A sermon on Luke 10:1-9

By Fr. Mike Paraniuk
HCP columnist

Jesus was the "God-Man" on a mission. He came to earth announcing the imminent arrival of God's Good News that would bring hope to his people. 

"The Kingdom of God is at hand for you!" Jesus proclaims that God's Love reigns supreme. Every suffering in your life will now be subject to His Love that brings healing and restoration. God's goodness and grace (His love in action) will destroy the darkness. Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of God does. "The blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5.)

The Kingdom of God offers the Good News that God's Love wins the victory over any cross you carry. This is why you hope. The words "Good News" come from the Greek word "evangelion," which meant "good message" of victory in battle. God says in Exodus 14:14 what He does and what you should do. 

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still.” God said this to the His chosen people when they were trapped by the Red Sea and  the Egyptian army pursuing them. In this impossible situation, they could not escape on their own. They had to wait with faith for God to intervene on their behalf. So they stood still until God opened up the Red Sea. Then, they walked through to their freedom. 

Life can be a battle at times. Sometimes you see no way around a problem. You get overwhelmed with fear and hopelessness. God says "don't panic." 

"Do not fear anything, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you." (Is. 41:10.) God can handle any battle that comes your way.

Many times, Jesus used the phrase, "the Kingdom of God" is like. Then, Jesus used stories to describe the Kingdom such as finding the pearl of great price or finding a hidden treasure in a field. Here is a beautiful story that shows what God does for you in His Kingdom.

A family was peacefully returning home on a Disney cruise ship after four fun-filled days in the Bahamas. Then, terror struck. A little girl fell overboard into the ocean from the fourth floor deck. A passenger who saw the entire incident said, "It was the most terrifying and scary situation ever.  A father saw his child fall in the water and he instinctively, without hesitation, jumped in and went after his child. I believe, had he not done that, his child might not have survived."

Miraculously, the father found his child who was starting to go under, exhausted from trying to stay afloat. He reached down, grabbed his daughter's arm, pulling her tightly against his chest. He told her, "Honey, hold on to daddy. I won't let you drown." A rescue boat found them bobbing up and down in the choppy waters. They quickly brought father and daughter to safety. The passengers erupted with cheers and applause. 

This is what God does for you in His Kingdom. When life throws you into the water of troubles, Jesus will jump in and go after you. Hold onto Him with faith. Faith doesn't remove life's problems, but allows God's Grace to meet you and together tread the choppy waters. “To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim, you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float (with God).” (Quote from Alan Watts.)