Luke 10:1-12 “in a snailshell”
Thursday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
©️2021 Gloria M. Chang
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. 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. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 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. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘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. I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.
Luke 10:1-12
Why Seventy?
The Gospel of Luke stands out for its universality and outreach to the Gentiles. Luke alone records the sending of seventy or seventy-two disciples separately from the sending of the Twelve (Luke 9:1). The precise number is uncertain because approximately half of the ancient manuscripts record one number versus the other.
The number seventy held symbolic significance for the Jews for three reasons. First, it recalls the seventy elders of Moses who received the Spirit of the Lord to prophesy (Numbers 11:16-17). Second, it is the number of the Sanhedrin, the highest authoritative assembly in Jerusalem. Third, it represents the number of the nations in the Torah (Genesis 10; 46:27; Exodus 1:5; see NABRE footnote to Genesis 10:1). Thus, the seventy disciples of Jesus signaled a universal mission of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles.
Universal Covenant
Jesus warns them that he is sending them out as “lambs among wolves.” Since no servant is greater than his master (Luke 6:40), disciples of the “Lamb of God” face enemies on every side. Protected only by the Word of God—their shield and strength—they go forth empty-handed proclaiming the infinite gift of God’s kingdom.
Villagers and townspeople may accept or reject the disciples’ message. Some will offer hospitality; others will shut their doors. The disciples, relying solely on divine providence, gratefully accept the kindness of strangers without complaining or comparing accommodations. Their behavior should be like that of “strangers and exiles on the earth,” guiding people to their heavenly homeland (Hebrews 11:13-16). If their message is rejected, the disciples depart, “shaking the dust off,” that is, leaving the recipients in freedom because acceptance cannot be forced.
The mission of the seventy[-two] and the mission of the Twelve reinforce each other. Both numbers are symbolic, recalling the seventy nations of the world and the twelve tribes of Israel—the universal call to God through the covenant with Israel.
Two by two went forth seventy Jews
Like lambs among wolves,
With shalom and good news.
Traditional Chinese Translation
《狼群中的羊羔》
七十個猶太人兩個兩個的出去
就像狼群中的羊羔，
帶著平安和好信息。
Dear GMC, what a beautiful, beautiful reflection. Each as meaningful as the other. Another significance of the number 70 is how many times Jesus says we should forgive: 70 × 7. Thank you, GMC, for helping me reverence Scripture with your reflections.
Thank you, fdan. Your encouragement is a gift!
Dear GMC, I clicked on the tag “mercy” under today’s Saint Jerome post and found your reflection on Seventy-Seven Times Forgive. As your reflection makes poignantly clear it’s more about the spiritual meaning than the specific number. I still remember how your reflection changed me that day and continues to. To see someone who hurts me as my neighbor and to have the power of spiritual life over them and myself through forgiveness? Wow! Thank you, GMC.