February 15, 2008
Passage:Matthew 10:1-15
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgement than for that town. <!– 16 –>
Evangelism or social action: which one is more important? That has been an argument many of us have heard over the years when talking about mission in the church. Some think that social action is what matters and ignore telling others about Christ. Some believe evangelism is far more important than feeding people. In our passage today, Jesus seems to be saying both are important- in fact, they are inseprable.
Jesus tells his disciples as they are getting ready to go two-by-two that they are to proclaim God’s kingdom is near and they are “to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons.” When we go to feed a hungry family, or build a house with Habitat for Humanity, we are doing Christ’s work; being Christ to others. We are bodly proclaiming that God’s kingdom is near, a kingdom where the poor and sick are cared for and not forgotten. Many churches in our Presbytery are heeding the call of pronouncing the Kingdom of God in word and in deed: Christ Presbyterian in Edina works on HIV/AIDS issues, volunteers with Feed My Starving Children and Urban Homeworks; St. Luke’s Presbyterian in Wayzata provides gracious hospitality to a Liberian family and ministers to the Native American community on the Pine Ridge Reservation; North Como Presbyterian in Roseville raises money for clean drinking water in parts of the world where the clean water is taken for granted; Kwanzaa Presbyterian in Minneapolis raises money and awareness of HIV/AIDS in the African American community and also helps survivors of domestic abuse get their lives back together; and First Presbyterian in Howard Lake collected food for the local foodshelf. In every case, these acts are not simply doing good, but in Christ, they are proclaiming a new reality, a new way of doing things.
Telling people about the good news of Jesus is important. In our relationships with others, we can and should share how our relationships with Christ have changed our lives. But we must also show them and that means doing what Jesus did: healing the sick, helping the poor and befriending the outcast.
So let’s spread the word: God’s kingdom is near!
God of justice, you call us as you called your first disciples oh so long ago, to care for the sick, the poor and the outsider. Help us as we go about our lives to remember what matters to you: to do justice, love mercy and humbly walk with you. Amen.
Dennis Sanders is the IT/Communications Specialist for the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area. He is also an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
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