Luke 10:1-11,
16-20
Preached by
Rev. Dr. Jason Haddox
In recent
years, in my hometown of Baytown, Texas, my father has undertaken a work of
conversion: the transforming of an unused patch of suburban back yard into a
vegetable garden. He has tilled the earth, built raised planting beds,
enriched the soil, planted seeds and watered and pulled endless weeds.
And all that before so much as one blessed tomato or pepper shows up. It
is tiresome, necessary work, but not always immediately rewarding in itself,
this business of getting the garden ready.
In the gospel
this morning, the Seventy are getting the garden ready: They too are
tilling the soil; pulling out the weeds and rocks and old tires. They are
building connections with the people they meet, for something that they, the
Seventy, know is coming. They have been with Jesus, learning
from him and watching him, and now they are being sent out to do and say the
things they have seen and heard him do and say.
They are
engaged in Preparatio evangelica—preparation of themselves and of the
people they meet, to hear the Good News of God’s deeds in Jesus, and in those
who follow Jesus. Jesus is intending to go into the towns and villages of
Galilee himself; he’s sending the advance team ahead to get folks ready to
receive what he brings to them.
Jesus speaks to
his followers, who are now becoming this advance team: “Travel light;
don’t get distracted. Carry and embody the Peace of God as you go.
Be content with whatever comes your way; share what you have been given:
healing, salvation, and the news of the Kingdom near at hand. If they
reject you, shake off the dust and move on; if they acclaim you and celebrate
you for miraculous deeds, give thanks that God has been there with you.
Do not take personally what comes next—for good or for ill.”
This is a very
different set of instructions on living than we hear most of the time.
And the Seventy don’t quite understand either. They go and do as Jesus
tells them, and then come rushing back excited about everything they are able
to do. “Jesus, you won’t believe what happened! Check it
out…” And Jesus has to tell them again “Look y’all, that’s great, but
it’s really not the point. The spiritual fireworks, and demonstrations of
power, and the healings, and everything—none of those things are an end in
themselves.
Remember the
message: ‘The kingdom, the dominion, the power and presence of God
Almighty, is here. Right here, among you, in your midst. You don’t
have to go running around looking for it or trying to conjure it up; it’s here,
for you all, right now.’”
Then and
now, Jesus speaks this word to his hearers: that it is possible to travel
lightly on the earth, not accumulating things for the sake of a false sense of
security; that it is possible to depend on hospitality and kindness from
others.
That it is
possible, and more than possible, to live in and into the peace of God which
passes all understanding, which is not dependent on outward circumstances, even
in the midst of sickness and struggle.
That it is more
than possible—that it is needful, that it is essential—to call forth the
healing and saving power of the Reign of God into the places we see in need of
that healing, saving, amazing grace. Because even in those places
of need, whether in our own private lives or out there in God’s beloved and
broken world, salvation and healing and grace are to be had. They are
near; they are at hand. And so we can do all that Jesus asks us to
do. Because we have been given all that we need to do with.
The garden is
waiting. God’s kingdom garden longs to flourish and grow and bear good,
nourishing, delicious fruit. We are invited, called, sent, as
assistant-gardeners, diggers and weeders and tillers of the soil, to work
alongside Jesus the Good Gardener, to make that possibility a reality, in this
place, in our time.
My
brothers and sisters, may it be so for us; may it be so among us.
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