There are many dangers in our world. Some are environmental. Just ask the residents of California that felt the effects of a 7.1 earthquake this week. Other equally menacing phenomena include hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. If that weren’t enough, we have to face the possibility of crime, physical and emotional harm at the hands of others. We face the prospect of sickness and disease. There are hidden perils in our genes waiting to do us in. There are many dangers we face, but perhaps the biggest threat is ourselves. Even more terrifying than external sources is the harm we can inflict on our own bodies. In addition to immediate damage, we harm ourselves over many years, eating and drinking our fill. There are also indirect ways we self-destruct like not getting enough exercise. Our couches and our beds become instruments of doom. Now that is a really scary concept. With such a large array of threats, it’s a wonder that any of us are alive, much less leave our homes day in and day out.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus paints a grim picture of the world he is sending the disciples into. There is a lot of work to be done and not enough workers. They may or may not be welcomed in the towns they enter. They are going out like “lambs into the midst of wolves.” That sounds pretty scary. We all know that wolves are a lamb’s natural predator. Wolves will devour a lamb. For this very reason, a shepherd watches his flock at night, so they won’t get eaten. And Jesus, the Great Shepherd, is sending his sheep out into the midst of wolves. What possible reason could he have for doing this? What good can come from the disciples leaving the safety of the shepherd? To top it off, they aren’t even supposed to take anything for their journey – no previsions, no change of clothes, no money, and no food. They are to rely on the hospitality of strangers alone. That has the making of a horror story all by itself – going out into the world with nothing but the clothes on your back.
But the disciples have a purpose – curing the sick and proclaiming “the kingdom of God has come near to you.” This proclamation is not only for the sick. Nor is it necessarily for those that welcome the disciples. Even the ones who are not welcoming are to know that the kingdom of God has come near. Interesting that this unwelcoming group of people didn’t get left out. Perhaps it was these folks that needed to hear this good news the most. The seventy returned. To our surprise, they have not been mauled. As far as we know, none had died. And they were happy. You might think it was because the journey wasn’t as bad as Jesus made it sound. But they did meet demons. That certainly must have been an exciting encounter to say the least. And they won, which is always good for morale. But Jesus tells them to not rejoice that they have been given dominion over the power of the enemy but that their names are written in heaven.
The disciples are excited for the wrong reason. They were happy because they had power. What they should have been happy about was the power that God had and that they had been vessels for that power on Earth. They had been used to carry out God’s will – ministering to the sick and proclaiming the good news to all. We face dangers every day. In addition to the every day threats, we face the danger of not having the peace and love that we share with others returned to us. We face the danger of people not appreciating the things that we do. We face the danger that our efforts will be misinterpreted and ill-will will be harbored against us. Of all the dangers we face, inaction may be the biggest threat to our spiritual lives. Fear can cause us to do nothing – fear of harm, fear of the unknown. We have been given the ability to do great things in the name of Jesus. With God’s help, we can overcome our fears. Doing nothing gives the victory away that God has given us. And we can’t share that victory with others if we are too afraid of the consequences to act. Amen.
