Sunday, July 4, 2010

Priorities, Hospitality and the Kingdom of God

“Priorities, Hospitality, and the Kingdom of God”

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

FCC, Winder

July 4, 2010

He said, “Go.”

Go …

But it is not as if that is all he said. He sent them fully prepared, in groups of two. In this line of work, it’s always good to have some back-up – someone to watch your back … someone to encourage you … a little good cop/bad cop.

“You are like lambs heading into a pack of wolves.” I said he sent them fully prepared – I did not say he sent them with words of encouragement.

He was clear about what not to take with them – no purse, bag, or sandals. Don’t stop and greet anyone along the way.

“Really, Jesus? We can’t even stop and say hi? Who knows, we might win some more followers that way. And what are we going to do about food. A person’s gotta eat.”

This is not going to be easy – Jesus responded - but the good news is, while there are not many of you out harvesting the crops, there is certainly a large crop to be harvested. Pray, there will be more like you who will are willing to work in the fields. Pray.”

“Pray and Go … Go”

“And yes, yes you can eat. By all means, if a person puts something – anything - down in front of you, eat it. It is a sign of hospitality – it is a sign they welcome you and by welcoming you, they are welcoming me – any by welcoming me, they welcome God. That, my disciples, is the meaning of hospitality – welcoming the presence of God in the stranger.”

But what if they put roasted pig in front of us. We’re not suppose to eat pork, remember? The law forbids it.

“I know what the law says. And yes, eat it. Even if they put pig in front of you … just don’t douse it in vinegar. And don’t go around moving from house to house trying to find better cooking. That is rude. Be happy with the hospitality you find.

Not everyone is going to like you and the message you bring. And that is ok. Just never forget that you are a disciple.

“So, Jesus, what do we do if they reject us?”

“That’s simple. IF they reject you, don’t linger – don’t press – you are never going to change a person’s mind, let alone their heart. Simply kick the sand off your sandals and move on … but before you leave, still share our message with them. That is important. Don’t forget that part. Still share the message.”

Our message knows no barriers. Accepted or not – and there are some who will not accept it – our message is for all people: black, white, brown, yellow, Jew, Gentile, South African, Iraqi, American, man, woman, child, elderly, gay, straight, the sick or the well – it does not matter … what matters is our message and the response!

“So Jesus, what IS our message, anyway?”

“Tell them” … and Jesus paused before a big smile came across his face … “Tell them, the Kingdom of God has come near to them.”

When you go into a person’s home, pass the Peace of God, eat whatever they put before you, and be sure to tell them the Kingdom of God has come near.

Silence fell on the disciples. They had heard Jesus talk about this Kingdom before and while sometimes they acted to the contrary, deep down the disciples knew what it meant.

They knew it was wrought with danger. To proclaim any Kingdom other than Caesar’s could mean trouble – it could mean being charged with treason – it could mean death.

To proclaim the Kingdom of God meant to challenge the priorities of the people and how people viewed the world.

To proclaim the Kingdom of God is to proclaim that God, not Caesar is in charge – God - not Congress, not Glenn Beck and Fox News, not Wolf Blitzer and CNN, not TMZ or People Magazine, not the flag or America or the dollar – but to proclaim that God rules the day and even the world.

To proclaim the Kingdom of God is near is to proclaim God’s justice and righteousness is imminent. This is not to proclaim doom, gloom, destruction, damnation, and the end of the world … in fact it is just the opposite.

To proclaim the Kingdom of God is to proclaim God’s love and God’s hope and God’s justice for ALL of creation.

In the Kingdom of God, the blind have sight, the naked are clothed, the hungry are fed, the thirsty are quenched and the imprisoned are set free.

But it is not an easy message to proclaim. A lot of people don’t want to hear that message, believe it or not. Over history, a lot of people have invested a lot of time, energy, and money to make sure the oppressed stay that way –making sure the hungry and poor and sick and uneducated, stay hungry and poor and sick and uneducated because there is a lot of power to be lorded over them.

As of 2007, 1% of our nation’s population controlled 35% of our nation’s wealth. The next 19% of population controlled 50%. That means 20% of our nation’s population controls 85% of the wealth, leaving the remaining 15% in the hands of 80% of our nation’s population.

Even with the economic uncertainty over the last three years, that gap has actually widened.

In God’s kingdom the first will be last and the last will be first. In God’s Kingdom, the “have nots” become the “haves.”

It is not an easy message to proclaim. It is a message hard to welcome, but it is a message in need of hospitality. It challenges our priorities – what do we really value? What really is important? It is a message filled with risk and danger, for the one hearing the message, but also for the one proclaiming the message and it sure would be easy to ignore it.

If it were not for the fact … for the simple fact …

More than once, Jesus said, “Go. Go. Go and proclaim, without prejudice, the Kingdom of God.”

I have to say, I struggle with priorities. This sounds like a problem which should eventually be overcome by age … and dare I say maturity. Yet, it seems that even as I age, it is becoming harder and harder to prioritize my time, my energies, my finances – everything.

When I was younger, I only THOUGHT it was hard to prioritize my time and energy. But now, with work, family, and leisure and faith it is becoming harder and harder.

The number of things competing for my time and attention – the number of voices calling out – sometimes yelling out – are growing and growing.

I have to work because bills need to be paid – food must be put on the table … and on top of it all, I love my work. But when does work start becoming the Kingdom I proclaim, my idol?

I am blessed with a loving and grace filled family. They bring me much joy and I want to spend as much time with them as I can. But when does family time become the Kingdom I proclaim, my idol?

I love time to myself – resting, reflecting – playing golf, watching golf, watching football … but when … and I cannot believe I am about to say this out loud – do those things become the Kingdom I proclaim, my idol?

I love my country. I love where I live and the freedoms and protections offered to me. I don’t complain too much about taxes. I pray for peace and not war. I am thankful for the opportunities my place in the world have afforded me – opportunities I would not have were I born in the Sudan or Haitai … but when does my love of country become the Kingdom I proclaim, my idol?

I love the Church … I love the nurture it provides and the community it has offered. I love the sense of emotional and spiritual safety and the teaching it has provided to me … but when does my love of church become the Kingdom I proclaim, my idol?

I love my work, my family, my leisure, my country, and my church … but I love God more than any of these things. But when do these things become the Kingdoms I proclaim? My idols cast in gold?

The answer is this: when I start substituting or even equating these things as the Kingdom of God … our priorities are then out of whack, and hospitality – a major component of our Christian faith and the foundation upon which the Kingdom of God is built – is forsaken

Go, he said … and go, we shall. We shall go into the world, proclaiming that God’s Kingdom has indeed drawn near …

It is not an easy message to proclaim – it is not an easy message to hear … but it IS the message Jesus, in whom we see the heart and mind of God, calls those who wish to be his disciples, to proclaim.

Whether it is received or not, is up to the hearer. Nonetheless, go. Go.

Go and proclaim the Kingdom of God. And go we shall!