Luke 10:1-11 (NRSV)
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Chapter 10After 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. Verse 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. Verse 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Verse 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Verse 5Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' Verse 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Verse 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. Verse 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; Verse 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' Verse 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, Verse 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.'
Devotion
Our calls are not dependent on having the basic equipment we think must be essential to do anything in this world. We are called to live out a radical Gospel and to be radical missionaries of Jesus Christ. We preach a powerful message both by what we say and how we live.
Jesus calls us to heal, bless and break bread with the poor. Our dependency on God and trust in the Holy Spirit increases when we leave all the luggage we insist on taking with us.
Going barefoot in the summer and taking hikes along a quiet lake remind me of how little I truly need for this sacred journey, save the Word and the Spirit of wisdom and understanding.
It is time to pare down to the basics - to know we will meet resistance and that sometimes it will be necessary to shake the dust off our feet and move on. The kingdom of God has come near.
Prayer
We pray, O Christ, that we would follow you more nearly, love you more dearly, and see you more clearly – day by day. Amen.