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Augy June 29, 2009	Jesus does great deeds of power and gives his disciples authority over demons. Yet none of his power is unilateral; it all must be received by faith. Jesus asks his disciples to go out without money or supplies, so that they will be dependent on how others receive them. When we are sent from the assembly to witness and to heal, we are asked to be vulnerable, to be dependent on the reception of others. The Spirit always operates in the between: between Jesus and his Abba, between Jesus and us, between you and me, between us and those to whom we are sent. "An expert is someone who comes from more than a hundred miles away and carries an attache case," the saying goes. The effectiveness of church consultants and intentional interims is based in part on this idea. An itinerant spiritual leader with no personal stake in a congregation's mission can bring a powerful new perspective to a faith community struggling with the demons of "how we've always done it." In today's gospel reading, Jesus himself encounters skepticism from people in his hometown who "knew him when." Later, the apostles are sent out to be traveling ministers and are given the authority by Jesus himself to heal, drive out demons, and call people to repentance in the communities in which they serve. The results are good.
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mspastor June 29, 2009	I like that thought. Jesus as intentional interim. Maybe we should make Jesus the intentional interim in every church so we can question the assumptions about how it is always done. Because it is the 5th of July I chose the Battle hymn of the Republic for one of the hymns. My organist was pushing for more patriotic fare and I compromised with that because what I thought I was going to talk about was how Jesus shows up challenging our assumtions about what it means to be holy. During the civil war it was the question of slavery. What is Jesus challenging us to change. His disciples were certainly not rejected for healings, but for doing the challenging that did and continues to do. You have given me a great was to begin to talk about that.
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Bama June 29, 2009	Augy - I respectively disagree with your premise that Jesus'power can't be unilateral. God can do whatever he wishes to do - regardless of what we think or do. Scripture tells of healing many who were not "believers" or possessors of faith. He healed because he wanted to heal. Our faith may very well be strengthened by such a miracle but if he wishes to heal, it is irrespective of the level or qualilty of our faith. Don't you think?
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Tom in Ontario June 29, 2009	I haven't done an exhaustive study so I don't know about every situation and instance, but I don't know if Jesus went about healing everyone or if he healed those who came and requested healing (or were brought by their friends and lowered through the roof). There were probably a lot of people in Galilee, Judea, and Samaria who weren't healed by Jesus. Was it because he didn't want to, or couldn't be bothered? Or was it because they didn't come looking for healing? When Augy says that Jesus' power must be received by faith I don't think s/he is necessarily talking about believers or anything about having "enough" faith. Faith is the presence of Christ by the Spirit. It is a gift. It is a relationship. I don't believe God forces anything on us, even healing. God freely offers it to us by faith and we receive it by faith. You may be right that God has the ability to do whatever God wishes but I think God, in giving us some freedom, lovingly holds back from imposing anything.
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PH in OH June 29, 2009	Tom in Ontario: Jesus was not a healer. He did heal people, but healing is always associated with a teaching. If Jesus were merely a healer, that is all he would have ever gotten done. Even the disciples who cast out demons and anointed the sick, curing them PROCLAIMED that all should repent. The no deed of power Jesus speaks of is PROCLAIMATION of the message, thus healing without reception of the message.
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Beth in Oregon June 29, 2009	Hi all, I'm a newbie and hope it's okay if I join the discussion. I've been really stuck on the prophet in his own land part. Two years ago, we moved back to my home area. I have five older brothers & sisters + inlaws + nieces and nephews in the area. After 20 years away, it's nice to be in my own land again. On Memorial Day weekend, my brother (ex-Army, retired police officer) was talking about how it doesn't "do" religion because of all the bad that has been done in the name of God over the centuries. The whole time, he was wearing a shirt that read "Freedom is not Free". Th irony was unmistakable. I didn't say anything. It's a lot harder to be a prophet than it seems it should be - ESPECIALLY in your own hometown. Beth
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Process Guy in CO June 30, 2009	While I look at this passage and want to focus on the "prophet in his/her hometown" message. I am finding myself struck by verse 11... Is this what Jesus did in his own hometown, when they refused to hear his teachings? What does this mean for the ways in which we are called to claim and proclaim a life-giving gospel to all. If a congregation doesn't hear us, are we shake off the dust on our feet as we leave? This is a pretty tough message that is difficult to parse. Was Jesus just mad at his own hometown and projected his anger on to the instructions for the disciples? How do you preach the message that if someone (some community) won't listen then write them off? I am going to have to do a little research before commenting again, but this is going to stick with me for a bit. Any ideas?
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RevPat in Cape Town June 30, 2009	My lectionary only gives verses 1-6 so I am not looking at the second half. I'm wondering along the lines of finding God in the ordinary - which also fits in with the other two readings. We always want the extraordinary and are not too ready to look at what we consider every day - whether it is a shepherd who could become a king or a prophet in his own country, where people know what an ordinary child he was.
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PH in OH June 30, 2009	Process Guy: If the whole congregation is not listening, then maybe it is time to move on. And yes, Jesus was setting an example for the disciples. If someone isn't listening, then move on to the next person. I am reminded of a bumper sticker, "Don't try to teach a pig to sing, It annoys the pig and wastes your time." While I don't think Jesus ever wrote someone off completely, I do think that he knew when he was wasting his time. We don't want to spend an immense amount of time reactivating inactive members who have already been evangelized. It takes less effort to evangelize new people, which is not to say we shouldn't work on the old ones. It is just where we should prioritize our energy.
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Rev Meggin in NS June 30, 2009	Augy- please cite your source(s) and use quotation marks if you are using someone else's words.
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Rev Meggin in NS June 30, 2009	Just a note of explanation re: my previous post. If you "google" the phrase "Jesus does great deeds of power and gives his disciples authority over demons. Yet none of his power is unilateral; it all must be received by faith" you will see that whole first paragraph is replicated in a number of sites. I believe that "Augy" is actually a corporate posting ("trolling") from Augsburg Press.
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scott June 30, 2009	I'm wrestling with the "shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” (NRSV) portion... when I go to the Greek it says "ἐęôéíÜîáôĺ ôὸí ÷ďῦí ôὸí ὑđďęÜôů ôῶí đďäῶí ὑěῶí ĺἰň ěáńôýńéďí áὐôďῖň." GNT 4th ed. which my my best shot translates to "shake out the dust under your feet in testimony/witness TO them" Nowhere do I see "against" them... So - does that change things? Seems to me this is an indication we are STILL to be a witness, even when unwanted, unappreciated, unrespected. Thoughts? thanks
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scott June 30, 2009	I'm wrestling with the "shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” (NRSV) portion... when I go to the Greek it says "ἐęôéíÜîáôĺ ôὸí ÷ďῦí ôὸí ὑđďęÜôů ôῶí đďäῶí ὑěῶí ĺἰň ěáńôýńéďí áὐôďῖň." GNT 4th ed. which my my best shot translates to "shake out the dust under your feet in testimony/witness TO them" Nowhere do I see "against" them... So - does that change things? Seems to me this is an indication we are STILL to be a witness, even when unwanted, unappreciated, unrespected. Thoughts? thanks
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scott June 30, 2009	Oh - greek didn't go so well... Here it is w/ a transliterations... I'm wrestling with the "shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” (NRSV) portion... when I go to the Greek it says "Ektinasso ho chous ho hupokato ho pous sue is marturion autos." GNT 4th ed. which my my best shot translates to "shake out the dust under your feet in testimony/witness TO them" Nowhere do I see "against" them... So - does that change things? Seems to me this is an indication we are STILL to be a witness, even when unwanted, unappreciated, unrespected. Thoughts? thanks
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scott June 30, 2009	Oh - greek didn't go so well... Here it is w/ a transliterations... I'm wrestling with the "shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” (NRSV) portion... when I go to the Greek it says "Ektinasso ho chous ho hupokato ho pous sue is marturion autos." GNT 4th ed. which my my best shot translates to "shake out the dust under your feet in testimony/witness TO them" Nowhere do I see "against" them... So - does that change things? Seems to me this is an indication we are STILL to be a witness, even when unwanted, unappreciated, unrespected. Thoughts? thanks
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Rick in Canada, eh? June 30, 2009	Hi all. I, along with numerous others, were just at a week-long event in which this passage (ok, so it was actually Luke's version!) formed a major source for our refelction and conversation. One major point that was made (and is found in Mark's version as well as Luke's) is that the mission activity of the Church is dependant upon the hospitality of the world. See verses 8-10 above. An interesting thought, don't you think? It points out the fact that "we" (the Church) are not the "haves," and "they" (the world to whom we are sent) are not the "have nots." We are ALL dependant on God's care and, indeed, on God's hospitality toward us! And that is the case every day! Why is it that we who have received God's hospitality in the past, are so hesitant to receive it in the present, simply because it might be coming from one to whom we have been sent?
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Pastorsamp June 30, 2009	Rev Meggin in NS. I suspected the same thing. Only I am not as good as pointing it out as you. I lose my cool when so called disciples break the law in the Name of God by stealing the intellectual property of others and pass it off as their own. They are theives and robbers and bring discredit upon the whole church. What else do they do in secret? How ironic that they do this in a comment on the very one who would be teaching against theiving. In other words, they mock Christ.
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PG in Georgetown June 30, 2009	I thought I might talk about the kinds of people who are non-listeners: wide-eyed, starring into space, loot-at-the floor, active, closed-minded, without a clue. These are just a few. How many people listening to the pastor's sermon on Sunday morning actually heard anything? How many could tell you one thing that was said?
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RainbowRevinVegas June 30, 2009	My challenge as I prepare this sermon is contextualizing it for our congregation, so they get the most out of it. Our congregation I believe mirrors a lot of yours: Individuals called to live out their faith in 21st century corporate America, which despite the current recession is still a very foreign world compared to 1st century Palestine where most people where poor, where savings and responsible planning for retirement were not possible, where an imminent end of the world was looked forward to as the only way of escape from a harsh life. I personally heard a call to a lifestyle, which observers will say is very close to that of the early itenerant missionaries. Personally, it is a very rewarding life. However, I am very careful not to hold this lifestyle as a paradigm of faith. This may present a good opportunity to address diversity of callings in the One Body, and to caution against a tendency towards a uniform spirituality. Some idealize this 'radical call' to poverty, and living for the day. Some look down on it as iresponsible. J. Crossan's is helpful in distinguishing between "itenerants and householders." The itenerant's ministry can not be possible without the householders who host them. Hopefully, this will address our tendency to envy the other lifestyle, and question our own. Or to be smug and self-congratulating with our lifestyle, and dismiss the value of others. The short passage can also be a good medium for reflection on our tendency to pick and choose. It is interesting how many who pride & distinguish themselves as true "Bible-believing Christians" because they are, as compared to other denominations, active and prolific in the practice of casting out demons, are not following the call to poverty. It is interesting how many we have come across who believe they have cause to shake the dust of their sandals, and how many of them actually did go on the journey with no bread, no bag, no money in their belts.
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Simon in the UK June 30, 2009	I am struck by the contrast between Jesus' seeming inability to do deeds of power in his hometown in verse 6 and the disciples' seeming "success" in casting out demons and healing the sick in verse 13. Does this "success" stem from the fact that they are NOT Jesus (who is well known to the inhabitants of the area) even though they are acting under his authority? Might this be why Jesus chooses this moment to send them out on their first mission without him? Sometimes one person can work fruitfully where others seem to have laboured in vain. We need each other, and maybe even Jesus needed his disciples at this moment. Just some thoughts...

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Frank Schaefer for DesperatePreacher.com, 2005