14th Sunday in Ordinary Time – C

July 3-4, 2010

 

Last Sunday we had people being called and volunteering to follow Jesus and Jesus let them know it would take total commitment to come and follow him, and that it would not be an easy life.  Today we see the follow up of those who did follow Jesus and the instructions they received and how they turned out. Kind of like looking at the beginning of the story last Sunday and the end of the story this weekend.  This last Saturday Father Matt Wiering from Tyler was ordained a priest. There was a call to come and follow Jesus like in last Sunday’s Gospel, there was seminary education to learn about the faith, there was the Deaconate like Jesus sending out the 72 as apprentices to try out ministry and there is finally ordination to the priesthood to bring about God’s kingdom.

 

We see Jesus sends out 72 disciples.  The numbers Jesus chooses is important, He has 12 Apostles, as there were the 12 sons of Jacob and the 12 tribes of Israel , to show that Jesus is founding a new chosen people and forming a new nation.  Moses was overburdened by all the work he had to do so he was given 72 disciples on which part of his spirit was given to divide up the work to touch more people in groups of 10’s, 100’s and 1000’s. Today Jesus sends out his 72 to touch people lives in small groups as well as big.

 

There is a lot that needs to be done and  done urgently as we saw last week - there was not even time bury the dead or say good-bye to the family. The Kingdom is here now and needs to be spread now.  So to we see Jesus begins with “The harvest is abundant and the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”  This year we have one ordained a priest with about 40 active priests in the diocese. When the diocese was founded there was about 130 active priests in the diocese, when I was ordained in 1974 there was 100 active priests, now there is 40 and it is thought we will go down to about 30.  The harvest in abundant but the laborers are few. When the bishop asks us to pray for vocations he is not kidding, many are needed right away to make it clear the kingdom of God is here now. We look at our world and it seems it is going away from the Kingdom of God . People no longer take attending Mass on Sunday seriously, they pick and choose the teachings they want to believe, Catholic Schools are no longer important to parents to share the faith. The values of society  - especially used by the media, politicians, movie stars, and judges is more and more opposed to the teachings of Christ and the Church and more and more people are being led astray by what they see on TV and the internet.  It seems more and more to be like Jesus said “I am sending you like lambs among wolves.” The wolves who want to destroy Christ, the church and morality are becoming more and more abundant as they come to destroy those sheep who will follow any leader and any opinion. Truly this is a time when disciples - to bring about the kingdom  - are needed more than ever.

 

Jesus tells them to travel light,  trusting that God will provide for them from the resources of people of faith and charity. Carry no money bag, no sack (for food, clothing and provisions) and no sandals. Don’t even wait long enough to put on and tie your shoes, you are needed right away. Greet no one along the way. This sounds strange as they are to spread the message of the kingdom - but at this time people would visit with one another for long periods of time when they met on the road. He is telling them to stop gossiping and get going to share the message of Christ, people need you now! Kind of like a doctor being told he is needed for an emergency at the hospital and decides to go to the bar first and visits and shares gossip with the people in the bar before the takes care of the person with the emergency need.  No, go now, right away, and take care of this need to share Jesus now with the world. People need you now.

 

Into whatever house you enter say “Peace to this household.”  The common Jewish greeting is Shalom or peace.  Often this is said like “Hello!” just as a greeting without thinking about its meaning. The greeting of “Shalom” “Peace” was meant to be an actual blessing of goodness and thereby peace to this house and the people who dwell there.  Jesus is saying don’t use this as an unthinking generic greeting but mean it as a real blessing because that is what you are to bring, God’s blessings to that house and the peace that comes from it. As the Bishop when he begins Mass uses the greeting “Peace be with you!” as a real blessing. That is why this messenger and representative of Jesus is here for, to bring the real blessing of Peace. 

 

“If there is a peaceful person there, your peace will rest upon him, and if not it will return to you.”  If there is a person of faith present, who is faithful to God and His blessings, then true peace of heart, mind and soul will come upon them by your presence and the blessings of the message you come to bring will come to them. But if the person is without faith then your blessing is not wasted,  it will return to your heart, for trying to do your best to share Jesus and the kingdom of God with them.

 

If they listen and make you welcome, stay with them and bring more blessings to them. Your blessings and the message of Christ is worth the free room and board they give you. Your work is bringing God’s kingdom to them and your pay is their charity to you by which is God taking care of you through them.  But if they don’t welcome you, don’t waste time hanging around there, they have made their choice against God and his blessings, move on to others who will welcome you, and your blessings and peace will come to them. For those who do not welcome you, they will get the fruits of their evils as Sodom did which choose sin and abuse of guests - over welcome, goodness and hospitality. Just keep going and sharing with others who will accept you, to spread the good news of the kingdom and bring the accompanying blessings.

 

This is what they did and Jesus said, “He saw Satan fall like lightning” because of their efforts. Satan who terrified everyone by possessing people, Satan who lead leaders astray to be mean and cruel and greedy hurting their own people to build themselves up. Jesus saw the influence of Satan, with the might of evil collapsing because these 72 were willing to spread the teachings of Jesus and the blessings of God. Jesus saw how God’s kingdom of peace comes if we just dare to share, if we just dare to share, as Pope John Paul II said over and over again as he spoke the crowds and to the youth “Be not afraid.” Dare to share!  Then the real Shalom, the real peace of God, the peace inside people, the peace of mind and heart, the peace of a good conscience, the peace of having a good relationship with God unmarred by sin, becomes the peace of brotherhood between families and nations can come as we share Jesus and the Good news of His Death and Resurrection, the good news of mercy and forgiveness, the good news of brotherhood and eternal life with the world. 

 

As great as it is that Demons are subject to be driven out by the very power of Jesus’ name and that Satan has fallen from his place of prominence as “Prince of this World” as he is conquered by Christ the King, the prince of Peace; so much greater is it that those who dare to share, those who are willing to hear the call and go out and spread the kingdom not only have a welcome here in this world by people of faith, but that beyond this world, their names are written in the eternal life, the eternal peace and joy, the eternal glory of God in heaven. We see this by the many saints who dared to share their faith in their lives and brought about God’s kingdom with the people they daily dwelt with and dealt with.

 

Jesus needs laborers for the harvest. The world needs messengers of true peace and hope, brotherhood and love.  Will we dare to share our faith -  with those we dwell with and deal with today? If we do then we can change the world.