April 12th, 2021
Text: Luke 9:5
Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’ (NRSV)
I think one of the reasons that current day followers of Jesus don’t like to talk about their faith is that they are afraid of the response of those to whom they speak. We have often been told in our culture it is not proper to speak about politics, money, or religion. These are all topics that can bring about discord among even the best of friends. We have seen this play out on social media time and time again.
However, Jesus clearly calls his followers to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all. We have the “Great Commission” near the end of Matthew’s Gospel and yesterday we saw where Jesus commissioned the 12 to proclaim the kingdom of God. As we look at today’s text, it is clear that we are not the only ones who may not get received well when we talk about religion. Jesus is preparing the 12 to be treated poorly when they go out on this mission. And so, things have not changed much in the past 2,000 years.
One of the things that has not changed is that we are still called on by Jesus to share the good news of the kingdom of God even when we may not be received well. The fact that others may not want to hear the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ is not an excuse for us to not share that love. However, we do not need to be unpleasant if we are not received well when we bring the message. There is no need to argue our point. There is no need to strong arm someone into listening to us. We are simply advised to walk away and shake off the dust and move on.
Pray with me:
God of love and God of truth remind me that I am not responsible for what others do with the information about your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Help me not to take personally other people’s responses to my sharing of your message with them. Help me to simply walk away and continue on the path you have set before me. AMEN.
Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.’ (NRSV)
I think one of the reasons that current day followers of Jesus don’t like to talk about their faith is that they are afraid of the response of those to whom they speak. We have often been told in our culture it is not proper to speak about politics, money, or religion. These are all topics that can bring about discord among even the best of friends. We have seen this play out on social media time and time again.
However, Jesus clearly calls his followers to proclaim the Kingdom of God to all. We have the “Great Commission” near the end of Matthew’s Gospel and yesterday we saw where Jesus commissioned the 12 to proclaim the kingdom of God. As we look at today’s text, it is clear that we are not the only ones who may not get received well when we talk about religion. Jesus is preparing the 12 to be treated poorly when they go out on this mission. And so, things have not changed much in the past 2,000 years.
One of the things that has not changed is that we are still called on by Jesus to share the good news of the kingdom of God even when we may not be received well. The fact that others may not want to hear the message of God’s love through Jesus Christ is not an excuse for us to not share that love. However, we do not need to be unpleasant if we are not received well when we bring the message. There is no need to argue our point. There is no need to strong arm someone into listening to us. We are simply advised to walk away and shake off the dust and move on.
Pray with me:
God of love and God of truth remind me that I am not responsible for what others do with the information about your love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness. Help me not to take personally other people’s responses to my sharing of your message with them. Help me to simply walk away and continue on the path you have set before me. AMEN.
No Comments