Devotion • October 16
Today’s Scripture Reading
Matthew 10:5–15
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. (NRSV)
Reflection
I start every weekend by “resetting” my apartment. I unload the dishwasher and reload it with the dishes that have piled up in the sink. I fold and put away the clothes that were tossed unceremoniously on the chair in my bedroom. I light a scented candle and put on some quiet music. My home is my castle, and putting it back in order at the end of the week brings me peace.
So when Jesus says “If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you,” I first identify as the home. As I encounter different decisions and situations in my life, I believe the places where I feel peace are from God. If I don’t feel peace, this verse seems to point to two possibilities. First, my “home” may not be deserving and it’s time for some serious self-reflection. Am I worthy? Have I really made the time to listen for God or the space to welcome the stranger? If the answer to these questions is yes, then the second possibility seems more likely: the people, influences, or decisions at hand were not sent by God and I should course-correct accordingly.
What if we are also called to identify with the apostles? As we go out to proclaim the good news, here Jesus tells us to bring peace as well. It seems clear that if the “home” is deserving, we should freely give as we have freely received; just as Christ’s relationship with us is not transactional, so too should be our relationships with others.
However, the verse feels trickier to follow if the “home” is not deserving. Is Jesus really telling us just to give up? Perhaps Brené Brown was onto something when she said, “You cannot shame or belittle people into changing their behaviors.” If so, it seems preferable to follow Christ’s counsel and shake the dust off our feet rather than dig our heels in and resort to scolding. We can trust that even if we walk away, God never gives up.
Prayer
Holy God, you keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. In the midst of our busy lives, we pray for the gift of discernment. Help us to be worthy of your peace and to be emissaries of your peace to others. Amen.
Written by Alisa Rantanen, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church
Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church
Devotion index by date | I’d like to receive daily devotions by email
YouTube
Podcasts
/fourthchurch
#fourthchurch
#fourthchurch
@fourthchicago