GOSPEL READING:
Luke 10:1-12, 17-201 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come. 2 And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace be to this house!' 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; 9 heal the sick in it and say to them, `The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 `Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.' 12 I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town.
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" 18 And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
Meditation: What kind of harvest does the Lord Jesus want us
to reap today for his kingdom of truth, light, and righteousness?
When Jesus commissioned seventy of his disciples to go on mission,
he gave them a vision of a vast field that is ready to be harvested
for the kingdom of God. Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest
to convey the coming of God's reign on earth. The harvest is the
fruition of much labor and growth - beginning with the sowing of
seeds, then growth to maturity, and finally the reaping of fruit for
the harvest.
God's word grows like a seed within us
In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive
men and women who hear his word, accept it with trust and
obedience, and then share the abundant fruit of God's word in
their life with others. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only
the gathering in of the people of Israel, but all the peoples (and
nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that "God
so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life"
(John 3:16).
Be a sower of God's word of peace and mercy
What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs
in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time
when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25).
This certainly refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus when
all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put
down all of his enemies and established the full reign of God over
all the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must
expect opposition and persecution from those who would oppose the
Gospel. Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin, Satan,
and death by laying down his life for us as our sacrificial lamb
(John 1:29), to atone for our sins and the sins of the world. We,
in turn, must be willing to offer our lives with gratitude and
humble service for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are called to speak and witness in God's name
What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to
the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in
biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task
of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish
Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was
composed of seventy members. In Jesus' times seventy was held to
be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned
the seventy to a two-fold task - to speak in his name and to act
with his power.
Jesus gave his disciples instructions for how they were to carry
out their ministry. They must go and serve others without guile
(free of deceit and craftiness), full of charity (selfless giving
in love for the good of others), peace, and simplicity. They must
give their full attention to the proclamation of God's kingdom and
not be diverted by other lesser things. They must travel
light - only take what was essential and leave behind whatever
would distract them - in order to concentrate on the task of
speaking the word of the God. They must do their work, not for
what they can get out of it, but for what they can give freely to
others, without expecting reward or payment. "Poverty of spirit"
frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes
ample room for God's provision. The Lord Jesus wants his disciples
to be dependent on him and not on themselves.
Jesus ends his instructions with a warning: If people reject God's
invitation and refuse his word, then they bring condemnation on
themselves. When God gives us his word there comes with it the great
responsibility to respond. Indifference will not do. We are either
for or against God in how we respond to his word.
Our true source of joy comes from God who saves us
Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own
successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear that the true
source of joy is God, and God alone (he created us in his own
image and likeness - Genesis 1:26-27). Regardless of the
circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss,
God always assures us of victory in the Lord Jesus Christ (1
Corinthians 15:57). Jesus assures his disciples that he has all
power over evil, including power over Satan and the evil spirits
or fallen angels who conspire against us. Scripture tells us that
Jesus came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31).
We, too, as disciples of the Lord Jesus have been given spiritual
authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil
(1 John 2:13-14).
God gives us his life-giving word that we may have abundant life
and joy in him. He wills to work in and through each one of us for
his own glory. God shares his all-powerful word with us and he
commissions us to speak it boldly and plainly to others. Do you
witness the truth and joy of the Gospel by word and example to
those around you?
Lord Jesus, may the joy and truth of the Gospel transform my life that I may witness it to those around me. Grant that I may spread your truth and merciful love wherever I go.
Psalm 66:1-6,16,20
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name." [Selah]
5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; men passed through the river on foot. There did we rejoice in him,
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Jesus the Good Shepherd changes wolves into sheep, by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD)
"How then does [Jesus] command the holy apostles, who are innocent
men and 'sheep,' to seek the company of wolves, and go to them of
their own will? Is not the danger apparent? Are they not set up as
ready prey for their attacks? How can a sheep prevail over a wolf?
How can one so peaceful conquer the savageness of beasts of prey?
'Yes,' he says, 'for they all have me as their Shepherd: small and
great, people and princes, teachers and students. I will be with
you, help you, and deliver you from all evil. I will tame the savage
beasts. I will change wolves into sheep, and I will make the
persecutors become the helpers of the persecuted. I will make those
who wrong my ministers to be sharers in their pious designs. I make
and unmake all things, and nothing can resist my will.'" (excerpt
from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 61)
