Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
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down to Hades. 16 He who hears you hears Me, he who
rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him
who sent Me.”
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modern day. In my own church, they tell me that we need a
band, and a nice building, and some public relations, if we
want to be big and influential. But look at this example of
how Jesus sent his disciples out to announce his coming.
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In verse 2 of this passage, our Lord tells us why he is
sending them out:“The harvest truly is great, but the
laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to
send out laborers into His harvest.” There are many who
need to hear the message of the coming of Jesus Christ, and
God has chosen the means of preaching to bring people to
himself. God could have chosen some other means, such as
speaking directly to people in visions and dreams, or logic
or reason, but he has instead chosen the means of preaching
as the way of bringing people to himself. It is as St. Paul
says in 1 Corinthians 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of
God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by
the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”
And so, Jesus tells us that preachers are necessary to bring
in those who are to receive salvation.
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in verses 5 through 8, “But whatever house you enter, first
say, ‘Peace to this house.’ And if a son of peace is there,
your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And
remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things
as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not
go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they
receive you, eat such things as are set before you” To tell
you the truth, I can’t even imagine doing such a thing in
modern America. We call pastors, and promise them
support, and provide for them. And this is a good and godly
practice. Yet, I know a Vietnamese man, who many
consider to be a holy man, and people bring him everything
he needs—food and money and clothes. No, I’m not saying
that he really is a holy man, but, Jesus our Lord was telling
his disciples and us that when we go to proclaim him to the
world, our primary concern should not be how we shall be
supported. Too often we are concerned with being safe and
secure, when in fact, there is no safety in this world. He
tells us in verse 3, “I send you out as lambs among
wolves.” He knows that there are dangers out there, and
that there is no real security in this world if we preach Jesus
Christ, for if we do so, people will seek to destroy us.
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kingdom of God has come near you.’” While this command
is directed at the seventy, it applies to us as well.
Sometimes we waste our time nagging people, when we
should be spending our time proclaiming Jesus as the
Savior. It is as St. Peter says in 1 Peter 3:1, “Wives,
likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if
some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be
won by the conduct of their wives.” Yes, believing wives
should tell their husbands the Gospel, but having done so, it
is not their responsibility to speak of it day and night, but
live a life which is worthy of Christ, that their husbands
might be convinced of the truth of the Gospel in their lives.
Having said that, there is no excuse for those who reject the
proclamation of Jesus Christ. He says in verses 12 through
15, “But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that
Day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin!
Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which
were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they
would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and
ashes. 14 But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the judgment than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, who
are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades.”
These are harsh words. Fire from heaven rained upon
Sodom for their sins, and Jesus is saying that it will be
better for them than for those who reject the message of
Jesus Christ. Some may object and say that this judgment is
too harsh, but those who lived in Sodom did not know
nearly as much of Jesus, and had never seen his miracles,
while those in Israel had heard his words and seen with
their own eyes the power of Christ.
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But we have the promise that when we go, we do not go
alone. We go as he has sent us, and we proclaim the words
that he has given us, and so he says in verse16, “He who
hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he
who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” Think about this
for a minute. Here, today, when I proclaim the words of
Jesus Christ, it is not I who is speaking—Jesus himself is
speaking to you. Yes, I as a man can and do make mistakes
when I speak, but when I speak the words of Christ, it is
not I, but Christ Jesus speaking to you. When you listen
and pay attention to those words, you are listening and
paying attention to Christ Jesus. Or, if you reject the words
of Jesus that I proclaim to you, you are not rejecting me,
you are rejecting Christ.
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written in heaven.” [verse 20] Our Lord is reminding us
that what is important for us is the he our Savior, and that
he will never let us go or desert us. In his words, our names
are “written in heaven.” If such is the case, how could we
be lost? It is not the wonders that are done, or even those
who are converted to Christ that should convince us of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, but that he has promised us that we
have eternal life if we trust in him.
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whom the Son wills to reveal Him.” No one can come to
God unless they come to Christ, and no one can come to
Christ unless Christ reveals himself to him. And that is why
we preach the Gospel, that God might use the preaching of
the Gospel to bring people to a knowledge of himself.