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I send you as lambs among wolves by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf "After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two into every city and place where He Himself was about to go... 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... 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" (Luke 10:1-11). The lamb refers to the Kingdom of God and wolf to the world. When Jesus said, "I send you as lambs among wolves", He asked His 70 disciples to go into the world but without the things of the world. In fact, the purse, the sack, the sandals and the staff (Matthew 10:10) represent security, the values and the methods of the world. The Kingdom of God is manifest, but is still not established on the earth (Isaiah 11:6). So Jesus asked His disciples to go into the world with the values of the Kingdom and the protection of the divine Shepherd (His rod and His staff) who will provide for all their needs during the whole time of their mission. His disciples were to go as precursors into all the places where Jesus was to go Himself. Given the mandate by the prince of Peace, they were to go and proclaim His 'Shalom Aleikhem' on the house or the town where they were supposed to stay. If they were refused, they were above all not to insist, but on the contrary to leave, shaking the dust from their feet as a sign of disapproval. The child of peace is literally 'a son of Shalom', that is, some one who is warm, but also some one ready to receive the Kingdom of God. Didn't God say to Moses, "You shall build the Tabernacle with the offerings made by everyone whose heart is well disposed" (Exodus 35:5)? Jesus desires to establish His Kingdom with those whose hearts are well disposed and who are not continually looking behind them (over their shoulder) (Luke 9:62), as if in regret. As Jesus sent the 12 disciples in Israel (Matthew 10), then the 72 disciples in Samaria (recalling the 72 nations of the period), He sends us too into all the places where He desires to go, that is to say all the nations (Matthew 28:18). When Christ, the prince of Peace, is in us, we no longer need the world's securities, for He is our Shepherd. His presence in us will testify of the closeness of the Kingdom of God; those who will give us a good welcome, will also welcome the One who has sent us just as our heavenly Father. Jesus said, "Pray the Master of the house to send workers". In fact we have to ask our heavenly Father to send true workers, true ambassadors of the Kingdom, worker-lambs full of the Kingdom's values to bring in the final harvest into the barn. |