In this Sunday’s gospel reading, Jesus sends his disciples “two-by-two” before Him to find “laborers for the harvest.” This is the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Let’s take a look.
Gospel Text (Luke 10:1-9)
At that time, the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them, “The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.
The Charge
Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter, and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’ Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.”
The Disciples Return
The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy, and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
The Harvest is Abundant, but the Laborers are Few
In this Sunday’s gospel, Jesus sends His disciples to the places He intended to visit. He sends them out “two by two” like “lambs among wolves.” They go into hostile environments armed with truth, love, and courage. They depend entirely on the people they meet along the way and on God for food and shelter. Like a lamb, they are defenseless and dependent upon the shepherd.
In this passage, Jesus commissions His disciples as evangelists. They are sent out into the broken world to spread the Good News of the Gospel. The disciples reflect Jesus’ character, gentle yet bold in their truth. They return rejoicing that they can “drive out demons,” cure people, and gather more disciples.
In today’s society, we, as Jesus’ disciples, are truly the “lambs among wolves.” We find strength from our Lord, and like the “seventy-two,” we are to spread the good news to a society badly in need.
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Peace
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