Fourteenth Sunday of
Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 10:1-12.17-20]
06.07.2025
The
1. Theme in brief
Universality of Christ’s mission and our
response to it
2. Focus Statement
The Lord of the harvest continually sends each of
us into his plentiful harvest to be messengers of peace, healing and liberation;
we should respond to his mission with urgency, a spirit of detachment, and
willingness to face even hostility or opposition.
3.
Explanation of the text
Among the evangelists Luke is the
only one who writes about the appointment and sending (or the mission) of the seventy other
disciples (or seventy-two in some manuscripts) (10:1) besides the Twelve apostles
who were sent earlier (in 9:1-6). The number seventy (or seventy-two) represents
all the nations of the world as per Jewish tradition and naturally it refers to
the early Church’s Gentile mission. Obviously, the number twelve
represents the chosen people of Israel because of the twelve tribes of Israel. This
indicates that the mission of Christ is universal and not restricted to Israel alone.
The disciples are sent ahead
of Jesus to represent him and prepare the way for him just like John the
Baptist did (10:1). They are not to announce themselves or their own message
but Jesus and his message. They are sent two by two because according to Deuteronomy 19:15,
the testimony
of two witnesses is required for establishing a truth. Hence, the work of God’s
Kingdom also must be testified by another witness.
Jesus tells the seventy
missionaries: Though the harvest of responsive people to his message is
plentiful, there are few labourers willing to offer their services to gather
it in order to build up a community of love (10:2). The initiative for the
mission comes from the Lord of the harvest who sends labourers in
response to the Church’s constant prayer that he may inspire many more men
and women to labour in his field (10:2). The figure of ‘harvest’ normally
refers to God’s final judgement on the nations in Jewish understanding. But in
Luke’s view it may refer to the appropriate time or season (or the harvest
time) for preaching the message of the Kingdom, or the great number of Gentiles
willing to accept this message (that is, a plentiful harvest). Because of the
ripening of the harvest, there is urgency to reach out to those who long for the
message; therefore, the labourers (that is, missionaries) are not supposed to
waste too much time or deviate from the singleness of purpose in elaborate greetings or salutations
and other unnecessary formalities (10:4). They are not to bother about
incurring ritual
impurity like the Pharisees and eat whatever food is provided
(10:8).
Jesus warns the seventy to expect resistance
and rejection.
They will be like vulnerable and defenceless lambs among powerful
opponents and persecutors whom he compares to wolves (10:3). They are asked to
rely on the hospitality
of the people and carry with them no possessions or treasures except the
treasure of peace (10:5). Their hallmark as missionaries should be detachment
from material possessions such as purse and bags (10:4). Thus, they are to
oppose the mentality of accumulating things only for themselves or
excluding some people from their concern. They are to promote more the value of
sharing
(10:7) and trust
in God to provide for their needs. When they go as labourers in the mission
field their first priority is not supposed to be eating and drinking, but the message
that God’s own rule of boundless love has come near to them through Jesus
Christ (10:9).
What is the mission for which the
seventy are sent? They are sent as messengers of peace (10:5-6), healing (10:9) and to establish God’s rule over
human hearts by liberating
them from all sorts of bondages (10:9, 11). Jesus makes it clear that
that they must be willing to work as vulnerable and defenceless lambs in the midst of opposition and
resistance
from the ‘wolves’ (that is, forces hostile to the Kingdom, 10:3). Their message
of peace is a gift that blesses those who receive it with salvation and
wellbeing and returns to the giver if rejected (10:6).
When they return from their mission
journey, they are told to rejoice not because of their power over evil
spirits but because of the certainty of being personally known and loved by
the Heavenly Father.
4.
Application to life
As we saw, Luke is the only evangelist who mentions about the
mission of both the twelve apostles (in chapter 9:1-6) and the seventy other
disciples in today’s gospel (10:1). Originally, the former referred to their
mission towards
The
mission of Jesus is not a monopoly of the select few clergy and the Religious. As
members of the Church, each one of us should feel that Jesus is sending us into
his plentiful
harvest. Today for us the plentiful harvest might represent so many needs of the
poor, the necessity of peacekeeping and peacemaking in our society
and world, of healing
and comforting the sick and the suffering, of liberation from evil and all
sorts of bondages,
etc. Today when Jesus says that the harvest is plenty, he must be pointing to
plenty of human needs for peace, healing and liberation in our world, but
the availability or willingness of very few people who want to address these
needs.
According to
today’s gospel, the main theme of the mission of the seventy is to proclaim
that the
Is
it not a fact that human needs and problems are innumerable, but those who want
to be involved
in meeting these needs and tackling these problems are so few? Therefore,
as Jesus asks us in today’s gospel, we need to constantly pray for a greater
and better leadership
in our society and the Church. We have to pray for more dedicated
and service-minded people who will generously work for the mission entrusted to
the Church. Our constant prayers for this intention may influence not only
others but ourselves to become labourers for this harvest or sacrifice our time
for the mission of Christ. This type of regular prayer will help us to overcome
quite many excuses
we make to avoid community services. In another sense, our constant
prayer to the Lord that he may inspire dedicated leaders, especially from among
the laity, to work for his project is an
expression of our concern for and collaboration in the mission of
Christ. All are co-responsible
for the mission of Christ. Therefore we are to show this responsibility first
by praying for the mission of Christ and asking the Father to send labourers,
and then by making sacrifices of our time and resources.
The world is so much in need of peace,
reconciliation, liberation and a healing touch. So many people are waiting to
be loved, cared for and consoled. We need to examine ourselves whether we feel
the urgency
and seriousness
of spreading peace in a world torn apart by wars, terrorism, religious hatred,
communal disharmony, caste conflicts, linguistic bigotry, corruption, poverty
etc. Peace-building
should be shown in action without wasting time only on rhetoric. If so many
problems and miseries of people do not move us in any way, we turn out to be
disciples in name only but without a mission. When it comes to participate in
novenas and devotions we see plenty of devotees, but when it comes to render
service to the poor, the marginalized and the suffering or work for peace we
get so few of them. Today, in those regions of the world where people still
attend Sunday church in good numbers, probably the Lord would say: "Church-goers
and novena-goers are plenty, but labourers who are ready to do some community
service are so few.” Or he might probably say to those who regularly take part
in devotions and other religious practices: “Religiosity and piety is plenty among you, but practice of gospel-values is very little. So pray that you may
practise spiritual values of the gospel by rendering concrete deeds of service
to the needy.”
We
observe that only a few persons contribute to the mission of
Christ. In our parishes also very few are involved in parish activities and
programs. Usually or mostly, the same few people who are involved are involved.
Others are happy if they get Sunday Mass and other sacraments and certificates
from the Parish Office. Therefore, we need
to fervently pray for the inactive ones to be more active in Jesus’ mission. As St.
Teresa of
Those who work for the Lord’s
harvest, sometimes may have to work as vulnerable lambs among ‘wolves’ (hostile
forces working against God’s Kingdom). When they try to build up of communities
of more loving relationships, more sharing, peace and justice they may feel
like lambs among the wolves in a society organized on selfishness, divide-and-rule
policy and unjust structures. The ‘wolves’ want to safeguard their vested
interests, maintain the status quo by all means and protect their
fiefdom. They will try their best to work against our efforts to change the
status quo. Since the message of Christ calls for a radical change from loveless and
self-centred ways, and does not conform to the standards of the world, both the
message and the messengers are bound to be opposed. That is why in some parts of
the world, missionaries are attacked, threatened, intimidated and even killed.
They are defenceless
(since they cannot take up arms) among the powerful (‘wolves’). In some other
parts of the world, in highly secularized societies, they may not attack the
messengers of Christ, but they will show total indifference by saying, “Who is
interested in your ‘religious stuff?’”
When we do God’s work, we need to
fix our priorities
not on eating, drinking, honour, salutations and exact protocol. While doing
God’s mission there are temptations to pay more attention to better food and comfortable
lodging than to Christ and his mission. Today Jesus reminds us to forego that
kind of self-serving
behaviour and to focus on the purpose for which we are appointed and sent by
him. We need to trust
in God’s
providence rather than worldly possessions or human means. This spirit of
detachment not only promotes God’s Kingdom but also earns for us moral authority
over human society. Whose words and guidance are respected and accepted more in
human society? Of course, of those who exhibit a spirit of detachment, and not
of those whose main aim is to eat, drink and collect money for themselves.
5. Response to God's Word
Do we feel the urgency and seriousness of spreading
peace in a world torn apart? Can we light a small lamp in our own way where
there is darkness, instead of cursing it? Can we join some peace-making or
peacekeeping groups? In our own villages and neighbourhood, do we join hands
with peacemakers or peace-breakers? How often do we comfort the broken-hearted,
the sick, the lonely and the bereaved? Inspired by the example of some of our
Christian brothers and sisters who commit themselves to social service under
the influence of the gospel, are we moved to be involved in the mission of
Christ in our own surroundings? Or do we soon give up our social or community
service because of some criticism or opposition, most often by our own
community members?
6.
A Prayer
O Lord of the Harvest, today you point
out to us so many human needs for peace, healing and liberation. You express
your sadness over the fact that very few of your followers want to address
these needs. We humbly pray that you may send out more and more dedicated and
visionary leaders into your harvest. May our constant prayer motivate us also
to volunteer for community services by overcoming quite many excuses and
reservations we make. When we have to work as defenceless lambs among hostile
forces, grant that we may find strength of your Spirit. While working for your
mission, grant that we may cultivate a spirit of detachment and trust in your
providence rather than worldly possessions or human means. Amen.
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