“God’s People Fulfill Their Commission”
July 7, 2013
The 7th Sunday of the Christian Season of Ordinary Time/Kingdomtide/Time of the Church
Isaiah 66: 10 - 16 Psalm 66: 1 – 9/Galatians 6: 1 - 18 Luke 10: 1 - 12; 16 - 20
His Eminence
The Most Reverend Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines D.D.
Archbishop of Manila
and
Primate
of the
National Church in the Philippines
and
the Territorial Church of Asia
International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church
We are in the Seventh Week of Kingdomtide. A time in the life of the Church that is memorialize by Easter – the provision of Christ given to man; how that He has redeemed man, taken away his sin and gave him righteousness. He clothed us in holiness so that we might live out a new life. He challenges us to live forth in this new life that which He has provided for us.
In Christ’s life, He sets a number of examples for us – patterns for our lives. Scripture will tell us that Christ came to be a witness to us to show us how to live out that which God has given to us. That which is ours; that which has been given from the very beginning of creation that belongs to mankind that man would live forth a life which is like unto God – in His likeness and in His image.
We see today that after Christ sent out the twelve apostles to do ministry, they have come back with good reports but He is not finish with His training at that point. In Luke 10, He now appoints seventy to go forth and to do ministry. The twelve, the apostles, were those that Christ trained Himself. These seventy, Scripture does not tell us where their training came from, but obviously, they were those who also were following, listening, and receiving from Christ.
Christ now chooses them, but sends them out a little differently. He sends them out two by two. His instructions to them are that they were to go ahead of Him to every place that He was going to come for ministry. In other words, their task was to prepare for Christ.
John the Baptist was commissioned to prepare the way for the coming of Christ. Likewise, these seventy are to be sent out two by two to bring forth a preparation; to bring an awareness that Christ was coming to ministry according to that which they have been taught and which they have realized as their own. They were commissioned by Christ to prepare the way.
These seventy are not as well known as the twelve. The seventy carried out the calling; they fulfilled a vital role in the spreading of the gospel because they prepared for Christ to come. Christ was not going to go into any area cold. It was already going to be warmed up as far as understanding of who He was and what He was coming to do. The people were to be prepared for His coming.
These seventy were extremely faithful to the Lord. They were true disciples; they were true apostles. They were carrying the message of the gospel. They were the ones going out preparing so that when Christ came, the minds and the hearts of the people would be hungry for that which was to come.
The traditionalist of the seventy, even though they are not all mentioned in the Bible, are many; and they share with us some great examples of what man was to do. They were not the twelve apostles. These were a different group of people that were not in the same level as the apostles. We might consider these as being the members of the Church. We would see them as being the followers rather than the leaders. It tells us through history and some of it from tradition and some of it from biblical context that there were a number of these seventy that eventually became very important and became leaders of the Church.
One of them was Barnabas who was a Jew of the tribe of Levite. He studied under Gamaliel with Paul but maybe not at the same time. His original name was Joseph but he was called Barnabas because he was one who was known as the son of consolation. He had a ministry to people which calmed their hearts that brought comfort to them. This was his gift and was known for. The other apostles were afraid of Paul, but Barnabas was the one who introduced Paul to the apostles. He went to Antioch with Paul. He was assigned by the apostles to go with Paul to be a companion to him. He was separated from Paul for a period of time because of an argument over Mark, which was one of his relatives.
Later, they were reconciled. But Barnabas was martyred for his faith in the gospel. He was one of these who were in the seventy but it shows us the result of the seventy going out and doing the work. Another of these seventy was Titus. We know Titus because there is a book of Titus in New Testament. He was born in Crete and educated in Greek Philosophy. After reading Isaiah, he realized that there was something that just did not fit with his training. He went to Jerusalem to hear Christ speak. It was there that he was baptized. It was there where he committed himself to follow Jesus. He travelled with Paul until Paul sent him to Crete as bishop.
There were many others that are mentioned in Scriptures just references to name possibly. Aristarchus became a bishop; Sosthenes became bishop of Caesarea. Tychicus succeeded him later as bishop. Simeon became a bishop of Rome at a later time. He was a nephew of Joseph, the wife of Mary. Aristobolus, the brother of Barnabas went to England and preach in England. This was the result of Christ’s sending out these seventy.
I understand from the readings that I read that there are more stories to be told about these seventy. I just chose a few of them so that we would understand what happened because these seventy were faithful. They began to do the work as commissioned by Christ. They went out to fulfill the work preparing for His coming.
Perhaps in our own lives today, we must look at this pattern that God has given to us. As like the seventy, we are commissioned like Christ to prepare His way and to prepare others to receive Him. In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Here is the commission: prepare the way!
Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Here is the commission that God has given to us as His people. Acts1:8 says, “You shall be My witnesses.” Here is the same commission given to the seventy. We have received that which we are to prepare the way for Christ to come into the lives of many.
2Corinthians 5:20 says, “We are ambassadors for Christ.” We are to be the ones to bring the understanding of the greatness of God. We are to bring the praises to Him. We are to be the ones that lift His name high above all other names. We are commissioned to let others see the greatness of God, not only in our words but also in our lives. Living out that confidence and the assurance that God has given to us.
Isaiah 66 says that we are to be filled with the joy that comes out of the praise in our lips for Jerusalem. Jerusalem was not the city that it was talking about. It was the kingdom of God and it was bringing forth this imagery that we are to have so much confidence in the kingdom of God. We are to have so much joy in its presence that we are singing the songs of praise to the greatness of our God. We are not consumed with the failures or the defeats around us. But instead, we do not allow anything to steal that joy in our hearts that brings the praise to the greatness of God which proclaims His favor, His awesomeness, and His willingness to take away the sin and the iniquity of all mankind.
This should be the joy that should be in our heart. This is what Isaiah says to us which is very much the same message that we see in the gospel of Luke. “Go forth, heal the sick. Bring joy and peace to them. Bring them to this place where that they see and understand how great God is and that His kingdom has come.” You don’t need to be fearful or to be anxious. You don’t need to be held down by the circumstances of life. The Kingdom is here and if only you will walk in it, the joy of that Kingdom can be yours.
1Peter 2:9 says, “We are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” This is our commission: to let people know how great our God is, not to be so consumed by the difficulties of life or the complications of life, but realizing God is greater than all of these. Our task is to let the world know how great our God is and how great the message comes forth when in the midst of testing and trials, we have praise and we have joy in our hearts for the greatness of our God.
1Peter 2:21 says, “You have been called for this purpose.” This is our task; this is our commission –to bring forth this joy to the world. Let them know how great our God is. Proclaim the peace; heal the sick; tell them God’s kingdom is at hand. This is where God intends us to be.
We are His messengers. What is the message that we are telling the world around us? Are we telling the world around us that we are just like them? Or are we telling them that our God is greater than the system of man? That our God is greater than the ways of the world around us? That even in the midst of these things, God’s peace, joy, and victory belongs to His people.
We are to bring the good news. The proclamation of favor; the proclamation of hope that comes in knowing God. This was the same message that Isaiah had. He said, “Comfort! This is what God has given you.” Yes, Jerusalem has been destroyed. There was the scattering of Jerusalem around the world, but Isaiah was saying, “Don’t let this be your downfall because your God is greater than this.”
There are the circumstances that have come to us, but God’s grace and mercy brings comfort. It brings abundance; it brings prosperity. Do not look at what you have accomplished but look at what is ahead. Look at what is coming; look at what His promises are. Hang your hat on those promises. Hang your hope on that. Not on the circumstances that you are in the midst of. Not in the failures of life around you but bring forth that provision that comes in knowing the greatness of God and the provision of God and the hope that comes in knowing Him.
Galatians 6 give us pattern for life as to what our life is really supposed to be like. God has given to us hope; He has given to us commission. He said, “We are the light of the world. We are the salt of the earth.” This is that which should be deeply entrenched within us. We bring solutions to the problems. We bring joy to the confusions. We bring direction to those who are lost. We bring hope to those who have no hope.
This is the pattern God has set for us. We are to be a messenger of His kingdom. We are to be a messenger of His greatness. Galatians say, “I have restored you. I have made you people that are special people. Now, restore the fallen. Bring them back to the fullness of life. Bear one another’s burdens. Help others. Be concerned for them. Build them up. Be humble. Don’t boast and brag about all that you have done, but be humble and recognize the only thing that we can boast of is what Christ has done for us. All that I have and all that I am is because of Him. Without Him, I would be nothing.”
It also says to judge your own labor. Don’t judge the labor of others, but your own. Be concerned about what comes forth from your life that it is brought forth in that way wherein it will be a blessing to others. Bear your own burden. This is seemingly contrary to verse 2 where it says, “Bear one another’s burden.” This says that we are to be self-sufficient in our relationship with God. We are not dependent upon what others do for us, but we are a source for others because we have, in our relationship with God, taken care of our own burdens. We have set them aside. We have cast them off on Him. We are not self-centered in our activities and in our lives. We now reach out to help others, trying to see, “Why are they weak? Why are they struggling? Why are they having this problem?” It is not because we are better than them, but because with Christ, we have taken care of our problem. Now, we can reach out and help others. Share with those who teach you.
Galatians says be a blessing to others because what we sow, we reap. This is something that many of us do not understand. We live lives with all kinds of difficulties and problems not realizing the reason that those things are in our lives is because that is what we have sowed. It is up to us to make certain that we sow the right seed. That which comes forth is that which will be a blessing to us and to others.
We sow what we reap. This is a principle of the Kingdom, so therefore, the purpose of Galatians 6 is helping us understand how that we can be blessings in our lives by reaching out and touching others, bearing their burdens. Being humbled, not judging them, but judging our own labor. Making certain that what we do is that which will be a blessing to others.
Do good and do not lose heart. Perhaps, this is one of the more difficult portions of this chapter because it is so frustrating and so disappointing when you have done good and you receive something evil in return. But yet, the Scriptures says, “Don’t give up because what you planted will eventually come back and will come back according to what you have planted.”
It then says, “Boast in the Cross only.” Here is a pattern for life that God gives to us. Sharing with us what He says in Luke – going out and preparing people for the coming of Christ in their lives. Preparing people that there is coming a day and a time when all the things of the world which are not blessings will be taken away and the blessings of the kingdom of God will be manifest. And we will live in that joy and that eternal blessing that comes from God, that eternal life which is ours.
Scriptures says that those who walk in these principles, they will have peace and mercy upon them. God gives to us guidelines for better life. He gives it as a commission to us so that we show to the whole world what Christianity really is. What is this relationship that we have with the Father? What is this relationship that we have because of the kingdom of God? We have this confidence, this assurance, this joy that we bring forth, proclaiming the greatness of God. It doesn’t mean that we will never stumble or fall at one time. But we realize that in the midst of that, God lifts us up because of His commitment, of His love, and of His compassion.
God loves all that He has created. He heart is involved in all of His creation and that includes you and me. This is the hope that we have. We are His children. We belong to Him. As a Father, He provides for us. Even when we turn against Him, He brings us back in full relationship with hope and assurance. God's people fulfill their commission.
The challenge that is ours today is first, know what the commission is. Then, to begin to fulfill it. Bringing praise to God! Singing our songs of praise to Him! As we began our liturgy, we were encouraged that we are here for one reason: to praise God. We live everything else behind. We are here because we recognize how great God is. The problems, the conflicts, the divisions, the separations, whatever they may be, we set them aside because we are here to give Him the glory. We are not here to magnify our weaknesses. It is not to magnify our problems, but we are here to lift His name high above every other name. In so doing, we then receive from Him the peace, the joy, and the victory.
This is the greatness of our God, the commission that He gives us. May we be like the seventy growing from glory to glory into the very image of our God, bringing forth His witness upon the earth. Letting the people of the earth know how great is our God. He does not fail us. He does not forsake us. He does not leave us alone. We are commissioned to fulfill that which He has given to us as a witness to His greatness and to His kingdom.
LET US CONTINUE OUR REFLECTION
WITH
CARDINAL OF HOLY MOTHER CHURCH
AND
VENERABLE PRIMATE
OF THE PHILIPPINES
THROUGH
THROUGH
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