The kingdom of God is near. Peace be with this house.

By mmayer

Luke 10:1-11,16-20

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

‘When you enter a house, first say, “Peace to this house.” If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

‘When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal those there who are ill and tell them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God has come near.”

‘Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.’

The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’

He replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’

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The kingdom of God is near. Peace be with this house. Luke 10:1-11,16-20

Jesus was journeying to Jerusalem, and the cross, although he was the only one who knew how it would end up. Before they get there, he sends 72 disciples out, in pairs, to the places he was about to go to, with the simple message: The kingdom of God is coming near. Peace to this house. In terms of personal items they carried, it was minimalist. They would be given whatever they needed: food, drink and support at the places they were going to.

The kingdom of God was very near, because Jesus was about to go into their villages and towns, but the disciples discovered that sharing the message of Jesus did bring healing and hope to people. They also discovered that they carried a real gift of God’s peace that could be passed on.

In the sermon we reflected on how we might bring the kingdom of God near to people this week. Simple things like showing care and compassion do that. We can also say, if it is appropriate, “Well, I’m praying for you that God……” , or “This Bible verse really helps me, and now I’m giving it to you.”

Passing on faith can be very challenging, when our work mates show no interest at all in what we did on Sunday in terms of going to church. It is very challenging when our adult children show no desire to hear any ‘God talk’ from us. Have that painful conversation with our Saviour about how that feels. Then explore what it might mean to pray for them in a non-anxious way. Trust that seeds that have been sown will germinate, and you may not get to see that. Know that your love for your children and grandchildren is only a pointer to the immense, personal love that our heavenly Father has for them.

Don’t lose heart.