Dear Theophilus,
Thank you for your recent
letter. I admire your honesty,
especially given the circumstances—your words are not dripping with honey to
attract this seeker, but are rather coated with truth, although it is not an
easy truth. But I suspect that if you
sold me an easy religion and I agreed to sign up, to devote my life, only to
discover that the truth was radically different, I would be disheartened and
unwilling to go on. That, or I would
choose to live a watered-down religion, which seems to this seeker to be just
as interesting as no religion at all.
While the truth is not easy in this particular, I find myself intrigued
by it—for something that asks this much of the believer must have some meat on
its bones, and it’s complete demands do indeed point to a God who rules over no
less than all of creation, and the reward for discipleship must be similarly
impressive, although I can see the danger of Christianity becoming a religion
that becomes solely focused on the reward of life beyond death and fails to
pursue before death the type of life you’re referencing!
I have found another account of
Jesus sending out disciples. This
particular account varies from the sending out of the twelve that we recently
discussed primarily in the number who were sent out—in this case, Jesus sends
forth thirty-five pairs of disciples, one pair to each town he intended to
visit. It’s interesting to think of the
disciples are preparing others to meet Jesus—and perhaps equates well to the
mission of the church now, as I understand it.
Those who follow Jesus are not capable of forcing a person to come to
faith but are responsible for encouraging others to make the decision to follow
Jesus, preparing them, in a sense, for an encounter with Jesus. I hope I have not misrepresented this!
Jesus gives the seventy
instructions, and these instructions are no easier to follow than the ones he
gave to the twelve when he sent them out.
It’s interesting to think that so many more are willing to go, despite the
hardships that will be expected. This is
quite a statement on the rewards of discipleship—that those who have counted
the cost have considered it worthy of their lives. If the mission of the twelve and the demands
of Jesus had proved as overwhelming as they seem to be, then fifty-eight more
probably wouldn’t be willing to sign on for the task.
Jesus describes those who still
need to hear of God as a harvest ready to be brought in, but laments the number
of laborers. This must have encouraged
the seventy in some way, for they surely counted themselves as privileged to be
in this small number of laborers willing to go out into the harvest. Although Jesus, in his strange way of talking
to those who choose to follow him, tells them that they are like lambs going
out into the midst of wolves. Perhaps
they, like I, admired his honesty, but I’d still offer that he could have
chosen language that might be a bit more gentle! Lambs in the midst of wolves does not seem to
offer much hope, but Jesus does not dwell on the image. He continues on to specific instructions,
ordering the seventy to leave behind their purse and to carry no sandals or
spend time on the road greeting others.
They are to remain singularly focused on their destination and not allow
the distractions of others to carry their hearts and minds from the task before
them.
Any house they enter, Jesus tells
them, should be offered peace, and that peace will dwell on any who share in
it, but the peace offered to those who refuse it will return to the
disciple. This house should be their
home while they are there (Jesus ordered them not to bounce from house to
house), and the disciples should eat and drink whatever is provided, and in
this way they will be paid for their work.
Jesus tells them that when a town welcomes
them, they are to eat what is offered by the residents, to cure those who are
sick and proclaim that God’s Kingdom has drawn near. Surely this bit of news must have excited
them—for all the hardships they expected, the ability to cure the sick must
have been a constant reminder that they labored for a higher purpose, that
there was a reason they chose to endure.
What a sight and affirmation it must have been for those seventy, to
watch a sick individual before them be healed!
Jesus also prepared them for those
places that would not welcome them, for he knew what it was like to be
unwelcome. He told them to go into the
streets and tell them to announce that they will wipe the dust from their feet
off in protest against them, and yet they, too, are to announce that God’s
kingdom has come near. Although, they
are also to say to that town that Sodom would be a better place to be when that
day does come, which seems to me a rather harsh thing to say, considering that
Sodom had fire from heaven rain down upon it, but Jesus does not seem
interested in being polite for the sake of niceties, and he demands conviction
from those who follow him, too.
It’s interesting to see that in
both cities that accept and reject him, the kingdom of God draws near. It makes me think about my own situation—you
have announced so many things about Jesus to me, and others have, through my
own seeking, as well. In this way, God’s
kingdom has come near, whether I accept or reject Jesus’ presence in my
life. What I decide does not matter, for
the initiating act lies with Jesus.
Through you and others, Jesus has reached out to me. I now have to decide whether to change my
ways or continue to follow the current path I am on.
The difficulty of discipleship does
not intimidate me. Perhaps this shows
that I do not fully understand what is asked of me, but I will not be put off
by a challenge. No, the only question is
the truth of the matter—for I agree that if everything is true, than the
difficulty is worth the work. The questions
continue to rise up in my mind and heart, but I am also finding peace more
often. My heart desires to set these
questions to bed and to decide. You have
given me much to ponder, Theophilus, and I hope you know that thoughts and
questions of this man Jesus occupy most of my waking thoughts. In this way, I suppose, the kingdom draws
near. In no way do I desire to represent
a village where it will be worse than Sodom on the day that is to come, but I
shall not let fear drive me to this decision, even an image as fearful as that! I shall seek wisdom and let that be my guide.
Sincerely,
Luke
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