Luke 9: 1-6: Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases. He commissioned them to preach the news of God’s kingdom and heal the sick. He said, “Don’t load yourselves up with equipment. Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns—get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you’re not welcomed, leave town. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on.”
Commissioned, they left. They traveled from town to town telling the latest news of God, the Message, and curing people everywhere they went.
It is not clear to me why this passage is one of the daily lectionary readings for Advent. It is not looking to the future coming of Christ or the second coming of Christ; it does not prophesy about the Messiah; it does not remind us of God's faithfulness and the future God has for us that will save us; it simply tells us how the disciples were sent into the world to serve God. "Keep it simple," Jesus tells them (this is Eugene Peterson's translation from The Message). Keep it simple. The holiday season can become complicated with a busy calendar, high expectations, the gathering of family and friends that often brings lots of baggage, and the overwhelming desire to find meaning in the holidays. Perhaps it is helpful to remember to "keep it simple." Extend yourself and your love, and if it is accepted, be content. If not, move on and find other ways to engage the people with whom you gather. The holiday season does not give any of us the power to command specific responses from others or the power to force others to receive the gift of God's love. But, we are called to keep sharing, keep moving on with a story of God's love in Christ to tell and to share.
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