Luke 9:1-8: ‘And they departed…’

There are comfort zones we will have to move out of in order to fully follow Jesus.

The first thing to say is that if God calls you to do something you can do it (2, 6). With the calling there also goes the equipping. Jesus both calls and gives (1). So, if Jesus commands you to go you can go; if He commands you to do you can do. Whenever we see godly people performing miracles let’s never forget where the ability comes from, and make sure we revere the Source and not the channel.

This is:

  1. A story of participation (1): ‘together’. There is power and joy in team; in partnership;
  2. A story of power (1,2,6);
  3. A story of proclamation (2,6);
  4. A story of provision (3,4) – it was a practical lesson in learning to trust Jesus to meet their needs;
  5. This story may well provide a pattern for church planting (4,5). When you go somewhere with the gospel, look for a place of welcome and work out from it. (Note that the rejection of the gospel is a serious matter:5);
  6. But I particularly want to point out that this is also a story of pushing boundaries: ‘And they departed…’ Jesus gave them a great commission, but it could not be fulfilled if they stayed put. This week-end Jilly and I will return home after five and a half weeks of travelling ,during a time of sabbatical. Our trip has taken us into five different countries ( although one was just for an hour or two in transit). It has been an enormous privilege, and we are deeply grateful to God for the opportunity; for all the experiences He has given us and the many lessons learned. But I have to say that this time away has taken me way out of my comfort zone again and again. Basically, I am a home-loving person, and I can find security in the familiar. Although I love to travel, I have an instinct to ‘stay close to the shoreline’,you might say. So, for many weeks before coming away, I felt it necessary to pray and fast for this extended period of leave!!  Repeatedly during our travels Jilly and I have realised that unless you ‘depart’ you can’t move on. We have  regularly fallen in love with places and been reluctant to leave. But we couldn’t see the next beautiful sight, or, more importantly,enter into the next learning experience without letting go and saying ‘goodbye’. In short, you will never learn to swim unless you leave the side of the pool. That’s another comfort zone I have had to let go of in the last few days, as my lovely,patient wife has been giving me swimming lessons. I’m not there yet, but I’m finding that growth comes when you are willing to get out into deeper waters – and it can even be fun. What comfort zones do you need to ‘depart ‘from in this season of your life? I suppose, looked at from one angle, the Christian life is a succession of new beginnings, and that can be challenging.