Devotion for June 28, 2022
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
After 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. He 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. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain 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. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘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.’ “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Remember the challenges from chapter 9 that Jesus issues about the difficulty required to follow him? It makes a bit more sense when seen in the light of what Jesus calls the elders to do. “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” “Whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you.” They were not going to places where success and acceptance were guaranteed but they were going with a clear call from Jesus. However, notice how they return and what they say to Jesus. They did not return harping on the failures but rather rejoicing in the successes.
How likely are we to start with gratitude and rejoicing, particularly after facing failure? Jesus tells them that celebration is in order, but not for the reason we might think. Celebrate not in your success, but rather in the knowledge that your name is known by God. When you feel small or beaten down, celebrate that your name is known by God. Similarly, when you have success be humbled that your name is known by God. The life of a Christ follower is not guaranteed to be easy, in fact Jesus tells us how hard it will be, but we do so with the certainty that our names are written in heaven. Amen.
This week’s blog is brought to you by Campbell University’s Center for Church & Community.