“The harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls the 72 disciples, to have “complete faith and trust” in Him.  Jesus calls them to work God’s wonders among the peoples, households, and towns to which He sent them.  Jesus sent 72 disciples, two-by-two to every town He intended to visit.  This meant that His disciples were being sent to all the towns and peoples of the earth to proclaim that the kingdom of God is at hand.

The urgency of proclaiming Jesus’ message is so great that the disciples are to go immediately, not taking anything with them, and not to be distracted by unnecessary greetings and conversations.  They are to go to where they are sent, as they are, “Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way.”

They were sent to bring God’s peace to any house they enter.  But only a house willing to hear the Word of God and accept it, will receive that peace.  A house unwilling to hear and accept the Word of God and His peace will be judged harsher than Sodom, since they are rejecting the kingdom of God which is already among them.

Jesus had prepared them, as He prepares us today, to complete His work of proclaiming that God’s kingdom is at hand.  We too, are called to go out and proclaim that the kingdom of God is among us.  Jesus sent the 72 to all the towns and peoples of world, just as He sends us today, to all the towns and peoples of the world, starting in our own communities.

Jesus told the 72, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”  Today, it is not only the bishops, priests and deacons that are the laborers our Lord refers to.  All of us are the laborers He needs to gather the harvest of souls.  Each of us, by our Baptism into the Body of Christ, is commissioned to bring the kingdom of God to every person we meet.

The best way for us to do this is by living as Christ commands us, by loving, serving and being compassionate to every person we meet.  Yet, we are not alone in living as Christ commands us.  Christ will always be with us, to help us, every step of the way.

– Bishop Roy Campbell