The kingdom of God has come near to 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 things 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 haven, 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the time had come for Christ to be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face.  And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him.  But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.  And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?"  But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men's lives but to save them."  And they went to another village.  Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, "Lord, I will follow You wherever You go."  And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  Then He said to another, "Follow Me."  But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father."  Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God."  And another said, "Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house."  But Jesus said to him, "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.  Records of these seventy disciples exist through Church tradition, and the stories of these disciples are known to us from among the places where they would evangelize and do their missionary work.  Among the distinguished names are many who would become bishops of the Church, having served this mission as apostles throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.  Notable among them are Barnabas (Acts 4:36), who was the first to seek out St. Paul when all else were afraid of him, bringing him to the apostles.  Also among them was Titus, whom Paul called his brother (2 Corinthians 12:18) and his son (Titus 1:4).  Let us note that these seventy were appointed to go two by two to every city and place where Christ was about to go; they are heralds who will announce the kingdom of God, in the same way that messengers would be sent to announce a monarch or noble, proclaiming the doctrine or message of the king.  This is the very origin of our understanding of  "gospel" -- from the Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, to "evangelize" is to tell of the good message of the kingdom.  The same word was used for announcements of Caesar; so it became our word for the message of Christ's 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."  My study Bible points out that here in Christ's instructions we are to pray not only for the harvest of converts to Christ, but also for the laborers who will reach them.  

"Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves."   According to my study Bible, lambs suggest the sacrificial life of the apostles and of all followers of Christ.  The wolves are those who seek to frighten and devour those who follow the Lord (John 15:18).  

"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 things 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."  We observe the "lamb-like" behavior with which they are to carry themselves on their apostolic mission.  They are not to carry great amounts of supplies, money, or clothing with them; neither are they to make ostentatious greetings such as a party of those of high rank would do.  Their conduct is to be humble and representative of God's peace.  Note that wherever they are received, they are to offer a blessing of peace -- but this blessing will not remain unless a son of peace is there.  They are not to trade up lodgings for better accommodations, and remain as humble as the household and what is offered to them.  My study Bible points out that twice here Christ commands them to eat whatever is offered to them ("eating and drinking such things as they give," "eat such things as are set before you").  It says that this has a twofold significance.  First, the apostles must be content with whatever is offered, even if the food is little and simple.  Second, the gracious reception of others' hospitality takes precedence over personal fasting or dietary disciplines.  These are important teachings about hospitality and charity.  My study Bible adds a note about St. Cassian the Desert Father, who said that when he visited a monastery, the fast was always relaxed to honor him as a guest.  When he asked why, he responded, "Fasting is always with me, but you I cannot always have with me.  Fasting is useful and necessary, but it depends on our choice, while the law of God demands charity.  Thus receiving Christ in you, I serve you with all diligence, and when I have taken leave of you, I resume the rule of fasting again."  In this way, ascetics would obey Christ's command here and also His command that we not "appear to men to be fasting" (Matthew 6:18; see also Romans 14:2-6; 1 Corinthians 10:27; Hebrews 13:2.

"And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' "  My study Bible clarifies that the gospel message is not simply that there is a Kingdom in the future, but that this kingdom of God has come near.

"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."  If the kingdom of God has indeed come near, the effects of its presence are clear -- the rebuke of wiping off the "dust of your city" will have its effect in the Day of Judgment.  

"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 haven, 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."  Jesus compares the places where He has made manifest the power of His ministry among cities in Galilee near His "headquarters" of Capernaum, and the Gentile region of Tyre and Sidon.  My study Bible comments that judgment is severe for those who reject Christ after experiencing His grace.  In contrast, it says, those who have never known Christ due to genuine ignorance are without sin in this regard (John 15:22-24), and they are instead judged by their God-given conscience (Romans 2:12-16).  

One thing we can note from today's passage is the power of the kingdom of God "come near."  What does this mean?  Has the fullness of the kingdom of God manifested to these people?  We know that the world remains the world, and we expect a fullness of the Kingdom at the end of the age, when there will also be a judgment by Christ.  But what does this mean that the kingdom of God has come near to the people to whom this announcement is made?  Somehow it is clear that the kingdom of God is present with those who are sent out on this mission of Christ.  The kingdom of God is at work in their ministry, and we can read in Christ's words its effect as well.  The blessing of peace that goes upon any house which the disciples enter remains with those "sons of peace" who may reside within.  But if such a one is not a member of the household, the blessing does not remain upon the house.  This is but one aspect that gives us a hint about this kingdom of God.  There is a judgment that comes with it, that asks of us a type of response -- and its rejection also has an effect due to its power.  Somehow the energy or power of this Kingdom interacts with something within us; it responds to faith or the rejection of its message, what we might say is a lack of faith.  Ultimately Christ's message here is about faith and the lack of receptivity not simply to the message of the Kingdom, but even to the presence of the Kingdom itself, the energies and spiritual reality that accompanies it.  This is not a question of signing a loyalty oath or swearing allegiance as to a king of emperor or head of state.  It is a question of how we respond to these energies of peace, the power of Christ's charity and presence within the kingdom of God that is carried within faithful people such as these Seventy who are sent out to bear that message and that Kingdom into the world, as "lambs among wolves."  Their peaceful and humble demeanor are in some way a part of the working of that Kingdom, and perhaps they are even essential to the power of its energies, even to judgment by Christ.  This is something we should consider always in our own conduct, for each one of us, if we carry our faith within us, is ostensibly a part of this Kingdom, and a part of its ministry, its evangelizing, its good news.  As we can read in the instructions given to the Seventy by Jesus, there is a way we are to conduct ourselves as carriers of this Kingdom and its message; there is a way that God's power works in us and among us, there is a way we are expected to conduct ourselves as those with whom, like the disciples, He may share His power and authority through grace.  We should observe these careful instructions, and especially their iterations of peaceful and humble behavior, conduct that is gracious, and the aspects of charity they convey.  We should understand that this is part and parcel of the Kingdom and its message, what is required of us to be effective carriers of God's blessings, and even God's grace and power in the world.  For how could judgment possibly be true unless we are effectively true to Christ?  Moreover, we should take seriously what it is to be given the grace of Christ and also effective judgment of rejection.  All of these things take gentleness, the sensibility of discernment, and humility to embody in the world.  It is an experiential Kingdom, not simply one of ideas or concepts, for grace does not work merely through intellectual choice, but within a greater spiritual reality that encompasses the various aspects of our lives and the fullness of being.  It is here in Luke's Gospel that Jesus declares to the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21).   Let us consider the Seventy sent out into the world, who would continue their apostolic journey through all the parts of the world they could reach, for we have the records of their lives in each of these disparate places.  They shaped Christianity and in so doing become models for us today, for each of our lives has the challenge to bear that grace, the presence of the Kingdom, the reality of faith to others, and we are to learn as they did how to do so with humility and peace.  Jesus says to them, "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me."  We must always consider how we bear Christ's image into the world, how we bear God's kingdom near, so that this remains true for our own generation of laborers to serve the harvest. 

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."  Now He could do not mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.  And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

- Mark 6:1-13

In yesterday's reading, we that when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side (after healing a demoniac in the country of the Gadarenes), a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet and begged Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live." So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.  Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?" But His disciples said to Him, "You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?'" And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."  While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue's house who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid; only believe." And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, "Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, "Talitha, cumi," which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, arise." Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue.  And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "Where did this Man get these things?  And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!  Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon?  And are not His sisters here with us?"  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house."    My study bible points out the double response of being both astonished and offended, and that this occurs frequently with those who encounter Christ (Luke 11:14-16; John 9:16).   Jesus' rejection in his own country foreshadows His rejection by the nation at His trial before Pilate, my study bible adds (John 19:14-15).  Let us recall also that "brothers" even still today across the Middle East, can be used to refer to stepbrothers or cousins, extended family.  Jesus' statement that "a prophet is not without honor except in his own country . . ." is so significant that it is found in all four Gospels (see also Matthew 13:57, Luke 4:24, John 4:44).

Now He could do not mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.  And He marveled because of their unbelief.  Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.  We note the significance of unbelief of all but a few people in Nazareth.  This is not a statement about Jesus' lack of power, but rather about the role faith plays in the use of that power.  My study bible comments that while grace is always offered to all, only those who receive it in faith obtain its benefits.

 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.  He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff -- no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts -- but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.  Also He said to them, "In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.  And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them.  Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!"  So they went out and preached that people should repent.   We note that Jesus began to send them out two by two; this information is found here in Mark's Gospel, but is reflected Matthew's Gospel, where their names are listed in pairs (Matthew 10:1-4), perhaps indicating who traveled with whom.   We note Jesus' instructions:  their mission is like His.  They must travel in humility, without many possessions or ostentatious appearance.  They must stay with whomever first welcomes them, and not "trade up" for better accommodations after they are more well-known.  Jesus invests His own power in these men, and it is a power that works against the effects of evil, the force of the evil one.  We also note the effects of bringing the kingdom and its power close by:  they will shake off the dust under their feet as a testimony against those who will not receive nor hear them, for the day of judgment.   We also note that they have been sent to preach that people should repent.  This is a preaching of the practice of reorientation toward the kingdom of heaven.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.   To cast out demons is a sign of rejection of that which is against the kingdom of heaven.  My study bible adds that anointing the sick with oil hasn't simply medicinal value but sacramental value.  It notes that as God's healing power is bestowed through creation (Mark 5:27; Numbers 21:8-9, 2 Kings 13:21; John 9:6-7; Acts 5:15, 19:11-12), so oil is a vehicle of God's mercy and healing in the Church (James 5:14).  

One thing important to note is the sharing of Christ's power with His creation.  Not only is His power shared with His disciples/apostles, but my study bible also points out how that power may also be conveyed through other elements of creation, such as holy oil for anointing and chrismation.  From the earliest years of the Church, as reported in the Acts of the Apostles, we observe this faith.  The citations in the paragraph above, from both Old and New Testaments, also attest to the long history of this belief (such as in the story of the effects of the bones of Elisha in 2 Kings 13:21).  So what are we in the modern world of science and technological development to make of this long history of faith in this effective power made manifest through elements of creation?   Either we are going to accept that we also consist of spirit and not simply matter, or decide to ignore the existence of spirit altogether.  From a wholistic perspective, there are many layers of substance to a human being.  Body, soul, and spirit are inseparable.  We know from human experience what personal illness can mean in our lives, that it is so often not just a matter of battling illness of the flesh, but also the corresponding psychological and spiritual ailments that may accompany that struggle and be part and parcel of it.  The psychological or spiritual aspects occur not simply as reaction to the possibilities of physical suffering, but quite often psychological, spiritual, and physical illness are inseparable and may co-occur at many varying degrees of seriousness.  In fact, any one of these aspects may affect another:  it is not necessarily clear which comes first.  What we do understand -- even in a modern scientific perspective -- is the interaction and inseparability of all of these parts of ourselves.  Modern scientific studies frequently cite the influence of the physical upon the psychological (such as the effect of deficiencies of nutrients or chemicals made by the body, or the study of genetic differences and mutations that may contribute even to psychological or physical diseases).  We also know well the influence of psychological ailments upon the body, such as how depression may affect the immune system (see this article).  But where does the spiritual come into it?  If science can tell us of the interaction of psychology and the material body, then why not assume that a corresponding spiritual reality -- which science simply cannot and does not study -- also interacts with us on all these levels, and also may do so with elements of creation such as we read about in Scripture?  There are studies about the efficacy of prayer on disease, showing positive results, but science cannot presume spiritual cause, simply because "it just doesn't go there."  That said, it would be a poor scientist indeed, and very poor science, that assumes that what has seemingly been proven is all that exists, and that there is nothing more to life.  Through the lives of saints and mystics, and the testimony of Scripture compiled literally through thousands of years of human experience, we know the interaction of the spiritual life within ourselves and in our world.  Through prayer and other experience, we come to understand the role that faith plays in our lives.  We also know fully that in this spiritual realm we have the freedom to reject that faith.  The casting out of demons, and the role of the demonic as reflected so far in nearly every incident of Mark's Gospel, tell us an important part of the story of the spiritual:  that as far as our faith is concerned, even beings that are purely spiritual may reject the faith in Christ that is preached here.  And so, as human beings -- and even for every element of this created world -- we are somehow caught in the middle of such a spiritual choice.  We either choose to be connected to this faith, or not.  The question is really what role that plays in our lives, and how it interacts with us, with our decisions and influences.  Even the recognition of evil plays an important role in what our lives are like.  Far from the simplistic assumption that "blaming the devil" results in a lack of responsibility and true seeking of causes of ailments that plague our world on every level (such as injustice, for example), a recognition of this free will choice and the presence of evil does the opposite:  it makes it more clear what role our own choices and responsibilities play at our deepest root level of consciousness.  Why is humility so important for these disciples?  Why does holy power work best through those willing to give up a materialistic perspective on the things of this world, self-aggrandization, and self-centeredness?  How does a life consecrated to service to God work not only to bring this power of the kingdom of heaven close by, but also create effective help for human beings?   Moreover, how does the power of repentance, a simple reconsideration of our outlook or attitude or habit, constitute an opening up to what is better, and transcendent realities of love and mercy that may manifest through our own capacity for spiritual change?  These are mysteries that can only open up through our positive capacity for receptiveness to faith "that moves mountains" (Mark 11:23).  This is not about magic, but rather about the capacity for the holy to manifest itself in creation.  It is about the kingdom of heaven and where it belongs, and about our choices to receive that kingdom within ourselves.  Let us consider what it means to be wholly and truly healthy -- body, soul, and spirit -- and what that takes and means for our lives.  It may conflict with a certain modern point of view, but it cannot be denied by science, only affirmed through studies of the lives of the faithful.