A Sunday School teacher taught her class to recite the Apostles Creed by
giving each child one phrase to learn. When the day came for the class to give their
recitation, they began beautifully. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of
heaven and earth,” said the first child. “I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son our
Lord,” said the next. And so, it went perfectly until they came to the child who
said, “He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father
Almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” At that
point, an embarrassed silence fell. The next line was to be, “I believe in the Holy
Spirit.” but there was only silence. Finally, a little girl spoke up and said, “Uh, the
little boy who believes in the Holy Spirit is absent today.”1
That is not the case for us today? Is it? We believe that every time we gather
together to worship in this way the Holy Spirit is present. There is an invocation of
the Holy Spirit by the celebrant during Holy Eucharist at the epiclesis for the
specific purpose of consecrating the eucharistic elements – the bread and the wine.
It has been said that if we (the church) have good liturgy, good music, and
good preaching the rest is up to the Holy Spirit. But our “church” attendance is not
where it once was before the pandemic. The question is constantly being asked
“how do we get people to not only return but how do we get new people to join
us?” These are very good questions. The answer is quite simple. The gospel you
just heard me read explains it completely. But let’s back up a little. In Luke
Chapter 9: versus 1-6 Jesus sends forth his twelve apostles on a missionary tour of
duty to proclaim the kingdom of God, by healing diseases and exorcising demons.
This is The Mission of the Twelve.
“Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority
over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the
kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, “take nothing for your journey, no
staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. (Taking nothing
requires reliance on local hospitality). Whatever house you enter, stay there, and
leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town
shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them. (Shaking the dust off their
feet would mean that they took nothing from those who rejected them).
They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news -----
and curing diseases everywhere.”2 Now in Luke Chapter 10, Jesus appoints
Seventy more apostles with the same instructions and authority. This passage
describes the wider mission than the mission of the twelve. The number 70 is very
important to the Jews – it was symbolic. It was the number of elders who were
chosen to help Moses with the task of leading and directing the people in the
wilderness (Numbers 11:16, 17, 24, 25). Seventy was the number of the Sanhedrin,
the supreme council of the Jews. Each of these groups are helpers of Jesus.
Seventy was also believed to be the number of the nations in the world.
According to Jewish tradition, Genesis 10 set out the seventy grandsons of
Noah, each one coming from a nation in the world. There is some argument over
whether they are 70 or 72. In either case, Jesus is sending out the 72 to bring the
good news to every nation of the world. The point is that the message of Jesus is
intended for everyone.3 LOVE ALL, SERVE ALL, and INCLUDE ALL. No
exceptions. Does that sound familiar Good Sam’s?
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Who are the laborers for the harvest? WE ARE!
Another interesting way to look at this is that it is not just strictly up to the
Bishop’s Committee (or the Vestry) or the clergy to spread the Good News.
Even Jesus realized that to reach everyone he had to have more apostles –
by definition from the Greek apostolos – “an apostle is one who is sent or one who
is commissioned.”4 And that is what we are given at our baptism – a
commissioning. Adopted into the family of God, as God’s own children. All
baptized persons are to be evangelists of the Good News. To reconcile all people
to God. Do you ever wonder what God looks like?
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they
were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s work. As
she got to one little child who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing
was. The child replied, I am drawing God.” The teacher paused and said, “But no
one knows what God looks like.” Without missing a beat, or looking up from the
drawing, the child replied, “They will in a minute.”
So, our ministry as Christians – followers of the way --is to spread the
Gospel, the Good News. Henri Nouwen said, “Jesus calls us to continue his
mission of revealing the perfect love of God in this world.” Whatever that takes –
we reveal that LOVE. Over and Over and Over and Over again.
Do you all know what parable follows after the Return of the Seventy? It
only shows up in Luke and not in the other 2 synoptic Gospels. Yes! The parable
of the Good Samaritan - Luke Chapter 10 verse 25.
It begins “Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what
must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responds, “what is written in the Law?”
“What do you read there?” The Lawyer answered, “You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind;
and your neighbor as yourself? Jesus says, “yep, you’ve got the right answer, do
this and you shall live.”5 Then Jesus tells the parable. “For Jesus, there are no
countries to be conquered, no ideologies to be imposed, no people to be dominated.
There are only God’s people – all God’s People (children, women, and men) to be
loved.”6
We come here each Sunday as a community of the faithful - every week to
recharge our batteries from this work of revealing the perfect love of God in this
imperfect world. To be re-commissioned. To lift each other up to the work we are
given to do. To support each other.
The Dismissal in our worship is so important to us – every week we are sent
out into the world in peace to love and serve the Lord. This is our commissioning.
When the worship is over our service begins. Good Samaritan is the church that
serves. I love that.
Let us pray.
God of all people and the whole of creation, make us into who you have
created us to be. Make us your hands, your feet, your eyes, your lips, your body in the world. Spirit of Peace, reconcile us, connect us to yourself, and each other. You are
the source of our healing and hope, for if one is hurt, all of us are hurt.
Clothe us, your body in the world, with your love, mercy, and grace. AMEN.7
References
1. http://www.holyobserver.com/survey-what-is-your-favorite-religious-joke/
(Accessed 6-4-2022)
2 Harper-Collins Study Bible, 1979.
3 Lectionary Levity, 252.
4 https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-an-apostle-700677 (Accessed June 27, 2022)
5 Harpers Study Bible, 1980.
6 Henri Nouwen, Outrageous love.
7 ELCA Worship Resources for Day of Lament Against anti-Asian Racism.