Sending out the 70, 2x 2, ahead of him--never noticed that before. Go where Jesus hasn't gone yet-but where Jesus intends to go. Interesting contrast to the end of the chapter when Jesus goes ahead of us everywhere. Seems to be all about the hospitality the message, and the followers, receive--hospitality comparison to Sodom, and how in-hospitality is worst of all. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!"
"The great triumph is in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you--that's the agenda for rejoicing!"
Eternal life. Love God. Love neighbor as yourself. Who's my neighbor? With do you have most difficulty being "neighbor"? Who are you in the story? The beaten person on the street? The priest? The religious man or woman? The Samaritan? The innkeeper? The donkey? The robber?
Mary and Martha. Which are you most like? What do you fear in the other? Who is more practical, in this story setting?
Ephesians 4-6
Don't delay in answering God's call, finding and following God's purpose for your life. "Pour yourselves out for one another in acts of love, notice differences quickly and mend fences fast, too. One Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, workds through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness." One is the loneliest number that you'll ever know...maybe not. Each of us has our own gift to contribute to the oneness.
EP: "This organic, living interrelated body that we're a part of in the church needs to be coordinated, mended, put together at the joints so that it can go out into the world and do Christ's work."
"God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love--like Christ in everything."
"No more lies. No more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself as well...make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Watch what God does and then you do it...mostly what God does is love you. Love extravagantly."
"You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them-the usual variations on idolatry-will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God. Don't let yourselves get taken in with religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don't even hang around people like that."
EP: "Why do I resist self-examination? A big reason is I fear that if I look too closely at my life, I'll see too much that has to be done, and I don't want to take the trouble or pay the price to fix it. Meanwhile, I'm functioning. I'm getting on OK. ...but there's no life that isn't worth repairing, no life that isn't possible to redeem. This means I can pay close attention to my life without anxiety or apprehension. It doesn't make any difference if I turn up a lot of broken stuff. God is ready to deal with all of it, item by item, in love and grace." Will copy this whole section for Life's Healing Choices tonight.
Relationships. Love marked by giving, not getting.
God is strong, and God wants you strong. Armor of God. Be prepared. Use truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, prayer, and apply them to your life.
God's Word and prayer can help us cut through the clutter that can too easily overtake our lives.
"Goodbye friends. Love mixed with faith be yours from God the Father and from the Master, Jesus Christ. Pure grace and nothing but grace be with all who love our Master, Jesus Christ."
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