Don’t Get Distracted

On a flight where we were all handed roses. A young
lady was in the waiting area when we deplaned 
and we were all to give her a rose. Then, the last
person off the plane was her boyfriend, who 
was going to propose. We were all a part of the
mission. 

Scripture:

Luke 10:1    After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. ² He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. ³ Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. ⁴ Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. ⁵ Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ ⁶ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 

Observation:

This scene is unique to Luke, where there seems to be a second sending out, this time not of the twelve, but of seventy. They are also to continue on the journey, preparing the way for Jesus. They are to travel in pairs for their own protection, but specifically, they are to go where Jesus himself intends to pass. 

The harvest is truly plentiful in these towns and villages and the seventy are to help spread the good news of the kingdom of God. Here he tells them to pray for laborers, for God has already prepared the harvest. 

Traveling in twos, they are to protect one another, for they are like lambs among wolves. There will be plenty along the way who will want to hurt these followers of Christ. However, Christ has a plan for their care. They are not to worry about their own personal needs, for the people along the way will care for them. Nothing is to distract them from the mission — not the items that they would carry, nor the individuals who want to stop and talk to them on the road. It was customary to have a long Jewish salutation when you met someone on the road. It would have been easy to engage in these greetings and to become distracted from what Christ wanted them to accomplish. Remember, Jesus had set his face toward Jerusalem, and to get there, these followers needed to be just as intense in their purpose. 

Jesus had come as the prince of peace and his followers were to spread that peace. When they entered a house, they were to bring peace with them. The shalom of God would be welcome and rest upon the home, if they were willing to accept the peace. If not, they were to take the peace with them. 

When they were invited into a home there were to stay for some time, sharing in hospitality as a guest, teaching and sharing about the kingdom of God. Again, there was to be no distraction, but the singular focus of staying in one home and not moving on too quickly. 

Application:

Ah distractions! There are so many. Sometimes it’s hard to find that quiet space where we can listen to the Lord and grow in our faith. Not only are there distractions to our quiet time, but there are distractions to the work that God has placed before us. Jesus was constantly reiterating the need for true followers to commit everything to the mission of Christ. 

Jesus knew that life would be full of distractions, even things that might be considered good. This included stopping and participating in official greetings on the road. The problem was the amount of time this would take from fulfilling the mission. There are so many good things in life that can fill up our days, but they can easily become a distraction to the mission. 

One of the biggest distractions from the Christian life these days is sports. I listen to parents who want their children to follow Christ, but church and becoming a disciple is not the priority. This is easily put to the side when it comes to participation in sports. What does this teach the younger generation, but that following the Lord isn’t that important — it can always be squeezed in at a later time. This is what Jesus was talking about — the good things that would happen on the road — they were good — but they would take away from participation in the mission. Just like all those whom Jesus was calling, there needed to be complete commitment to the mission. 

Today we will encounter good things that have the possibility of taking up our time. I’m not saying that we can’t participate in good things - because we absolutely can. The table fellowship that was shared in the homes of those on whom they followers brought peace — this was a joyful experience. The life of hospitality, both as the host and the guest, is one in which we are to participate. Specifically, we are to remain focused on the mission in which we are to participate. 

Even good distractions may keep us from our appointed task of the day. Remember, Jesus said the harvest was plentiful — the need was for workers to go out into the harvest. That’s the point — we get distracted and never make it to the harvest. 

During this second week of Easter, may we set our face toward Jesus, and follow him into the harvest. 

Prayer:

Lord, I am easily distracted. Please, help me today and every day to know you more, and to eagerly step into your harvest. Amen.