Pentecost 4, Year C 2025
Isaiah 66:10-14; Rejoice for Jerusalem, and be glad for her,
Galatians 6: (1-6), 7-16; Bear one another’s burdens, do not grow weary in doing what is right, work for the good of all;
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20; Jesus sent out 70 ahead of himself;
Jesus sent out seventy others ahead of himself to towns to which he planned to go. And he gave them very specific instructions. I appreciate this Gospel reading from Luke today. I like clear, well-written instructions. I have often thought that if I ever went back to work (and that is a big if), I would like to write procedure manuals, how-to instructions. It seems to me that some procedures and how-to’s are written by folks who probably know their subject well. But they don’t know how to explain to someone else how to; and they don’t know how to write the explanation.
Jesus told them to travel light, carry no purse, or bag or sandals. We live in a materialistic time and culture. We enjoy the creature comforts. What we sometimes forget is that our material possessions require extra care, which takes time away from any other task or calling we may have. Jesus wanted the 70 to stay focused on the most important message they had to deliver, and not be burdened or distracted by carrying extra stuff; we call that extra stuff baggage.
Doug & I know about baggage. We are moving in the next couple of months. We were blessed to find a house, all on one level, with a smaller yard, in a smaller community. As an aside, people ask if we know anyone in Walla Walla, Washington? No, but there is an Episcopal Church there – St. Paul’s.
But back to the baggage. The moving van came 2 weeks ago today. We thought we had done a good job of sorting, donating, and pitching out stuff that we have accumulated over the years. We both like to collect stuff, honestly we are pack rats. We are still packing stuff that we did not get boxed before moving day. It is a bit easier for me to part with things when I ask myself, “Do I want to move this thing, (book, knickknack, plant, piece of clothing, pair of shoes)?” Much of the time the answer is no. I don’t want to move it. Bless Fr. Joseph, who has accepted a few of the spiritual books I have collected over the years. Many were written before he was born. Some were written before I was born!
Jesus told the 70 to travel light. I don’t travel light through life. When I travel away from home, I have a suitcase with clothes, I have another case with shoes, and I always carry a book bag, containing several books, a journal, Forward Day by Day, sometimes my laptop, and maps. You get the picture.
“There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every human, which cannot be satisfied by any created thing but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” That is a quote from the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. This quote is often used to express the idea that we humans have an inherent longing for something or someone, transcendent, something beyond the material world, which can only be fulfilled by a relationship with God.
Jesus told the 70 to offer the Good News of God in Christ, wherever they went. And if the Good News was not received, shake the dust from their feet, and move on. There was urgency in Jesus’ mission, and in the mission of those He sent. They did not have time to linger in situations which were not fruitful. They had to reach as many folks as possible. I like to think of this process as planting seeds. Sometimes we plant a seed and move on. And then another comes along and cares for the sprouting seed, and yet another tends the growing plant. And another may reap the harvest.
This is a tough concept for me. It is difficult for me to plant a seed and move on. It feels to me like giving up. I say to myself, and God, “I know I can grow this thing, or fix this thing, if I just keep trying, I can bring this thing to growth and fruition!” But is that how is God calling me to use my time, my energy, my spiritual gifts? We may all ask that question, as individuals, as a congregation, and as the wider Church, the body of Christ. The big question is: are there things (baggage) which draw my attention away from what God calls me to?
Jesus sent them out in pairs. We are not alone as we carry out the mission of the Church. We minister as members of the full body of Christ. We teach each other as we go. We learn from each other as we go. We have each other to lean on in times of struggle; and with whom to share in times of joy.
The 70 returned with a spirit of joy, deep, satisfying joy in their souls. And does it not give us joy when we know we have done God’s will, when we have allowed God to work through us in the lives of others? For most of us, this happens in our everyday world, in the lives of those around us, our friends and neighbors, co-workers, our families, and also strangers.
It takes courage and commitment to tell others about Christ, to invite others into the life of the Church, and welcome all. And when we do, we share the joy which we have found with the world. It takes courage because we want to avoid being vulnerable. Perhaps we fear failure, or embarrassment or rejection. Or perhaps we fear that the mission is too difficult or too costly for us. Here is a quote I like to remember: “The will of God will never take us where the grace of God will not keep us.”
We don’t always know where we are on the faith journey, or where we are going. The path is not always clear; and sometimes we can see only a short distance ahead. Some of us like to have a map and very clear instructions to tell us where we are going, and how to get there. And if the map is drawn roughly, and the instructions are not clear, we rely on faith, and we trust in God to show us the way. “The will of God will never take us where the grace of God will not keep us.”
The Rev. Robin Finch