Why did Jesus tell them not to greet people along the road? It is the first story of the chapter. Jesus sent out the seventy-two and told them to take no moneybag, no knapsack, and no sandals. He also told them to not greet anyone along the road. Why?
Why this instruction? Why were they not to greet anyone along the road? Is that Jesus talking? No greeting we are meant to greet!!!
What is a greeting here in our Western world?
Usually it is a uniform series of questions and answers not extending over a ten second time interval. It includes head nodding, smiling pleasantly and often a forward and outward motion of the body away from the person you are greeting while your head and mouth face the person.
In South Asia, much like the culture of Jesus' time a greeting involved time. To greet a friend, even when on an urgent task, meant a turning aside of not only a person's body but of their mind to listen and hear about someone's heart. Their news. Greeting is a tangible, tactile thing that not only takes time but invades space. The amount of time we greet from start to finish here in the West could be the amount of time two men begin their greeting clasped in an embrace.
Jesus encouraged greeting one another. In fact he commands it but here in this chapter He speaks counter culturally to the seventy-two underlining the urgency of their task. Go. Get it done. Don't stop to drink chai and chatter for a half hour. Do your Western head nod and continue on.
So on the flip side of this coin may I say this story makes me want to be better at stopping and looking people in the eye, grabbing them and hugging them, asking real questions and taking time to listen. I want to greet people with a little more South Asian tactile, up in your business, time consuming care this holiday season. May I get a little more South Asian in my urgency and hustling this holiday and take time to greet with a little more grit!
Why this instruction? Why were they not to greet anyone along the road? Is that Jesus talking? No greeting we are meant to greet!!!
What is a greeting here in our Western world?
Usually it is a uniform series of questions and answers not extending over a ten second time interval. It includes head nodding, smiling pleasantly and often a forward and outward motion of the body away from the person you are greeting while your head and mouth face the person.
In South Asia, much like the culture of Jesus' time a greeting involved time. To greet a friend, even when on an urgent task, meant a turning aside of not only a person's body but of their mind to listen and hear about someone's heart. Their news. Greeting is a tangible, tactile thing that not only takes time but invades space. The amount of time we greet from start to finish here in the West could be the amount of time two men begin their greeting clasped in an embrace.
Jesus encouraged greeting one another. In fact he commands it but here in this chapter He speaks counter culturally to the seventy-two underlining the urgency of their task. Go. Get it done. Don't stop to drink chai and chatter for a half hour. Do your Western head nod and continue on.
So on the flip side of this coin may I say this story makes me want to be better at stopping and looking people in the eye, grabbing them and hugging them, asking real questions and taking time to listen. I want to greet people with a little more South Asian tactile, up in your business, time consuming care this holiday season. May I get a little more South Asian in my urgency and hustling this holiday and take time to greet with a little more grit!
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