SCRIPTURE
LUKE 10:1-12
the mission of the seventy-two.
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.
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.
REFLECTION
Jesus sends his disciples into towns before him? Now why does He do that? He is certainly the better preacher and wonder worker than his disciples. Jesus will not be with them physically on this earth forever. He is training his successors to spread the Good News. Through Scripture and prayer He teaches us to spread the Good News. Do we?
The harvest out there is abundant, millions and millions of soul, waiting to hear the Good News of our Savior.
But so few answer the call, the laborers in the mission field are few. The mission field is all around us. We don’t have to go abroard to a foreign country. Right here, right now, we can bear witness to Christ.
Jesus warns his disciples of the world, the flesh, and the devil, ruler of this world. “I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” It is a secular pagan world out there. Gird your loins, buckle up but go forward Christian soldiers. Oh by the way don’t take anything like a money bag or sack, or greet anyone along the way. Jesus knows how distracted we can get, stay on our mission.
Jesus seems really harsh in telling his disciples not take material things ordinary people depend on. Why so harsh? Jesus is teaching again to trust in God, creator of all good things. Do not carry anything but my Word. Trust in Jesus! Don’t hang on to the material, place the spiritual and eternal first.
Jesus’ favorite greeting in Scripture is “Peace be with you!” So it is natural for him to instruct his disciples to do the same, “Say peace to household if peaceful person it will remain there if not return to you.” That peace of Christ will remain with his disciples even if they are rejected. The same is true for us, the peace of Christ remains with us even if mocked, rebuked, or vilified. For those who reject the word of God it will be more tolerable for Sodom than those who reject us. The kingdom is at hand!
SCRIPTURE
LUKE 10:17-24
return of the seventy-two.
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.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
REFLECTION
The seventy-two returned rejoicing. The disciples are excited and besides themselves in what they accomplished. They seem to be full of themselves and have forgotten anything good comes from God’s intervention in their lives or others.
Jesus gently brings them around by giving thanks and praise to the Father. We too are children who God chooses to reveal himself, not due to any merit on our part but a free gift of God. Instead of patting ourselves on the back, Thanks be to God, always!
Jesus tells them not to rejoice in what they accomplished on earth, but rather rejoice because their names are written in heaven“Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Our good deeds are a sign that we are connecting to God; we are accepting his will, his grace. Because we cooperate with God, our names are written in heaven.
Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. A child has no hidden agenda. A child trusts. A child believes. A child obeys. Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!
SCRIPTURE
LUKE 10:38-42
martha and mary
As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
REFLECTION
Jesus and his disciples often visited the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha in Bethany just outside Jerusalem. They were all good friends and disciples of the Lord. In this Scripture reading Martha is preparing dinner and Mary is visiting with the Teacher, Jesus.
Martha comes to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” Seems like a reasonable request but she Martha presumes that Jesus will care more about her perceived grievance than for Mary’s love and devotion to His Word. Are we sometimes too busy to listen to His Word?
Many of us may think like Martha and resent what others are doing. Why can’t they do this? Why can’t they help me? Resentment can poison our heart, never justified. And don’t we resent others because of our own selfishness, should it always be about me!
The Lord answers Martha gently. He doesn’t scold Martha for intervening. He doesn’t choose one over the other. He tells Martha to relax a little, chill if you will in modern parlance. He will not tell Mary to go away from him because Mary has chosen the best, the very presence of Jesus.