“Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Some folks would call these guys “freeloaders”. No money? No clothing? In fact, I think my first church held that sentiment…since I owned no earthly goods when I went arrived…and less when I left.
However, the church has a long and rich tradition of believing our full-time laborers should be supported in their work. It’s not something we should take lightly…since Jesus set the standard. So, those believers who have not heard a call to full-time service are just as critical to the mission by supporting those who have answered that call. The point being…there are no bystanders in this mission.
So Jesus makes it clear that the responsibility to proclaim “the Kingdom of Heaven” is not just given to the pastor. We are all involved.
I’m interested at what follows, and I think Jesus is taking aim at the Body of Christ. “If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town”.
I have a few clergy friends who know exactly what Jesus is talking about (having a pastor is a privilege, not a right). On the other hand, I don’t think I’ve ever met a church who thought this might apply to them. Isn’t that curious?
Do we realize what this means? It means the Church will never be what God envisions it to be (a city set on a hill) until we all take this dictum seriously. Why? Because if the church is harassed and helpless, what does it offer to a fallen world?
So…our clergy needs to be bold and prophetic…upholding this standard (at our own peril) while our laity needs to be humble and obedient…honoring those whom the Lord has called to His service.
We all have a task. Which one is yours?
Live boldly out there today…
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