July 4, 2010 - Pentecost + 6

Jesus Sends to Good News Straight to Your Door
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Pentecost + 6, June 30 & July 4, 2010

Door-to-door sales experience?
Wouldn't want to do it –
Knocking on strangers' doors
trying to sell something they don't want or need
Politely/not-so-politely turned down

Just doesn't appeal to me
Sounds like what Jesus is telling his followers to do
Appoints 70 to go 2x2 into various towns & places
Everywhere he planned to go himself
And basically to go door-to-door; cold calls
No bag, no sandals, no lolly-gagging or chit-chatting along the way
Just Go, go to the town & knock on someone's door
& enter wherever they'll have you come in
and declare peace
and then stay there!
Eat their food, drink their drink
Cure their sick
& tell them the kingdom has come near
Except it won't always happen that way
not everyone will welcome them, not everyone will be happy to see them
So not to stick their foot in the door to gain entrance
but to move on
but still – remind them that God's kingdom has come near.

Not a job I'd sign up for
not knowing what kind of reception you'll get
Yet Jesus calls all of his followers to do something like that
appoints all of us to go share the good news
to tell others of what God has done in Jesus
How Jesus came to heal, to teach, to preach;
to show us God's love for us; to live it;
to die for it; for us
But not too many of us really feel up to the task
We feel inadequate, nervous, unprepared
Unsure of ourselves, afraid of the risk
afraid of rejection
B/c we all know how people feel about door-to-door salesman
or Jehovah's Witnesses
or Mormons
or the random preacher on the street
We don't want to be lumped in that same group
We don't want to intrude on others lives

Except that's not what all door-to-door salesmen are like
When I was a kid
back when people did sell stuff door-to-door
there were some who came (Raleigh guy, Schwann's man)
it was a highlight of my day
they brought new & interesting things
they brought things we needed
things we wanted (ice cream!) right to our door
sometimes even before we knew we needed it!
How cool is that?!
To get to bring something people need,
that brings pleasure & joy,
right to their front door?!

Kind of what I see going on in gospel
B/c Jesus sends his followers out to bring something the world needs,
something that will bring them joy
– right to their front door, before they even know that they need it!
Sends them out to make a difference
To bring peace into conflict (& all peace means)
To offer healing in the midst of pain
To bring hope of new life

& it doesn't just happen by them showing up at the front door
It happens when they go inside & stay a while
When they eat and drink together
When they listen and talk
and build relationships
Bringing w/ them the Kingdom of God
Where people are valued and welcomed and
invited to become a part of something bigger than themselves

It's what Jesus is calling us to do
Not necessarily to go door-to-door, making cold calls & trying to sell people something
But to be a part of peoples' lives
to build relationships
To speak God's peace to people and families and situations in turmoil
To bring the promise of God's healing
To offer the light of hope in a dark world
that needs to know
that God's kingdom has come near
That there is a place for everyone in God's family
That there is good news waiting – and it's as close as their front door.
May we find joy in the telling.
Amen.