by Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
v1After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. v2And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”
v17The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” v18And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. v19Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. v20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Read: Luke 10:1-11, 17-20)
The gospel lesson this Sunday continues the “Travel Narrative of Luke.” The narrative is also known as the “The Journey to Jerusalem” and found at the center of the Gospel according to Saint Luke. This section of the gospel begins at chapter nine, verse fifty-one, and extends until chapter eighteen, verse fourteen. This travel narrative fits into the overall theme of Luke-Acts by the way it attempts to show the reader that Jesus came not only for the Jews and the law-keepers, but for the Gentiles and sinners as well. Luke appears to be a very Jewish work, but it deals with issues that the early Jewish Christians would have been facing, such as what to do with the Gentiles. This travel narrative is unique in many ways to the four gospels, including the three synoptics. While other gospels show Jesus and His disciples making their way on up to Jerusalem, Luke’s presentation of this event contains much material not seen in any of the other gospels. One of these is the sending for mission of the seventy (two).
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Jesus sends the seventy-two. Footnotes of several translations indicate that the Greek manuscripts are divided between 70 and 72 as the number sent out and there is no way to be sure of which one is the original. Both represent the number of nations in the world in Genesis 10, with the Hebrew text having 70 names while the Greek text has 72. But it really doesn’t matter the difference between 70 or 72, it’s exciting that Jesus had this many ready to send out to share the good news of the gospel! Jesus sends out the seventy (or seventy-two) to the towns ahead of Him to prepare them for His arrival. Jesus then is recorded as saying that those Jewish towns who reject Him will receive a worse punishment than the wicked pagan nations who did not have a chance to receive Him. Jesus indicates that the wicked Gentile cities of Tyre and Sidon, and even Sodom and Gomorrah, will receive a lesser punishment than the Jewish cities that reject Him. This would appear to be another attempt by the gospel-writer to show that the Jews are no better than the Gentiles. Jesus even says that if the miracles that had been performed in the Jewish cities had been performed in the wicked Gentile cities they would have repented.
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The sending of these disciples was a kind of “internship,” a training time while Jesus was still with them. The mission was the same as Jesus’ own ministry: “cure the sick” and “say to them, ‘the kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
Jesus sends them “ahead of him … to every town and place where he himself intended to go.” He is on his way to Jerusalem and will probably travel through villages where he has not been before. Rumors of what Jesus is doing have undoubtedly spread into Samaria so the seventy emissaries will announce his coming by giving people a preview of his own work. It is also a preview of the ministry Jesus gives us today. We go “ahead of him,” bringing his message where we go.
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They are to travel “in pairs.” We think of groups doing mission work door-to-door, always with two people, such as the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. We can assume that Jesus’ directive is for safety and for mutual encouragement. If you have to do something dangerous or risky, you want to have somebody with you. It’s also a sign that “we’re in this together” as followers of Jesus.
Jesus sends out the twelve two-by-two. This strategy is powerful for three reasons:
A partner bestows strength—”For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up” (Ecclesiastes 4:10). Not only do partners protect each other from physical danger, but they also provide pleasant companionship and encourage each other in difficult circumstances. A second person lends credibility. Deuteronomy 15:19 requires two or three witnesses to convict a person of a crime, because a single witness is likely to make a mistake. For that same reason, one witness has less credibility than two—an important consideration when sending disciples to bear witness. Jesus could have sent them in groups of three, but two people are usually more effective than three. In a group of three, often two will bond with each other and will not fully accept the third person. A partner fosters accountability. A person is less likely to succumb to temptation when accompanied by a partner.
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“The harvest is plentiful” is as true today as it was in Jesus’ time. In questionnaires that ask about religious affiliation today the “nones” are the fastest growing group. Church attendance is down, especially among young people. One of the characteristics of today’s so-called “postmodernism” is that people come up with their own religious views, not wanting to willing simply to accept what others believe.
When we look at the problems and needs of the world, it can seem daunting. At times, it can be so overwhelming to the point that it stifles us and we are unable to respond in action. Jesus of Nazareth understood this feeling as was told in two Gospel accounts. The Gospel of Matthew recounts Jesus, while about to retreat to take a breather and pray, looking with pity at the crowd demanding his time and attention. Another story was told in the Gospel of Luke which tells of Jesus sending his disciples in two to serve the needs of the community. In both scenarios, Jesus understood that the needs and demands were tremendous. That is why, in both situations, he said, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37, Luke 10:2). But the difference in Jesus’ attitude was that he did not stop responding in action. He acted and continues to act. He served to the very end, to the point of giving his entire life for the redemption of the world. Why? Because Jesus understood the need and loved the world so much that doing nothing was not an option.
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Jesus sent the seventy to heal the sick and to proclaim, “The kingdom of God has come near to you” (Luke 10:9). He warned them that they would encounter danger as he sent them “as lambs in the midst of wolves” (10:3). He told them that some people might reject them and they might not have a place to stay or food to eat. Whatever difficulties the disciples encountered on their missions trip, the seventy-two returned with joy, sometime later, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” (10:17). Their missions trip had been a fantastic success. They had healed the sick, proclaimed the good news, and, to their astonishment, even cast out demons.
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It must have been quite an honour to have been chosen to become one of the 12, or one of the 70, and to be endowed with the responsibility, power, and authority, that Christ gave to these disciples. But He was quick to point out that their joy should not be focused on the gifts, abilities, honour, and acclaim, that God had graciously bestowed on them – but rather, that they should rejoice that their names were written in the Book of Life.
It is not the gifts and abilities we have received from the Father that should have our rapt attention. The predominant source of our joy should be the close, personal relationship we enjoy with our Heavenly Father. No matter what position we are given in this world… and irrespective of the gifts and graces we have received from above, our everlasting joy should be in the fact that we have been saved by grace, through faith – and have an inheritance that is kept for us, in heaven.
Praise God that in Christ, our sins have been forgiven and eternal life is our present possession. And although we should delight to praise God for the many blessings we receive from Him, day by day, let us rejoice in heart, soul, mind, and strength that our names are written in heaven.
Let us pray.
O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments by loving you and our neighbor: Grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (ECP-BCP Proper 9 Collect)
