From Luke 10: 1 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. 2 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. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 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. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 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.' 16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 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. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
"Why do we have to go home?" asked our 4 year old grandson, Liam. Nellie and I talked later about how rare it is to hear a little boy say that he is not ready to leave church. Yesterday, while in the middle of a movie he asked, "Is it almost over?" Hmm. The church service was catered for the young and the young at heart. It didn't hurt that it started with food, and he was hungry. It didn't hurt that they had Oreos, his favorite. And it blessed his spirit that the music was rocking. Then they dimmed the lights and then the band threw out glow sticks. One of the host pastors made sure Liam, who was still eating, got his fair share of glow sticks. Every one greeted him. No wonder he did not want to go home. I thought to myself, no wonder Sunday morning church has a hard time attracting the young and young at heart. The crowd present there reminded me of the key verse for me in this passage, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." (v. 2).
The Sunday morning church has lost its sense of urgency in reaching those outside its walls. Jesus has this urgency in this passage. There is work to be done and it must be done now. Go and do it! Jesus never says it will be easy, because it's not, we go as Jesus said, "like lambs into the midst of wolves." There is no need to worry about money and housing and clothing, etc.; all of that is provided in the field by God. These seventy sent by Jesus went and did as told, and when they returned they reported success so awesome that Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning." (v. 18) The 70 reported that "even the demons submit(ted) to us!" (v. 17). The great joy, Jesus reports to them, is not the success of you mission, but "that your names are written in heaven."
The Sunday morning church has its names written on pews, walls, markers, monuments, committees, almost everywhere except where it really counts; the hearts and lives of those whom it has touched lately. Now, not all Sunday morning churches are like this, but you know which ones I'm talking about. The play it safe, play it like always, churches that seek to stay alive rather than sharing life. The urgency is in finding enough money to stay alive.
Friends, we have work to do. We cannot think that others will do it in our place. It is urgent, as Jesus knew, to do that work quickly. I saw a quote by a noted preacher of the 19th century who said, "If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for." (Charles H. Spurgeon).
PRAYER: Loving God, may my life count in the lives of others. May my teeth, lips, arms, all of me, be used to love people away from Satan and into Your arms. Help me not lose the urgency with which you called me to service. Help me be part of the pen that continues to add names into the Book of Life. This I pray, for Your honor and glory, through Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Happy and Safe Fourth of July!
Eradio Valverde
