Dwelling in God’s word: the divine treasure hunt

For anyone interested in mission, it’s hard to go past the account of Jesus sending out the 70 in Luke 10.

Read Luke 10:1–24.

One of the reasons I find this passage so compelling is the joy Jesus displays as the disciples return (v21). The simple obedience of these unnamed disciples brought great joy to his heart, and we can too! The essence of Jesus’ mission strategy is that we connect with the ‘person of peace’. When I am living with the expectation that God is already working in the hearts of people around us, this becomes a daily ‘treasure hunt’.

How do we find these treasures?
Re-read verses 5–9.

I see four key steps in these verses, which seem to unfold in a sequence. The steps are to bless, eat, heal and tell.

Step 1: Bless – Re-read verse 5.

As the disciples approach people, they are to offer the standard Hebrew greeting – ‘Shalom’, which is translated as ‘peace’. Shalom is the profound peace of complete wellbeing. When we bless people from our hearts before we even get to know them, they are more likely to respond.

Step 2: Eat – Re-read verses 7,8.
What do you notice about Jesus’ instructions in these verses?

This step takes time as we dwell with people. Jesus speaks of typical Middle Eastern hospitality and the open-hearted person who opens their home. In our culture, we may find a way to enter into the world of the receptive person in everyday situations where people linger and talk.

What examples can you think of?

Recently, my wife and I connected with a Hindu waitress at an Indian restaurant. After only two visits, she wants us to meet her relatives and is introducing us to the other staff! While we ‘eat what they give us’, we are incubating honesty so that people open up about their concerns. This is crucial if we are to introduce the kingdom of God.

Step 3: Heal – Re-read verse 9a.
In what different ways can we follow this instruction of Jesus?

We can engage with people where they need healing and give them a taste of Jesus as a person. We can pray for bodies and hearts.

Recently, I spoke with a Buddhist man who felt his shameful affair had affected his son’s health with chronic asthma. We had been talking about Jesus – and I felt prompted to offer, ‘Let’s pray and ask Jesus to heal your son as a sign that he has forgiven you’.

Essentially, this is the moment a person can ‘touch’ Jesus and experience him. You may not have faith to pray for a miracle, but we can act in ways to show people how much Jesus cares – enough to die for them.

Step 4: Tell – Re-read verse 9b.
What do you discover in this text about what Jesus wants us to do?

The kingdom is all about the King. We just point to Jesus, acknowledging that all we have done is because of him. We could keep people depending on us, but the time is ripe to invite them to relate to Jesus themselves.

An example was a visit with some Muslim friends of ours. The lady of the house was unwell, so my wife joined a group of women comforting her. As they sat on the bed, she felt moved to tell them the story of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. The women were fascinated that the ‘important’ man would respond lovingly to a ‘lowly’ woman, and they asked: ‘Can we pray to Jesus too?’ The answer is yes!

Jesus is the very embodiment of the Father’s love. He is also the King, and each of us either follows or rejects him. By the power of the Spirit, our time with the person of peace may clarify questions and bring them to a decision about Jesus as Lord. Jesus encourages the disciples to press on even when some people reject the King. We are to dust ourselves off and continue the treasure hunt!

Craig Heidenreich is the LCANZ’s SA–NT District’s Mission Facilitator and a cross-cultural ministry coach.