Readings: Isaiah 66:10-14, Ps. 66:1-7,16,20, Galatians 6:14-18, Luke 10:1-12,17-20
“You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants.” (Isaiah 66:14)
In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus commissioned seventy disciples to proclaim the Good News. These seventy were to follow certain strict conditions, such as the renunciation of material riches, collaboration, and the non-forced proclamation of the Gospel, among others. As Paul writes, for these seventy, the world was crucified to them. Surprisingly, they came back full of joy, happy that even the demons were subject to their authority.
The joy of the seventy echoes the happiness which the Prophet Isaiah speaks about in today’s first reading. It is a joy we all crave in our world today. As our opening prayer puts it, this is the joy of freedom from the slavery of sin. How can we attain this joy and make it ours? This brings us to the lessons contained in today’s readings.
1. God Needs You.
When we reflect on the seventy disciples in today’s Gospel passage, we notice the following: 1) This group of seventy is different from the twelve disciples (they were neither ordained nor did they receive any special training). 2) Their names and ages are not mentioned, meaning they were anonymously chosen from among the crowd. 3) We are not told whether they were all men or all women, meaning they must have been a mixed group. 4) The number seventy is symbolic, indicating totality. For instance, Jesus asked us to forgive seventy times seven (meaning we should not count).
God needs you on this mission. Yes, God needs every one of us, whether ordained or not, professed or not, male or female, young or old, whether trained or not, we all have a universal mandate to evangelise the whole world. Among the seventy were tax collectors, engineers, lawyers, politicians, teachers, contractors, doctors, and many others. God needs you. He needs you right where you are; you, too, are called to proclaim the Gospel by your very life. Jesus couldn’t do it all by himself then, how much more now? Your parish priest cannot do it all by himself. Ask yourself, how do I contribute to the mission of evangelisation?
2. Success is Collaboration
Again, in today’s Gospel passage, Luke writes, “The Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he was about to come.” Dear friends, success in the mission depends heavily on collaboration, and this collaboration occurs on two levels: first, the Human level (they were sent out two by two), and secondly, the Spiritual Level (they went to every town where Jesus himself was about to come). They went in the company of one another, and Jesus himself went with them to bless the work they did.
We are not called to compete but to cooperate. If there is no love among us, how can we preach to the world about love? If Christians cannot see eye to eye or forgive one another, how can we effectively share Christ’s forgiveness with the world? Success requires collaboration—both with one another and with God. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6).
We must work side by side. At the same time, we must never undermine the place of prayer. If we don’t collaborate with God, our efforts will be futile. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
3. Our Lifestyle Matters.
Jesus said: “Behold, I send you out as lambs amid wolves (therefore,) carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; salute no one on the road…do not go from house to house, eat and drink what is set before you… Heal the sick and say the kingdom of God is near you…” Dear friends, be it known to you today that the most challenging task you will ever attempt is to preach about God to your colleagues at work, in the market, in the streets, in your school, or even on social media.
Why is it so difficult today for Christians to talk about God? Simple: no one wants to hear about God, and no one wants to hear preaching. We live in a world that worships money; as such, those of us who want to preach God must be different. We must be detached from these idols and place God above material possessions. This is the meaning of “carry no purse, no bag, no sandals…”
With the advent of the Gospel of prosperity, materialism has taken a deep hold on Christianity today. Our messages have now been reduced to mere motivational (feel-good) speech; as such, immorality has become the order of the day, even in our churches. St. Paul says in our second reading today: “Far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Today, we take pride in our latest cars, private jets, and business empires, among other things. Dear friends, let us ask ourselves: “Is my love for riches acting as an obstacle to the proclamation of the Gospel?”
4. The Secret of Everlasting Happiness.
Once upon a time, a young man came to Jesus seeking the key to eternal life (true happiness). Jesus told him: “You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me…” Mark tells us that “at that saying, his countenance fell, and he went away sorrowful.” (Mark 10:21-22). Unlike this man who went home sorrowful, the seventy who had gone out to evangelise carrying no purse, no bag, no sandal came back bursting with joy and excitement.
When they were going out, it was like an adventure to them; they must have asked themselves, “How am I going to survive? No purse, no bag, no sandals, nothing! But they obeyed. And they came back shocked that even the demons obeyed them. Their power was in their ability to detach themselves. When we focus on storing up treasures for ourselves in heaven, it is then that we experience true happiness.
Jesus told the seventy not to rejoice in their ability to cast out demons but in the fact that their names are in heaven. Our greatest joy should be to see that eventually, we make it to heaven.
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. We ask this through Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. May God’s abundant blessings be upon us all. (14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Liturgical Colour: Green. Bible Study: Isaiah 66:10-14, Ps. 66:1-7,16,20, Galatians 6:14-18, Luke 10:1-12,17-20).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu