Suburban Legend: Jesus Makes Life Better

Today in our gospel we hear that Jesus chose and commissioned 72 people to go out on a mission for him. Earlier he had sent the 12 disciples on a similar mission. We know who the disciples were, but who were these guys? What would they be doing? Jesus described their task as going out into “the harvest.” In Matthew 9:35-38 it says, When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful…”   They are “ripe” – ready for you to do your part to bring them to see Jesus. Take a look around you. What do you see? Do you see people harassed by life or feeling helpless in their situation? Do you see people without a clue about their eternity? Don’t you find it interesting that he sends these 72 out to do the very same missionary task as the 12 disciples in the previous chapter (Luke 9)? This isn’t a task just for the elite. It is what we all are. It is the life we live. Following Jesus is “in-service” training for a lifestyle as a missionary for him. Who is the harvest in your area of influence? It may be the person sitting next to you in the office or classroom. It may be the one standing next to you at the factory or out in the field. It may be the people in your community who can be reached with the resources you put into motion. It can be those you have a heart to help hear the gospel overseas.

 

One of the instructions Jesus gave these missionaries was, “Do not take a purse or bag or sandals.” As he commissioned them for the work, he told them not to over-pack for this journey. Are we guilty of over-packing our lives with “stuff,” ? Living beyond our means is like dragging too much luggage all over your mission field. God isn’t against wealth and enjoying it. He gives those gifts to enjoy when it is in reasonable proportion of the resources He provides. Yet all these things can become too much luggage when our lives are spent reaching too high to afford them or when my time enjoying them moves me too far from my mission field. 

 

I need to constantly ask myself, what do I really need on this journey in life? How much do I really need of what I make to adequately support me and my family? Am I living above the purse God has given me? Am I working or worrying myself to death just to keep up a standard of living that is higher than the resources God has supplied for me at this moment? Am I falling prey to what the world craves, or using what God gives me for my mission in the world? This is a matter of attitude and a matter of balance in seeing how we can live our lives as missionaries.

 

This mission trip was a learning time for those 72 – kind of a driver’s ed. lesson or an on-the-job training. One lesson Jesus may have also been teaching by not bringing a purse or a bag was to trust God for their supply. He told them, When you go to a house and a man of peace is there, stay at that house eating and drinking whatever they give you. Isn’t it amazing that God sends the right people at the right time to supply what you need when you step out with faith in his promises? Paul encourages us in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ⁸But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Does that describe you? Do you put God’s promises to the test? When I live the life of a missionary, the question is not “How much of what I have should I give to the Lord?” but rather “How much of all that he has given me do I really need for the basics of life?” What then does he want me to do with the rest of it? 

 

He told those 72, I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves (v.3). We are to be like lambs harmlessly bringing peace to a vicious world. That doesn’t mean we should be ignorant and naive. In Matthew 10:16 he continued by saying, Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves. Just like Jesus commended the wise steward for his shrewdness in his business ways, God wants us to use wisdom to utilize the best ways to make our resources impact lives for eternity. You can let God make them extraordinary means to bring others along.

 

It is interesting to see that God gave the 72 the power to heal the sick where they went. What a bridge that was to the message they were to proclaim, The kingdom of God is near you. That is a message of power and authority. Jesus told the 72 that those who rejected that message would have it worse than the wicked city of Sodom on the Day of Judgment. The message you carry has awesome power to forgive and open heaven to those who believe it, or power to peg unbelief for what it is and declare hell as the only future.

 

The message of the kingdom of heaven is the story of Jesus – God himself who stepped out of heaven to become a human like us. It is the story of his perfect denial of self to obey his missionary goal here. It is the story of Jesus who conquered Satan’s power to condemn us by finishing his kingdom work on the cross of Calvary. It is the story of Jesus who ascended into heaven to rule over all powers on earth and in the heavenly realms. It is the story of Jesus who will come again to judge every soul and gather his harvest of those who believed in him. When we boldly depend on that resource, fantastic things happen.

 

When missionaries return from their field of service they are bursting with so many exciting stories to tell. The 72 returned after their trip ecstatic over what happened. You can almost imagine them are talking at the same time like a bunch of preschoolers who just toured the fire station. The 72 had even seen the demons submit to them. They weren’t used to wielding that kind of power. 

 

And there are so many stories for you to tell if you’ve lived as a missionary in your life. There are stories of discussions with people at work. There are stories of people on the brink of hopelessness finding real life in Jesus. God has used our resources in an extraordinary way to raise up future pastors, teachers, and staff ministers to train us for our lifestyles as missionaries. With the extraordinary resources at our disposal we have witnessed inroads to mission fields all over the world in the last 50 years proportionately greater than many other groups. And even the prophets of the Scriptures would love to have seen what we see.

 

With all the exciting stories to tell, Jesus tells us, it’s not about what we have done or witnessed that should be the core of our joy, rather, rejoice that your names are written in heaven (v. 20). You have a personal story to tell. It is about what has been done for you. It is about the kingdom of God personally affecting you. Jesus was, full of joy through the Holy Spirit as he saw the excitement and joy felt by the 72. It brings him joy when our lives become enriched because we have become involved in living the life of a missionary right where we are.     

 

So what about the suburban legend: Jesus Makes Life Better. Does God give us the confidence of knowing he is with us? Yes. Does he promise never to leave us or forsake us? Yes. Jesus calls us to a life of service to him. We may be rejected by other people because we proclaim Jesus as Savior. Our greatest joy is to be in the family of the Lord Jesus. The Savior believed there is a cost in serving and following Him. Anyone whose life is committed to the Lord of Heaven can anticipate problems, pains, and persecution. Even so, we bear these things because we know our difficulties are nothing compared to the Christ who lived a perfect life, fulfilled every law, resisted every temptation, and allowed Himself to be sacrificed for our redemption on Calvary.