Luke 10:1 – He sent them out ahead, when he was about to go. A bit like John the baptist, preparing the way for him.
Luke 10:2 – Jesus looked out at the crowds of people – selfish people looking to be fed and healed, religious people certain the knew what was right, self absorbed people who didn’t even pay attention of the prophet in their midst – and he saw hope. He saw a plentiful harvest. When I look out, do I see many opportunities for God?
Luke 10:9 – Heal, proclaim the kingdom. What an exiting, and scary, time that must have been. I can remember going out like these men were, doing something out of my comfort zone. It scared the bejeebus out of me, but it was exhilarating too.
Luke 10:17-20 – I like how Jesus puts it in perspective for them. It’s cool, you have power over demons. He even tells how it was cool to see Satan fall. But none of that, as cool as it is, can compare to the joy of having your names written in heaven.
Luke 10:21-24 – I can sense the thrill in Jesus at these things. He’s just excited to see these simple men take hold of the kingdom. The plan is working, it’s coming together!
It’s the same thrill of a father watching their kids get stuff. In the car the other day, we were listing to the song Slow Fade from Casting Crowns. It’s about being careful what we see and hear, we just might be slowly fading “People never crumble in a day, it’s a slow fade.”
In the back seat, Audrey asks what the song is about, so I explain it just like that. She responds something like, “So it’s kind of like that parable of the soils? One soil had the weeds that choked the plants.” She then related it to Adam and Eve in the garden, listening to the serpent. We had a great discussion, the three girls and I, about being careful because one little thing after another and we can find ourselves a long way away.
I felt something a bit like what Jesus did here – “They’re getting it! Thank you father in heaven!”
Luke 10:35 – I’ve always been amazed at the man’s giving a large sum of money and committing to an unlimited additional sum to care for this stranger. Sure, it’s a fictional story, and his main point isn’t how we use our resources (a point he makes in other places) but Jesus could have said anything and made his point. But instead, he sets a high bar as an example of taking care of our neighbors.
This Samaritan had resources that he could allocate to such a need. Maybe not set aside for that purpose, but he was willing to use it nonetheless. I wonder how many disciples of Jesus in the US have the means to do the same? Instead, we use our own vast resources (we are all wealthy in the US) mostly for ourselves. We do give, but are we ready to meed needs like this? What if there were a crisis in your church? Would you be in need or ready to supply one? Unrestricted funds? Whatever is needed?
Jesus sets taking care of our neighbors here as a task worthy of large, and unrestricted sacrifice. Sitting amongst our toys, are we still prepared to respond to these kind of needs? I suspect, mostly, we are not. I’m not as ready as I’d like to be. It challenges my heart to consider it as Jesus presented it.
Luke 10:41-42 – Jesus again puts things in perspective. What seems urgent at the time frequently isn’t that important overall.