5“Whenever you enter someone’s home, first say, ‘May God’s peace be on this house.’ 6If those who live there are peaceful, the blessing will stand; if they are not, the blessing will return to you. 7Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay.
Jesus told them to enter a home and immediately pray for the blessing of God’s peace to be upon the home. The disciple was going to be staying with the family during their stay. These weren’t prearranged places, they were just staying with anyone who would offer. They had no idea what the family was like: good, bad, rich, poor, powerful or peasant.
I think all of that is exactly Jesus’ point. We are to live with and be part of other people’s lives and be a peaceful blessing to them. That’s our part to play, even if the people don’t want to play along. Sometimes it will work out, and sometimes it won’t, but we are bringing peace and blessing.
By our nature we don’t want to do that. We want to be with people we know and are comfortable with, and we want to be good to people who are good to us. Think about it. That doesn’t sound like mission work by people transformed by God at all. If that is what we do, how are we as Christians different from those who hate God?
Lord, we know you did not call us to be normal and you didn’t promise us a life of unending success. Please help me be you and bring your peace to those I am with today.
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