Go! The Kin(g)dom of God is Near! Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20

“The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, come now and open in us the gates of your kingdom.” This past August I spent a week in Taize, France, a monastic community established to invite young adults to deepen their spirituality. Three times a day, thousands of people sit on the floor of a large church and read scriptures and sing together in a variety of languages and sit in complete silence meditating for a period of about fifteen minutes. The songs you sing are short, often only two or three lines and you sing them for a long enough time that you forget about the singing and focus on what you are saying, both with your lips and in the deepest corners of your heart. Of all of the songs we sang, this one is one of my top three. “The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, come now and open in us the gates of your kingdom.” For in Taize what we sang about the Kingdom of God was the closest to its earthly reality that I have ever experienced. 4,000 people from around the globe gathered together – atheist, agnostic, orthodox, catholic, protestants of all denominations, the seekers, the zealots, those alienated from church, gather together and for one week live exactly the same. The power of money is removed, as we all ate the same food, took the same sixty second showers, and camped in the same conditions. Justice was severed as those from richer countries paid the way for those in countries marked by poverty through a sliding rate scale. Peace and deep care and concern were share between people from countries that were and still are at war with one another. Joy was found in the re-discovery of the simple things in life – communal worship, deep conversations, purple sunsets, someone sharing an extra piece of fruit with you. By stripping away all that can make us deaf to the Spirit’s calling in our lives, thousands of young adults found joy in the message of the Holy Spirit as well. And above all we saw that the Kingdom of God was not just something that was to come in the future but something that was alive in each of us now, if we were open to it, that we could express outwardly to those who longed for justice, peace, and joy. The Kingdom of God was blossoming for those who had eyes to see it.

And maybe, just maybe, this is the message that Jesus sent the seventy out with in today’s passage. “The Kingdom of God has come near to you” So near that it was a reality and still is a reality today. So close and intimate that it is in our very heartbeat and breathe. So true that it is modeled in the very way that Jesus sent his disciples out, and the wisdom that we yearn for today.

What were these truths about the Kingdom and about our part in the present Kingdom that Christ taught?

First, the Kingdom of God is about community, not about being a lone ranger. Community is one of those words that has been marketed to the point of its very degradation over the past few years, but it is up to those laboring for the harvest to keep the image of community alive. What could Jesus’ reasoning be for sending the disciples out in pairs? The benefits are endless. They can compliment one another’s strengths. I’ve grown up singing, but it is only since I’ve been in college that I’ve come to discover the beauty in being an alto. If we all sing the lead then we miss out on the beauty of harmonies. Harmonies compliment what is being sung in such a way that it makes it more interesting, and if done correctly, more beautiful to listen to. And if done just the right way, harmonies can be breath taking. Maybe this is what life is like, when we live out our lives fully we can make beautiful harmonies together in community by being ourselves. When one person has the words to speak powerfully to a certain group, another may have the means to communicate more clearly with a different personality. One may have the gift of prophecy while the other may be able to heal. To send a person alone would be an incomplete opportunity. Two are also stronger then one. Jesus wanted to remind the disciples that they were not called to be lone rangers. He said “See, I am sending you like lambs in the midst of wolves.” If you are going to face a potentially dangerous situation would you rather go alone or with someone you trust? Community can form and sustain you during times that are difficult, dangerous, and depressing. Jesus also knew that when we go alone, we lack what we need to both thrive and grow, at least one person who knows us so well that they can both encourage us and rebuke us at the appropriate times. Imagine if the disciples went out alone and returned to Jesus exclaiming in glee “even in your name I had demons submit to me.” Oh the stories that would follow. Who slayed the greatest demon who preformed the most awe-inspiring miracle. If we are prone to being a story-enhancer who becomes narcotics then having another person traveling with us would allow for a reality check, someone to keep us grounded in the truth of who called us to the be laborers and who will get all of the acclaim for any justice, peace, freedom, inspiration, or joy that we may bring others. And finally, by going together, the message of the kinship of the coming kingdom was modeled by their very presence and joint ministry. Another one of my favorite songs puts it as “Let this be our song, no one stands alone, standing side by side.” For a society that has become alienated from one another and disconnected this is a powerful reminder and needed message.

Secondly, Jesus sent the disciples ahead to where he intended to go himself. Do you believe that to be true in your life today? If you are laboring for the kingdom, both in its present and future form, do you believe that Jesus sent you to where you are because he intends to come here himself? Do you see yourself as laying the groundwork so Christ can move in a mighty way in the lives of those you interact with? A hycistic prayer that I was taught when I was younger, stated “Christ before me, Christ after me.” In my own life I notice that I often find myself focusing on the first part of the prayer – Christ before me. But Christ comes after us as well, not only to fix our blunders but to claim what we have done in his name. It’s exciting when you think about it and it can change our frame of mind. We are not just doing the best we can until we are taken to Heaven; we are doing something powerful that may not get done if we don’t do it. We have a mission; we are leading the way for Christ.

Third, Jesus sent the disciples in order to help them discover what they had and help them go with what they’ve got. Jesus essentially tells the disciples that they needed to go only with their own being, not taking extra provisions or fancy evangelism tools when he said “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” By doing so, Jesus was forcing the disciples to get comfortable with their own gifts, their own identity. Oh how we have ran from this message today. Too many people do not take enough time to even sit still long enough to discover themselves, to listen to the message of their soul. And if we are not silent how can God break through to speak over us and tell us who we are. While the message of the kingdom of God being at hand is urgent, it cannot be known if we do not take the time to allow God to work in us, opening the gates to the reality of the Kingdom inside of each of us. By encouraging the disciples to take so little, Jesus was also teaching them the importance of dependence. Who do you notice yourself listening to more, those whom you are invested in, even if they are strangers, or those whom you just pass by. As a chaplain this summer, I’ve had a lot of wonderful conversations with people. However, those whom I find myself learning the most from are those whom I am deeply invested in. Those whom I find myself praying for. They have become a part of my life because I am a part of theirs, even if all I have had to offer is a silent prayer, a toy, or the time to hold their hand. Ministry does not happen if one person just talks at another person, it is an ongoing conversation where both people have to be invested, and what better what to be invested then to be as dependent as possible, relying on another person for food, new shoes, a place to stay.

However, if people refuse to listen to the message of the disciples they are admonished not to lose hope or become discouraged. They are to move on, while whipping the dust from the town off their feet on the way out. When you go with what you have at the present moment, even if it is as basic as the interest and attention of another person, then you cannot fail because your ability to relay such an amazing message requires that another person has to want to hear it and engage around it.

Finally, Christ lists that which he has given the disciples to do after they returned, as a reminder that they represented Christ while they were on their journeys. They had a purpose behind what they were doing. They only had a message to share because Christ gave it to them, trusting them to be his representatives. The Getty’s wrote a new hymn that says “Hear the call of the Kingdom, life your eyes to the King. Let his song rise within you as a fragrant offering.” Christ has given us as his disciples his song to sing. It is not our own words that are we are carrying to other, but the total representation of Christ to a person who may not know of his grace and mercy. The song continues: “Hear the call of the Kingdom to be children of light. With the mercy of Heaven and the humility of Christ. Walking justly before him and loving all that is right so the light of Christ may shine through us.” It’s a bit scary isn’t it? In teaching about the Kingdom we cannot run away from our identity as Christ’s because we need to shine Christ’s light. I know that I can fail horribly at this sometimes, but the fear of failure is not an excuse to avoid sharing the message.

So may we to know that we are sent by Christ to proclaim the Kingdom that is so close that it is already here, and is so near that it is about to come. But as we go, may be not go alone, for we are called to model the community of the coming Kingdom through our Kindom. May we remember that Christ has sent us to spread the message where he intends to go. May we discover what gifts we have by coming to know who we are and go with what we’ve got, creatively making the best out of every situation that comes our way. And above all, may we remember that we truly represent Christ in all we do and say along the way as we move towards: The kingdom of God that is marked by justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We pray that Christ come now and open in us the gates of his kingdom, so we can light the way to the kingdom for others. Amen.