Together...Through Him With Him and In Him

What do you think was the greater gift that Jesus gave to his disciples: the power to heal and cast out demons, or the power to work together and rely on the hospitality of others? 

I suppose it’s only natural that when we read our Gospel, (Luke 10:1-12,17-20), our attention immediately focuses on those things that are beyond our immediate experience. Not many of us can relate to healing and casting out evil spirits. So when I read this familiar passage two things stand out. First, the disciples go out in teams. And, second, they are instructed to take nothing with them, and asked to rely entirely upon the hospitality and generosity of others.

And so Jesus sends his disciples out in pairs so that they might support each other in their journey. Needless to say, they will encounter resistance, disappointment and from time to time, failure. So, when one is weak, the other is strong; when one is lost, the other helps find the way. That’s what we do isn’t it? We hold on to each other, console each other, encourage and embolden each other, and even believe for each other.

Our culture tends to reward the rugged individual and supports the concept that we must look out for “number one.” It’s all up to you. Yet, Jesus message is clear, we find success only with, through and for each other.  

In addition, Jesus instructs his disciples to travel “light” with only the clothes on their backs and to actively seek the help of others for food and shelter. Speaking personally, this abject dependence on others would make me uncomfortable. I for one, go to great lengths to be prepared for whatever I’m about to undertake and while I enjoy and am comfortable working with team members whose values and aspirations I share, being “unprepared” and being dependent would  make me feel very vulnerable. 

And that’s Jesus’ point. We as individuals are vulnerable, although we go to great lengths to manufacture and perpetuate illusions of control, independence, and invulnerability. But any illness, any loss, any death or disappointment or tragedy reminds us of just how incredibly vulnerable we are. 

And so Jesus sends his disciples out in pairs and instructs them to rely entirely upon the hospitality of others. Why? Because this is our natural state: we are stronger when we stay together and our welfare is inextricably linked to that of each other. “No man is an island” wrote John Donne. The loss of any, he went on to say, diminishes each. 

I wonder how this might play out on this upcoming Fourth of July weekend. In the United States, we sometimes see this day as a tribute not just to our independence from Great Britain but also to the spirit of American individualism. Yet the individualism we celebrate is as much a myth of our culture as is our invulnerability. To that end I believe that of all the gifts Jesus gives his disciples, the greater may just be that of teamwork and trusting obedience. Because when we work together and when we recall that God said it is not good for us to be alone and when we see our hope and welfare as inextricably linked to that of those around us, then we not only accomplish so much more than we possibly could alone. Through each other we work through Him, with Him and in Him. (Adapted from David Lose, Working Preacher, 2013)