July 3, 2022 Pentecost 4, Proper 9B�@

17The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, �gLord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!�h 18And he said to them, �gI saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.�h
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Luke 10:1, �gThe Lord Jesus appointed seventy-two others [besides the 12 Disciples] and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.�h Their mission was to bring peace to those towns. Their mission was to receive the hospitality of the town, (9) �gto heal the sick in it and say to them, �gThe kingdom of God has come near to you.�h This work would be very similar to what Jesus would be doing when he himself visited the towns later, bringing the peace of God through healing and Word of God.

However, Jesus told these new disciples that they would have to trust God to give them what they would need for this mission work. Jesus told them, �g4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.�h They did not need a knapsack to put things like food or extra clothing or money or shoes in. And so they had to rely on the hospitality of the people in the town. Also, they were not to waste time greeting people on the road, they were to hurry to their town, the mission of the Kingdom was that important.

They had to trust God to provide what was necessary, they also had to trust fellow believers to provide for them what was necessary, lodging and food. And they were not to be greedy if another house had a better bed or better food. They were to stay in the first house that gave them hospitality. We assume that they went to areas where there were Jews, so when Jesus said, �g8 eat what is set before you,�h I assume that sometimes some Jews were not too careful about serving Kosher, but the disciples were not to worry about what to eat or drink, even if it tasted bad or was not completely Kosher. Jesus had declared that all food was clean.

Jesus warned them that not everyone would believe the Gospel message or would be kind to the disciples. �g3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.�h �g10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 �eEven the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you.�f�h

They went out. They preached, they healed the sick, they cast out demons. And then they returned and reported to Jesus. My favorite line in this story is when Jesus said, �g18 I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.�h �@[Latin: sicut fulgar] The mission was successful.

The mission of the church today is the same as it has always been: to proclaim the peace of God, to heal the sick, and to say, 9 �gThe kingdom of God has come near to you.�h The kingdom of God has come personally to you, receive the forgiveness of sin, receive the peace of the knowledge of salvation, pray and trust in God to heal your sicknesses and distresses.

The mission of the church today is the same as it has always been: to pray as Jesus said, �g2 The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.�h By the way, in the Lord�fs Prayer, that is included in the words, �gThy Kingdom come.�h And so the church has always been training people for mission. We start in Sunday school, confirmation class, and Bible classes at church and in our colleges. The 72 disciples were laymen, and so we are all sent out to proclaim the Gospel.

Another part of the mission work, is to support the missionaries. As Jesus said, �g7 the laborer deserves his wages.�h St. Paul said it this way, Galatians 6:6, �gOne who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.�h My mother was always happy when someone dropped by the house for dinner, usually cousins. Most Christians love to share what they have. We learn hospitality from Christ, who feeds us in the Sacrament, and who gives us the bread of life which was sacrificed on the cross. This love of God is in our hearts, and so we share it, and support the mission of the Church. We pray, we give, we work in our church and in our homes and among our friends. It is the message and mission of peace, as Jesus said, �g5 Whatever house you enter, first say, �ePeace be to this house!�f 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.�f�h I like to think that peace returning to me, means that even if that person rejects me, I have peace in my heart for doing the right thing by proclaiming the peace of God to that person.

There is joy in doing the mission of God. We read about the joy of the disciples, �g17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, �gLord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!�h 18 And he said to them, �gI saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.�h�h

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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