Jesus sends the twelve out to bring his work out into the world through them. Sometimes we get stuck on when it doesn’t work.
For Sunday
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 9C
Collect
O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Reading
From Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ “
Reflection
Jesus sent out the twelve in this way, to be apostles; bringing healing and good news to the people they meet. Now, he is sending out seventy disciples to do this “throughout the world.”
The perfectionist will no doubt read this and get to noticing all of the contours. And the obvious questions that arise.
So, we’re to go out, taking nothing, and relying on strangers, right? OK. So, if they are generous, then obviously we’re all set. But what if they’re not? What if they don’t want to show hospitality? And what does that make of us? Aren’t we freeloading? Shouldn’t they have a right to say no?
I have led so many Bible Study groups in which these kinds of directions in conversation dominate the discussion. We can spend forty-five minutes of our hour talking about all the what-if scenarios and what Jesus’s negative depictions reveal about God.
We spend all of this time on what negative could be present, that we don’t spend much time on what Jesus is actually offering.
He tells them to offer peace.
What happens, how others respond is on them. You are to offer peace. And if it’s accepted, then offer more. If not, move along to one who will receive it with grace.
And the most remarkable part is that the apostles try it out and rave about it. It works!
I’ve taken to this practice myself. When I remember, at least. Sometimes the weight of things drives it from my mind. But it is worth considering.
When you enter someone’s home, say “Peace to this house!” I usually just say it to myself, though sometimes out loud. Offering peace to the home, the people, or the gathering.
I’ve done it when going to the grocery store, the mall, or Best Buy.
It isn’t only an offering to the suffering. Or the people we know. We don’t merely offer peace even to people! We offer it to the place. May this place be a place of peace. May peace inhabit this place. And most especially, may God’s peace be known here.
Because there is no place that we will go that doesn’t need more peace.
Problem in the Text
This week’s video deals, not with a problem in the text, but our problem with the text.