Preparing the Way
Tony E Dillon Hansen
A sermon based upon Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+10&version=NRSV
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
There are a couple things that come to mind when we look at the text for Luke 10. I would like to consider Luke’s text in terms of how we start a mission by picking a place. I would then like to consider how one conducts themselves in this mission.
In Mark 6, as I am sure many of you will recall, Jesus instructs the disciples to go out in pairs into towns ahead of them. In Mark, we witness similar notes of how to conduct themselves with respect to people on the road and in the houses.
Luke goes further with many more involved in the mission and talks about harvest needs in the towns. Are we talking about the old agrarian needs like my farmer grandfather wanting help on the farm or is there something else being suggested here? Time to roll up the sleeves and get to work! The harvest, however, that is implied here is of the people themselves rather than of a grain harvest.
Great!! —If you know farmers like my grandpa, they could have always used more people for arms full of hay bails, acres of bean walking, long nights of grain harvests, and dusty corn shelling. That is, of course, how I envision my preaching mission.
How to Pick a Place?
When our family goes to look for a place to live, we may be willing to consider some features that appeal to us like location, friendly neighbors, kids in the area, crime potentials, accessibility, or … does this house or neighborhood look Democrat or Republican - Does it look like us?
There is a bit of carpe diem and faith in these passages, given the notion of going into these unknown areas and homes then staying there. Nothing more is provided about how to determine which place to pick. We are not told to choose based upon whether it is nice and well built, whether it is able to hold people, whether it is tired and small, whether it has guns or looks friendly, or whether it could be a community shelter with roaming collective of immigrants, unemployed, disabled or angry people. You have to pick a place and the first one that accepts is your objective. Jesus is saying in so many words here, “Have Faith. It will work out.”
How Do We Learn and Grow?
There is where you will learn about those people because they have already decided to welcome you into their midsts (step one of ready for harvest.) These missions are told to bring the message and to embrace the customs of those that welcome them (learn about them and enjoy their hospitality as proper “guests” should.)
This beckons a story of two Zen Masters: a visitor and a welcoming Master. Upon arrival, the visiting Master begins to talk about the great things his students were doing, and to talk, and to talk, and to talk. Every time the welcoming Master suggests some idea, the visiting Master is dismissive and keeps talking (oh we have that, we do that and we have something better…) The welcoming Master then invites the visiting Master to tea and begins to pour tea into the cup and continues to pour over the cup’s limit into his lap. The visiting Master complains that “the cup is full” and asks why the welcoming Master has clearly let this tea run over. The welcoming Master explains, “like this cup of tea, your mind is full of ideas and opinions where you will not learn anything more until you empty your mind.”
When the missions present themselves and their message, they are told to learn and to adapt to the new cultures rather than forcing opinions upon others. We know that eating habits are core to cultures and cooperation. Jesus calls the missions to bring the message into communion with their culture and with openness to learn from them what they are willing to share. Then, we can grow together. We have to prepare our minds to grow with what we encounter. Otherwise, we miss the opportunity to learn valuable lessons, cultures and ideas that may prove useful to us today or in the future.
So, when we return to the choices we have (places or otherwise), that choice will influence what we learn and how we learn. If we always pick from those with similar appearance, political stripe or culture, how are we to learn and grow with our neighbors that we have, let alone those we have yet to meet? If we pick the same thing over and over, how do we improve or change? We do not have to agree nor do we need to shed our beliefs. Yet, alongside the missions sent by Jesus, we are tasked to learn the different ways people come to life, to the Way, and to God because each of us has something to share.
Just trying something different provides us with discovery of tastes, smells, art, challenges and joys that are in lives all around us. With this, Jesus is telling us how we grow in love of neighbor and God.
Yet, if these towns do not welcome, the Arabic custom of wiping dust off shoes is how the missions are to behave - Nothing more and nothing less (and not shoe tossing for insults). For instance, a problem with tossing shoes is you might have to retrieve the shoe, or you walk barefoot until you get new ones! Maybe, these people have recent grief or simply do not want visitors today, but Jesus says to wipe away and walk away today. Perhaps, there is a more appropriate time for these people, but we cannot make it difficult for future success by providing buyers remorse today.
An interesting concept is that as other towns (and people) become welcoming, so too will the not-so-welcoming towns by witnessing the good results that happen in the welcoming communities: natural alignment. It is the nature of life and society where people want the good things- to experience the good: aka God. Yet, they will experience at their own pace and willingness. That sounds a lot like the United Church of Christ??!!
A Retrospective
Once we find success, we need not gloat or become boastful.
Once we find success, we must carry on to the next.
Once we find failure, we must carry on to the next.
Learn from your work, be thankful, we must carry on to the next.
That is the essential of the second part of the scripture.
Even the missions could not believe their own faith had worked for them when they brought back stories of wonderful successes. Jesus gives them a retrospective of the graces given to them while also reminding them to focus upon the enduring work ahead of them.
Power, faith and a good harvest that get used to force others into submission is a destructive mission to the greater mission. Wealth, social status, religious ostracism (like against LGBT), terrorism (like Boston or Turkey), burning a Quran or systemic violence (like racism) are ugly versions of this where someone (or some people) used good fortunes via the Word of God to justify prodding anger, sheltering hate or inflicting pain.
Nothing good becomes of “good” words and works when that is then used to harm any of God’s children (believer, non-believer or different believer).
Thus, this lesson is not just for ministers, preachers and missionaries (or even good table manners.) This lesson applies to everyday people facing daily challenges and choices on how to take the good and the not-so-good. Do your work well, be open, respect, learn, reflect and prepare for the next.
For us today, we are called into mission by Jesus to go forth, to share the message and to learn. This is a mission that was started in Genesis where God commanded to “be fruitful and multiply” where we have to look at what has been given to us and be willing to make the most of it.
Jesus tells us to start somewhere and let that be your path.
Jesus tells us to respect people that we do not know
Jesus tells us to respect those that need to hear the Truth.
Jesus tells us to respect those that do not want to hear the Truth today.
Jesus tells us to empty our cups.
Jesus tells us to open our hearts and minds.
Jesus tells us to enjoy the meal in communion.
Jesus tells us to savor the moments we get.
Jesus tells us to let the Word and the Way build.
Jesus tells us to be thankful!
This is how Jesus tells us to prepare the Way.
Thanks Be to God.
