1 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.
Pray for labourers for harvest
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.
Go as lambs among wolves
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Offer peace
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 labourer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
The kingdom of God is near
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.’
When the kingdom is rejected
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.
Seventy return with joy
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.
Cause for rejoicing
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
EXPLANATION
1 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.
“After this the Lord appointed seventy others” — Luke records two missions of people sent by Jesus, here referred to as “the Lord”. He is the authority sending disciples; they are his emissaries and have no personal authority, only that of delegation on behalf of “the Lord”. Luke uses this title frequently (Lk. 7: 13, 19; 10: 1, 39, 41; 11: 39; 12: 42; 13: 15; 17: 5–6; 18: 6).
The first group consists of the Twelve Apostles: “Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal”. (Lk. 9: 1–6).
The second group is the current Gospel Reading.
“seventy others” — The second group numbers seventy, though some translations refer to seventy–two. They do not include the Twelve. When Moses was called by God to go up the mountain he was told to bring seventy elders with him (Ex. 24: 1, 9). That may be the reason behind the number “seventy” here, though this is not certain. It is more likely that “seventy” was used to indicate completeness and perfection.
Jesus is also implying that he needs people to complete his mission; it is not possible for him to complete his mission by himself. He needs helpers or missionaries. They will not act on their own but as he directs. It is his ‘mission’ from his Father.
“and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come” — The mission of the “seventy” is to go ahead of “the Lord” to announce his coming in every town and place where he himself would visit.
“two by two” — In the Bible this expression refers to the minimum number required to bear witness: “A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained”. (Dt. 19: 15).
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.
“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful’ — The word “harvest” occurs three times in this short verse. It refers to God’s people who are ready to enter the kingdom of God.
These words are encouraging for people invited to work in the harvest. There will be abundance of opportunity and success.
“but the labourers are few’” — What is lacking in the harvest is not the potential fruit but labour. This annuls much of the success that could and should be enjoyed.
“‘pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’” — The solution to the problem of lack of labour is prayer to the “Lord of the harvest”. He is the one who will send labourers. It is “his harvest”.
As he requires co–operation in harvesting, he also requires prayer for the success of the mission in the harvest. While some may feel validly excused from work in the harvest, none can feel that way about praying for the success of the harvest.
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
“‘Go your way’” — “Your way” is the way of labouring at the harvest. Jesus’ command to them is “Go”.
“‘behold, I send you out’” — As Jesus, “the Lamb of God”, was ‘sent’ by his Father, now he ‘sends’ the “seventy” disciples on the self–same mission. The fact that Jesus is sending them should instill in them confidence and courage.
“‘as lambs in the midst of wolves’” — they will be like “lambs in the midst of wolves”. The mission will be difficult and dangerous, as was the mission of Jesus. Nevertheless they should not succumb to inertia: “The Lord” is with them. One result of their mission will be the peace and salvation that will be brought to people and nations. Isaiah (Is. 11: 6; 65: 25) had foretold that the lamb would lie down with the wolf, a symbol of perfect peace
4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.
“‘Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals’” — “Purse” refers to a money container. “Bag” refers to a container for clothes. “No sandals” must refer to a second pair.
Worry about necessities of life, such as money, clothing and shoes, could divert them from the mission and so there must be total detachment and renunciation from these distractions and instead absolute dependence on God. These instructions were given to the Twelve also as they began their missionary outreach (Lk. 9: 3).
“‘and salute no one on the road’” — The mission is urgent and no time should be lost in useless talking.
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 labourer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
“Whatever house you enter” — Whatever house they enter to seek lodgings.
“first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’” — “Peace” in the Gospels can be identified as ‘salvation’ (Lk. 1: 79; 2: 14, 29; 7: 50; 8: 48; 12: 51; 19: 38). The missionaries’ purpose is to offer salvation through Jesus the Saviour who is to follow their initial proclamation by visiting the towns and country–side.
“And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him” — If a “son of peace”, that is a man who accepts salvation which has been offered, lives in the house where the proclamation of the Gospel has been made, then “peace”, salvation, God’s life will abide in him.
“but if not, it shall return to you” — If the person does not accept voluntarily the offer of salvation it will not be of benefit to him. Salvation is a free gift that can be accepted or rejected.
“And remain in the same house” — Another similarity with the instructions to the Twelve as they went forth on their missionary outreach (Lk. 9:4).
“eating and drinking what they provide” — If the disciple is offered food and drink that is contrary to religious dietary laws, this food and drink should be consumed. St. Paul explains this clearly: “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.” If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience — I mean the other’s conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks?” So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offence to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved” (I Cor. 10: 23–33).
“for the labourer deserves his wage” — When a disciple undertakes a commitment to proclaiming the Gospel, he/she is to be provided for.
“do not go from house to house” — Disciples should not seek greater comfort and benefits by moving to better accommodation.
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.’
“Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you” — Whenever they enter a town they are to heal the sick and preach. They are to accept what is offered to them as food and drink.
“heal the sick in it” — See Lk. 9: 1, 2, 6, 11 where the Twelve were given the authority and power and instructed to heal. Healing was a sign that the kingdom of God had arrived.
“and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” — The content of their preaching was that the kingdom of God was very near to them. The kingdom of God is the reign of God and that means a new way of thinking and living according to the will of God. The kingdom is near in the person of Jesus and in the proclamation of the disciples that he is coming after them into the towns and countryside.
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.
“But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you” — This is yet another similarity with the instructions Jesus gave to the Twelve when he sent them forth to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God (Lk. 9: 5). Luke refers to a “town” not a “house” as he has been mentioning prior to this.
Shaking the dust of the town from their feet was a sign of a complete break with the people of that town because of their rejection of “peace” or salvation.
“nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’” — This is the second time that it is written: “the kingdom of God has come near” (Lk. 10: 9).
“I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town” — The kingdom of God was offered to the people of a nameless town and they rejected it by refusing to repent and change their life–style. Sodom did not have the opportunity to repent (Gn. 19). “That town” will receive the greater punishment.
“on that day” — This refers to the day of judgement.
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.
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” — “The seventy” are filled with the joy of their own accomplishments (“the demons are subject to us”) in casting out devils. They admit that they used Jesus’ name in this. However, their emphasis is on their own ability.
“And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” — Satan, formerly the prince of the angels, fell from heaven through pride and Jesus in his divine state witnessed that. At the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness he saw Satan overcome in each of the three temptations. The disciples saw Satan fall further from places where they had gone and driven him away.
“Satan” is used here for the first time by Luke. Prior to this he had used the word “devil”. He will not use the word “devil” again but will use the word “Satan” (Lk. 11: 18; 13: 16; 22: 3, 31). The word “Satan” means ‘the tester’ (Jb. 1: 6–12; 2: 1–7; Zech. 3: 1–2; I Ch. 21: 3).
“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” — There are thirty–three species of serpents in the Holy Land, many of them venomous and fatal. In the Bible the serpent is a demonic figure. Jesus declares that he gave “the seventy” power to tread on serpents representing Satan.
“Scorpions” are common in the Holy Land and can cause much pain. Their sting is venomous though not fatal. Deuteronomy 8: 15 speaks of God leading his people safely through a land which had snakes and scorpions.
Jesus reminds “the seventy” that he had given them this power over Satan and all evil. While they stay with him no evil shall overcome them.
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you” — Jesus saw that the seventy disciples were rejoicing on account of the power that they had to control spirits.
“but rejoice that your names are written in heaven’” — Jesus corrects the proud and selfish thinking of the seventy. He tells them that the proper attitude they should have is that they are destined for heaven, their ultimate goal, not in the abilities and powers he gave them for their mission. Jesus has said elsewhere that prophesying and working miracles are not as important as doing his Father’s will. It is this that assures them of heaven.
APPLICATION
Jesus
A very obvious trait of Jesus in the current Gospel Reading is that he is the Leader. He is the One who sends missionaries to continue his own mission. That mission is to proclaim the Good News that the kingdom of God is very near and to heal. He shares his own mission with the seventy disciples.
He takes the initiative. It is not the disciples or the Church who came up with the idea of sending out seventy disciples to prepare for Jesus. He instructed the disciples to pray for an increase of missionaries. As a result of this prayer he, “the Lord of the Harvest”, chose seventy.
Jesus makes a promise for his missionaries. Their names are written in the Book of Life and they will enjoy his presence for eternity.
Jesus’ mission means the fall of Satan and evil. Satan has been overcome but the battle must continue.
For those who have been sent out on mission, Jesus proposes a life–style like his own — absolute simplicity, with no consideration for comfort.
Finally Jesus tells his disciples that he has been rejected and will be further rejected and the disciples must expect the same treatment that he experienced. The missionary disciples must follow the way of Jesus in all things.
Missionary Disciples
Jesus was sent by his Father to save the peoples throughout the world. His stay on earth was short and he was aware that he could not succeed in his mission without others to continue his work when he returned to heaven. Much of his time on earth was spent preparing the Twelve Apostles for that task. Even they could not succeed alone. The present Gospel Reading describes a larger group that he sent out to prepare people in the towns and country–side for his arrival among them.
The Twelve were not ordained when Jesus sent them out on the first missionary outreach. The second group of seventy was not ordained either and probably they never were; we do not know as we do not have a list of those taking part. The message of the passage is that they were laity. The role of the laity is to continue the mission of Jesus and bring people into the kingdom of God.
That is one of the points emphasised by the Second Vatican Council in eight of its sixteen documents: Dogmatic Constitution on the Nature of the Church, nos. 33 ff.; Constitution on the Liturgy, nos. 26–40; Decree on Instruments of Social Communication: 56; Decree on Ecumenism: 57; Decree on Pastoral Duties of Bishops, nos. 16, 17, 18; Declaration on Christian Education, nos. 3, 5, 7; Decree on Missionary Activity of Church, nos. 15, 21, 41; Decree on Priestly Life and Ministry, no. 9.
Our generation is the one that continues this work in this century. Obviously this requires not just a few people but everyone. By baptism we have been made disciples of Jesus. If his main objective in life was to bring all people into the kingdom of God then we also should have this as our main objective.
One of the greatest consolations we have is that Jesus has given us power and authority over evil. While our mission may not appear to be successful and many will reject the offer we bring, we know that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus whose mission appeared a failure but in fact was successful.
Our mission, according to the Gospel Reading, demands urgency and detachment. It is wrong to think that we have not got time to share the message.
Our main means of spreading the Gospel is that recorded in the passage, namely word of mouth or writing and a practical display of mercy and compassion.
This requires that we are close to Jesus. We get close to him by love and prayer. Prayer has a double advantage: it is answered by Jesus and it makes us better persons in contact with him.
Commentary on 14th Sunday of the year 7.07.2013
LUKE 10:1–12, 17–20
TEXT
Appointment of seventy
1 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.
Pray for labourers for harvest
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.
Go as lambs among wolves
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
Offer peace
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 labourer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
The kingdom of God is near
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.’
When the kingdom is rejected
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.
Seventy return with joy
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.
Cause for rejoicing
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
EXPLANATION
1 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.
“After this the Lord appointed seventy others” — Luke records two missions of people sent by Jesus, here referred to as “the Lord”. He is the authority sending disciples; they are his emissaries and have no personal authority, only that of delegation on behalf of “the Lord”. Luke uses this title frequently (Lk. 7: 13, 19; 10: 1, 39, 41; 11: 39; 12: 42; 13: 15; 17: 5–6; 18: 6).
The first group consists of the Twelve Apostles: “Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal”. (Lk. 9: 1–6).
The second group is the current Gospel Reading.
“seventy others” — The second group numbers seventy, though some translations refer to seventy–two. They do not include the Twelve. When Moses was called by God to go up the mountain he was told to bring seventy elders with him (Ex. 24: 1, 9). That may be the reason behind the number “seventy” here, though this is not certain. It is more likely that “seventy” was used to indicate completeness and perfection.
Jesus is also implying that he needs people to complete his mission; it is not possible for him to complete his mission by himself. He needs helpers or missionaries. They will not act on their own but as he directs. It is his ‘mission’ from his Father.
“and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to come” — The mission of the “seventy” is to go ahead of “the Lord” to announce his coming in every town and place where he himself would visit.
“two by two” — In the Bible this expression refers to the minimum number required to bear witness: “A single witness shall not suffice to convict a person of any crime or wrongdoing in connection with any offense that may be committed. Only on the evidence of two or three witnesses shall a charge be sustained”. (Dt. 19: 15).
2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.
“And he said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful’ — The word “harvest” occurs three times in this short verse. It refers to God’s people who are ready to enter the kingdom of God.
These words are encouraging for people invited to work in the harvest. There will be abundance of opportunity and success.
“but the labourers are few’” — What is lacking in the harvest is not the potential fruit but labour. This annuls much of the success that could and should be enjoyed.
“‘pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest’” — The solution to the problem of lack of labour is prayer to the “Lord of the harvest”. He is the one who will send labourers. It is “his harvest”.
As he requires co–operation in harvesting, he also requires prayer for the success of the mission in the harvest. While some may feel validly excused from work in the harvest, none can feel that way about praying for the success of the harvest.
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
“‘Go your way’” — “Your way” is the way of labouring at the harvest. Jesus’ command to them is “Go”.
“‘behold, I send you out’” — As Jesus, “the Lamb of God”, was ‘sent’ by his Father, now he ‘sends’ the “seventy” disciples on the self–same mission. The fact that Jesus is sending them should instill in them confidence and courage.
“‘as lambs in the midst of wolves’” — they will be like “lambs in the midst of wolves”. The mission will be difficult and dangerous, as was the mission of Jesus. Nevertheless they should not succumb to inertia: “The Lord” is with them. One result of their mission will be the peace and salvation that will be brought to people and nations. Isaiah (Is. 11: 6; 65: 25) had foretold that the lamb would lie down with the wolf, a symbol of perfect peace
4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.
“‘Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals’” — “Purse” refers to a money container. “Bag” refers to a container for clothes. “No sandals” must refer to a second pair.
Worry about necessities of life, such as money, clothing and shoes, could divert them from the mission and so there must be total detachment and renunciation from these distractions and instead absolute dependence on God. These instructions were given to the Twelve also as they began their missionary outreach (Lk. 9: 3).
“‘and salute no one on the road’” — The mission is urgent and no time should be lost in useless talking.
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 labourer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.
“Whatever house you enter” — Whatever house they enter to seek lodgings.
“first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’” — “Peace” in the Gospels can be identified as ‘salvation’ (Lk. 1: 79; 2: 14, 29; 7: 50; 8: 48; 12: 51; 19: 38). The missionaries’ purpose is to offer salvation through Jesus the Saviour who is to follow their initial proclamation by visiting the towns and country–side.
“And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him” — If a “son of peace”, that is a man who accepts salvation which has been offered, lives in the house where the proclamation of the Gospel has been made, then “peace”, salvation, God’s life will abide in him.
“but if not, it shall return to you” — If the person does not accept voluntarily the offer of salvation it will not be of benefit to him. Salvation is a free gift that can be accepted or rejected.
“And remain in the same house” — Another similarity with the instructions to the Twelve as they went forth on their missionary outreach (Lk. 9:4).
“eating and drinking what they provide” — If the disciple is offered food and drink that is contrary to religious dietary laws, this food and drink should be consumed. St. Paul explains this clearly: “‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful,’ but not all things build up. Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience, for “the earth and its fullness are the Lord’s.” If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. But if someone says to you, ‘This has been offered in sacrifice,’ then do not eat it, out of consideration for the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience — I mean the other’s conscience, not your own. For why should my liberty be subject to the judgment of someone else’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why should I be denounced because of that for which I give thanks?” So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offence to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved” (I Cor. 10: 23–33).
“for the labourer deserves his wage” — When a disciple undertakes a commitment to proclaiming the Gospel, he/she is to be provided for.
“do not go from house to house” — Disciples should not seek greater comfort and benefits by moving to better accommodation.
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.’
“Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you” — Whenever they enter a town they are to heal the sick and preach. They are to accept what is offered to them as food and drink.
“heal the sick in it” — See Lk. 9: 1, 2, 6, 11 where the Twelve were given the authority and power and instructed to heal. Healing was a sign that the kingdom of God had arrived.
“and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’” — The content of their preaching was that the kingdom of God was very near to them. The kingdom of God is the reign of God and that means a new way of thinking and living according to the will of God. The kingdom is near in the person of Jesus and in the proclamation of the disciples that he is coming after them into the towns and countryside.
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.
“But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you” — This is yet another similarity with the instructions Jesus gave to the Twelve when he sent them forth to proclaim the coming of the kingdom of God (Lk. 9: 5). Luke refers to a “town” not a “house” as he has been mentioning prior to this.
Shaking the dust of the town from their feet was a sign of a complete break with the people of that town because of their rejection of “peace” or salvation.
“nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’” — This is the second time that it is written: “the kingdom of God has come near” (Lk. 10: 9).
“I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town” — The kingdom of God was offered to the people of a nameless town and they rejected it by refusing to repent and change their life–style. Sodom did not have the opportunity to repent (Gn. 19). “That town” will receive the greater punishment.
“on that day” — This refers to the day of judgement.
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.
“The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!’” — “The seventy” are filled with the joy of their own accomplishments (“the demons are subject to us”) in casting out devils. They admit that they used Jesus’ name in this. However, their emphasis is on their own ability.
“And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” — Satan, formerly the prince of the angels, fell from heaven through pride and Jesus in his divine state witnessed that. At the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness he saw Satan overcome in each of the three temptations. The disciples saw Satan fall further from places where they had gone and driven him away.
“Satan” is used here for the first time by Luke. Prior to this he had used the word “devil”. He will not use the word “devil” again but will use the word “Satan” (Lk. 11: 18; 13: 16; 22: 3, 31). The word “Satan” means ‘the tester’ (Jb. 1: 6–12; 2: 1–7; Zech. 3: 1–2; I Ch. 21: 3).
“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” — There are thirty–three species of serpents in the Holy Land, many of them venomous and fatal. In the Bible the serpent is a demonic figure. Jesus declares that he gave “the seventy” power to tread on serpents representing Satan.
“Scorpions” are common in the Holy Land and can cause much pain. Their sting is venomous though not fatal. Deuteronomy 8: 15 speaks of God leading his people safely through a land which had snakes and scorpions.
Jesus reminds “the seventy” that he had given them this power over Satan and all evil. While they stay with him no evil shall overcome them.
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you” — Jesus saw that the seventy disciples were rejoicing on account of the power that they had to control spirits.
“but rejoice that your names are written in heaven’” — Jesus corrects the proud and selfish thinking of the seventy. He tells them that the proper attitude they should have is that they are destined for heaven, their ultimate goal, not in the abilities and powers he gave them for their mission. Jesus has said elsewhere that prophesying and working miracles are not as important as doing his Father’s will. It is this that assures them of heaven.
APPLICATION
Jesus
A very obvious trait of Jesus in the current Gospel Reading is that he is the Leader. He is the One who sends missionaries to continue his own mission. That mission is to proclaim the Good News that the kingdom of God is very near and to heal. He shares his own mission with the seventy disciples.
He takes the initiative. It is not the disciples or the Church who came up with the idea of sending out seventy disciples to prepare for Jesus. He instructed the disciples to pray for an increase of missionaries. As a result of this prayer he, “the Lord of the Harvest”, chose seventy.
Jesus makes a promise for his missionaries. Their names are written in the Book of Life and they will enjoy his presence for eternity.
Jesus’ mission means the fall of Satan and evil. Satan has been overcome but the battle must continue.
For those who have been sent out on mission, Jesus proposes a life–style like his own — absolute simplicity, with no consideration for comfort.
Finally Jesus tells his disciples that he has been rejected and will be further rejected and the disciples must expect the same treatment that he experienced. The missionary disciples must follow the way of Jesus in all things.
Missionary Disciples
Jesus was sent by his Father to save the peoples throughout the world. His stay on earth was short and he was aware that he could not succeed in his mission without others to continue his work when he returned to heaven. Much of his time on earth was spent preparing the Twelve Apostles for that task. Even they could not succeed alone. The present Gospel Reading describes a larger group that he sent out to prepare people in the towns and country–side for his arrival among them.
The Twelve were not ordained when Jesus sent them out on the first missionary outreach. The second group of seventy was not ordained either and probably they never were; we do not know as we do not have a list of those taking part. The message of the passage is that they were laity. The role of the laity is to continue the mission of Jesus and bring people into the kingdom of God.
That is one of the points emphasised by the Second Vatican Council in eight of its sixteen documents: Dogmatic Constitution on the Nature of the Church, nos. 33 ff.; Constitution on the Liturgy, nos. 26–40; Decree on Instruments of Social Communication: 56; Decree on Ecumenism: 57; Decree on Pastoral Duties of Bishops, nos. 16, 17, 18; Declaration on Christian Education, nos. 3, 5, 7; Decree on Missionary Activity of Church, nos. 15, 21, 41; Decree on Priestly Life and Ministry, no. 9.
Our generation is the one that continues this work in this century. Obviously this requires not just a few people but everyone. By baptism we have been made disciples of Jesus. If his main objective in life was to bring all people into the kingdom of God then we also should have this as our main objective.
One of the greatest consolations we have is that Jesus has given us power and authority over evil. While our mission may not appear to be successful and many will reject the offer we bring, we know that we are following in the footsteps of Jesus whose mission appeared a failure but in fact was successful.
Our mission, according to the Gospel Reading, demands urgency and detachment. It is wrong to think that we have not got time to share the message.
Our main means of spreading the Gospel is that recorded in the passage, namely word of mouth or writing and a practical display of mercy and compassion.
This requires that we are close to Jesus. We get close to him by love and prayer. Prayer has a double advantage: it is answered by Jesus and it makes us better persons in contact with him.