Pentecost 4C
Proper 9
July 7, 2019
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Galatians 6:1-16
INTRODUCTION
At this point in
Luke’s telling of Jesus’ story, intensity and urgency are rising. After being
transfigured on a mountaintop, Jesus has “set his face for Jerusalem,” and is
heading for his death, and in these last weeks of his life, Jesus is giving the
disciples a good, tough schooling about what being a disciple looks like. In
particular today, we will learn about how Jesus sends his disciples out to
proclaim the kingdom of God.
The “kingdom of
God” – it’s a phrase we hear a lot. In fact, Jesus talks more about the kingdom
of God in the four Gospels than anything else. But what does it mean? Well, what
do you think when I say, “kingdom of God”? … Sometimes, maybe even usually, we
think of it as “heaven.” But listen to what we hear today: Jesus will tell the
70 to declare, “The kingdom of God has come near.” In this context, the kingdom
of God as a description of the afterlife doesn’t make much sense. So, as you
listen, consider what else “kingdom of God” might refer to, what it might look
like, and what we are really praying when we pray those well-known words, “Thy
kingdom come…” Let’s listen.
[READ]
Grace to you
and peace from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.”
These are words that flow from our mouths so easily every week,
maybe even every day. Words that we promise to teach our children at their
baptism. “Thy kingdom come… on earth as in heaven. Thy kingdom come.”
As I mentioned, Jesus talks about the kingdom of God more than
anything else in all four Gospels. In our Gospel lesson today, he says it
twice: “The kingdom of God has come near you.” Thy kingdom come. What does that
mean, though? What does that look like? In
other words, if God really were the sovereign of the world, the king of our
hearts and our lands, and every knee truly bowed to God alone and not to our
own sinful ways… what would the world look like?
Sometimes it is easier to start with what the kingdom of God is not like. And frankly, I look around the
world and see a lot that does not reflect the loving, compassionate, and
merciful God we claim is our ruler. The horrific conditions of the camps and
detention centers on the border comes to mind, not to mention the situation in
the northern triangle that has caused so many to flee in the first place. Then
they arrive, and children and adults are crammed into cells and cages without
adequate water, soap, or even room to sit, and according to some reports,
children are not even allowed to hug or physically comfort each other. For a
God who said repeatedly in scripture that we are to welcome the stranger, care
for the alien in our land, and love our neighbor (even our enemies) as
ourselves, this is a far cry from the sort of rule we could expect from a godly
kingdom, where God reigns.
Plenty of other conditions of our world come to mind as well –
widespread poverty, hate crimes and acts of terrorism against our
fellow-humans, the pollution and destruction of God’s beautiful creation in
order to sustain our unsustainable lifestyles, white supremacy and racism… I’ll tell ya, it is a good thing we start
each service with confession and forgiveness, because we are quite a ways from
living in and cultivating a world that reflects the sovereignty of our God –
whether due to our “things done” or our “things left undone.” Lord, have mercy!
But just
as we move each Sunday from confession to praise, we also must move on to what
is more productive for us as Christians: to envision what the kingdom of
God does look like, and to understand how we might work to bring
about glimpses of that godly kingdom here on earth, even in the midst of so much
sin and evil.
Today’s readings give us some insight into how we might go about
this work. Paul’s letter to the Galatians describes some behaviors that would
embody God’s kingdom. He says, “If anyone is detected of a transgression, you
who have received the Spirit [so, that’s baptized Christians] should restore
such a one in a spirit of gentleness.” In other words, be gentle with one
another, forgiving, and patient. Assume the best intentions, rather than
jumping to the worst. “Bear one another’s burdens,” he goes on, “and in this
way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” So rather than accuse and condemn,
citizens of the kingdom of God should help one another, stand in solidarity
with one another, bear one another’s burdens – not always condone or agree, but
support the individual with empathy and compassion. “So let us not grow weary
in doing what is right,” Paul continues, “and whenever we have the opportunity,
let us work for the good of all” – not just for the good of ourselves. While
these assertions cannot completely describe the kingdom of God, they are at
least a straightforward start: Be patient and gentle with one another, forgive
short-comings, be empathetic and compassionate, stand by each others’ side and advocate
for one another’s needs. In short, never grow tired of doing what is right,
working for the good of all at every opportunity. If we applied all that to
some of those issues I mentioned earlier – the situation at the border, racism,
hunger, poverty, climate change, hate crimes – how might that look?
Of course, working toward the kingdom of God, trying to bring a
glimpse of that kingdom here on earth, is not an easy job. It’s not always as
simple as writing a check or volunteering at a food pantry, though both of
these are also very important. Sometimes it involves doing some serious
self-reflection and self-discovery, getting out of our comfort zones, even
risking our safety or reputation. Sometimes it means stepping into the muck for
the sake of the other.
It's a big, though call! So how do we start? Looking at today’s
Gospel lesson can prepare us for the journey toward seeking God’s
kingdom. In today’s story, Jesus sends out 70 people in pairs. He gives
them several instructions about getting there and about what to do once they
are there. Each of his instructions can speak to us today, as well.
The first thing Jesus tells the 70 is, “The harvest is
plentiful, but the laborers are few.” In other words, “If not you, then who?”
The work of seeking the kingdom of God and sharing the good news is hard work,
but who is more qualified than you are, Carol? Or you, Mike? Or you, Laura? The
laborers are few, and God needs each and every one of us!
Jesus warns then that he is sending us out “like lambs into the
midst of wolves.” In other words, this is risky business. It might not be
smooth sailing. It might not be fun, or even immediately rewarding. You might
damage your reputation, or have to give up something important to you. I’ve
been reading a book called Waking Up
White, in which the author, Debby Irving, recounts her journey of discovering
how her experience as a white, middle class, person with myriad connections has
afforded her opportunities very different from those of her peers of color (not
always better, just different). She vulnerably recounts some of the most
painful discoveries she has made on her quest for racial justice, as she has had
to give up assumptions of the world that she has taken for granted and held
dear all her life. Her perspective is continually flipped on its head. That
sort of self-discovery can feel like being a sheep in the midst of wolves! It’s
hard work! But Jesus says, be bold in what you do – this is God’s work! And the
Lord will provide what you need.
“Greet no one on the
road,” he goes on. This is not so much about being unfriendly as it is about
the urgency. In my hometown grocery store, it’s impossible just to pop in for a
quart of milk, because you inevitably see people you know – it takes an hour to
get out! Jesus says there is no time for that. There are people who have not
felt loved in a long time, or ever, who need to hear the good, life-changing
news of Jesus. This is the job, the call, of Christians – to share that news,
to show that love – and there is no time to waste! (Forget about the milk!)
“Whatever house you enter,” Jesus says, “first say, ‘Peace to
this house!’” This is that good news bit. While “peace” was a standard
greeting, the peace Jesus is talking about here is the peace of salvation, the
peace of knowing that Christ died for you and that liberation from sin and
death is what allows and empowers you to love and serve even the least of
society – whether it is refugees in cages, or families here in Rochester who
struggle to make rent, or those negatively affected by the institutional
racism, or the earth itself. Christ’s death is what gives us the strength to
serve! Every time you encounter someone, you are bringing to them that peace
that is salvation, you are bringing them the love of God; every time you engage
with someone, they are experiencing that love through you. Everything you speak
and everything you do reflects the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ – and
every greeting you make proclaims that peace of salvation. And when we greet
people in this way, with this knowledge, we can say with confidence, as Jesus
also instructs, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” That love and grace
and peace – that is the kingdom of God.
It isn’t easy. It isn’t always clean. Sometimes it brings us
together with folks or situations or self-realizations we’d rather avoid. But
notice at the end of the Gospel reading, that, “the 70 returned with joy!” They
return having experienced the dawning of the kingdom, having experienced the
joy one only feels when they have encountered the saving grace of Jesus Christ,
the joy one feels when they have experienced the love of God in the absolute,
risky, urgent, control-relinquishing, sometimes dirty, always saving love of
God and neighbor.
Let us pray. Lord God, there is so much in this world
that falls short of your hope and vision for us. Strengthen us and give us courage
to show your love and grace and peace to the world, and bring about your
kingdom on earth as in heaven. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. Amen.
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