Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

Over the last two weeks the cups of sports fans have truly been running over. Not only have they had the World Cup to rave about or moan about, they have had Wimbledon, an England v Australia one day cricket series, and even a grand prix to keep them happy – or not! And if you are a sports fan, I wonder what you prefer. Is it a team sport, like football, rugby or cricket, where the way in which team members operate together is the key to success? Or is it a more solo sport like golf or singles tennis, where it is the individual’s own performance and striving after excellence that matters? We all know that good players coming together do not necessarily make a good team!

Jesus was not a solo operator. He did not go it alone. He used teams of people to support and aid him in his mission. Of course the key team was made up of the twelve disciples. They were the closest to him. He invested a lot of time in them and trained them ready for the time when they would have to operate without his physical presence. But we easily forget that there was a wider group of people around Jesus, perhaps hundreds of people, who knew him, learned from him and followed him on the way. And in today’s reading we hear about 70 of them, or 72 in some manuscripts, whom Jesus chooses to go ahead of him to every town and place where he is about to go. They are to be a sort of advance party, who will get things ready for the main mission that will take place when Jesus arrives in the neighbourhood.

I remember many years ago loving to be part of the advance party team that set up our BB camp at far flung places like Sheringham and Chapel St Leonards. We’d go a day or two before and set up the tents early so that everything was ready for when the main group of lads and officers arrived. I really felt special being part of that team.

Or perhaps a slightly more precise illustration goes back for me to the visit of Billy Graham to Bramall Lane in Sheffield in about 1985. I remember delivering leaflets to all these houses, knocking on the doors and asking people if they wanted to book seats on one of our buses to go to the great rallies. I remember that sometimes people said yes, mostly they were not interested and occasionally gave us what might be called “a mouthful”! You see, Billy Graham needed his team, his army of ordinary people, otherwise his mission would have no impact at all.

Jesus needed his team. He could see that so many people needed saving. So many people needed to know that the kingdom of God is near. He needed his team, like a team of harvesters going out into a field to gather the harvest.

Now Jesus calls you and me to be part of his team. He has a mission to fulfil in this part of his world called Beeston. Do you feel part of that team yet? He’s calling each of us. If he wasn’t calling us, we wouldn’t be here. When Ralph or Eileen or any person is called to ordained ministry, they are not called to be solo operators. They are called into a team with the local congregations they are serving. Your gifts and skills are needed to be part of the team – your skills, for example, at relating to people; befriending others; offering concern, love and compassion; or practical or technical skills; or musical or organisational abilities; there are endless ways to be part of the team. Jesus calls us into team with him.

Now as well as calling us into being a team with him, Jesus calls us to travel light. Here is what he said to the seventy two:

** Luke 10:4 **

Then they are to go from house to house, seeing who will welcome them and who will not; staying where there is hospitality offered, but moving on quickly where it is not.

I do find travelling light difficult, don’t you? When we go away, our car is jam packed with stuff, just in case we will need it. I will not go into the details, but if the kitchen sink was easily moveable, I am sure it would go with us on holiday. More than that, we have to make sure that we have booked where we are going to stay way ahead of time so that we can be absolutely sure that all our needs will be catered for.

Now I want you to imagine something for a moment. Imagine that you are at home looking forward to a relaxing evening in. The doorbell rings and there are two complete strangers at the door. They have a note from a friend of a friend asking you to put them up for a few days. How would you feel? Not pleased I guess.

Yet this was a way of life in Jesus’ time. People who travelled had lists of relations, friends and friends of friends, which they collected in case they ever needed

hospitality. Hotels were few and far between and generally were places to avoid and, without phones, emails and post, there was no way of warning someone you were coming. Add to this that hospitality to strangers was a duty and you can quite easily see the scenario Jesus is talking into. In his expectation of hospitality he is not expecting more than would be offered at the time.

He is saying to his disciples don’t slow yourselves down by trying to carry too much. Take just what you need for the task ahead. Trust the hospitality of people to house you and feed you. Be focussed on the task. Don’t stop on the road and just natter. There is a job to be done; don’t dissipate your resources and energy. Go to where you are welcomed. Don’t waste time sticking around those who do not want to hear, but move on to where you can get a hearing.

Our lives are full of clutter. We seem to need all our possessions and comforts around us to make us feel secure. We do not like to step out of our comfort zones. And yet, if the mission of Jesus is to succeed, we need to travel light. We need to travel light to our fears of rejection and ridicule if our Christian faith is known. We need to travel light to our programmes and meetings if Jesus is calling us to other ways of expressing his gospel and the life of the church. We need to travel light to our buildings if Jesus is calling us to a new way of being the church locally. We need to travel light to our own estimation of ourselves and our gifts if Jesus is calling us to try new and unexpected things.

I remember being a minister in training and there was the opportunity to go on church missions. I had never done anything like it before in my life. It would mean living on a church hall floor for eight days, accepting hospitality and showers from different members of the congregation, doing outdoor evangelism, leading youth events and children’s events and goodness knows what else. I had no experience at all in most of those things! Talk about travelling light. I had to ditch all my fears, all my insecurities and get on with the job. And I learned so much. And so did the other members of the team as we learned to work together and use each other’s gifts.

Jesus is calling us to be part of his team and Jesus is calling us to travel light. Finally, Jesus is calling us to bring God’s peace and healing, that people may know the kingdom of God has come close to them.

** Luke 10:5-6, 9 **

To pray for others for their peace and their healing in this stress-filled, high octane world is to bring the kingdom of God close to them.

To make that phone call that says, “I was thinking about you today. Is everything ok?”, and then to deal with whatever the response is – that is to bring God’s kingdom close.

To look out for the person on the edge of things, or with a downcast face, and to try to build a welcoming and understanding relationship – that is to bring the kingdom of God close.

To be a loving, concerned and generous friend – that is to bring the kingdom of God close.

I always thank God for the agents of God’s healing and peace who have brought the kingdom of God close to me.

Part of the team, travelling light, bringing God’s peace and healing: Jesus calls us still. Praise God!