11 July 2019
Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot
First He sent seventy-two disciples to scout ahead and prepare village after village for His imminent arrival. Then He hand picks twelve elite men to arm with special authority and power over demons and sickness. Today He gives those men their mission: “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.” He has already equipped them with everything they need for combat, for every task, therefore they need no money, no sack, no extra clothes, sandals or walking stick.
We might be shocked at this: what if they need to buy food or lodging, or they need a change of clothes, or the road is rough, or their journey long, or they are in danger and must defend themselves? Note again their mission: how will any of the things they are denied help them to proclaim the Kingdom, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, or drive out demons? None of it. In fact, their stark poverty will make their ministry shine all the brighter, and be all the more convincing because they have no worldly support to rob any of it of its power. They cannot purchase medicines, cannot dress in fine clothes; nothing will make any sort of impression on anyone save for the truth and power of their words, reinforced by their personal faith, and the effectiveness of their ministry. Period.
How will they support themselves? By making allies: “Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.” If there are no allies, they are to move on: the time for conquering the Enemy where he is entrenched has not yet come. Indeed, that will come later: “Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.” This may strike some as brutal, but consider what Jesus is saying here: Sodom and Gomorrah, according to Scripture (Genesis 19:13, 24-25), were destroyed because of their absolute wickedness and perversion. They lived, essentially, in league with the demons, rebelling utterly against God, and endangering the souls of Abraham and his family, with whom God had sworn a covenant (Genesis 17). Yet any town that rejects those sent by Jesus will suffer a worse fate for this reason: Jesus says in Luke’s Gospel “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me,” (Luke 10:16). It is one thing to reject God’s Law: those who reject the apostles of Jesus reject God Himself. Instead of singing the song of the Christian “Thy will be done!” they echo the snarling bark of Satan’s “Non serviam—I will not serve!” And thus such towns, such houses, chose Satan’s fate, as we read in the Book of Revelation “The Devil who had led them astray was thrown into the pool of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever,” (Revelation 20:10).
Be consoled, Christian soldier! Our King only asks us to fight with courage and fidelity; He already has the victory, so all success is His. Be consoled! Remember His words: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first…In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world,” (John 15:18, 16:33).