The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Lk 10:1-12, 17-20 or 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.
It is the number of elders who were tasked to help Moses in leading the people during their sojourn in the wilderness. It is the number of members of the Sanhedrin, the highest religious governing body of Israel. This indicates that the 70 disciples were to assist Jesus in his ministry and mission.It is also the number of nations in the world. In this case, it may mean that the ministry of Jesus is directed to all peoples of the world.
Behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way. Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you… Do not move about from one house to another.Eat what is set before you.
The presence of Jesus makes the Kingdom of God present. The forces of evil are banding together to opposes the Kingdom. Hence, the 70 disciples are compared to lambs in the midst of wolves. Because of this, proclaiming the presence of the Kingdom of God becomes urgent. The urgency of their mission requires that they do not burden themselves with material things, that they do not engage in time-consuming ceremonies required in those days for greeting people, that they do not spend their time in seeking comfortable lodgings, and in being choosy about the food that is offered them.
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.'
Jesus issues a stern warning to those who refuse the invitation to enter the Kingdom. They will merit punishment.
Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky."
The fall of Satan from heaven symbolizes the defeat of evil. It is also a warning to the disciples against being proud about their success. Pride was the cause of the fall from heaven of Lucifer and his cohorts. They must never forget that their success was due to the assistance that God granted them to fulfill their mission.
A story is told of the donkey that Jesus had used for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. As Jesus was entering Jerusalem, the donkey was surprised to see many people waving branches and shouting alleluia. His surprise, however, turned into joy. He thought to himself: “Look at how important I must be. So many people have gone out of their homes to admire me. I must really be an exceptional donkey.” Little did he know that people did not even notice him. In fact, they were waving the branches and shouting alleluia for Jesus and not for the donkey.
We behave like that donkey when we forget that the good we have accom-plished and the talents that we have come from God.
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