Sunday, July 03, 2016

Pentecost 7C

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

1After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'
16"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

17The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19See, I have given you authority [not power in the Greek] to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
RCL year C is Luke's year. recap about Luke: history; prayer; women; the marginalized; HS; Table Fellowship; hospitality; Jerusalem.

During this season of Pentecost, the church's year of grace still seriously moves into all the world and reaches way far out beyond "home base."

We've been discussing Galatians as an ethnic church in terms of geography and culture; they also were ethnos—gentiles. Paul gets the case of the Judaizers who required people to become Jewish before they became Christian. We talked some about requirements for people to join us and participate.

Today's passage from Luke contains lots to consider regarding outreach and others and us and our comfort levels.

"After this this" Luke 9:51 Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. Jerusalem is far more prominent in the gospels of Mark and Luke than in John or Matthew.

Sending people out in pairs. seventy combines the numbers of perfection (7) and completion (10). why not go solo? Sometimes we do! Travel light, in terms of everything.

7Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'

"eating and drinking whatever they provide." Yikes! what if they don't keep kosher! What if we know we don't like whatever it is! Conversing with strangers, experiencing their hospitality, eating their food — you are what you eat! You are your neighbor! "this is the body of Christ, given for you." We are the body of Christ!

What is this reign of God, kingdom of heaven? Where is it? Connecting with eternity right here and now. How?

Satan falling from heaven like lightning! The word for heaven is the same as heaven most places in scripture. Best to say it denotes authority, sovereignty, can be a cipher for power and reign. Satan now is earthbound.

Rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Baptism? Identity and call. Word here is authority / exousia, not power /dynamos

Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem. Center of the known world. Axis mundi between heaven and earth.

A few weeks ago we talked about the New Jerusalem in the Book of Acts. Easter 5, Revelation 21:2

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