Set off without purse or bag or sandals; and do not stop at the homes of those you know. Whatever house
you enter, first bless them, saying, ‘Peace to this house!’ If a friend of peace lives there, the peace shall rest
upon that person. But if not, the blessing will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking at their
table, for the worker deserves to be paid. Do not move from house to house.

When they welcome you to any town, eat what they offer you. Heal the sick who are there, and say to them:
‘The kingdom of God has drawn near to you.’

But in any town where you are not welcome, go to the marketplace and proclaim: ‘Eventhe dust of your town
that clings to our feet, we wipe off and leave with you. But know fora certainty that the kingdom of God has
drawn near to you.’ I tell you, that on the Day of Judgment it will be better for Sodom than for this town.

The seventy-two disciples returned full of joy. They said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we called
on your name.”Then Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. You see, I have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the Enemy, so that nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the evil spirits submit to you; rejoice,rather, that your names are written in heaven.”

Read: Isaiah paints the maternal heart of God: God who nurses and comforts us, and whose hand accompanies us.
Precisely because he bears in his body the very marks of Christ, Paul is unable to discriminate between people, for
all are a new creation in Christ. Jesus sends the seventy-two, to offer his peace, mercy, and healing to everyone
willing to receive.

Reflect: The reaction of the disciples returning from the fruitful mission is revealing as to their priorities: they are overjoyed
that even evil forces were obedient to them! Don’t they sound a bit similar to today’s tele-evangelists and preachers of a
“prosperity gospel” who cannot proclaim enough of the miracles God is working through them? Jesus, like a true master,
does not invalidate their experience, but gently reminds them that their authority comes from him. And more importantly,
he invites them to rejoice primarily not because the evil forces obey them, but because they themselves have been recipients
of God’s grace and redemption. They – and by extension, we – are not primarily givers, but recipients; and we can give only
what we have received.

Pray: Pray for a heart that rejoices in God’s mercies, to us and to others.

Act: Share with another person about an occasion when you experienced unmerited grace from God.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2022