July 7, 2019
Readings:
First Reading: Isaiah 66: 10-14c
Psalm: 66 “Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.”
Second Reading: Galatians 6: 14-18
Gospel reading according to Luke 10:
1-12, 17-20
+
Homily:
From among many followers of Jesus, he
has chosen seventy-two disciples, to be sent two-by-two to the different places
he will visit in the near future. “At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two
others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended
to visit” (Luke 10: 1). Aside from the
twelve Apostles, he chose seventy-two other disciples to be sent ahead of
him. Before he goes to the different
places he intended to visit, he is sending first his emissaries, messengers,
delegates to prepare the people (who are many and in need) in those places or
communities, to settle of the meeting places, etc., and to announce the coming
of the Reign-Kingdom of God.
Before he sent them, he gave
instructions to them. “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’.” (Luke 10: 2). Many people need guidance, support, good
leaders to help them to be directed the right way of life, people who will
remind them of their duties and responsibilities, people who will lead them to
God and to his commandments, and other needs.
And they are so many, but very few are truly working for them to
alleviate their lives from misery and desolation. Even the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees,
priests (Levites), and the whole Sanhedrin who are supposedly and expected to
help them were not leading to perform their tasks well towards these people.
Jesus told these seventy-two disciples to pray first to the Master of the
Harvest, the God who provides all our needs, to help them send to these people as
his workers and accept them as messengers and agents of change for the abundant
harvest – which is His people.
He told them also, as strangers in the places
they are about to go, that they do not know or familiar with the places and
people, they are sent like lambs (“maamong
tupa”) to the dens of wild and vicious wolves (“mabangis na asong gubat”). “’Go
on your way; behold, I am sending you like a lambs among wolves’.” (Luke
10: 3). Jesus was telling those
disciples to be sent that they cannot expect good, kind, gentle people on their
way but most probably they can find people who are hard, strong and brutal
personality, and intimidating, that they might be killed on their journey in
bringing with them Jesus’ message.
He required his disciples to bring
nothing in their journey, for these become hindrance in bringing good news to
people they will meet. “’Carry no money
bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way’.” (Luke 10: 4). No
money bag, no sack, no sandals, no greetings of people (familiar or not) along
the way are requirements of good missionaries, evangelists, preachers, pastors,
ministers, and disciples for they are free to move, without fear whether their
money or provisions will be stolen or not, lost or not, taken or not. They can move fast, too.
He also reminded his disciples to show
respect too to those people who will accept them. Let them greet with a kiss of peace. “’Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household’.’” (Luke 10: 5).
They have to show that they bring peace and only peace they can offer in
exchange of the generosity of their sponsors and/or benefactors who will accept
them into their houses. He guaranteed
that their peace will reciprocate and respond/return with peace. “’If a peaceful person lives there, your
peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you’.” (Luke 10: 6). If they give peace to the people they meet
and stay, these people will also receive peace; but, if they show peace and
give peace with no respond or reciprocate with peace their greeting of peace
rebound to them.
He also said that there is no need to
move from one house to another, just stay in one house. If they go out to proclaim the good news (in
the morning, for example), they should return on the same house (in the evening). “’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’.” (Luke 10: 8).
In that house, whatever is served, they must accept, eat and drink. And, “’Whatever
town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick
in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you’.’” (Luke 10:
8-9). Most probably, even the neighbors of the house they are staying will
offer whatever they have to augment the needs of the disciples, for they
deserve recompense for the work they do in that community, like for example
curing the sick, leading the lost to the right path, and even proclaiming the
Reign-Kingdom of God that is at hand, on the one hand..
On the other hand, Jesus said to his disciples
that in case that town or village or community does not accept them and driven
them away, they should shake off all that clings to them of that place. “’Whatever town you enter and they do not
receive 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’.”
(Luke 10: 10-11). This only shows that
they have no connection with them and with Jesus who will be apparently
visiting them. By removing even the
particles of dust that cling to their feet or sandals demonstrates no
relationship to Jesus and to the One who sent him. Jesus even related what will happen to that
place that does not accept his messengers (disciples) to Sodom (and
Gomorra). “’I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for
that town’.” (Luke 10: 12). In Sodom,
they accepted their guests (the Angels of God) but committed sins of malice and
desire received punishment of fire with Sulphur and brimstones from heaven, yet
the place where disciples were not accepted will be punished more than Sodom (and
Gomorra) because they did not receive the messengers of Jesus.
After a week (or month) or two, as if
they all received simultaneous announcement to go and return to where Jesus
was, they arrived two-by-two from different places together. They came happy and rejoicing, as if they
came from a party. When each group has back
they have something to tell. “The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and
said, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name’.”
(Luke 10: 17). They gave and shared different reports; some were even amazed of
what they had done, like driving out demons by uttering Jesus’ name, curing
sickness, etc., as part of the coming of God’s Kingdom. Jesus told his disciples that he saw Satan
and his cohorts (demons) defeated. “Jesus
said, ‘I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky’.” (Luke 10:
18). Because of what had happened, that
the disciples conquered demons by subjecting them to Jesus, he observed Satan’s
kingdom has fallen into ruin, and Satan like lighting is falling from the sky.
Jesus also revealed to the severity-two
that before they left for mission he has shared and given each one of them his
power and authority in performing their apostolate to the people they meet and
to the places they go, to guarantee the effectivity of their ministry to the
people.. “’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’.”
(Luke 10: 19). He shared the power to his disciples tread upon serpents and
scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy.
Nothing will defeat them or harm them.
But above all, he revealed to them the
highest and most important thing to celebrate.
“’Nevertheless, do not rejoice
because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are
written in heaven’.” (Luke 10: 20). Our
names be written in the Book of Life in Heaven is the most important than the
miracles we do, the preaching we teach, the ministry we perform, and the
apostolate we share to others here on earth.
Geen opmerkingen:
Een reactie posten