Verse of the Day 1/25
Luke 9:4-5 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them." English Standard Version (ESV)
As you approach most homes there is a "welcome mat"outside the front door. People will commonly wipe there shoes on the mat before entering to remove loose gravel or dirt that may be on the sole of their shoes. Upon entering there often another mat or perhaps a throw rug where the guest will do that a second time. Many times they will offer to take off their shoes to make the extra effort not to drag dirt into the house and onto a light colored rug.
I've probably read this passage dozens of times along with it's parallel passage in Matthew. Reading it this time and then having some friends over on a rainy day and going through the process mentioned in the first paragraph made me stop and think. Jesus instructed the disciples to shake the dust off their feet as they left. In other words, they did not want to leave the home or place "soiled" from the experience, but to shake it off and leave it behind. Imagine what would be going through the homeowners mind as they left.
The heading in The Message for this passage where Jesus sends out the disciples and gives them His instructions says "keep it simple". They will be going forth with the gospel message, bringing it to homes and villages, through the doorways and the gates. Their mission is to leave the message of good news with them. At the same time, if this message is not accepted, they were not to carry anything else out of the house with them. Nothing should be added to the message, no new thoughts, no compromising so that it would be better received. Instead they are to go to the next home, the next town carrying the same message.
How will we apply this to our lives? I'll leave that to you to consider. But if we are sharing the gospel, don't compromise the message. " If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on."
Blessings,
Mike
Luke 9:4-5The Message (MSG)
Keep It Simple
9 1-5 Jesus now called the Twelve and gave them authority and power to deal with all the demons and cure diseases. He commissioned them to preach the news of God's kingdom and heal the sick. He said, "Don't load yourselves up with equipment. Keep it simple; you are the equipment. And no luxury inns—get a modest place and be content there until you leave. If you're not welcomed, leave town. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on."
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