Third Sunday after Trinity – morning (8 am service)
Sunday 7th July 2019
Trinity 3 – Proper 9 – morning
Galatians 6. 1-16
Luke 10. 1-11, 16-20
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
I don’t know about you, but while I love the excitement of booking and planning for my holidays or trips abroad, I detest the packing! Mainly because I am not very good at “travelling light.” I always start with the best of intentions – but somehow when that open suitcase is before me, I try to cram every last corner of it – because, after all, I might need that extra T-shirt or sparkly top or an extra pair of trousers….oh and what about another swimming costume! And that is before I even start on the spongebag and medicaments to guard against everything from sunstroke to gastric flu! I remember laughing at one of my aunts when she came to stay with a complete holdall full of vitamin pills and medicines… I find I am much the same these days!
So I am not sure I’d be very good at following Jesus’ instructions to his disciples… No purse or bag or sandals? “I couldn’t possibly Lord, how would I manage?! Oh no”.
But it doesn’t end there. On your journey, Jesus continues, receive whatever hospitality you are offered.
Whoa! Not so fast there! The original disciples might have said, “But we are Jewish and kosher; we can’t share a roof or a table with just anyone!.” We might add,” but what about our allergies; we can’t just eat anything! I’ve just gone Vegan, or I’m on a gluten-free diet. What if a gay couple offers us hospitality? Or an Asian couple provides a really hot curry? Or it’s a house that is, quite frankly, dirty?”
Yes, says Jesus. All share in one bread, whether you are naturally comfortable with each other or not; whether you agree with each other over points of doctrine or not.
But, Lord, what if someone gets violent? The last person who tried to prepare the way for you (John the Baptist) got his head chopped off. Can’t we leave it to the professionals? The confident evangelists, the Twelve?
No, says Jesus. So what if you get rejection? That is just what to expect if you are my followers. Deal with it!
The mission of those first disciples, the Twelve (note the symbolic number – 12 tribes of Israel) was to the people of Israel. The mission we are part of now, first and twenty-first century disciples alike, has grown, and it is to all the nations of the world – all people of whatever creed, colour or culture.
The point is, it is down to us now. Ordinary disciples; mostly nameless, ordinary, unimportant (? – or perhaps essential?) followers of Jesus; it depends on us. Most of us won’t be knocking on doors or travelling from place to place, but for all of us – just like it was for our first great missionary Bishop Chad, – mission is about how we live our lives, how we radiate the kingdom wherever we go. And if people receive us, they receive Jesus. If they reject us, they reject Jesus. Lambs among wolves (no pun intended football fans!) is dead right! Are we up for it?
Travelling light, means leaving things that weigh us down. As I said, I’m not good at it! But I try not to be weighed down by what happened in the past, or the many “what ifs” that my ever fertile imagination is good at conjuring up. And then there is the cultural baggage that we all of us carry around too…. “I couldn’t dream of speaking in public!” – perhaps because some of us have horrible memories of being made to read aloud at school to our classmates? And yet we all have a voice, an opinion– and don’t you want your viewpoint to be heard by those around you?
So what about consumerism? How do we radiate kingdom freedom if we give in to the ‘must have’ society and allow possessions to have power over us?
And what about individualism? How do we radiate kingdom community if we insist on going it alone, priding ourselves on our independence, doing it ‘my’ way?
What about the blame culture? How do we radiate kingdom forgiveness if we off-load blame onto others – or God – all the time? (anyone watched the drama Years and Years? – one of the most powerful moments in that is when the grandmother (Anne Reid) accuses her family and herself of their complicity in the way that corrupt politicians have come to power and unjust laws have been passed…. let the reader understand!).
What about our indifference to worldwide need, oppression and slavery. How do we radiate kingdom justice if we care nothing for situations beyond ourselves?
Travel light, and people will see what we are carrying and want to give away – the kingdom: healing and wholeness, peace, freedom, forgiveness, grace, love. And as Paul tells us – we will reap what we sow.
So what is to be our reward? Well, we are told those first disciples returned with joy – not empty but full: full of wonder, joy and excitement – when did we last feel like that?
There may be some priorities to adjust, some of the ‘essential’ baggage to throw out, but we can do so with a smile on our faces. Amen.