“Follow me.”
Okay, Jesus. But now what? Follow you where? Follow you to do what? And so what?
As disciples we are called to be the body of Jesus Christ, and to carry on his ministry.
So what is it that disciples do? We get a big clue in Luke 10.
One of my goals this year is to run a marathon. At what point do I get to call myself a “marathon runner”? When I decide that’s what I want to do? When I buy some state-of-the-art running shoes? When I read all the running blogs and magazines? When I attend a marathon and watch the runners?
How absurd would it be if I did all those things, called myself a runner, but never put one foot in front of the other and ran? And how many people live their Christian life in exactly the same way? You go to church, maybe even a Christian school. You’re a nice a person. You don’t go to the parties Christians aren’t supposed to go to. You don’t do the things Christians aren’t supposed to do.
But where do you go? What do you do?
In Luke 10, Jesus picks out 72 people. Not just 12 anymore. And he sends these people on a mission. A desperate, urgent mission. He sends them ahead of him to every place he’s about to go.
He tells them to pray hard for more just like them.
He tells them not to carry extra stuff. Keep it simple. No distractions.
He tells them to commit to people, relationships. It’s not about the best food and softest bed.
He tells them to say two things: Peace on this house. And the Kingdom of God is close. That’s it. Does that surprise you?
What if you stopped to consider that you are a messenger of Jesus? What if, in every place that you are, Jesus is about to show up?
So what about you? What does it look like it in your world of papers and late nights and cafeteria food to announce peace and that the Kingdom is close?
Fiftyeight 