Göttinger Predigten
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Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, 07/07/2019
Sermon on Luke 10:1-20, by Beth A. Schlegel
Luke 10:1-20 English Standard Version (ESV) 10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house.8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
13 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14 But it will be more bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
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Recently, I heard the tail end of a story about a man who, as a boy had killed another boy. He was sentenced to life in prison.
When the law was passed that allowed for the release of juvenile offenders, this man was released from prison after having served 30 years.
I don’t know the details of what happened, but his remarks at the end of the program struck me.
His remorse at what he had done and gratitude at being free and having a second chance to make something of his life was foremost.
He acknowledged that he could never bring back the life he had taken from the other person.
He regretted that he could never truly make it right with the family of that boy.
He would never forgive himself for what he had done.
He said his goal was to live a life worthy of his freedom and he hoped that would be good enough to redeem himself.
On the one hand, I was happy for the man that he was taking seriously the events of his life and the opportunity for a new start that his freedom presented.
But I was sad that he chose to live the remainder of his life with the incredible burden of trying to redeem himself .
Certainly this man’s story is one of extreme circumstances, but I think it reveals a struggle many people have, I know I do.
It is the struggle to prove ourselves worthy of good things by striving to be good people.
It is the struggle to redeem ourselves from the accusations of unworthiness by doing good to make up for our shortcomings.
Now don’t get me wrong – I am not saying we should not do good or strive to live as righteously as we can.
The problem comes when we put the cart before the horse and claim that our goodness is the proof that we deserve good things.
The problem is when we believe the lie that it is possible for any of us to redeem ourselves in the court where every act, every thought, every word is presented as exhibits by the prosecution.
The problem is when we forget how it is that we can do any good at all.
God is the source of all the good we accomplish in our lives.
Jesus has done all that is required for our redemption and forgives all our wrongdoing.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit in us that does good in the world for the sake of the world.
We have been chosen, called, baptized, and named by the triune God for the good work of participating in the kingdom of God on earth.
Jesus says:
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5
Jesus has done all the good necessary to redeem our lives.
We are free from the burden of having to prove ourselves worthy.
In the court where our every act, every thought, and every word are presented as exhibits by the prosecution, Jesus and the Holy Spirit stand beside us as our defense, holding up the cross as the proof of our complete forgiveness.
Jesus has written our names in heaven in the ink of love poured out as his own lifeblood on that cross.
To try to be good people in order to prove ourselves worthy is as silly as a clarinet or trumpet trying to make its own music.
We are instruments for God’s music.
And every day, Jesus picks us up to blow the Holy Spirit through us to share the Good News of God with the world.
What a privilege! What a wonderful mission!
And God has already made sure the mission cannot fail.
When we see how Jesus sent out the 72 disciples, we see how our lives carry out God’s mission.
First – the disciples are to be vulnerable and dependent. They are not to be seen as having any human authority or power over anyone.
What they say and do comes from God and not of themselves. They cannot claim any credit for it.
They are dependent on the customary principles of hospitality.
--when entering a village, the village elders decide if they are permitted to enter and stay.
If so, one villager will put them up and provide the necessities of life.
Of course, the others in the village contribute to this, so it is both impolite and unnecessary for the disciples to impose on multiple houses.
Next is the custom of giving gifts.
The disciples have announced that they come in the name of Jesus. Now they must give a gift on his behalf.
This gift is God’s shalom – the divine peace that restores wholeness to life.
To say “Peace to this house” or “The peace of the Lord be with you” is to give the gift of the Holy Spirit of God.
It is to say – there is no enmity between us – there is no reason to fear.
This peace is a blessing to all who trust it and to those who don’t, it is of no consequence at all.
Either way, the disciples are to accept the hospitality.
They are not to worry about whether the food is kosher or whether they like it.
They are to eat it regardless of its quality or origin.
To do otherwise would be insulting.
They are to show thanks by healing the sick in Jesus’ name.
And then – when a positive relationship has been forged – they are to connect the dots of their visit by declaring: “The Kingdom of God has come near.”
When Jesus follows their visit, the villagers will recognize the peace of God he brings and the power of life he offers and receive him with joy.
Salvation is at hand.
In cases where the disciples are not welcomed, it is still true that the kingdom of God has come near – but their refusal to receive it means that they do not participate in the life of God.
They have condemned themselves by their unbelief and when Jesus comes, he will be considered a troublemaker and cast out – or killed.
But the disciples – we – are not responsible for how the people we engage react. We do not have to persuade anyone or force anything down people’s throats.
We are responsible only for going into the world and carrying the message of peace, forgiveness and life in God’s kingdom in Jesus’ name.
I hope someone gives this good news to the young man rebuilding his life.
Jesus sends us out: "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen