Gospel 

 

Luke 10:1-12, 17-20 

 

At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two others
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
'Peace to this household.'
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.'
Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."

The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,
"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."

 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/070625.cfm

 

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**The Gospel of Luke: Jesus Sends Out 72 Disciples**

 

The excerpt is from the Bible, specifically the book of Luke, chapter 10. Jesus is instructing 72 of his followers, known as disciples, on how to spread his message.

 

**Key Points:**

 

* Jesus is sending out the disciples in pairs to various towns and places to share his teachings.

* He tells them to be prepared for challenges and not to worry about their basic needs, as they will be taken care of.

* When entering a new home, they are to greet the people with peace and if the people are welcoming, they will receive peace in return.

* If the people are not welcoming, they are to shake off the dust from their feet as a sign of leaving the place.

* The disciples are to heal the sick and share the message that the kingdom of God is near.

 

**Important Concepts:**

 

* **The Kingdom of God**: This refers to the idea that God's presence and power are available to people now, and that Jesus is the key to experiencing this presence.

* **The Dust of the Town**: When the disciples shake off the dust from their feet, it's a symbolic act of leaving a place that is not receptive to their message.

* **Satan**: In this context, Satan refers to the enemy or the devil, who is opposing Jesus and his message.

 

**What's Next?**

 

The disciples return to Jesus, rejoicing about their success in casting out demons. Jesus reminds them that their true joy should come from knowing that their names are written in heaven, not just from their success in performing miracles.

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The Mission of the Seventy-two.

 

* [10:1-12] The Gospel of Luke contains two unique episodes where Jesus sends out his followers on a mission. The first episode (Lk 9:1-6) is based on the mission in Mk 6:6b-13 and recounts the sending out of the Twelve apostles. In contrast, the second episode in Lk 10:1-12 describes the sending out of seventy-two followers, representing the Christian mission in Luke's day.

* [10:1] The number of followers sent out is disputed among manuscripts, with some reading "seventy" and others reading "seventy-two".

* [10:4] Jesus instructs the followers to maintain a single-minded focus on their mission by avoiding material possessions and greetings along the way.

* [10:5] The followers are told to begin their mission by saying, "Peace to this household," echoing the language used in Lk 2:14 and Mt 10:13.

* [10:6] Jesus describes those who welcome the followers as "peaceful people," or "sons of peace."

* [10:13-16] The call to repentance that accompanies the proclamation of the kingdom brings a severe judgment for those who reject it.

* [10:15] The missioners are warned that their message will be met with rejection, sending those who refuse to repent to the "netherworld," or underworld, a place of eternal darkness.

* [10:18] The success of the mission is marked by the symbolic fall of Satan, signifying the gradual establishment of the kingdom of God and the defeat of evil.

* [10:21] Jesus reveals the mysteries of the kingdom to his followers, who are characterized as "childlike" and open to spiritual truth, a theme echoed in Lk 8:10 and Mt 11: