Jesus sends all His people, according to their various vocations, to proclaim His praises and to bring comfort and forgiveness to the people around them.
His name was Cher Ami. He was their last hope. It was the afternoon of October 4, 1918. The men known as the “Lost Battalion” under the command of US Army Major Charles Whittlesey were off course in the Argonne Forest on the Western Front. They were in a tough spot, surrounded by German forces with no way out. Then their situation got worse. They came under heavy artillery fire—from their own side. “Friendly fire,” it is called. Radio communication was down, so there was only one way to tell them to stop bombing. They would have to send a messenger the old-fashioned way. That is when the Major called on Cher Ami. The journey would be high risk. It would require at least an hour navigating difficult and dangerous terrain. There were no guarantees he would make it. Sure enough, along the way, Ami took a hit and fell to the ground, but that did not stop him. He got back up and kept going. Finally, wounded and weary, he successfully made it to base camp and delivered the message. The air support corrected their target and redirected fire at the enemy. A few days later his delivery of the precise coordinates helped the army find and rescue the lost battalion. Ami was celebrated as a hero, but it came with a cost. His injuries led to an amputated right leg, severe damage to his chest, and the end of his military service. He died eight months later after returning to the United States.
One more detail: Cher Ami was a messenger pigeon. He was among the hundreds employed by the US Army during WWI. His name means “dear friend” in French. His taxidermist-preserved remains are in the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC (you can read more about him here and here).
Why begin this reflection on a sermon text with a story about a messenger pigeon? It is a valid question. He was a pigeon, after all. But there are three reasons his story might be worth telling. First, this weekend Americans are celebrating the Fourth of July. The thoughts of many of your hearers will be on our national freedom and the military sacrifices that made it possible. It is not necessary to direct the entire sermon toward cultural celebrations like this. But if something is on the minds of your listeners, it is a good idea to acknowledge it somehow in the sermon. Second, most of us would agree that the life of a single pigeon is relatively insignificant (kind of like a sparrow). Yet, this particular pigeon performed a service which saved many human lives. There are a lot of people today who wonder about the value of their own lives. They often struggle to find the meaning in their work, wondering if they have anything significant to offer. Without too much anthropomorphizing, they might find some common ground with Cher Ami. Third, and the primary reason the story of this messenger pigeon came to mind with this text, is that Cher Ami was sent. He was sent to deliver a message. It was an important message. And that message made his relatively insignificant life incredibly valuable to the people he served. It began with his sender’s decision to include him in the mission.
Luke 10 places us in the middle of Jesus’ public ministry. In the previous chapter, He warned His followers about the cost of following Him. Then, in this text, Jesus sends His people to do something important. But this is not yet the Great Commission. And these are not (only?) the twelve. Here, before His passion and resurrection, Jesus sends a host of unnamed followers to deliver a message of peace on His behalf. He sends them with the promise that, whoever hears them, hears Himself. And whoever hears Jesus, hears God.
He sends them with the promise that, whoever hears them, hears Himself. And whoever hears Jesus, hears God.
This text reminds us that God is a God who sends and speaks. He was sending from the very beginning. He sent Abraham to a new land. He sent Joseph to Egypt. He sent Moses to lead the people through the desert. He sent prophets to Israel and Judah and even Nineveh to deliver a message of repentance. Finally, in the last days, He sent His Son. In His speaking, Jesus also did some sending. After His resurrection, He sent the disciples to teach everything He commanded them in Matthew 28. He sent them to forgive sins in John 20:21-23. He sent them to proclaim repentance and forgiveness to all nations in Luke 24:46-47, and the Church continues to send preachers throughout the world so all may believe in Jesus and have life in His name (Romans 10:14-17).
Here, in this text, Jesus foreshadows all of this sending as He sends seventy-two unnamed followers to speak a message of peace.
In this case, they were well received. But this would not always be the case. Jesus was rejected (Luke 10:16) and put to death for the words He was sent to speak. And the servants are not above their master. Many who are sent by Jesus experience difficulty, some even death. But the God who sent Jesus also raised Him from the dead. And He promises to do the same for everyone He sends in His name.
Although I am curious about the identity of those seventy-two people in the text, the fact that Luke leaves them unnamed is encouraging. Like so many unnamed messenger pigeons during WWI, Jesus sends people today who may appear (or feel) relatively unimportant or unknown. He does not send them across the world to a foreign country, and he does not send them into professional church work. He sends all His people, according to their various vocations, to proclaim His praises and to bring comfort and forgiveness to the people around them.
There is no guarantee that those Jesus sends (you, me, or any other Christian) will complete their mission unscathed. Sometimes messengers get wounded. Sometimes they suffer death. But even then, there is reason to rejoice, for the names of the people Jesus sent in our text were written in Heaven (Luke 10:20). So, also are the names of your hearers.
Fellow preacher, Jesus sends you again this Sunday to proclaim His promises of peace and forgiveness to the people of your congregation. As you proclaim this great good news, I suggest you take the opportunity to remind your hearers that God sends them, too.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Luke 10:1-20.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Luke 10:1-20.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
