8 "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. 9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'
In sending out the seventy-two Jesus continues with His instructions. By those who accepted and received their message both readily and deliberately with favor and interest, the disciples were to eat what was set before them, heal the sick, and tell them the Kingdom of God was near. This is an interesting point which teaches us the importance of knowing our audience. In another passage of Scripture Jesus commands us:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. Matt 7:6 (NIV)
When seeking to help others, we must exercise care to do what would be appreciated and beneficial. We should never entrust holy and sacred things to those who would trample and despise them. I am reminded of Jesus when he remained silent, first in a prophecy given about Him in Isaiah:
7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:7 (NIV)
And in actuality, given in Matthew: 62 Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?" 63 But Jesus remained silent. Matt 26:62-63 (NIV)
Jesus quietly submitted to His death. He did not try to stop those who opposed Him. He remained silent rather than to try and defend Himself. He was willingly led to death because He knew that it would benefit those who would believe. I am reminded of Hebrews Chapter 12: 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Heb 12:2-3 (NIV)
Jesus kept His eyes fixed on the end results – “bringing many sons to glory”. What a wonderful lesson for us all. In our verse for today, Jesus is not asking of His disciples what He Himself did not flesh out from the beginning of His ministry:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matt 4:17 (NIV)
Jesus’ words were not too dissimilar from those of John the Baptist’s, who was imprisoned when Jesus began His ministry. The Bible Knowledge Commentary states of this verse: “When John was imprisoned, Jesus began to preach. His words had a familiar ring: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. The twofold message of John was now proclaimed by the Messiah. The work of God was rapidly moving toward the establishing of the glorious kingdom of God on earth. If one wanted to be a part of the kingdom, he must repent. Repentance was mandatory if fellowship with God was to be enjoyed.” “Repent” in Matthew 4:17 is translated from the Greek word “Metanoeo”, theologically means “to change one’s mind or disposition toward God. More specifically, to repent is to undergo a moral reorientation of the soul in which one acknowledges the error of his ways and turns toward the divinely prescribed way of truth and righteousness.” Interestingly, Paul uses the same terminology when speaking to King Agrippa: 19 "So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. Acts 26:19-20 (NIV)
Here the expression “turn to God” following “repent” simply reinforces what it means to repent. Repentance was preached throughout the book of Acts giving us the history of the growth of the first church. One of my favorite verses on repentance is given by Peter in Acts 3: 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 3:19-21 (NIV)
“Times of refreshing” has a wonderfully peaceful ring to it, does it not? Repentance carries with it a refreshing cleansing of the soul like the spring rain on the dusty barren ground bringing to life vegetation and subsequent fruit for those whose lives are marked by it. Repentance is not a once in a lifetime occurrence. As the Holy Spirit brings to light sin in our lives, we are to repent and turn to the Lord, cleaving to Him the wholehearted devotion and a willing mind enabling us to experience seasons of refreshment, relaxation and relief.