Go Forth And Proclaim
- Deacon Dan DeLuca
- Oct 19, 2022
- 6 min read
The Mission of the Seventy
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. And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Luke 10 : 1-9
Scirputral Analysis
Jesus provides another group of disciples a chance to share in his ministry. He is still on his way to Jerusalem when he decides to send out the seventy ahead of him to prepare his way. These seventy were carrying on the mission of John the Baptist: they were preparing the way, literally, go before the face of, Jesus. Their mission was similar to that of the twelve but with the greater number it was larger in scope. Additionally, the twelve represent the regathering of the twelve tribes of Israel whereas the sending of the seventy represent the future mission to the Gentiles: to spread the Gospel to the entire world. Seventy represents the number of the Gentile nations:
All the offspring of Jacob were seventy persons. Exodus 1:5
There is much debate if the number here should be seventy or seventy-two. There is a fairly good divide between the two options in the source texts and based on the context, an argument can easily be made for either. Given that showing how Jesus is a prophet like Moses is an important theme in Luke’s Gospel, seventy seems to be more plausible. Moses picked seventy elders to share in his work and accompany him to the mountain to worship:
And the Lord said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there; and I will take some of the spirit which is upon you and put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone. Numbers 11:16-17
And he said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abi′hu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship afar off. Exodus 24: 1
The disciples were sent out in pairs. Before leaving, Jesus gave them a set of instructions. First, ask the master of the harvest for more laborers. The abundance signifies their mission and represents the hundredfold yield. It is sign of the growth of the Church to come. Jesus is aware of the dangers that may face the disciples. He compares them to lambs among wolves. The imagery of the lamb shows that they are called to spread the Gospel not by force by through peace. These twelves are to leave behind all unnecessary possessions. They are to rely on divine providence for survival. They are not to carry a money bag, sack, or sandals (probably means a 2nd pair).
They are told to not great anybody on the way. This recalls the words of the Prophet Elisha to Ghazi, “If you meet any one, do not salute him; and if any one salutes you, do not reply.” (2 Kings 4:29) The reason for this was not to be rude but rather Ghazi was on an urgent assignment. Likewise, Jesus knowing that the hour of his passion was drawing near was also operating with a sense of urgency. There is also an argument to be made that they are passing through Samaria at this point in the journey and such greeting could be dangerous.
When they reach their destination and enter a house they are to give a greeting. Peace was a customary greeting, “Peace, peace to you.” (1 Chronicles 12:18) This was also the greeting that accompanied the birth of the Messiah, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) Someone who accepts this gift is a peaceful person and likely to hearing the message of the disciple and allowing their home to be used as home base.
They are to remain in the same house and not move about. The food and drink they are offered is their payment for sharing the Gospel as the laborer deserves his wage. This is rooted in biblical tradition, “And you may eat it in any place, you and your households; for it is your reward in return for your service in the tent of meeting.” (Numbers 18:31) Paul uses similar logic later in his first letter to the Corinthians, “Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:13-14)
They are to eat whatever is given to them: a contrast to the rigid nature of the Pharisees who had a very restricted diet. They are also to cure the sick and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is here. The healing is important as the power of healing signals the kingdom of God is at hand.
Daily Application
As we read this Gospel passage what is our reaction? Do we see this message applying to us or do we view the work of preparing the way, of evangelizing the work of others? I would venture to say most of us don’t see the work of evangelization as one of our most important tasks on this earth. We tend to focus on our jobs, raising our children, going to Mass, and enjoying our time with friends and family. On occasion we share about our faith but it is not a primary motivator for us: something that excites us. It may even terrify us.
This Gospel should give us all hope. It should provide all of us with the confidence we need to engage more frequently in evangelization. It should also motivate us to make it more of a priority. Starting with that, Jesus instructed the disciples to, “salute no one on the road.” Jesus was not instructing the disciples to be rude. Rather, he was trying to instill in them a sense of urgency. Sharing the Gospel is not something that should be delayed: it should not be something that I get around to. Rather, it should be of the utmost importance to us. We should share like our lives depend upon it.
Notice the instructions Jesus gives them, “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.” Jesus is telling the disciples to rely on him. He will ensure that their physical and material needs are cared for. Notice also the simplicity of the message that Jesus instructs them to deliver. We often think we need this long complex “sales pitch” at are disposal when we evangelize. However, the opposite is quite true. We simply need to share Jesus: who he is in simple terms and what he has done for us. That is a simple formula, a formula that all of us can follow.
What is holding us back then? We have all we need plus the promise that Jesus will be with us always. Are we afraid to be labeled as strange or weird by others? Do we fear getting lumped in with that group of religions freaks that are made fun of? To have those fears is understandable. However, to do nothing because of that fear is unacceptable. We need to ask for our hearts to be opened so that we can be bold and proclaim the Gospel: so that we can face that fear. Today is the day to start as there is no guarantee of tomorrow. So go forth and proclaim!
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