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. 2 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. 3 Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4 Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5 Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6 If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7 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. 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ 10 Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 11 ‘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. 12 I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples in pairs ahead of him to every town he intended to visit. The number “seventy-two” symbolizes the Church’s mission to spread the Gospel to all nations. This interpretation is based on the historical and theological context of the passage (the number of nations derived from Noah (gen. 10 ) as well as numbers used in ancient Jewish tradition (70 elders appointed to help Moses govern the people (Num. 11:16-17, 24-25). The reasons for pairing the disciples may have been to support each other, and since they would be bearing witness that “The kingdom of God is at hand (v. 9.),” legal testimony required two or more witnesses. Jesus told them there was much work to do in spreading the Gospel, but few were committed to doing it. They will face opposition and danger, and they are not to be any material possessions with them but they must trust God and rely totally on his protection.
When they enter a house they are to impart divine peace on the household. If the host is peaceful and worthy the pace will remain with him if not the blessing will not take effect. They must be content with the accommodations offered and should not move from one house to another seeking better accommodations. When welcomed in a town they must be content with the meals provided. The miraculous healings they perform will serve to validate their message that the kingdom of God is near. If they are rejected in a town they should show their disapproval by symbolically shaking the dust from their feet against the town. The consequences of rejecting the Gospel message preached by the disciples will be severe.
Almighty God, you call us to be laborers in the harvest of souls and send us as lambs among wolves equipped solely with our trust in God to provide all we need. Strengthen our resolve to proclaim your Gospel of truth and love so that we may lead others to your Kingdom. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen
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Sources:
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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