Friday, January 07, 2011

Let or Take? - January 7, 2010

Good Friday morning! So much news today; much of it about rich or newly-rich folks. Kind of explains why you won't see my name in the news today. If you are reading this, then your name probably isn't among the rich or newly-rich either. Those folks are getting up this morning to worry about their money. We will have to find something else to do for this morning. Burt and I had a nice chat last night about that place we both used to work at: he left by retirement, me by having the door smack me a good one on the buttocks. I don't think we solved any of the problems up there on the hill, but it was good to talk it out. The only problem I see with chatting past my bedtime is that the next morning I tend to stare at the computer screen for minutes at a time without realizing what it is I'm supposed to be typing!

Last night we heard about yet another termination for an individual. After what happened to me, I do not wish this outcome on anyone. However, I also hope and pray that this isn't the first scapegoat of a witch hunt: How's that for mixed metaphors! As I came home and opened my Bible for a little late reading, God led me to a passage in Matthew where Jesus sent out the disciples with this instruction: And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. As you enter the house, greet it. And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. (Matt 10:11-13) In thinking about these verses, perhaps a bit of explanation is in order.

In this passage, I don't believe that Jesus told the apostles to literally greet the house, even though that is exactly what the verse says. When you are asked to greet a church today, you wouldn't walk up to the building and call out, "Hello church! Hope your bricks feel good today. Everything settling alright with you?" No, you would greet all of God's people gathered there to worship. In the same way, Jesus was telling the disciples to greet what we would call the household: the family, friends, servants, and even the pets living there. I have no doubt that the peace given by the disciples was a powerful thing, a wonderful blessing to have on your house as it were. In the same way, having the house found unworthy and losing that peace would have a strong effect as well, and not for the good. You may have noted in the reading that Jesus didn't say "give your peace" or "take your peace away." The action is more passive, "let your peace come upon it" and "let your peace return to you." At least in this version, the ESV, it sounds more passive; the NLT states it a little differently: "When you are invited into someone's home, give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home, let your blessing stand; if it is not, take back your blessing."

Bleah, my coffee has become stone cold; be right back. We don't think about letting our peace return to us when a household tells us to get lost, but is that what is meant by unworthy? In later verses, Jesus gave his disciples instructions for what to do when a house would not receive the disciple or listen to the Good News. The instructions regarding a house's worthiness might be open to the disciple's judgment. A child sneezes during a prayer and the father reaches down and lays out the child with a backhand blow to the head; house might be unworthy. The house raises the children to the best of the couple's ability with fairness and much prayer; the disciple would probably say it was worthy. If you and I went into a house to stay in a town, we would quickly come to some conclusion on whether the house was worthy or not. Jesus may have left this entirely up to the disciples. But, Jesus did send the disciples out with great authority, which tells me that the Holy Spirit was sent with them. In an earlier verse, Jesus gives these instructions: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons." (Matt 10:8) That is some serious authority! The disciple's judgment in the matter of worthiness probably had the influence of the Holy Spirit. The disciples did not go alone and didn't bear the responsibility alone. Taking back a blessing or letting your peace return to you is a serious thing. I can only imagine the difficulties and trials that came to those houses who had that peace or blessing removed from them.

Praise the Lord that your house can have the peace of Jesus! Believe in Him and receive it.

Bucky

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