Proper 9C – July 6, 2025
This summer’s appointed readings from the Gospel according to Luke dig deep into what we call the way of Jesus. These texts illuminate the path of discipleship, encompassing Jesus’ teachings and witness, and the transformation of life that comes from following him. As you will hear over the course of the summer, they are not easy texts but are often challenging – even confrontational.
Two Sundays ago, we learned how revenge and retaliation are not the way of Jesus; the way of Jesus is one of peace and reconciliation. Last Sunday, we learned that the way of Jesus is one of urgency, immediacy and total commitment. This morning, the gospel presents the way of Jesus as vulnerable, open, trusting and hospitable – evangelism Jesus style.
Have you seen those television ads from the “He Gets Us” campaign? They’re often broadcast during major sporting events like the Super Bowl. Through simple story telling, these 60-second commercials introduce the viewer to a very human and relatable Jesus who “gets us.” As appealing as they are, I can’t help but question the efficacy and stewardship of spending $100 million on an ad campaign in the name of Jesus, especially when you learn more about the people behind it.
Yes, evangelism is about showing and telling the good news of God’s love for us all. And, it’s about inviting people who are searching for a relationship with God to consider the way of Jesus. However, I think it’s best done through our actions. As the old Chinese proverb says, “Talk doesn’t cook rice.”
As I reflect on this morning’s gospel reading, I think that’s what Jesus was saying when he sent forth seventy disciples on their first evangelical mission. He didn’t tell them to baptize or “save” anyone. Rather, he instructed them to proclaim in their own words and actions the way of Jesus and the good news of God’s justice, love and mercy for all creation.
Jesus sent them out in pairs, rather than alone, so they would have mutual support and encouragement, companionship and teamwork, accountability and witness. It’s often easier to get something done with a partner – rather than by yourself.
In his pre-game speech, he built team cohesion with some simple and direct instructions.
“Go out as lambs into the midst of wolves.” Though he knew his ambassadors would face some hostility and rejection, he told them to approach the world with innocent, gentle and trusting grace. I’ve found this to be really wise advice. We often reap what we sow. If you approach others assuming conflict, you will face conflict, but if you approach others assuming the best, you will often receive the best in return. You actually can disarm someone with a smile.
Jesus said to his ambassadors: “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” In other words, do not allow possessions or pretenses to get in your way. Don’t pack a suitcase so big and heavy that you can’t lift it on the bus or carry it up the stairs. Instead, take only the essentials and trust God will provide the rest.
This past week, we had an unexpected houseguest. An acquaintance from Puerto Rico was traveling around New England. Her accommodations in Wellfleet had to shift, and she trusted that it would all work out, and it did. We both experienced the gift of mutual hospitality and a deepened friendship.
Jesus instructed his disciples to “greet no one on the road.” I’m not sure he meant, don’t say hello to a passerby. Jesus didn’t want his first recruits to get sidetracked, diverted or distracted, but to go where they were sent. Jesus was telling them (and us) don’t procrastinate on what’s important; just do it – focus your attention on the task at hand.
Jesus told his disciples: “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’” Now, we’re getting to the heart of the matter. Jesus wanted his missionaries to take a risk and knock on a door, bidding“shalom” to its occupants.
Shalom is a wonderful Hebrew word that is more than a friendly greeting and means more than simply not being at war. Shalom is a vision of the world as God intended it to be. It’s a world where there is a place of welcome for everybody and where there is enough food to go around. Shalom is a world where there is no disease, and where there are no prisons, violence or war. Shalom is a society where everybody gets to enjoy Sabbath rest, including those who work for fast food restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations, farms, and sweat shops. Shalom is a realm where all human beings live together as children of one God. Shalom is a vision of a world where peace, justice and kindness reign.
As commonplace a Hebrew greeting as it is, to bid shalom with intentionality is to wish the very best for the one you greet. Shalom – it’s what people hungered for in the first century Roman Empire, and it’s what most of us hunger for today.
If welcomed in, these first evangelists were instructed by Jesus to eat whatever was offered to them, and to not look for better accommodations. This is a basic rule of radical hospitality – be a good guest, not just a good host.
These first missionaries were to depend entirely on the hospitality of their hosts, most of whom would be poor, working folks. There was to be no shopping around for a better room and board. For Jesus’ Jewish followers, “eat whatever is offered to you” probably meant don’t worry about eating non-kosher food. For you and me, it means don’t refuse what is offered to you, even if you don’t like it very much.
This directive reminds me of something that happened on a Witness for Peace trip to Nicaragua during the Contra War in 1987. We were visiting a small village in the heart of the war zone. Our host families were very poor but generous people. Our trip leader instructed each of us to remember that our hosts were going to offer us the best hospitality that they had to give, and we were to receive it graciously – in other words, we were to eat what was placed before us and sleep in the accommodations we were provided. In our contingent was a rather self-righteous vegetarian who was always fusing about our meals. Her host family killed their only chicken to cook for her dinner. She ate it and lived to tell the tale. As I learned on my journey to Nicaragua, and as the disciples learned on their first mission trip, it is in our graciousness as both guests and hosts that people will experience the good tidings we bring to the table.
After getting settled, Jesus instructed the seventy: “Cure the sick and say, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” After receiving the hospitality of strangers, these first evangelists were to proclaim in word and deed: wholeness of body, healing of spirit, and peace in community. Perhaps, it entailed: carrying a heavy bucket of water for a village elder, repairing a roof for a struggling family, laying hands on someone who was suffering from a back spasm, helping a farmer with the harvest, or teaching a group of day laborers how to organize against an unjust owner. In such actions, the disciples were to demonstrate firsthand that the realm of God had come near. During our Habitat Build Day this coming week, some of us from the Chapel will live out this same instruction. Others might do it at the thrift shop, the visitor’s desk, or even the town dump.
Being idealistic but not naive, Jesus prepared his followers for rejection: “When they do not welcome you, shake the dust off your feet and move on.” In other words, if someone doesn’t like what you have to offer, don’t try to convince them – just let it go and move on.
In today’s passage, we are introduced to Jesus’ idea of mission and evangelism. Evangelism Jesus style does not involve great techniques of salesmanship. There are no special tools or gimmicks. Nor are there any formula and or sales pitches. Jesus’ evangelists are to just be gracious and genuine people, sharing in both their words and actions the love of God made known in Jesus.
Evangelism can happen anywhere — in cafes, bars, homes, workplaces, college dorms, after school programs, book discussions, golf courses, and knitting groups. It can occur in the supermarket, the post office, the cocktail party, or the beach. As I’ve often said, evangelism is like one beggar telling another where to find food.
Evangelism is telling your friends about a great play you saw or sharing a good book you picked up at the library that opened your perspective on the world. It’s telling your neighbor about a new restaurant on the harbor because the food is really good and you want to support a local venture. It’s encouraging someone dear to you to try your favorite yoga or pilates class because it makes you feel stronger and better. It’s bringing someone to a demonstration, a rally, or a town meeting where something important is being said or done. Evangelism is standing in front of the Wellfleet market on a Friday night and inviting passersby to support our local food pantry.
Evangelism is about sharing with others – acquaintances, friends, family and strangers – what gives you life and hope for a better world. Discipleship is about helping to usher in God’s realm of shalom into this mixed-up, scary world. Whether you remember it or not, by virtue of your baptism, you are ordained to this ministry. We all are called to proclaim God’s justice, love and peace in word and action – each and every one of us – no exceptions!
So this morning, I am saying to you as clearly and directly as I can: don’t be shy or embarrassed to live your baptism. As Leonard Cohen wrote:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
In these crazy, dangerous times, we need to be the ringer of bells and the crack that lets the light get in. We need to be intentional about greeting those whom we meet with God’s shalom. The time has come for us to share with others the inspiration of our life, the source of our joy, and our hopes and dreams for this world in which we live. Friends – the time is now. The alarm has sounded. Jesus is calling. God needs us to be brave and faithful today. Amen!
The Very Rev. Tracey Lind
St. James the Fisherman – Wellfleet, MA