Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
He did not send them out as wolves to fight against wolves. His plan was not for his disciples to beat the world at its own game. And yet in our own day we often seem to see disciples who attempt to evangelize by becoming conspicuously wolflike. The world only seems to hear its own vitriolic discourse and so Christians not only often forget the call to gentleness and kindness but are among those who mock such characteristics as hopelessly naive. If the world will only shout, and only listen to shouting, Christians seem too ready to increase their own volume until they are heard. And such concession to the ways of the world does get us noticed, but not in a good way. Then what the world sees in us is only more of the same, only more proof that there really must not be any other way after all. Instead we ought to be the example of a more excellent way, one which is in imitation, not of the world, but of Jesus himself.
He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
and in his name the Gentiles will hope (see Matthew 12:19-21).
We hear repeatedly that there is an ever increasing number of 'nones', individuals with no religious faith or commitment. But is this perhaps not so much an inevitable cultural sea change as it is a result of the lack of laborers for the harvest? And if the later, is this lack most likely because we haven't taken the command of Jesus to ask seriously enough? Perhaps we are meant to let this call more deeply into our hearts so that when we pray for laborers we mean something more than that someone else will handle the problem. We might instead ask that God mobilize whatever forces exist not only around us but also within us to be his witnesses in the world. Apart from his grace we tend to either adapt ourselves to the ways of the world or else to hide at home rather than embrace the mission.
Into whatever house you enter,
first say, 'Peace to this household.'
We gain this peace that we have to give by first learning to rely on Jesus ourselves. The mission is itself our training, calling us out from our places of comfort and separating us from the resources that give us a sense of protection. But once we taste the peace that the world cannot give we truly have something to offer the world, something that everyone desires, but which no one can truly find apart from Christ. We may not always walk in it perfectly ourselves. But knowing where it is found is a crucial difference, and all that is needed to make us persuasive as evangelists.
Do not move about from one house to another.
We are not meant to use our own criteria to decide who is worthy of the Gospel message. Our strategy must only be to go where we find welcome. The temptation will be to go where we can find comfort, where the dispositions of others is congenial to our own. But the Gospel is meant to break down barriers between peoples and nations. It can't do this at a global scale if it can't do it first in the hearts of individuals.
But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength,
so that through me the proclamation might be completed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
Paul had the character of one who had learned all of these lessons. He finally needed no one but God in order to have peace and strength for mission. May we learn to rely on the Lord in this same way. And may we also become like Luke who supported Paul, by doing what we can for those others engaged actively in the mission of the Church.
Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.
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