Eat What Is Set Before You

Sermon-6 Pentecost-Proper 9-July 4, 2010
The Cloud of Unknowing, "O God, our great companion, lead us ever more deeply into the mystery of your life and ours, that we may be faithful interpreters of that Life to each other, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
I told you last week that the key to the next several weeks will be this phrase, “Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. “ This week, Jesus sends out 70 followers to each town on the road ahead of him. He sends them out in pairs and tells them to take no extra clothes; no money; and talk to no one who will sidetrack you on the way. He tells them that they are to find a home that will take them in; eat whatever they give you; and that they will be rejected by many. And always they are to tell folks that God has come near them, and is with them.
Think that would be hard?
Marilyn Salmon, Professor of New Testament at United Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN, writes this: Jesus has "set his face to go to Jerusalem," and he told fellow-travelers that the journey requires their single-minded purpose (9:51-62). Jesus sends seventy ahead of him and prepares them for what lies ahead. The laborers are few and the risks are great. Jesus sends them in pairs with no provisions for the journey. No conversing with those they meet on the road. They will depend on the hospitality of strangers.
Then in her class she asks her seminary students, which of these would have been the most challenging for them?
“not taking any money even for emergencies,
no change of clothes,
no food,
depending on strangers for food and lodging,
not being able to choose one's traveling partner,
being rejected by people who did not accept the message.
Which would be the hardest for you? If you were one of the 70, which would be the most difficult-for you to live with?
Salmon goes on to write: “But one student who had not spoken in class previously said, "Eat what is set before you." (verse 8) Silence, then a bit of nervous laughter followed. He repeated, emphatically, "Eat what is set before you," conveying by his tone that he was serious. When I invited him to elaborate, he told us that his father had been a pastor in a rural, very poor area in South Dakota. The family was often invited for dinner by parishioners, most of them farmers. He recalled that he and his siblings were admonished to eat whatever was served. I supposed that he referred to a child's finicky tastes or disdain for green vegetables. But he went on to say that people on remote farms often relied on whatever they could kill or catch nearby for food, even for company. He added, "We just never knew what we would have to eat."
You never know what you are going to have to eat.
There are many many stories in the gospel of Luke about Jesus eating (See 5:29ff; 7:36ff; 10:36ff; 11:37ff; 14:1ff). In theological circles it’s called “table fellowship”. Jesus is either on his way to someone’s house for dinner, eating with them, or leaving dinner. One thing we never talk about-Jesus never reciprocates. There is not one meal in the gospel where Jesus is the host, where he provides the food, sends out the invitations, washes the dishes. Jesus was always dependent on the kindness of strangers. Did that ever strike you? And in this morning’s story, he tells the 70 followers to do the same-be utterly, radically reliant on whatever someone gives you. Can you imagine being that “needy”. Everything in us screams self-reliance, independence, taking care of ourselves, and here is Jesus telling his disciples depend completely and totally-on others. It’s a matter of trust-and it’s a lot of faith that others will take care of you. Can you imagine walking in to a town and asking people to feed you, clothe you, support you, house you? Can you picture that kind of dependence? We never talk about this, but isn’t that what Jesus is saying? Can you see yourself doing something like that? Can you see yourself being that vulnerable, that open, that exposed? In all the ways that we talk about being disciples of Jesus we NEVER talk about being this helpless, this weak.
And yet here is Jesus telling his followers. Wait, and let others take care of you. Recently I flipped on Jeopardy for about 30 seconds and it was at the beginning of the show, Alex Trebek was interviewing the contestants and the first one was a woman who worked with the elderly. ‘”What’s the hardest thing they encounter?” Trebek asked her. She replied “Being dependent on others.”
We/I talk about the spreading the gospel every week and even when I am not preaching, but this insight is new to me. We often talk about the bravery of the disciples, the courage of going out and sharing good news in hostile environments, the difficulty of speaking truth to power, and being strong and bold. But here is Jesus telling them-wait, accept, be defenseless, take whatever people give you-let yourself be taken care of. Does this sound hard? To me it sounds, excruciating. What do we talk about all the time? Being in control of our lives, and here Jesus is saying, “eat whatever they set before you.” Be out of control, be powerless, be helpless.
When the disciples went out to bring the kingdom of God near to people, they accepted whatever was given to them-and were told to do two things-cure the sick, and tell people that the kingdom of God had come near them. It says that they came back in joy because of all the authority that they felt. And Jesus chastises them because they didn’t give the glory to God. They went out powerless, they came back powerful-and Jesus says, “this is NOT how to be a disciple!” Learn what being a follower means-it is about God, not how strong WE are.
Most people know that at age 19 young Mormon men are invited to go out for two years into the “mission field”. They receive 3-8 weeks of training, are paired with someone that they do not know, and are sent to evangelize somewhere in the world. They have to follow a strict set of rules:
Arise at 6:30 a.m. and go to bed at 10:30 p.m.
Stay with your assigned companion (another missionary)
Do not date or be alone with members of the opposite sex
Do not participate in certain dangerous activities (e.g., water sports, winter sports, motorcycling)
Do not watch television or use the Internet (except to write e-mails to family members)
They have to write home every week
They get to call home twice a year-Mother’s Day and Christmas
They have to do a minimum of 10 hours of community service every month
There are 167 rules for these young men. 167. Here is what one commentator writes: “As you read these rules you will likely get the impression that being a missionary isn't a pleasant thing to be. If you do get that impression, you are right.” This site (The Unauthorized Investigator's Guide to The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints) (writer) goes on:
“You are assigned an area in which you are to proselyte and a companion who will be your shadow 24-7 for the next 2 or 3 months. You see your apartment for the first time, and it is a dump. You feel extraordinarily home sick.
You spend the rest of the 2 years trying to find people to teach, trying to get the ones who listen to you to commit to baptism, and trying to integrate those people into the church. Few people want to talk to you. Those who want to talk to you are more interested in converting you to their views than converting to your views.
You rotate companions every 2 or 3 months and (mission) areas every 4 to 6 months. You don't know the details of exactly when, to where and with whom you will be transferred until a couple of days before it happens.
You like some of your companions, and struggle to merely tolerate others. You find a few friends among the local members who feed you good meals and build you up. But most of your life is drudgery as you try to confine all of your thoughts and actions to the minute details in the rule book.”

Does this sound wonderful? Powerful? Inspiring? Jesus sends these 35 pairs out and invites them to be powerless-and to depend completely on others. How frightening that had to be. What does he want them to learn? How hard it is? I think he wants to show them that the good news depends completely on others. I think he wants them to learn that the kingdom of God is a fragile thing, that you can share but not force on people. I think Jesus wants his disciples to learn what he already knows, that to be a witness of the good news makes you utterly, completely vulnerable and at risk. It is not a position of power, it is not a ministry of command, it is not a witness of strength. When the disciples return they want to talk about how strong they feel because of all that they have accomplished, and Jesus says, “no, you don’t get it-it’s about God-not us.”
Here is how Marilyn Salmon ends her article: “Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, and he invites us to walk with him. His words here speak to every generation of Christian disciples and inspire a sense of urgency about bringing God's realm near.”
“Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us (not God, but us)!”
Jesus sends out disciples to learn what His life is like-it’s not about power and authority and strength. It’s about people allowing you to come in, it’s about people opening themselves up to you, it’s about our willingness to be dependent on others. Servanthood, Jesus tells them, isn’t about control-it’s about giving up control, and power. The good news is spread not with authority, but with sacrifice. It’s about eating what is set before you. Amen.