Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals, and greet no one along the road. But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such thing as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.' But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."

- Luke 10:1-16

In yesterday's reading, we are told that Jesus has resolved to go to Jerusalem, He "set His face" to go to Jerusalem. In the beginning of this journey, Jesus begins by teaching His disciples, as they pass along the road, more about how they are to be His disciples, what His kingdom is all about, what it is for, how they are to use their power invested in them, and "what manner of spirit they are of." They also encounter more followers who would become disciples, but Jesus instructs each one in what they lack in order to more properly be followers and disciples of His kingdom. See No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. My study bible notes: "Only Luke reports a sending of seventy others besides the Twelve, but the instructions to the two groups are similar (see Matthew 10:1-15). [See Jesus' instructions as reported by Matthew here.] The Seventy appointed by Christ may fulfill the type of the seventy elders appointed by Moses (Ex. 18:21, 22; 24:1). The Orthodox Church commemorates the Seventy as saints." In yesterday's reading, we understand that Jesus had "set His face" to go to Jerusalem, to fulfill all that is to come, including Resurrection. Also in yesterday's reading, those sent "before His face" are "messengers" - the word for "messengers" is the same as the word for angels in the Greek. These seventy are also "messengers before His face." They announce the presence of the kingdom.

Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. A note reads, "Missionary endeavors are accomplished by God's initiative and power. We pray to the Lord, and it is He who calls and sends out the workers. We have the assurance, however, that the harvest truly is great." Jesus has said that a confession that He is Christ is inspired or revealed by the Father (at Peter's confession of faith). The laborers are therefore "sent" or driven by the Lord of the harvest, the Father of all.

Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. This vivid expression teaches the disciples how they are to be in the world, the disposition of "what manner of spirit they are of." My study bible notes, "Lambs speaks of the sacrificial life of the missionaries, their innocence, while the world into which they are sent is hostile and cruel." This is a kingdom of love; its judgment and care different from that of the world.

Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals, and greet no one along the road. My study bible says, "The missionary of Christ travels light, moving easily from place to place, and avoids superficial conversation." This is a teaching in humility; it is the work of the kingdom that is the focus and inspiration for all things in this mission. The emphasis is on lack of ostentation.

But whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house.' And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such thing as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. A note reads: "Going from house to house implies looking for better accommodations." Once again, the emphasis is on the kingdom and the ties that comes within this kingdom. Those who receive them are to be their hosts.

Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' My study bible says, "The gospel of Christ is not simply that there is a divine Kingdom somewhere, but that the kingdom of God has come near to us. It breaks into our lives through the work of Christ and His sent ones." The reality is that the representatives of this kingdom carry it with them, just as Christ shares His power through them. God's kingdom "breaks through" to us in all kinds of ways - the Gospels document its manifestation to us in the person of Jesus, in His teaching, His love, in the revelation of power and healing, in the signs, in Theophany, in the power He invests in His disciples, in all kinds of ways. So we too can be carriers of that kingdom.

But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.' But the presence of this kingdom carries with it judgment. It carries with it a choice - there are no mere bystanders. Jesus has taught the disciples that whoever receives a child in His name receives Him, and whoever receives Him also receives He who sent Him. Rejection of those who act in this name also carries a responsibility. But even those people are taught that the kingdom has come near them. As with the example of the Samaritan town in yesterday's reading, there is time for repentance and mercy - "the manner of spirit they are of" is one of salvation, not destruction.

But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." My study bible notes here: "Judgment is more severe against those who witness Jesus' mighty works, or hear His word but reject it, as in the case of these Galilean cities." Again, we are reminded of the interlinking nature of this kingdom in the last verse here: He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.

We really can't imagine, one supposes, what it is like to be in the presence of the Lord, of Jesus Himself in the flesh, nor to witness one of His miracles. But, this kingdom is among us. It "breaks through" and comes near to us in those whom He (and the Father) sends. It breaks through in the work of the Holy Spirit. It is a part of our world and breaks through our worldly reality. What then? How do we respond then? What are our choices in the face of that reality "breaking through?" It breaks through in kindness and mercy, and in the life of the Spirit that reflects God's love. It breaks through in our prayer lives, when we are given hope and sustaining faith, and a way to go forward from our Father who is in the secret place. God's tender mercies have a way to get to us in all situations. Can you receive them? Can you accept them in whatever form they are sent, through whomever they come? We bear a responsibility to do so, and I believe we do face consequences in our lives for the rejection of that kingdom. We rely on the mercy of God to move on and into this faith, and to accept the things that are best for us.