We know that Jesus had twelve apostles. Today we discover that he had seventy more whom he had chosen and sent out on mission (1). Soon we will learn that he also had many women disciples who followed him wherever he went (Mk 15:40-41). After the resurrection, we read in the Acts of the Apostles, about hundred and twenty disciples gathered together to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:15).

 

Today Jesus sends seventy from among them into the villages to prepare the way for him. They are sent in pairs, which means in all they covered thirty-five villages to receive Christ. With such an elaborate preparation, people were no doubt eager to receive him in their midst. The gospels say that great crowds followed Jesus wherever he went.

 

These are the instructions that he gives them: first of all, he tells them that they are going out as lambs into the midst of wolves. The Romans had said that ‘man to man is wolf’ (Homo homini lupus). We know what will happen to a lamb caught amidst a pack of wolves. The lamb has no choice against their attack – no escape! So the lamb really needs some supernatural grace or power to be able to walk into and out of the wolf world. What was their strength to accomplish such a great feat? How were they armoured, so to say, to face this dangerous world? They had been taught by Jesus to be open to the power of anointing that comes from above. Jesus showered on them the power to heal the sick and drive away demons in his name.

 

According to the Amerindians, the saying that “man is wolf to man” is not fair to wolves. Wolves are said to be noble animals. We are accustomed to pictures of the crying wolf howling at the moon. You know what he is complaining about? He says, “People say ‘man to man is wolf’ and that is not correct, that is unjust, ô moon!”. “We are not as bad as men”, complains the wolf.

 

Of course, Jesus is not referring here to the four-legged variety of wolves, but the more dangerous two-legged kind. So what kind am I? “Beware of false prophets who come to you disguised as sheep, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthieu 7:15), says Jesus. Jesus is being realistic. He takes into account the ferocity of the world into which he sends his disciples. “Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death” (Matthew 10: 21) In the midst of persecutions God’s Spirit will inspire in them words and acts of wisdom in the sure knowledge that wolf is indeed the brother of the sheep.

 

The renaissance humanist Erasmus said that human beings can either be gods or wolves to each other. We can be either divine or lupine. We can become divine if we are willing to walk through the world as God’s )( people. That is the prophecy that inspired Isaiah: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them” (Isa 11:6). “They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isa 11:9).

 

Jesus shares in this dream of Isaiah, “The stalks are grown, the grain is ripe, the harvest is ready; only the labourers are missing. Pray the Master of the harvest to send labourers into the harvest.” Here Luke comes and joins the gospel of John in which Jesus invites his disciples to cast a glance at the fields that are becoming golden ripe for the harvest: “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, lift up your eyes and see how the fields are already white for harvest.” (John 4:35). Is it not surprising that the Lord does not send his labourers to sow, but rather to harvest? This means that the Lord had already passed through those places where we believed we were the first. He had already sowed in silence the Good News in every human history and every human culture. We can sense Jesus’ confidence and joy when he says that the harvest is plentiful and that only the workers are few.

 

The seventy come back to Jesus, full of joy. “Lord, in your name even demons submit to us!” The peace that they had taken with them had borne fruit: it had defeated the power of evil, casting out demons. And Jesus exults: “I saw Satan falling down from heaven like lightening.” Jesus foresees the collapse of the works of the devil. This is another way of saying that the final battle between good and evil has begun. And the disciples are promised that their names will be written in the Book of Life (see Ex 32:32-33; Dan 12:1).

    

Note that Jesus also gave to his disciples some common sense instructions. He asked them to start with the customary Jewish greeting: “Peace to this house!” (Lk 10:5). (2) He told them not to take with them a staff or even sandals (Lk 10:4). (3) He continued by saying, “Do not run after results from house to house; remain in the homes of those who receive you and eat whatever they offer you,” that is, “take the time to get to know the people and to be known by them. Let them feel your solidarity with them.” In other words, “Be sober, give time to time.” The message that they had to proclaim joined the expectations of the people: “The kingdom of God is at hand!” (Lk 10:9, 11), which means, the eternity of delights of which the prophets spoke is within your reach.

 

Note that Jesus chose men of different backgrounds for such a demanding project (4). And he imposed only one condition: poverty of spirit. Missionaries are called to proclaim the kingdom of God above all by their way of life. It is their way of living that will disarm the people, bring joy and harmony to society and add the transcendental dimension that humanity is badly in need of. Amen.

  

(1) “Seventy” – some manuscripts read “seventy-two”.

 

(2) “Peace!” or “Shalom!” in Hebrew, was the daily Jewish greeting. It was the equivalent of our Good Morning! but it was not exactly that. As we know, the “Shalom” of the Bible denotes the fullness of life. It is like grass that becomes green, says the Bible. But henceforth the “Peace” of the apostles is going to be the Peace of the risen Christ. Note the Muslim greeting, Salaam! Barka! - Peace and the chance to succeed! Is very close to ours.

 

(3) In Mark 6:9 (and also in Lk 22:35-36) they are allowed staff and sandals in an apparent adaptation to the contexts to which the gospel passages were addressed.

 

(4) Jesus sends out his disciples. Who were they? They were fishermen or zealots, and of course some erudite people like Matthew or Barthelemy (Bartholomew). In Acts 4:13 the term agrammatoi literally means “illiterate”, that is, men without education who probably did not have any rabbinical schooling. The Jewish authorities look down upon them and are surprised at their self assurance. On the other hand, towards the end of the Acts, the procurator Festus wonders at the knowledge and eloquence of Paul and tells him, “Your great learning (grammata) makes you lose your head” (Acts 26:24). Of course, Paul was educated at the school of Rabbi Gamaliel, but here this assurance of his comes from his faith in the risen Christ who had chosen him and had sent him out on mission.