Sermon on Luke 10:1-16

Sermon on Luke 10:1-16
Given 13 November 2016 (Remembrance Sunday) at Studley Parish Centre

Mark 10:45 tells us “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” This verse highlights that even Jesus himself served others, just as we should do.

As Christians, we are called to serve in the name of Christ. We have all heard that actions speak louder than words and James 1:22 declares, “Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” Thus, service is very much a cornerstone of Christianity. Christ served us with His works and ultimate death on the cross, and we serve Him as a form of praise and love for our neighbour.

Today’s reading from Luke talks about Jesus sending out His servants. He gave them instructions to heal the sick and give a blessing to all, even those who refused it. It’s important to note that Jesus didn’t expect His disciples to decipher who deserved a blessing, promoting the idea of loving all people without judgement.

In today’s modern society, it would be quite easy to look at this story and many other stories from the Bible and say, “it was so long ago, it doesn’t apply to me. I can’t possibly do the things the Bible talks about.” But that mindset forgets that Christ is eternal. Just as He called the 72, He calls each and every Christian to serve His Father, Our Father.

But what does it mean to serve? In a few moments we will gather around the cenotaph to honour those who have served their country. There are parallels we can draw between military service and Christian service. In World War I, the soldiers were called to serve their King; Today, we are called to serve our heavenly King. They served on the battlefields of Europe; we serve on the battlefield of life. They were armed with weapons of destructions; we are armed with the greatest weapon of all: LOVE.

John Wesley summarised the Christian calling when he proclaimed, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” This motto clarifies that Christians are not called to be perfect, but rather to be as good as we can.

In Chapter 12 of Romans, Paul puts this idea into more practical terms instructing us that “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to on another in love. Honour one another above yourselves… Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need… bless those who persecute you… rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.”

As a young mother working 40 hours a week and trying to juggle the roles of Christian, wife, mother, friend, cook, cleaner, etc., etc. I have been fortunate to receive Christian service. I know when a friend says, “Let me know if you need anything” they genuinely mean it. But I am fortunate. There are so many people in this world struggling day to day just to get by. Sometimes something as simple as holding a door open can make all the difference in someone’s life. The smallest actions done with love can make and amazing impact. So, as Christians, let us seek to do all things with love.

And in our daily lives, let us remember to serve the Lord in all the ways that we can. In closing, please join me in saying the Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, which reminds us that we are all called to serve:

Lord, Make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life. Amen