Last month my wife and I were standing in line at the airline counter for our trip to Mexico. In front of us were two people who had a mountain of luggage. They were on the same plane as we were, so obviously our destination was the same. My wife and I each had one, medium sized suitcase. We looked at each other and wondered what we had forgot. This couple had four giant bags and each was carrying two more. In addition, one of them was wearing a back pack.
Now I ask you. How much clothing do you need for a week on the beach? At least for this couple, it seemed excessive. My wife and I like to travel light. We don’t like to be burdened with heavy luggage. Besides, the less you take, the less you have to worry about.
Jesus told his followers to travel light. "Take no purse, no bag, no sandals." He wanted them to be focused on their mission and not burdened with clothing and equipment. Their journey was to be one of faith and trust as they relied on others to take care of their essential needs. I believe that these instructions were not just practical however. Jesus wanted his followers to be "lightening the load" of the people they visited.
It’s not just excess luggage people carry, its baggage in the form of burdens, guilt, shame, stress, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Jesus’ followers were to provide healing to people in the form of liberation from their feelings of despair and hopelessness. By traveling light they would model a lifestyle of simplicity and ease. In other words, we need not carry all that baggage with us since God is about forgiveness, grace, and love.
How can we lighten the load? First, Jesus instructed his followers to go towns and villages. The best way to ease the burdens of others is to go to them. I was visiting with an elderly lady this past week who told me that she visited a friend who was homebound. Her friend was depressed. She was really happy that this friend came for a visit. And as she left, she told her how she had lifted her spirits and really made her day. Imagine that, a lady in her nineties was bringing joy to another lady in her nineties.
We in the church think that people will just come when they need us. We have a "build it and they will come" mentality. Instead of going to the people, we want them to come to us. The most powerful way to reach people is on their turf. Nothing beats one on one contact. People are more likely to share their troubles and confide in us at their own kitchen table.
Secondly, we are to be dependent on others. That really contradicts what our culture teaches. We live in a society which models self-sufficiency. But here in this story, we have a clear example of how Jesus wanted his disciples to be dependent on others. It’s about sharing, it’s about hospitality. It’s about focusing on helping and trusting that our basic needs will take care of themselves. It is such a simple concept but yet so difficult for us to grasp. We can be assured that the load is much lighter when we don’t have to do everything for ourselves.
I have a friend who serves a church that just hired an associate minister. He is really pleased with the ministry of his new associate. For the first time in his pastorate he has time to be creative and to attend to things he could never get to before. He admits that he was surprised of the competency and effectiveness of his associate. For him, the burden of ministry has been lightened. He is now free to do things he could not attend to.
And sometimes it works in reverse. This past week I officiated a graveside service in Greenville. There were only a few folks present, which meant in addition to being the pastor I was asked to help carry the casket. I had to step out of my "official" role for a few minutes and participate in a different task. This wasn’t the first time, but it reminded me that nothing gets accomplished without team effort. To lighten the load I had to change hats and be part of a team.
Perhaps that is the obstacle that prevents us from reaching out to others. We are so stuck in our routines and traditional roles that we ignore opportunities to lighten the load of others. Or, we want to help but we are afraid to get involved. If others are going to experience the love of God, we need to be involved. God needs us, Jesus needs us.
It is about helping others and receiving help too. Sometimes we are threatened by help. We think that the person is out to get our job or that our role may be diminished. This story illustrates that Jesus appointed many followers to do ministry. You don’t have to be a professional to be a bearer of the good news.
Third, we don’t have to carry the load of others with us. Notice that Jesus told his followers to "shake the dust off their shoes" when they weren’t received. In other words, if others refuse us we are to leave with no sense of failure or guilt. If others don’t want us to lighten their load, it is not our burden. Jesus wants us to go to others, but its not our fault if they reject us.
The load is made lighter when a visitor has come who is willing to listen and give freely of themselves without asking anything in return. The load is lighter when people work together, sharing energy, talents and resources. The load is lighter when we cease to carry what is dumped upon us from those who reject us and continuing our journey, knowing we have tried.
Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio