Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Luke 10: 1-12
The Mission

Today’s Gospel passage mentions that “the Lord appointed seventy men and sent them out in twos ahead of him into every town and place where he intended to go.” The number seventy held symbolic significance for the Jews: it represented the elders chosen to assist Moses in leading and directing the people in the wilderness (Numbers 11:16-17; Numbers 11:24-25), as well as the number of the Sanhedrin, the supreme council of the Jews. This connection suggests that the seventy men were intended to serve as helpers of Jesus in his mission.

It’s interesting to note that one of the towns where Jesus pronounced woe is Chorazin. It’s implied that Jesus did many mighty works there. However, in the gospels, Chorazin is never even mentioned as a place of Jesus’ activity, and we do not know anything about what Jesus did or spoke there. This highlights how much we still have to learn about the life of Jesus. It reminds us that the gospels are not biographies but only glimpses into his life.

This passage highlights some essential guidelines for participating in Jesus’ mission: Material possessions should not weigh down the preacher; he should travel lightly and not be entangled in worldly things. The preacher should focus on his mission and not be distracted by trivial matters.

The disciples are sent in twos, which shows that the Gospel is not entrusted to the creativity of an individual but is the result of collective effort. Whoever speaks on behalf of Christ does not act independently but is in unity with fellow believers. The initial evangelists following Jesus’ ascension—Peter and John (Acts 8:14), Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:1)—made it a point to travel in pairs, never alone.

Praying to the Lord of the harvest is not merely a request for more workers, but a transformative process for the disciple. Prayer provides stability, a positive attitude, and inner peace; it humbles the disciples, helping them conquer opposition, setbacks, and failures. It reveals, step by step, the intentions of the ‘Lord of the harvest,’ empowering the disciples and strengthening their spiritual resolve.

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