After this 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, 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 welcome 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.
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.”
Luke 10:1-12; 17-20 (NABRE)
For such a serious mission, one would think that Jesus would send a larger and better-equipped group. Well, as we are often reminded, we do not think as God does, but as human beings do (Matthew 16:23).
As is typical in the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus emphasizes the importance of our spiritual wealth over that of material wealth. He sends out the seventy-two with meager provisions, but with a weighty spiritual license to prepare the way of the Lord. These men probably looked a bit unkempt and rather poor during their travels, like the sort of people we usually cut a wide swath around when passing by on the sidewalk. Jesus reminds them upon returning from their mission not to focus on their effective authority over demonic spirits, but to rather look past the affairs of their earthly missionary work and to be focused on heaven. Such an alignment of priority helps us to order our lives properly, which in turn affects how we serve others. To have faith in God and hope in the resurrection of the dead and heavenly life (super)naturally leads to us living a life in accordance with the demands of love. This is spiritual wealth that anyone, no matter their socioeconomic status, can have.
These missionaries were entirely dependent on the provision of God through the generosity and hospitality of others. Time and again we are reminded of the fatherly care of God throughout Holy Scripture. For our spiritual and material needs, God wants to provide. He is eager to shower us with the grace and mercy that we need and is attentive in caring for our physical needs. We can trust God. Jesus gives us an extreme example of trusting God for provision by sending out the seventy-two on a highly important mission in the manner he commanded. Always, always, always trust in God. Never doubt His ability or desire to care for you!
Thank you for reading. Peace.
Eat the Scroll 