7th Sunday after Pentecost A Labor of Love
Luke 10:1-9,16-24, July 24, 2022
Introduction If you're into bumper-sticker philosophy, you've probably seen the axiom, "I owe, I owe, so off to work I go." For a vast portion of the workforce, that's the best reason they can muster for going to the job each day. According to a recent study, 71% percent of American office workers are unhappy with their jobs. The vast majority of people are looking for new jobs or what like a new job. In Japan, the figure is much worse; roughly 10% say they are satisfied with their job. Does that describe you? If we play the percentages, good chance that does describe you. In the first century, Christian slaves had even less reason to be enthusiastic about their work. But Paul gave them a way to grasp a glimpse of glory amid the grind. He wanted them to "adorn the doctrine of God," that is, to show the beauty of their faith in Christ by how they work (Ti. 2:10).
A significant and often overlooked way that we serve God is in our everyday tasks. Martin Luther understood this when he wrote, "The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays -- not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship." We can serve God by working hard in our everyday tasks. We can also serve God by heeding his commission, the great commission, of going out and making disciples of all nations. And if we don’t do that, well then we can pray for more workers to do sort of work; for the time is now, the clock is ticking, when all this labor and work will be in vain, it won’t matter anymore. When Jesus returns, the work will be finished; and for many, it will be too late.
Context Vs. 1 Jesus sent people ahead to prepare for his arrival.” If you’ve been with us the last few weeks, we have heard Jesus discuss what discipleship is all about. Three weeks ago he mentioned that if you want to follow him, you’ll have a cross to carry. You don’t have to die on it, you just have to pick yours up and carry it. Last week we heard Jesus talked about his followers having 100% commitment to the cause of saving the lost of the world with the message of God’s love and forgiveness. Now today, we see Jesus was successful in calling 72 workers for his kingdom.
Context Before their sent out for the Lord, Jesus offers some advice, starting at verse 2: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. 3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” Can you imagine the 72 workers all together in a group, pumped up, ready to go out for the Lord. Jesus assures them their job security, there is work to be done. And then Jesus illustrates for them what their job would be like – it’s going to be like lambs among wolves. Do you think Jesus took the wind out of their sails with that statement? Was this supposed to be a pep talk? Jesus is saying they will be ministering to people who hate them, who want to destroy them, like savage wolves. The people of this world are still the same. Many people in this world do not love Jesus and his message, and thus they have little to no time for Jesus’ followers. Many consider the message of the cross to be foolishness and “stumbling block” as Paul says in 1 Corinthians. It’s a saving message we have in Jesus that all need to hear, but not everyone wants to hear it.
Context So the job description remains the same, there is still job security, but now we have a few more details regarding the job – Jesus tells the 72 in verse 4: 4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. Jesus is now telling the chosen 72 – don’t bring anything. Wow! What a test of faith and trust in Jesus. Can you imagine being sent somewhere, not knowing exactly where you were going or what you were doing, and now you were go on this mission trip empty-handed?!? An outsider might see this and wonder – is this a divine mission, or a suicide mission?!?!
It does sound irrational, I can admit it. But people do irrational things, especially if their emotions take over. If you’re really angry and upset, your words and actions can run wild, damaging and hurting the people we supposedly love the most. When people are sad or depressed, sometimes that’s all they see: their pain, their hurt, their feelings, and they don’t give much thought or attention to anything else or anyone else. They are living irrationally. Or what about love – love can have people do some crazy things. It can force a young man to get a haircut or go to the ladies section of a store to buy their special someone a special something. Love can force a person to check their phone every other minute to see if he or she has texted. I’ve heard that love is hard to pinpoint, it’s hard to explain, and you may not be able to tell someone what love is, you can tell them what love does. Love is patient, love is kind; love protects, trusts, hopes, and always perseveres.
Cure For unbelievers it may seem irrational or irresponsible to use our time, talents, and treasures for the church; but they don’t understand or fully appreciate what we in Jesus. In Jesus, we have a never-ending reservoir of love, in Jesus we see what love does. In Jesus we have the greatest worry of life taken care of and solved: we’re at peace with God, not b/c of us, but b/c of Jesus. In Jesus we have the greatest favor done our behalf, a divine intervention: his life for ours. And in Jesus, we have more than just a temporary life gifted to us; we have an eternal life awaiting us when this life is ended. So the people of the world may not understand why we donate our time, talents, and treasures to God. But I think the shock can go the other way: How do you not want to live for a higher power that controls the winds and the waves. How do you not want to thank the God of this world who showed the world how much he loves it by offering his only Son as a sacrifice it!?!?! How do you not want to live for a higher power, who controls all things, but when the time had fully come decided to make you make you and your sins his top priority?!?! Sure, our love for Jesus may seem irrational, but it’s not as irrational has his love for us: people who regularly whine and complain; disobey and go our own way: but he loves us anyway.
Virtue It’s this love that fuels our living, how can it not?!?! You can be fueled by fear, by sadness, by anger, or by resentment; or you can be fueled by an emotion that overpowers them all – love. The greatest virtue Paul says for a follower of Jesus is love. He was compelled by Christ’s love to reach as many as possible with this amazing, divine love that is meant for all. You have the same love inside of you if have faith in Jesus. Is your response like a Paul or the 72 here in Luke? The harvest is plentiful, but that doesn’t mean the crop is full. If a farmer has acres of corn but no equipment or workers to extract the vegetable, the harvest is great, but it’s a wasted harvest. God needs harvesters for his kingdom! He needs you and me! He needs workers in his field. We see it in our Synod, and we see it in other Christian church bodies as well: too few workers for an ever-growing world that continues to grow farther away from the only one that can help and save them. We need the young people to consider serving the Lord as a pastor, teacher, staff minister. We need older people to encourage young people who are considering serving the Lord in this way. We need to continue to faithfully give our offerings, which a portion goes to Synod to help the training of future pastors. And we need prayers. Isn’t that what Jesus said – if you can’t be a public minister, then “ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Everyone here can pray and ask the Lord for things; ask the Lord send workers into the world, so it’s not a wasted harvest.
One of the job perks of working for Jesus is that there is job security. There is always work to be done. And you don’t necessarily need training for this work. Because this work requires little to-no-work if your passionate about the cause. Would you say Jesus is important? Then his cause has to be right up there. There is a tale told of that great English actor Macready. An eminent preacher once said to him: "I wish you would explain to me something." "Well, what is it? I don't know that I can explain anything to a preacher." "What is the reason for the difference between you and me? You are appearing before crowds night after night with fiction, and the crowds come wherever you go. I am preaching the essential and unchangeable truth, and I am not getting any crowd at all." Macready's answer was this: "This is quite simple. I can tell you the difference between us. I present my fiction as though it were truth; you present your truth as though it were fiction." We possess the truth! We’re on the side of truth! Jesus is the truth. This isn’t something to be unsure of or wonder about, this isn’t something to be ashamed of – God has spoken to us, and revealed to us the way, truth, and life. This is something to get excited about and always cherish!
Conclusion Working for Jesus, there is job security, but there is also job satisfaction. What can be more rewarding than living for your Savior, who lived perfectly for you? What can be more comforting than dying in the faith of the one who died for you? Working for Jesus isn’t really work; no after everything he has done for us and currently does for us; it’s a labor of love.