Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written much still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that there was also a dispute among the disciples, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  "But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

  And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."   My study Bible tells us that when Jesus says, "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," the form of you in Greek is plural, indicating that Satan has asks for all the disciples.  But when He says, "But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren," the form of you used in this verse is singular, meaning that Jesus prays especially for Simon Peter.  My study Bible explains that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.  Regarding Christ's words to St. Peter, "When you have returned to Me," see John 21:15-17.  "Strengthen your brethren" refers not only to the other disciples, but even to all the faithful until Christ returns.  

 

 And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written much still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments here that the sword is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51), but refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  There is an additional meaning added by St. Ambrose of Milan, who says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword represents surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking literally of swords, Jesus ends the discussion abruptly, with the words, "It is enough," or better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41).  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 53:12.

 

In today's reading, Jesus gives the disciples a sort of preview of the life to come as we await His return, even the life that we live today until the end of the age when He will judge in the fullness of the Resurrection.   For we do have still Satan at work in the world, seeking to sift as wheat those who love God.  This is why Jesus begins to prepare the disciples for the persecutions and difficulties and tribulations to come.  It is why we still need to be aware of spiritual battle, and to put on, in the words of St. Paul, "the whole armor of God" (see Ephesians 6:10-18 for St. Paul's full description of what that is).  We may wonder why, if Satan is indeed defeated, as Jesus has indicated (Luke 10:18), believers continue to do battle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  It is St. Peter himself who writes of this time that we await Christ's return and Judgment, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:8-9; see also Psalm 90:4).  But certainly throughout this age in which we await Christ's return, our own participation in this spiritual battle as faithful is important in the sight of God, for otherwise it would not have been so to start with.  What we can conclude is that God's love for us is so strong that, although of course God needs nothing from us, we are invited in to this "good fight" as St. Paul calls it in 2 Timothy 4:7.  Just as God works through God's holy angels, so God also invites us, those faithful who struggle in this way, to be a part of God's "forces" and works in the world.  For we human beings, God's creatures as are the angels, are those whom God would also like to work through and share His power and authority with, as indicated in so many places in the Gospels, and throughout the Scriptures.  Repeatedly we are told that we, also, may become "sons of God" by adoption, a phrase which indeed is also used for the spiritual beings, the angels of all ranks, who serve God.  In John 10:34, Jesus replies to the religious leaders, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods" '?"  He quotes from Psalm 82:6.  These "gods" also refer to angelic beings, God speaking to human beings and our own capacity to become like angels as Christ tells the Sadducees in describing the Resurrection (see Luke 20:35-36).  It is this process, playing out in this world and in this age as we await His return, into which we are all born with Christ's words in today's reading to His disciples.  Ultimately, as Jesus indicates to Peter, this is a battle for faith.  So let us be prepared, and take up His charge and commission to follow Him in the way we are taught, and knowing the spiritual landscape into which we go forward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the things concerning Me have an end

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."

 

- Luke 22:31–38 

 

Yesterday we read that, when the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.  Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.  But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table.  And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"  Then they began to question among themselves, which of them it was who would do this thing.  Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest.  And He said to them, "The king of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'  But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.  For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves?  Is it not he who sits at the table?  Yet I am among you as the One who serves.  But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

 

 And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon!  Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."  But he said to Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death."  Then He said, "I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me."  In the first verse in today's reading, when Jesus says, "Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat," this you is plural, an indication that Satan has asked for all the disciples.  But in the next verse ("But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren"), the you is singular here, which indicates that Jesus prayed particularly for Simon Peter.  My study Bible comments that because Peter's faith was the strongest, he would be tested the most.   Regarding Jesus' word to Peter, "When you have returned to Me,"  See John 21:15-17.  My study Bible says that Jesus' command "strengthen your brethren" refers not simply to the other disciples, but to all the faithful until He returns.  

 

And He said to them, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the things concerning Me have an end."  So they said, "Lord, look, here are two swords."  And He said to them, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that the word sword (in "he who has no sword") is not to be understood literally (compare to verses 49-51, which will be in this Monday's reading).  Here "sword" refers to the living word of God in the battle against sin (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12).  Also, my study Bible cites the commentary of St. Ambrose, who adds an additional meaning.  He says that giving up one's garment and buying a sword is a reference to surrendering the body to the sword of martyrdom.  Because the disciples were thinking of swords literally, Jesus abruptly ends the discussion with the words, "It is enough."  My study Bible comments that this phrase is better translated, "Enough of this!" (see Deuteronomy 3:26; Mark 14:41). 

Jesus asks the disciples, "When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?"  So they said, "Nothing."  Then He said to them, "But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.  For I say to you that this which is written must still be accomplished in Me:  'And He was numbered with the transgressors.'  For the thing concerning Me have an end."  In His question, we can see that Jesus is preparing the disciples for the time to come, as He is about to be betrayed and given over to the Romans.  He has said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5).  But this Light is not going to be with the disciples as the human Jesus for very much longer.  Now they will need to care for themselves in a different way, He's saying to them. They will need to prepare for a different time in the world when He is no longer with them and guiding them as His disciples in the same way.  Jesus quotes from the prophesy of Isaiah 53:12, and so indicating what end will be fulfilled in Him.  He has also taught them, "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also" (John 15:20).  What is coming for Jesus will be the beginning of persecutions for those who follow Him.  Therefore Jesus is now preparing the ones who follow Him, His disciples, for the time that is at hand, and how they will have to live in the world without Him in the flesh.  There is a great component revealed earlier, when Jesus addressed St. Peter, saying, "Simon, Simon!  Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat."  As indicated above, this "you" is plural, meaning that although Jesus addresses Simon (and with a double exclamation of his name, so truly grabbing his attention), He does so as Simon Peter so often represents and speaks for all of the disciples.  With the coming of the Cross, the fulfillment of the prophecy from Isaiah, Satan seeks to sift them all as wheat.  But it is Simon whom Jesus also calls upon -- despite his coming denial of Christ -- to return and to strengthen the brethren in this new period of difficulties and persecution that is coming. Many have noted that the Old Testament verse which is most frequently quoted in the New Testament is Psalm 110:1, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."  Jesus quotes this verse when He poses a kind of riddle to the religious leaders in the temple (see last Friday's reading).  This verse is important because it leads to the inevitable conclusion that the Messiah is both human (a son of David) and God (the only One whom King David would call "My Lord").  Yet we must go to the verse that follows to understand something important about the time for which Jesus is preparing the disciples as He is about to go to betrayal and the Cross.  "The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!" (Psalm 110:2).  To rule in the midst of one's enemies is a strange condition indeed.  How does a King do this?  Well, if the "LORD" (God the Father) is addressing King David's "Lord," the Son and Messiah, then what is being said is that Christ will rule by His rod of strength out of Zion, even in the midst of His enemies in this world.  We know who Christ is, and that He came into the world to depose the devil, Satan, the "prince of this world."  But clearly, Christ rules in the midst of His enemies, for the time in which we live now is the same era for which Christ is preparing the disciples.  It remains a period in which we know the Kingdom, and the King, and we also know that the Spirit of God is at work in the world.  But at the same time, we are aware that this is a time of spiritual battle, even of persecutions and hatred.  St. John writes in his first Epistle, "By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world" (1 John 4:2-3).  The spirit of the Antichrist remains in the world, and so Christ "rules in the midst of His enemies."  And this is the state in which we find ourselves in the Church.  Just as Christ warns the disciples, this is the period in which we live, and so we should not be surprised to find adversities of any and various kinds, even frightful news about horrific militias, betrayals, and those who would seek even to call themselves Christian even as they support such fearsome forces at work against Christian communities.  Let us consider, at this time, that Christ nonetheless continues to rule in the midst of His enemies, and that He has commanded us simply to endure as the faithful.  Like St. Peter, we must be prepared to be called on to strengthen our brothers and sisters who are persecuted, even as there are Christ's disciples whom Satan still desires to sift as wheat.  It is our faith that is our greatest weapon of strength, and for this Christ has prayed.  Let us remember to follow Him as He said, and endure in that faith as our true weapon given by God, the living word by which we live (Hebrews 4:12). 

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.