Proper 9 (C)

Sunday July 5, 1998

Messiah Motivated Mission

Luke 10:1-11; 16-20

We had finished our Bible study on Luke 10:1-11, 16-20, the story of Jesus sending out His disciples to proclaim the Kingdom of God. It was Sunday afternoon and we were about to canvas our neighborhood with an invitation and information about our church. We set out in pairs and agreed to return after two hours for a time of worship.

By 5:15 pm, all of the paired evangelists had gathered in the sanctuary. Some were filled with excitement; while others seemed disappointed and even angry. "One man shut the door in our face and told us to get lost," she said tearfully. "We didn't expect that kind of response and so we left," said her partner. "Boy we're glad that didn't happen to us," the young couple said. "As a matter of fact, we were invited in for coffee and cake. They said they would come and visit with us this Sunday." "We hit every house on our street," chimed the teenage brothers. "Even though no one told us they were interested, we left them our materials.

"Do you remember how we emphasized that the major theme of our Bible Study was Messiah Motivated Mission?" asked the Pastor. "Jesus reminded his disciples that mission could be dangerous and disappointing. The disciples were like sheep among the wolves."

Someone else in the room said that's the way they felt when another person slammed the door in their face. "So what did you do?" asked the Pastor. "We stood there a moment and then we prayed" came the answer. "What a wonderful thing to do" said another affirming evangelist. "After all, Jesus told his disciples to give the same message to every town; even the ones who rejected them. The message is the same for everyone: The Kingdom of God is here."

"I was surprised at how many people are unchurched," said the oldest lady on another team. "Even at 71, I can still be shocked at the dire need to evangelize around our own neighborhood." Her partner added how good it was that they had worked in pairs so they could support and discuss these events as they traveled through the community. "Sometimes we forget about the urgency of God's message," said the Pastor. "When Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs, they traveled light and quickly. There is still an urgent need to spread the Gospel even in our age of televisions and computers.

"Yes, true," growled a grumpy voice, "but how many people did we convert?" "How many people got a Yes to come to church. I want to see some hands?" The room got quiet and the young couple raised their hand. "Two? That's it?" snarled the grumpy voice again. "Why bother?" An air of despondency filled the room.

After a few moments of quiet, the Pastor responded. "Being a disciple of Jesus can be difficult. It is especially hard when we carry the burden of success or of failure on our shoulders alone. But Jesus made it clear in our Bible study that our joy is not found in success nor is our grief found in our failures. Rather, we are joyous in our obedience to Christ. Our greatest joy and hope is because our names are written in heaven. Remember this is Messiah Motivated Mission. It is prayer and trust in God's action that will produce the harvest. It is the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit that will move and change a heart. We are simply the messengers on a mission with a message: "The kingdom of God is here in Jesus Christ. Won't you come and be a part? You have an open invitation!" With these closing words, the church evangelists stood and prayed on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, but returned home as Messiah Motivated Missionaries. (Dennis Bolton)