Luke 10:17-24

Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29

Psalm 69:33-35, 36-37

Luke 10:17-24

The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,

“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”

Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

Behold, I have given you the power

‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions

and upon the full force of the enemy

and nothing will harm you.

Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,

but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,

“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,

for although you have hidden these things

from the wise and the learned

you have revealed them to the childlike.

Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father.

No one knows who the Son is except the Father,

and who the Father is except the Son

and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”

Turning to the disciples in private he said,

“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.

For I say to you,

many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,

but did not see it,

and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, direct your Son to reveal you to me. I want to be introduced more fully into the depths of your life. I want to think as you do and love as you do. Grant me the wisdom to judge all things properly and to order my life rightly.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Jesus, the New Moses: In Luke 8, Jesus sent out the 12 apostles to heal and teach. Here, in Luke 10, Jesus sends out 70 or 72 disciples to herald his coming to Jerusalem. Both numbers have a symbolic meaning. The 12 apostles symbolically represent the restoration of the 12 tribes of Israel. The 70 or 72 disciples symbolically represent the 70 or 72 elders appointed by Moses to help govern the tribes of Israel. “In the book of Numbers, Moses appointed seventy elders to help lead and adjudicate while the people of Israel were in the wilderness. In the same way that these seventy elders were to guide the flock of Israel in Moses’ place, the seventy disciples are sent out in pairs to guide the neighboring towns to the kingdom. Part of the reason that Moses needed to appoint seventy elders in the first place was the obstinance and grumbling of a people who did not want to be led. We have seen similar responses from those who reject Jesus; the closer he gets to Jerusalem and his new exodus, the more intense this opposition will become” (Powell, Walking with Christ, 63).

2. Peace and Faith: The message of the seventy disciples to the towns and villages was one of peace. “We know that many of Israel’s leaders did not desire such peace. They longed for the destruction of Rome; they wanted war. This desire to conquer evil with evil, violence with violence, was similar to Israel in the time of the Exodus when they wanted to return to Egypt. They wanted to go in the wrong direction” (Powell, Walking with Christ, 64). When the seventy saw that even demons were subject to them, Jesus exhorts them not to be amazed at the mighty deeds and miracles. Jesus knows that the days of such outward signs will come to an end, and only those with faith, with “eyes to see,” will be able to recognize Jesus as the King, even when he hangs on the cross.

3. Baruch’s Prophetic Exhortation: The First Reading is taken from the third part of the Book of Baruch. Baruch was the personal secretary of the prophet Jeremiah. This part of his book takes the form of a prophetic exhortation. “It explains the exile as God’s discipline of his sinful people (4:5-20), announces that he will deliver them from captivity (4:21-29), and encourages Jerusalem with the news that its children are about to return home (4:30-5:9)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1364). Baruch offers a word of hope and encouragement for God’s children. “If the people are truly repentant, they can be confident of restoration in the future. The exiles are to ‘take courage’ (4:5, 21, 27) in the knowledge that God is coming to ‘deliver’ them (4:18, 21) from their captivity and to become their everlasting Savior’ (4:22). Indeed, their enemies, the Babylonians, are about to see ‘destruction’ (4:25; cf. 4:31-35), and the mother city of Jerusalem is told to ‘take courage’ (4:30) because her sons and daughters, which were carried away from her, will soon come streaming home (4:36-37; 5:5)” (Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, 1364).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, bring me to share in your joy. I, too, want to rejoice in the Spirit. And so, I ask you humbly, pour out your Spirit upon me and fill me with your love so that I may bring you joy and peace to everyone I encounter.

Living the Word of God: How can the example of Saint Francis of Assisi inspire me today? Is there a way for me to be more detached from earthly goods and pleasures? Can I strive to live more joyfully and be an agent of peace?