Nehemiah 8:1–12; Psalm 18; Luke 10:1–12
THE WIDER MISSION
In Matthew 10:5 and Mark 6:7, Jesus sent out the twelve, but in Luke 10:1, he sent out 70 others. Obviously, 70 is greater than 12. Therefore, today’s gospel presents us with the wider mission of the church. While the twelve were sent out to the people of Israel, the seventy others were sent to the nations of the earth. The twelve were called, but the 70 were appointed.
You may not have been ordained a priest, but we have all been appointed by God. John 15:16 says, “I have appointed you to bear fruit, fruit that will last.” Every Christian must bear fruit. We were not baptized to reduce; we were baptized to produce. Thus, Jesus says in Matthew 28:19, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations.”
Again, the 70 appointed others represent all the nations of the world. For us, it refers to our different vocations. As spouses, parents, teachers, friends, spiritual guides, and political or civic leaders, we should go and bear fruit.
In the first reading, Ezra, who had spent time in exile, returned to Jerusalem because he felt called to help the people rebuild their faith according to the Mosaic Law. Much of the faith of the people after this return from exile was shaped by Ezra. We can do something for the salvation of the world.
Let us pray.
O God, who in the abasement of your Son has raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy, for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
