Peace & Separation

As you enter the home, give it your greeting.  If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.  If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you l4ave that home or town.

Matthew 10:12-14

This passage is about Jesus giving instructions to the disciples as He sends them off to reach the nations.  When He speaks of home or town, I believe that He's speaking about people who haven't heard the gospel & the deserving are those who accept it into their hearts.  The peace that's mentioned will only come through the Holy Spirit and it makes sense where it resides.  But an important phrase here is when it says, "let your peace return to you."  This means that we, as messengers of the gospel, aren't given the task or ability to transform hearts; that's the work of God through the Holy Spirit.  We are commanded only to deliver the message to them.  Shaking the dust off their feet showed that there was a separation between them; that the choice they're making is incorrect and they're moving on to continue with their mission and now dwell on it.

I struggle with moving on.  I want to see people saved so much that I lose sight of God and only focus on the task.  Don't I believe that God loves the unsaved way more than I?  I do but I don't act like it.  I take it upon myself to convince others but it's clearly stated to move on.  This doesn't mean to sever ties and forget about this person; no, never.  What it means is to remember our task is to deliver the gospel, it just may not come all at once.  It may come in a sermon, conversation, prayer or nowadays even online.  It may not even come from one person or place.  So I what I need to remember is to be faithful and tuned in to what God's asking of me and to separate my task from the Holy Spirit's task.

Wonderful Father, so blessed are those who hear & believe!  A lot of times we over complicate our mission and fill it with our flesh.  I pray LORD, that You simplify my mind and heart so that we know at which point we shake the dust off our feet.  This way our own peace will never leave us but dwell in us always.  Thank You for all Your mighty gifts, none greater than Your Son, our King, Christ Jesus!  In His precious name I pray, Amen!