“Don’t Give Up!”

Luke 10:1-11 and Galatians 6:7-10

Pastor Deb Troester, STHPC, July 6, 2025

Do any of you ever have recurring dreams about being unprepared for something? For example, I sometimes dream about being unprepared for giving a sermon, or not knowing what I am supposed to say during a church service. Or I’m performing a wedding, but I forgot to bring a copy of the wedding ceremony and I try to do the service from memory.

I’m not the only one to have dreams like this. I recently read an article by pastor and former teacher, Gina Burkhart, who wrote, “When I am unprepared for some task or challenge, it is a devastating blow. I still have nightmares about arriving at school without the necessary texts, or losing my room assignments, or generally wandering about school with an impending sense of doom that I will be late and unprepared.”

Did Jesus’ disciples feel like this – unprepared – when he sent them out without purse, bag, or an extra pair of sandals? They were to stay with whoever welcomed them and eat whatever they gave them – whether it was something they liked or not. Then they were to heal the sick and preach that the Kingdom of God is at hand. I wonder if they felt anxious about this task Jesus had entrusted to them. Healing the sick, announcing the good news of God’s kingdom – it wouldn’t be surprising if they felt overwhelmed and unprepared for the enormity of the task.

Sometimes we, too, feel overwhelmed and unprepared. When we look at the world around us, we see war, natural disasters, unjust treatment of immigrants, homelessness, hunger, environmental crises. It’s discouraging. Surely it would take a lot of preparation, time, and money to do anything about these problems.

Yet, in the face of our discouragement, we can take heart from this story. In effect, Jesus says to his disciples, “Just go. You are ready. You are enough as you are. You don’t need more preparation; You will learn along the way.” And God will be with you.

Now, these disciples had been following Jesus for a while – maybe a few months, maybe a year or two. We hear a lot about the famous Twelve Disciples, but there were others, too, who, although not members of the inner circle, followed Jesus.

They listened to his words and watched his deeds. There were at least 72 of these followers, according to Luke. Jesus challenged these lesser-known disciples to exercise their faith and put into practice what they had learned from him.

Most of us have attended church for a number of years – maybe even most of our lives. We haven’t met Jesus face-to-face, but we have read and studied what others wrote about him – people who actually did know him and heard his words in person. So, we are probably as qualified as the 72 that Jesus sent out, maybe even more so.

Like them, Jesus sends us out to minister to others, to share the good news, and to do works of justice and mercy. Yet sometimes we wonder if it makes any difference. The Apostle Paul advises, “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” Last week Carine preached on the theme, “No turning back.” Remember the song, “I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back”? Once we have decided to follow Jesus, we may stumble and fall, but we must not give up and turn back.

Nelson Mandela once said, “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Even if things don’t always go the way we hope, we mustn’t give up.

Jesus sent these disciples, “to each place where he himself intended to go.” In other words, he had a plan. God also has a plan today. We don’t always see God’s overall plan, but we are a part of it. If one of the 72 had refused to go, someone would have been without a partner. If neither of them went, there would be a village or neighborhood left out of God’s plan, at least for a time. There would be sick people not healed, despairing people with no one to tell them of God’s love; people who were not prepared for the arrival of Jesus Christ. Each of us has a role to play. Each of us has a part in God’s plan that perhaps only we can fulfill.

This past week, I was feeling particularly discouraged about the unjust treatment of immigrants in our country. I know this is not everyone’s issue – some of you may be far more worried about homelessness, the many conflicts going on around the world,

or something affecting your family or community, but for me this issue touches my heart and makes me sad and angry. So I began to pray, “Lord, please show me what to do. I feel helpless when I see what’s happening, but if there’s something I can do, show me, and I will do it.” The next day I received an email from a fellow pastor in the presbytery inviting me to a protest at the ICE office right here on Blossom Hill. A young man who is an outspoken critic of ICE was scheduled to appear before immigration court. He had been brought to the U.S. when he was six years old and had not committed any crime, except to be here illegally. An interfaith group was going along with him to support him. I thought to myself, “Should I get involved in something like this? Maybe it could even be dangerous.”

Then, as preparation for this sermon. I read the article by Pastor Burkhardt, that I mentioned earlier. The title was, “Just do it!” Writing about our gospel passage, she says: “…Jesus doesn’t want God’s great dream to be held up by risk assessment… too often we are guilty of over-analyzing and under-acting… So when Jesus sends the 72 out with his message, there is no dawdling over what to pack. Just go. Do the task. Obey.”

That seemed to me to be a clear a message from God, so I went and participated in the protest. Everything was orderly. Nothing bad happened. I had good conversations with many others who were there, including a San José police officer. I was asked to say a few words on behalf of the Presbyterian clergy participating, and I did. I proudly held up my sign that said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Like the 72 Jesus sent out that day, God challenged my faith, and I responded. You can do that, too. You don’t have to be a pastor. Maybe you don’t feel passionate about this particular issue, but I bet there is something God has laid on your heart. So pray about it, and then be open to what God asks you to do.

And invite someone else to go with you. Jesus didn’t send his people out alone. What one person does may only make a small difference, but working together, much can be accomplished.

This is why we are called “The Body of Christ,” each of us is important, but we all need each other.

That day, Jesus challenged his disciples’ faith, and they accepted the challenge. What was the result? Verse 17 says: “The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. Indeed, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.” I wouldn’t take this scripture literally, although I once did kill a scorpion with my flip-flop. Jesus is saying that there are dangerous forces in this world – people who are as vicious as snakes, unjust laws and institutions that can harm people even more than a scorpion’s sting. Jesus has given us power over them, but we need to see with spiritual eyes, not just from a human perspective. As Nelson Mandela said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” In interpreting the words of the prophet Micah, the Jewish Talmud reminds us, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now.  Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.

“So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” 

Reference: “Just Go,” Gina Burkhart, associate pastor of Landisville Mennonite Church in Landisville, Pennsylvania, based on Luke 10:1-11, 16-20. Christian Century, July 6, 2025.

Sermon ©Deborah Troester 2025