Thursday 08 June 2017

Psalm: Psalm 100

Background

Gathering and sending, entering and leaving. Luke's Gospelreminds us that whilst we read of the times the disciples spentwith Jesus there were probably also times when they dispersed,perhaps to their homes and their families. But for now, though,they are called together so that Jesus can equip them for theirmissionary journey. Theirs is to be a ministry of opposing evil,proclaiming the kingdom of God and curing diseases, thus bothimitating the ministry of Jesus himself and setting a pattern ofprophetic action, evangelism and healing which has characterisedChrist's disciples since that day (verses 1-2). Because they areequipped with all the authority and power from God in Christ neededfor this calling (verse 1) they do not require even the basicpreparations that any sensible traveller would take (verse 3).Rather they are to enjoy the hospitality of those who are welcoming(verse 4). Not all those they are to encounter, however, will beconvivial. The action of shaking off dust (verse 5) is laterrepeated by Paul and Barnabas as a protest against theirpersecution (Acts 13:51) and signifies a reciprocalrejection: those that do not need the disciples are not needed bythem in return. So complete is to be the disciples' dependence onGod that they are not to even take dust from those who are nothospitable.

Having gathered them in and equipped them, Jesus now sends thedisciples out in his name, Their journey through the villagesprobably retraces, at least in part, Jesus' journey; their ministryof preaching and healing certainly replicates, in all its fullness,Jesus' ministry. In gathering, equipping and sending out, Jesushere begins a pattern repeated with the sending of the Seventy (Luke10:1-12) and the Great Commission (Luke24:45-49) and followed by his Church ever since.

To Ponder

• In your Christian life, when have you been 'gathered andequipped' and when have you been 'sent out'?

• Should the process of 'gathering, equipping and sending out' bea regular pattern of the Church's missional life? Why/why not?