle. He just couldn’t compete. In a last ditch effort to save his business, he hired a business consultant. The consultant spent a day pouring over the barber’s books asking many questions. At the end of the day the barber asked the consultant, “So what do you think ? Should I close up shop ?” The consultant said, “Not yet. I’ll be back tomorrow.” The next day the consultant showed up with a huge banner that he hung in front of the barber shop that said, “We Fix $3.00 Haircuts!” The competition doesn’t always win, do they?
In the closing section of this story we are told that the competing gods didn’t win either. We hear of the great joy and success the disciples had casting out demons, healing the sick, preaching the Gospel and overcoming the competition by fixing $3.00 false gods. Jesus said, while you were out there evangelizing, “I saw Satan falling from Heaven like lightning.” He then warns this army of evangelists not to be so taken up with their accomplishments, but rather to give thanks that their names were written in heaven.
As we hear the story of Jesus sending out the seventy, we can’t help but ask ourselves, “What is missionary work and evangelism, and why must we do it ?” Jesus gives us the framework for missionary work and evangelism right here in his instructions to these seventy newly commissioned evangelists. He first tells them to bring the gift of peace to those they visit. He then tells them to heal the sick. And finally he tells them to preach the Good News that the Kingdom of God is near them. They were to teach, preach and heal, just like Jesus did when he entered a village.
Jesus’ ministry included both physical and spiritual healing because the concerns of the ordinary people of Jesus’ day were demons and sickness, and the two were very closely related. People believed in layers of powers that existed between God and humanity. It was believed that these powers interfered with nature and human life.
If we stop and think about it for a minute, things aren’t much different today, are they ? There are still powers of evil that exist between God and humanity. Demons are still present today. They just have different names.
Today we have the demons of alcoholism and drug abuse among us. We have the demon of domestic violence and abuse that we see paraded on Oprah, The Jerry Springer Show and Hard Copy. We have the demon of addiction and oppression. Some of the demons have names and others don’t. We all have our own personal demons that we struggle with. Demons among us today just as they were in the time of Jesus, and we have just as many people who are spiritually sick today as were back then.
We are left with the question, what do we do about it ? How do we overcome evil in the world ? Do you sit in the pews and listen to me talk about it and walk out of here shaking your heads saying, “How awful !” and then go on with life as usual ? Or, do you try and do something about it to make a difference. As Christians, we are all called to do something about the ills of society. Positive changes in our society will not come about until there are more people in this world who know God, and are willing to share God with those who don’t know God.
That was the job of these original seventy missionaries, and that is our job as the church. The seventy missionaries were God’s underground network of faithful followers who spread the Good News. We need to keep that underground active today spreading the Good News to those who haven’t heard it yet.
I think there are two things in our society today that immobilizes us from spreading the Good News and overcoming evil in the world. The first thing that immobilizes us is the notion that there is just too much work to do in God’s mission field and I am only one person. There is no way my efforts can make a difference. That notion is false !
There is a story of a boy and his grandfather walking along the beach. The beach was covered with starfish that had been washed ashore. Every so often the grandfather would stop, pick up one of the starfish and toss it back into the ocean. After awhile the little boy said to his grandfather, “There are thousands of starfish on the beach. Throwing a few back into the ocean can’t possibly make a difference.” As the grandfather tossed another starfish into the ocean, he said, “It will make a difference to that one.”
I remember once traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The flight I was on arrived late and people on the plane were scrambling to make their connecting flights, including me. I had five minutes to make it from one terminal to the next to make my connection. As I tried to make my way through the crowds, I saw a young girl in front of me who was weighed down with luggage and was just about in tears. I walked up to her and asked her if I could help with her luggage. I took the bags off her shoulder and she told me which gate she was going to. It was right next to mine.
We moved through the crowds quickly and got to her gate just as they were giving the last boarding call. She thanked me and got on the plane. I turned and looked at over at my gate. My flight was delayed by 30 minutes. I had plenty of time. I couldn’t help everyone in the airport with their luggage that night, but to the one I did help, it made a difference.
I think the second thing that immobilizes us with evangelism is the thought that in order to be a witness in God’s mission field we need to stand on a soap box on a Boston street corner passing out Bible tracks, or walk down Main Street with a sandwich board sign that says “Repent !” on the front and, “For the end is near !” on the back. Well that’s not always the case. Sidewalk evangelism does have its place, and there are some people who are cut out to do that type of evangelizing. (I don’t happen to be one of them.)
I think the most effective form of evangelism we can offer is the way in which we live our lives, and by the example we set as Christians. I also believe some of the best forms of evangelism come very in small ways with random acts of kindness, like throwing a starfish back into the ocean or helping a distressed girl carry her luggage. That, my friends is how we can defeat the evil in the world, one kind act at a time.
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus said to the seventy upon their return, “I saw Satan falling from Heaven like lightning.” Jesus was saying that the Seventy were participating in the defeat of evil in the world. We too can participate in the defeat of evil in our world.
Jesus says to us, I see Satan fall like lightning from Heaven when your church takes its Thanksgiving offering and sends it to St. Francis Samaritan House to feed the homeless. I see Satan fall like lightning from Heaven when you conduct a youth confirmation class and four of your youth join the church. I see Satan falling from Heaven when you plan a prayer workshop for the Fall. I see Satan fall like lightning when the church holds a family picnic and everyone invites a friend. I see Satan fall like lightning when you cheerfully welcome the new person who comes to church. I see Satan fall like lightning when you forgive the one who has wronged you.
My friends, let us not be tricked into thinking that we can’t make a difference, because we can make a difference one small act at a time. May we get up from these pews today and go out into the world knowing that there is a great need out there. There is a world full of hurt and people are just looking for a ray of hope to get them through. May we be that ray of hope. May we be the seventy that make a difference in the life of just one. AMEN!
