Mission Possible
Proper 9, Year C
Luke 10:1-11;16-20
Today’s Gospel lesson reminds us that when King Jesus sends His people, He does not send them empty-handed—He sends them with purpose, power, and presence. This is not some impossible mission that only a few can carry. No, this is Mission Possible, because it is authored by the King, sustained by the Spirit, and fueled by heaven itself. In Luke 10, Jesus appoints seventy of His disciples and sends them out two by two into the towns and regions He Himself plans to visit. This is the second commissioning in Luke’s Gospel—first the Twelve, now the Seventy—each sent with increasing scope. If the Twelve stirred Israel awake, the Seventy begin to shake the nations.
But before they go, Jesus trains them. This is the practice run before Pentecost. Just like teaching a child to do chores or walking a teammate through game film, Jesus models, equips, and sends His disciples to carry out the work they will later do without His physical presence. And He doesn’t make it complex. The instructions are simple, clear, and replicable. Take nothing. Travel light. Don’t get bogged down in distractions. Speak peace. Stay with those who receive it. Move on from those who don’t. Heal the sick. Proclaim the nearness of God. It’s not a formula. It’s a way of life. A way that says the Kingdom of God isn’t just coming—it has arrived.
But Jesus is honest. This mission comes with opposition. “I send you out as lambs among wolves,” He says. There will be resistance—spiritual, cultural, even religious. The mission field isn’t tame. But the mission is still possible—because they’re not going alone. They go two by two. They go with the Spirit. And they go with the full backing of heaven.
And when the Seventy return, they are stunned—not just by the success, but by the authority. Even the demons submitted to them in Jesus’ name! And Jesus reveals what was happening behind the scenes: “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” That’s cosmic. That’s political. That’s warfare. These ordinary disciples were participating in the dethroning of powers and principalities, toppling the spiritual rulers of darkness by simply bringing the Kingdom near.
This is the heart of Mission Possible—not only proclaiming Jesus, but establishing His reign. Not just inviting people to church, but invading the world with the presence of Christ. Jesus sends us out from the City of God (the Church) into the cities of man to plant flags for His Kingdom. And He says we’ll know who to stay with—those who receive peace. Stay. Linger. Build. Eat. Heal. This isn’t a drive-by gospel; it’s a relational, rooted, revolutionary way of living.
But Jesus ends with a grounding word: “Don’t rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but that your names are written in heaven.” Your joy isn’t in what you accomplish, but in whose Kingdom you belong to. The mission is not fueled by performance, but by placement. You belong to Jesus. You are a citizen of His Kingdom. And because you’re His, the mission is possible.
So, Church—Fairview Methodist—you are the sent ones. You are the City of God on the move. This week, and this year, find just one person of peace. One life to walk with. One table to sit at. One heart to bring near the Kingdom. The mission is not impossible. It’s possible. And it’s yours.
Watch the full Sermon HERE. Listen to Sermon HERE.
Peace Be With You,
Pastor Bruce
