The Vintage of Jesus (Fourth installment)

A good dose of Matthew chapter 10:

"Whatever town or village you enter search for some worthy person there and stay at his 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, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."
Matthew 10:11-16

The LORD has seriously used these few verses to smack me around and keep me focused.

Let me explain: Life is going to be full of times when people, close to us or strangers, who do not accept Jesus and Him speaking through us. Jesus instructs His disciples to travel to places and stay where the Holy Spirit leads. To find friends, brothers and sisters, who will accept and believe their message of Christ Jesus.For the Twelve not to hop from house to house, but stay with that "worthy person." Stay with the person who will accept their teachings, who befriends them, because it is there they will find comfort; a safe haven. It is also with that person that Jesus commands the disciples to leave their greeting and peace. He commands the disciples to not only sleep, eat, and drink, but to give back to the people of the household. To overflow with the good news that Jesus is the Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Jesus commands the disciples to serve the household and to be transparent so the household can see the work of Jesus in, and through them. Jesus commands that the Twelve be worth their keep and that's done by serving as Jesus served - for the Twelve that is speaking His Truth.

"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words..." Jesus gives real talk to His disciples, of today and yesteray. There will be times when people do not receive Jesus' teachings through us. There will be times when people will ignore us and bash us for speaking what Jesus wishes us to speak. There will even be times when people hate us for speaking about Jesus.

But, He gives us advice in what to do next.

"...shake the dust off you feet when you leave that home or village." Literally, dust ourselves off. Don't focus upon the critic, the skeptic, or the one whom you've shared the news of Jesus with, but who doesn't receive. Pray for them, but do not let them deter us. Instead, go to the next town, village, or person and share Jesus with them. Jesus promises in verse 15 that it will be worse then Sodom and Gomorrah for the people who don't receive Him. Last time I checked, they all died...minus three. What's worse then fire from the sky? Eternity in the never ending consumption of a fiery Hell. We shouldn't let the naysayers get us downtrodden, but we should focus our attention on those who are lost and who are willing to be radically changed by Jesus. Ultimately we can't control who receives the gift of eternal life. Only Jesus has that power. He grants us the honor of being His living examples so others may see the life change Jesus creates, and long to be like Him.

We have no control over people's decision to receive the gift of Jesus - there inlies the beauty and frustration. It'd be easier to force feed people, but it wouldn't be genuine or real. Jesus desires our realness. This expresses the true power of the Holy Spirit and the convicting Truth of Jesus Christ. Not to mention the complete mercy and grace of God. Because seriously, if salvation were up to us we would leave people off the list. We're human. We continue to sin even though Jesus has shown us His mercy. Unfortunately that's how we roll.

The world, however, lives to different standards, which Jesus has already discussed in His instructions to the Twelve (and us.) Jesus unpacks our mission as disciples. "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves." That doesn't sound promising does it? Sheep usually get eaten by wolves, right? I don't want to be eaten. I don't want to suffer like that, but Jesus proclaims that He is our Shepherd. He will fight off the wolves and protect us. But when wolves do overpower our bodies, He will heal us, strengthen us, and reward us in Heaven, bringing glory to Himself on earth. Jesus also commands us to be "shrewd as snakes," meaning we are to show sharp powers of judgment; being able to accurately assess a situation, or person and turn it into an advantage. We are called to use discernment. Jesus also commands for us to be "as innocent as doves." We are to do right, to do what the Holy Spirit leads us to do, no matter how hard or convicting. There is no morality, just the conviction of the Holy Spirit upon our lives.

Jesus clearly explains to the Twelve that life preaching for and following Him will be uncomfortable, but worth every bit of it. Sometime people will accept us with open arms and other times people will shun us, turning their backs on us even when we do the will of the LORD. Jesus proclaims that we should shrug it off, keep our eyes on Him, His calling for our lives, and preach. The only true comfort in the world is Jesus Christ.

Through thick and thin, always preach Jesus. Don't forget, be shrewd and innocent as you go where the Spirit leads you.