Reflections to close out the term Luke 10:1-11,16-20

Luke 10:1-11,16-20 Gospel reading for Sunday 4th July 2010

Firstly some random ramblings ... a list of questions and things that jumped out at me in this passage, in no particular priority order:

1. 72 were sent out ... is there any significance in that number?
2. Like lambs amongst the wolves ... does not sound all that appealing.
3. Who were these people? (their training seems minimal)
4. Don't take anything along with you ... that's tough.
5. Don't greet anyone on the road ... that's odd.
6. Eat what is set before you ... that's a blast from the past!
7. Stay in the one house ... that sounds like freeloading!
8. These people were given incredible healing power.
9. These people are to be listened to.
10. They returned with joy.

A few insights sourced from a number of different commentaries:

1.  It is interesting that the 72 reads 70 in some translations and early manuscripts. Apparently 70 was the traditional Jewish number for the nations of the world.
2. Greet no-one seems to be an instruction to make sure that they don't get side-tracked but concentrate on the mission.
3. Hospitality customs were strong in Jewish Society. Either visitors were openly accepted or blatantly rejected. Jesus makes a strong point about the consequences for people who reject the bearer of the message because this rejection equates to a rejection of God.

Amongst and beyond all this however, my attention was drawn to a simple but profound point from the opening verse ... that it was the Lord who appointed the people.
What's more, we have been appointed to our stations in Lutheran Schools to GO (verse 3). We have been called to the task of delivering the message to those in our community. The word GO makes this a task that requires some intentional action on our part ... it cannot be passive. The command was not sit, stay, lie down or rest ... but GO.

Lord at a time of year when we are swamped by tasks and sapped of energy, help us not to feel burdened by the call to GO out there for you.  

May we experience that feeling of joy  ... knowing that somewhere, sometime this term we may well have shown Jesus to someone. Amen