Building Community through Mission

The focus of this week's sermon is Jesus sending the 70 out to "every town and place where he himself intended to go."  This gospel is found in Luke 10:1-11, 16-20.

Enjoy!

If you were one of the 70, what do you think the hardest part of this mission would be?

No emergency back up, no change of clothes, no food, depending entirely on strangers for food and lodging, not being able to choose your traveling partner, not being able to converse with people on the road, eating whatever is set before you.

Jesus was sending these 70 people on a mission. He knew it would not be easy. He knew it would be difficult for those whom he sent. But why do you think he had to make it more difficult by imposing so many rules?!

Well let’s answer this question by first asking another question: When have you had to rely on the hospitality of strangers? What was that like? Did you get to know them quickly?

Today we are a society of strangers. In our country we provide our own food, whether by making it at home or going to a restaurant and purchasing it, and as a result we don’t get to know others. The majority of our meals are eaten with the same people, family, friends and co-workers. Hardly ever do we eat with strangers. But over a meal, in the process of breaking bread together, we are no longer strangers.

If these 70 brought their own food with them there would be less opportunity for conversation, there would be less time to tell others about the kingdom of God.

There is something communal about eating. Very few people want to eat alone. At restaurants when someone is eating alone, often they have a computer, a book or a magazine to keep them occupied. At home the tv is on, or you eat hurriedly over the sink or just munch on snacks while doing other things. Often we gather with people over food and drink, whether it is meeting a friend for a cup of coffee or having a grand fest to celebrate a special occasion. Meals mark birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, funerals, new relationships (how many of you went out to dinner on a first date), holidays, new jobs, promotions, retirements, graduations, new homes and the list goes on.

My campus pastor once told me that after years of working with college students, he learned that new students did not feel at home until they had somebody to eat with. How true is that! If you ever moved to a new school you know that the first day can be scary, not because of new classes and teachers but because of the question: who am I going to eat lunch with?

There is something spiritual that happens over a meal, we become who we truly are, humans in need of subsistence. We all become equals. Yes there may be the head of the table or the special guest, but we all eat together. We become a community.

This idea about community forming over a meal is why Jesus did not want the 70 to provide for themselves. And this idea about community is why we are still being provided for. In a few minutes, when we gather at this table, we will come as we are, without extra baggage. We will come and share a meal together and become a community. We each come without food or drink, they are provided. We come with hand open as a beggar, asking that they will be filled. We come as individuals and become a community.

We are those 70, who were sent out with nothing and came back rejoicing.

Through following Jesus, something was added to the lives of those 70, community. Jesus sends them to every town and place where he himself intended to travel in order to spread this community. Those rules that Jesus imposed were about community. Stay with those who wish to build a relationship and allow that relationship to develop, leave those who do not wish to add to that community.

It is this community that the 70 rejoice over and it is the community in heaven, their names being written in heaven, is why Jesus rejoices.

And Jesus rejoices with us. Jesus rejoices when we build community, when we become no longer strangers but members of the commune of all saints. Jesus rejoices as we break bread together and commune with one another. Jesus rejoices when we journey to his table together. So let us come to the table and celebrate for we have all be called on this mission.