"... To You... "

A Reflection on the Gospel for July 3rd, 2022
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Luke
10.1-9 (shorter) 

The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go.

He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.

“Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if someone of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves his wage. Do not move about from house to house.

“Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’"
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I find myself sitting at a table and realizing that God has been in a long courtship with each person here. I have this consistent running conversation with God through my days — as if He sees the world through me. I can construct the story of Him and me; I can see the bits He planted in my life to bring me here. And now He gives me this glimpse of understanding that it’s the same with everyone. He has been talking with these folks before they knew Him. Now they follow Him. Like me they have far to go, but He loves seeing the world and other people through their eyes. He’s that big, that He can experience the depth of joys and sorrows with each person who was and is and is to come as if they were the only person. Even then, He’s not even breaking a sweat trying. 

Another day, another table. Looking at the friends of my youngest child on their 20th birthday, I wonder what Jesus is saying to them and to each in this crew. Can they hear? Do they hear, but not recognize it’s Him. What point of the courtship with Him are they at? Should I say something, join the conversation He’s already having with them? Will it be just like coming up to people at a party, and waiting at their shoulders, listening in to figure out how to contribute to their discussion?

Jesus sent the seventy out to the territory He was about to be active in. While tilling the ground for His feet, there were some principles the Disciples were to latch on to:

Urgency: the fruit is ripe, get out there, no time to gather a kit bag.
Provision: keep giving away the peace I gave to you, it’ll never run out.
Relationship: when people give you space to plant me in, stay with them.

There’s something else Jesus lets them know beforehand. Some people will pick up the conversation with Him, and some will refuse it. And the Disciples are to respond the same way. 

“The kingdom of God has come near.” 
Hmmmm. Almost the same way. There’s a small shift that makes all the difference. 

“... to you…” 
When Jesus comes near to us and we open up our circle to include Him, the kingdom of God becomes personal. Not passing by, but where we live. “… to you…”

Luke wrote, ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς: upon you. He comes over us like a waterfall. When Jesus comes near to us, but the circle won’t open up to include Him, the kingdom of God has only come near. Heartbreaking. Every once in a while I’ve caught the very edge of the sorrow of God for the missed moment, for His longing for the person who won’t hear — yet. And I can’t even bear that. He carries every lost person, and every lost bit in a found person, and He doesn’t even break a sweat trying. Love.




Noreen Smith

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