St. Luke 10:1-20
July 7, 2019
Proper 9C
Dear Saints of Our Savior~
Right now in my home state of Kansas, it’s all about the harvest. There are places in central and western Kansas right now where golden fields of wheat stretch out as far as the eye can see—from one horizon to the other. Right now all the talk in all the corner cafes
In today’s holy gospel Jesus was concerned about a different kind of harvest—a harvest not of grain—but of men and women who believe the good news that the kingdom of God has come near in the person of Jesus Christ. And still today in the church of Jesus Christ, it’s all about the harvest. Everything else is secondary compared to the life-changing, life-giving good news that Jesus Christ has come into the world to save sinners—that on the day of resurrection the earth will yield up her dead, some to everlasting life and others to everlasting punishment. The Lord Jesus is all about this harvest.
Perhaps what’s most surprising about this harvest is that Jesus enlists the help of others. Jesus authorizes and deputizes—Jesus calls and sends—men to help carry out this holy harvest. He enlists the labors of ordinary men. They have a hand (and a voice) in this harvest. Today’s Holy Gospel—the sending out of the seventy-two—serves as a model—a preview—of the calling and sending of men for the work of the holy ministry—for the work of the harvest which continues to this day.
Why seventy-two? Why not twelve or a hundred forty-four? This is probably a symbolic move by Jesus. Seventy-two was the total number of nations listed in Genesis after the flood. It’s a number that corresponds to all nations and all peoples. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem to suffer and die, not just for one nation or for one people, but for the sins of the whole wide world. His ultimate aim is to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that He has commanded.
As Jesus surveyed the landscape into which He was sending the seventy-two, He saw what we cannot always see--what a lot of farmers in Kansas are seeing right now: a plentiful harvest, but a scarcity of workers. There’s not enough hours in the day—not enough manpower—to take the good news of the gospel to all the people and places where it needs to be heard. I’m always a little surprised at what Jesus says to do when the church’s harvest is too much to handle: Pray. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Jesus’ grand plan to procure a harvest begins with prayer. Pray for more pastors. Pray for more missionaries. Or, for that matter, pray for someone specifically whom you know to be outside the church and without faith—that the Holy Spirit would make that outsider and insider, filled with faith and ready for the harvest. Most of you are not pastors or missionaries, but you can all pray. As we will sing in just a few minutes: With your prayers and with your bounties You can do what God commands; You can be like faithful Aaron, Holding up the prophet’s hands.
Now, as you pray for more pastors and missionaries, Jesus wants you to realize also the danger involved in this kingdom work. Jesus told the seventy-two, “Behold, I am sending you out as lambs among wolves.” The people Jesus calls and sends to labor on the harvest are lambs. Pastors, particularly, are lambs—lambs who serve in the stead and by the command of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
It sounds kind of nice to be compared to a lamb—until you realize that lambs among wolves are tasty treats and delicious appetizers. Jesus sends us out as wolf food—clergy-flavored kibble. Where two or three lambs are gathered together, there you have a smorgasbord for wolves. It’s a humbling reminder that kingdom work and the harvest of souls isn’t so much about victory and success, as it is about patience, and cross-bearing, and remembering that His grace is sufficient—that His power is made perfect in our weakness.
The message Jesus tells His workers to speak is simple: Peace be to this house. But this simple message means much more than just, “Have a nice day.” The peace proclaimed by those sent by the Lord is the peace of Jesus—peace that ultimately flows from the cross of Jesus. It’s a peace that surpasses our understanding. It’s the peace that comes from knowing the truth about ourselves . . . and better by far, the truth about Jesus. The truth about ourselves is grim. Our sin has earned death and condemnation for us. The evil things we aim to avoid are the very things we keep on doing; and the good we aim to achieve never quite gets done. But a gracious Lord has lifted us up. In Jesus Christ the kingdom of God has come near to you. In His crucified body your sins—all of them—have been dealt with and forgiven. Now nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. You have the peace of knowing that your name is written in heaven.
There’s also a warning here for all of us. The peace of Jesus that flows from the cross is rejectable. Baptized Christians can reject the faith and walk away from it. Jesus singles out several cities for condemnation in today’s gospel. The warning for us is that the cities that had the most Jesus—the cities where Jesus carried out the bulk of His ministry—those cities received the greatest condemnation from Jesus. In other words, to whom much is given, much is also expected. That’s us! We are those to whom our gracious Lord has given much. And from us, much is expected.
Where can we turn for forgiveness? Where can we look for the faith and hope we lack? Where is a dependable source of strength for us? Jesus doesn’t leave us guessing. Jesus told the seventy-two: The one who hears you hears me. Jesus told the ones He sent out like lambs among wolves: The one who hears you hears me. If you’re searching for the voice of God in your dreams or in your feelings or in your intuition, you’re looking and listening in the wrong places. Listen instead to the ones Jesus sends. Listen to your pastors. Hear them; hear Jesus. When your pastors absolve your sins this is just as valid and certain . . . as if Christ our Lord dealt with us Himself. When your pastors proclaim that the bread is the body of Christ and the wine is the blood of Christ, hear those words with complete confidence. Hear them; hear Jesus. And in that holy hearing you are being ripened and prepared for the final harvest, and for the life of the world to come.
There’s a happy ending to the sending of the seventy-two. They returned from their mission with joy. Jesus had given them success. They found that in the name of Jesus, even the demons had to retreat. And Jesus declared that He saw Satan fall like lightning. At the sending of the seventy-two, Satan suffered a setback. He took a tumble. Satan is a threat, to be sure. But he’s losing. His time is short. He’s judged; the deed is done. Here through word and sacrament the kingdom of the Christ is advancing; the harvest is growing and ripening. But our greatest joy is that our names are written in heaven. This is why God sent His Son into the world—that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. The harvest is coming. And everything else is secondary.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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