Greetings on the fourth Sunday after Pentecost – a Sunday where we enter the journey of “Ordinary Time” and sustaining the growth begun at Easter.
Our invitation to worship reminded us to trust in God’s commandment to love God and neighbor allows us to be devoted to building a community of affection to God. Our first lesson from Second Kings was the account of Naaman’s interaction with Elisha to be healed, even though his healing was simply washing 7 times in the Jordan. The Psalmist’s refrain exalts God because God has held us up and carried us, even when we don’t recognize God’s presence in our lives. The New Testament reading Galatians relates the truth, that God’s promises and laws are simple and are sufficient exactly as they are to save us. Our Gospel from Luke recounts the 70 (or 72) going out to prepare the path for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, to tell people that the kingdom of God has come near, and that health and wholeness are found in a cooperative relationship with Jesus.
Our lessons lead us to reflect on the work we do and the work we are commissioned to do on earth. God’s direction and a relationship with God is not as complicated as we want to make it. As we live our life of faith, like the 70 are told, the greatest thing we do is not controlling the devil or growing the body of the faithful through compulsion or coercion – rather it is our faithful carrying out our mission bringing wholeness to those who are willing to accept being included in God’s family. And if the people we meet and reach out to don’t want to listen or believe, that’s on them, and our success is found in doing what we can and letting God do God’s job.
How will you let God do God’s job so you can do your job in God’s kingdom? I invite your comments,
Les+
Readings: 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Sermon link: https://audiomack.com/fatherles-2/song/pentecost-4-sermon-1
