The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost ---- 7 July 2019

Galatians 6:[1-6]7-16

[1 My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads. 6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.]

7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'

16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

·       With these words, Jesus welcomed his heralds back from their mission. They appear to be amazed that in your name even the demons submit to us! I think we’d all be surprised at something like that as well. Many people and possibly some of us struggle with what might have been called “demons” in past times – addiction, depression, uncontrolled anger and violence, mental illness, epilepsy. Maybe many struggle with the results of those “demons” as that have effected them in the lives of those around them. To have those conditions or illnesses “submit” to us “in Jesus’ name” would make things simple. Yet so many people struggle with these things all their lives.

·       Power over spirits and demons – I’d think we’d all like something like that. Yet Jesus tells the people who have actually seen that happen that they should rejoice in something else. He says they should rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

·       I don’t exactly know why Jesus said that. Maybe he was trying to remind the disciples that that power was his and not theirs. Such power could go to the head and lead to a desire to place such power over discipleship. Boasting and a self-absorbed life could follow closely. As disciples, we are not to place ourselves in a position where we feel we are “better” than some others. Our leaders are to be servants and our glory is elsewhere than in ourselves and our accomplishments. Otherwise, for some, it would be a small step to an understanding that we could save ourselves… by our own efforts… without the grace of God.

·       Instead Jesus tells the returned missionaries that the power they showed is true power, and it is less to be celebrated than the relationship they have with Jesus and the entire Kingdom of God. They were sent to proclaim that Kingdom, whether or not they were welcomed by the towns they went to. The power they received to cast out spirits and demons came from that mission, that proclamation, and the one who sent them. More importantly, their names are written in heaven, and the grace of God puts them in a relationship with God and the Kingdom.

·       I have never cast out a demon and done such deed of power. Still I hope to rejoice in the relationship I have with the one who has saved me. What can I say about that relationship? For that I have to turn to Paul and his letter to the Christians in Galatia.

·       He says May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

·       It is in the cross of Christ and the mercy and grace it shows to us where our “boasting” or rather, our certainty is found. I use ‘certainty’ because there is no way to fool ourselves about the mercy and grace of God, since in the cross, we realize that we have nothing to do with it! It is all grace and God’s mercy. It is in God’s grace shown to us in Jesus Christ that our hope and our certainty lies. With that we can state that, like the disciples returning from their mission rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.