“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
There was something appearing on the scene that was dynamic, active, and alive. This Kingdom was not merely a theoretical construct, which could be seen because its power over the kingdom of darkness was evident. The best weapons of the dark powers, sick and death were being reversed, and the powers themselves were being cast out. This was categorically different from religion is it had existed until that point. Occasionally a prophet would work a mighty deed. But this Kingdom was of an entirely different scale. There seemed to be no limits, as though everything negative on earth would eventually be reversed.
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Even into the Apostolic age following Pentecost there was still this sense that, with the Gospel proclamation, healing and transformation also came as well. People just beginning to listen experienced undeniable and visible manifestations of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:44). So one might wonder, what happened? Or, where did this Kingdom taper off and become what today might not be strikingly or obviously different from any other religion to an external observer? Where did the power go? To this we suggest two answers.
One is that there really was meant to be a unique burst at the beginning to demonstrate the reality of the Kingdom in an undeniable way and to provide a foreshadowing of the eventual goal. The ultimate culmination of the Kingdom was, it turned out, only to come after a period of history whose length we still cannot guess. That means we can look back to the beginning of the Church to see signs of how the great restoration and reversal at the end of time might look. But it also means that much patient endurance is necessary along the way. There is more waiting required of us than a superficial reading of the Gospels and Acts might suggest.
The second answer is that the Church going above ground and mainstream resulted in many joining her ranks for the social and political advantages that accrued from doing so. This, rather than faith, being their motive, led to increasingly large percentages of Church membership that were not good atmospheres of faith and in which the Holy Spirit was free to work in power. But this second answer is in some ways more hopeful. This is because it is less common for people to join the Church for reasons aside from genuine faith these days. And there has never been anything to act as a barrier between those with faith and the power of the Holy Spirit. This means that a change of attitude and perspective, or we might say, a change of heart, might result in a Church that looks more like the Church from Acts, even if there are many years until Jesus comes again in glory.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The Apostles were sent out in a way that made it necessary for them to depend on providence and on the Holy Spirit. They were not able to rely on their wealth, or even their words. They were sent on missions that could only succeed if they responded to the dynamic leadership of the Spirit. This sort of mission could never become a repetitious routine that might eventually be drained of spiritual life. No wonder, then, that monasteries have often been the places where the faith has been most vibrantly kept in tact. But without suggesting that we should all give away all that we have and live in total dependence on God, what can we suggest? How about that even for those things which we would prefer to have but cannot acquire, the additional assurances about life in the world we would desire, or the guarantees about the future that would let us sleep more easily, that when we are forced to do without them, we remember to rely on God and on his divine guidance? We may not feel up to making many sacrifices ourselves. So we should at least let the ones we are forced to make profit for our salvation.
As you enter a house, wish it peace.
If the house is worthy,
let your peace come upon it;
if not, let your peace return to you.
One reason, it seems, that we find ourselves unable to rely on God as much as we might is because of failure, either actual or potential. But for the original Apostles this was not the case. If they went to a town and were rejected it did not necessarily mean they did something wrong. In fact Jesus himself preached to many who did not accept him but only hardened their hearts. The point is that the guidance of the Spirit is not something we can test or validate merely based on worldly perceptions of success. Apparent failures can have hidden results behind the scenes clearing ground for greater successes down the road. The important thing for us to learn to trust in the guidance of God, whether or not the results of the guidance are always what we assume they should be.
Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable
for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment
than for that town.
Sodom and Gomorrah didn't really have enviable situations. But their punishment, though severe, may have resulted in the repentance of some, turning to God in their last moments, and therefore making the day of judgment more tolerable for them than for those who rejected the Gospel offer of salvation. We ought to infer from this comparison that being prepared for the day of judgment ought to be our number one priority, and not merely an afterthought.
Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved.
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