After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’ I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
POINTERS FOR PRAYER
1. Jesus sent out his disciples on a mission to let people know “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” Recall when you have reached out to another in word or in deed to help them realise that they were cherished, perhaps by a word of sympathy or encouragement, or by giving a hand with a difficult task. What was it like for you to experience yourself as a person bringing help and encouragement to another?
2. Jesus sent the disciples out two by two. When have you found it beneficial not to be working alone, but with another by your side? How did companionship change the experience, or what you were able to achieve?
The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs.
Over the past while, there has been a spate of books on how to bring back a sense of energy and vision to the community of faith.
Broadly speaking, these various analyses point to three signs of life: personal engagement, community belonging and being outward looking in a missionary sense. All three are essential; all three belong together and all three lead to joy.
In the synodal view, three dimensions are essential: communion, mission, participation, that is, another way of saying personal engagement, community belonging and being outward looking.
At this moment, as the people of God, we are hoping for radical change, renewed energy, in the challenging context of our day. A great beginning has been made both nationally and internationally. What happens next is up to us all.