Tuesday, May 19, 2015

LUKE 10: 1-17

In this short passage, Luke records the commission of the seventy-two who Jesus sent out to the many villages in the lands near Galilee. The Lord was certainly testing the waters, to see how his message of peace and love would be received. He knew the time was coming soon when he would no longer be physically present with his disciples and he needed them to know they could do everything he could do. He was testing the faith and resolve of the seventy-two. They had seen Jesus heal people; it was their turn to do the same when the Lord is not present. So it comes as no surprise that the passage ends with their surprise and “joy” at their success upon their return:

“Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”

The number seventy-two appears suddenly. However, we know that Jesus did not travel the roads merely with a group of twelve men. He traveled with the families of those twelve men as well as other followers and supporters. So, for the Jewish authorities and the occupying Romans, Jesus represented a large group, upwards of one hundred and twenty people or more, traveling together, challenging the status quo and speaking of establishing a Kingdom of God. For the authorities this put up many red flags. Now, he was sending seventy-two hand picked followers from this group to solicit more followers in multiple villages. On the outside, such actions had all the earmarks of a revolution in the making.

Jesus begins his advice to his disciples with one of the great missionary images of all time: 

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Jesus advice is familiar to me on a personal basis. I heard many of these comments when I joined the late Fr. John Erb in Guyana in 1970 to share in his ministry for a few months. John told me the line about being “lambs among wolves” when we had to struggle to convince local authorities to provide even the most basic of support for Fr. John’s Youth Center in the north east end of Georgetown. 

I remember John advising me to wear simple, plain clothing, not expensive, western fashions like the young people my age at the embassies where their parents worked. He also told me not to hop from house to house as the embassy kids did, but stay put where I found welcome. Jesus tells the disciples to avoid greeting anyone on the road. Perhaps it’s related to this same ‘social butterfly’ action that John cautioned me to avoid. Such flighty behaviour is shallow and frankly insulting to poor hosts. 

I learned to keep my mouth shut and follow the customs of every house where I was a guest. I ate what was put in front of me, although some of it was still alive on my plate, and I thanked my hosts gratefully, knowing that in some places, the family would be eating smaller portions to accommodate John and me. We traveled light. All the things I carried fit into one small cloth bag. I gave away or traded a handkerchief or a t-shirt on most outings and came back richer in local clothing and goods for my meager offerings. Mostly, I played guitar for the folk mass services and was rewarded for that many times over. A gift of music in a poor community is a treasure to all. 

We said prayers for the sick and dying. We conducted baptisms followed by weddings of the parents (because life must go on waiting for a a priest in the inland high country). We were arrested by the Guyana Defense Force when we were mistaken for rebels from Argentina. We stood against a wail with bayonet fixed rifles pushed against our chests until we could explain who we were. That was a time for shaking the dust from our shoes. Mostly, loving, simple people greeted us. They wanted to sing. They wanted to hear stories about Jesus. And they wanted to share their humanity with the white strangers.

I am now fascinated by Jesus’ words in this passage, passing on authority to his disciples. The passage includes words of caution. Jesus calls “woe” on the cities that have rejected his words of love and joy. He praises those who have embraced the message he offered.

“Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me;
but whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”

I’m sure Fr. John was well aware of that dictum to represent the Lord. All his bold, loud actions, poured out with Christian love. That missionary experience so long ago shaped my faith and determined my priorities in the Church. So, I am grateful to write about a pivotal time of my faith journey, and I am still hearing Jesus’ words in this passage each time I walk out my door.

Peter Mansell May 19, 2015