Sermon for the Lord’s Day – July 4, 2010
“These Truths” [Revised]
Rev. Lorelei Hillman
University Presbyterian Church
Happy 4th of July! Today we celebrate the signing of the American Declaration of Independence in July 1776. This was an act that changed the world of its day – a new form of government was born that day which has sometimes struggled and sometimes achieved what it was designed to do – to make manifest ‘these truths’:
- That all [persons] are created equal
- That people have a right, among others, to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
- That the government should support these rights or
- That the people have the obligation to replace a government which does not.
The American Declaration of Independence, insisting on these rights, ‘turned things over’ by putting power which had been restricted to a monarch and an elite class of lawmakers into the hands of the common people. Working from the Declaration, America’s political organizers developed a new way of governance, built on a new world vision: that human beings were basically capable, and could live up to high expectations in their personal and communal lives.
Great truths have a way of doing that – they turn things over. As Christians, we experience this in Jesus, whose teachings, life, death and resurrection surely ‘turned over’ everything! From the politics and economics of his day, to the morals and relationships of today, Jesus’ truth continues to ‘turn over’ the status quo every day. The story told in today’s Scripture passage describes one of these events.
In the text, Jesus sends out 70 disciples in pairs to pronounce the arrival of God’s new age on earth. Travelling in pairs was a good idea – the roads in that day were not as safe as they are today, even under the ‘pax Romana’ (Roman peace). Bandits lurked in hidden places, waiting to attack passers-by and take their money and valuables.
But the disciples were told not to take any money, not even a suitcase or an extra pair of shoes! If you’ve ever made a day-trip on business, you know how awkward this feels the first time, heading off on a plane without any luggage or even a change of clothes… While traveling without money or possessions might make you less of a target for robbery, it also makes you more vulnerable. Meals and lodging are dependent on the kindness of strangers; fortunately, the Jewish culture had a high standard for hospitality, so travelers were usually welcomed into homes in the evening, and given food and a place to sleep. In fact, this tradition remains strong in the Middle East today, where it is considered an affront to God to turn a visitor away. If you have ever experienced this kind of hospitality, you will long remember how gracious it feels, and how quickly you are included as ‘one of the family.’
The instructions the disciples were given were that they should bring peace to each house they entered. If their peace was ‘returned,’ then they were to stay in that house and not move from home to home. The journey was not about ‘trading up’ to a nicer home, or making political connections – it was about being a good guest, and appreciating the gift of hospitality. They were to eat what they were served, joining in with the family in every way. Jesus even gave them a little ritual to help them get over it if they were rejected – no holding on to your anger, now.
Most often, when I’ve heard people talk about this passage, the emphasis has been on the phrase ‘the harvest is plentiful but the laborers few.’ It’s been used as a teaching tool for evangelism – send out the people in pairs to make converts! But as I read through it, I noticed something. The disciples return, delighted that they have been able to cast out demons, but not one of them gives an account for the number of people they have converted. Neither the disciples, nor the narrator say, “And they returned with hundreds of new followers!”
There is a lot of information about being a guest. Is this the point? Jesus tells them so much about how they should behave. At first, I just thought, “Well, this is good advice.” But the more I read it, the more I realized, there really is nothing in the story about their experience as guests, or about their hosts at all. I mean, if this were the point, shouldn’t the text tell us who had taken the disciples in, what their experience was like, how it went? But the text tells us nothing.
So if it’s not about being a guest, or about who the disciples stayed with, and it’s not about how many people they converted, what is it about? The disciples seem to think it’s about SUCCESS – they come back to Jesus, almost giddy with delight at the power they have wielded. Okay, that may be too harsh. I’m sure that a lot of their excitement about being able to cast out demons had to do with their joy at helping the suffering. But it appears that Jesus has a different idea.
He turns it all over. He says yes, he has seen Satan fall from heaven – yes, with the advent of God’s new age, profound power has been brought to bear on the evils of the world. People are being healed: the dangers that they faced, their own slithering fears and stinging doubts are overcome by trusting in God. By going out in Jesus’ name without money or luggage, by staying where they were welcomed and not moving around, by being good guests, they have been able to work miracles on God’s behalf. Still, as wonderful and exciting as this is, this is not the point. It is not about SUCCESS.
Nowhere has Jesus said, “The people you meet just have to believe.” In fact, he is clear that some will not! Nowhere does Jesus say, “If you don’t bring back a bunch of converts, you’ll all be failures.” In his instructions, Jesus does not lay out for the disciples how they might tell the good news in the most convincing way. Nor does he count heads when they return.
“Do not,” Jesus says, “rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Don’t worry about being SUCCESSFUL – be SIGNIFICANT. Where you go, be a good guest. Join with the families. Appreciate them and their hospitality. Bring them friendship. Bring them healing. Bring them PEACE. Let them know by your own behavior that God has come right to their door; the new age has arrived and they have invited it into their homes.
These are the truths which turn lives over even to this day. God is present, now, exactly where you are. God is a guest in your house, enjoying your family, appreciating you and celebrating the welcome Jesus receives – at your table, in your living room, in your relationships, in your home. God could care a less how many heads you count in the pew each Sunday, whether your church adds 50 new members a year or 100 – what God hopes for each of you is that, in going out for Christ, you have significance. People see in you one who is willing to be vulnerable, to be a good guest, to love them where they are and still proclaim to them, “God’s new age has arrived, and you are part of it!” In this way, your name will be written in heaven. Amen.
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