On Mission, part 4
Luke 10: 5-7 ““When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.”
Here are some lessons for his disciples when they entered into homes to stay:
BE A BLESSING
Imagine a world where the primary task of each of us was to be a blessing wherever we went. To bring peace not strife. Not to antagonise or be judgmental but just to bless. Not to criticise or try and get the upper hand but just to bless. Not to bring down or bring into line but to bless. Can you imagine that?
FIND THE PROMOTER OF PEACE
This verse has been the instrumental verse for the discipleship making movements around the world. One of my friend leads one of these movements in West Africa. He has seen planted 71 churches in his country which is an Islamic nation, he follows the model of going into a place where there is no church and finding a person of peace, a spiritual person who is not yet a Christian.
The promoter of peace is a person who is spiritual, open and happy to talk about what you believe in. These are people who have got great influence, family influence and tribal influence. For example, the village chief or the mayor etc.
RECEIVE WELL DON’T BE PICKY
Eat what is set before you. I generally have 2 rules for myself; 1) it has to be dead and 2) it cannot be looking at me! So no fish heads or little chicks in their egg shells!
This is Incarnational mission. Some things are obvious. Like drinking only from bottled water. You have to take care of yourself on mission otherwise you won’t be doing any mission! But if you’re going on mission and all you say to your host is, ‘all I eat is an apple’, then that is hardly incarnational. If you go to India or Pakistan then you must eat curry!
Jesus said to his followers when you go into the Samaritan towns and villages you may not eat what you normally eat, but you will eat it. Further, don’t refuse for any reason, you deserve to be paid.
Missions Paul 