Pentecost 4C
Proper 9
July 6, 2025
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Galatians 6:1-10
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? 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 to all the readings, 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?
I think this is a useful thought experiment. I don’t think we need to agree on politics or policy to articulate a shared vision of what the kingdom of God on earth would look like (even though we may disagree on how to get there). In the kingdom of God, in short, I believe everyone has what they need: food, healthcare, safety, clean air to breath and clean water to drink, as well as love, peace, connection, and a sense of belonging. Just think, if all human beings had these things, how crime rates, war, poverty, drug use, and interpersonal conflict would decrease! Most of those things increase because people are desperate to get their needs met. In the kingdom of God, all of our needs are met, and God’s presence among us can be felt most profoundly.
Well, as I said, we humans disagree on how to get there, that much is obvious. Still, today’s readings give us some insight into how we can at least move in the right direction, starting with Paul’s letter to the Galatians. 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 best intentions, rather than jumping to the worst. It really helps to soften the heart.
“Bear one another’s burdens,” he goes on, “and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” So, we don’t only watch out for ourselves, but understand that when one suffers, we all as a community suffer. And so rather than saying, “Well, that doesn’t affect me,” we recognize that if it affects someone in our community, it does indeed affect us. As Paul says in Corinthians, “if one member [of the body] suffers, all parts suffer with it.” When we care for each other as much as ourselves, we all lift each other up.
“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” – again, not just for the good of ourselves. Because when the least advantaged among us do well, we all do better.
While these instructions cannot get us all the way to 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, and not just ourselves, at every opportunity. A world like that sounds a lot closer to the kingdom of God than we currently find ourselves!
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, tough, sometimes risky call, for a lot of reasons! 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 pursuing the kingdom of God and sharing the good news is hard work, but who is more qualified than you are, Mike? Or you, Lois? Or you, Jamie? 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 result in a painful reality check. It might not be fun, or even immediately rewarding. You might damage your reputation, or have to give up something important to you.
In the book, Waking Up White, 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). In the book, 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,” Jesus goes on. This is not so much about being unfriendly as it is about the urgency. There are people who are suffering and scared, who need to know something of that vision of God’s kingdom as soon as possible. This is the job, the call, of Christians – to work toward that kingdom, to show that love in word and deed – and there is no time to waste!
“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 fleeing violence, or families here in Rochester who struggle to make rent, or those on the brink of losing their healthcare or food benefits, 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. Every effort you make to make this world look more like God’s kingdom 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, grace, peace and justice – that is the kingdom of God.
None of this is easy. Sometimes it brings us together with folks or situations or self-realizations we’d rather avoid. Sometimes it brings about growth, and growth is almost always painful. But notice at the end of the Gospel reading, that, “the 70 returned with joy!” Joy – because they have glimpsed what life can be like when it resembles God’s kingdom, when everyone has what they need, when our highest values are justice and peace, when we care for one another and bear one another’s burdens. It is difficult and messy work; but it is the kingdom work to which we were called in our baptism, and every day since.
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, grace, peace, and justice 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.
