Romans 4:20-25
Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75
Luke 12:13-21
Summary
In anticipation of His own journey, Jesus sends 72 disciples out to the
surrounding towns and villages to proclaim the Good News. Aside from
the message, the disciples, now missionaries, are not to prepare for
their journey but trust wholly in God’s Providence. Also, Jesus warns
His disciples that not everyone will be ready for His message.
Reflection
Have you heard any good news lately? How did you feel about it?
Happy? Joyful? Excited? Or did you experience negative emotions, like
jealousy or envy, when you heard the news? And if you were the bearer
of good news, have you ever been surprised by someone’s indifference or nega-
tive reaction to your news? Were you annoyed or upset?
Being a messenger is not without risks. Any news, good news included, can be
met with a wide range of emotions and reactions. The disciples didn’t know how
their message would be received until it was delivered. All they knew was that
they had to go out, trust in God, and reap “the harvest.”
Some of us might wonder if we are worthy enough to proclaim the Good News.
Do we need to be living saints to be good messengers? The answer, of course, is
no. We just have to have the courage to try – and who knows what the result
might be? Luke was just a physician in Antioch. But like most Christians – from
the earliest times to now – Luke had never met the man Jesus, and “decided,
after investigating everything accurately anew, to write it down in an orderly se-
quence…so that you may realize the certainty of the teachings you have received”
(Lk 1:3-4) . To me, he sounds more like a careful researcher then a mystic taking
notes from God. He did not know that his work would be so prized by the fol-
lowing generations that it could only be attributed to divine inspiration.