Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt. 11:28-30)
God’s sending is risky, and it is to be celebrated. Lest we congratulate ourselves too much on being sent, here is Jesus’ word on the return of the evangelists who report success:
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10:17-20)
The outcome of the news is that the ones under discipline have their names written in heaven — utterly safe, utterly loved, and utterly treasured — where moths do not consume and where thieves do not break in to steal. This is a good destiny offered and promised to the ones called and sent.
1. The phrasing is from the “Statement of Faith” of the United Church of Christ. 2. Hans Walter Wolff, “The Kerygma of the Yahwist,” Interpretation 20 (1966): 131-58; Patrick D. Miller, “Syntax and
Theology in Genesis 12:3a,” in Israelite Religion and Biblical Theology: Collected Papers (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 2000), pp. 492-96.
3. See C. S. Song, “The Politics of Revolution,” in Proclaiming the Acceptable Year, ed. Justo L. Gonzalés (Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson, 1982), pp. 25-39.
4. See Walter Wink, Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984).
Chilcote, P. W., & Warner, L. C. (Eds.). (2008). The study of evangelism : Exploring a missional practice of the church. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Created from amridge on 2022-10-21 04:02:18.
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