"Karon Na Ang Tion Nga Ang Dios Magahari Sa Ila"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 10:1-12)

Pagkatapos sadto, nagpili ang Ginoo sang 72 pa gid ka mga tawo kag ginpadala niya sila sing tagduha-duha sa mga banwa nga iya pagakadtuan.

Nagsiling siya sa ila, "Malapad ang alanihon pero diutay gid lang ang manug-ani. Gani magpangamuyo kamo sa Ginoo nga magpadala siya sang mga manug-ani sa iya alanihon.

Lakat kamo! Pero mag-andam kamo, kay pareho kamo sang mga karnero nga akon ginapadala sa mapintas nga mga sapat.

Indi kamo magdala sang kahita, bag, ukon sandalyas. Indi man kamo magdulog sa dalan kag magpanamyaw sa inyo masugata.

Kon magsulod kamo sa isa ka balay, magsiling kamo, 'Kabay nga bendisyunan sang Dios ini nga pamilya.'

Kag kon bagay sila nga magbaton sa inyo pagbendisyon, bendisyunan sila sang Dios. Pero kon indi, indi man sila pagbendisyunan sang Dios.

Magdayon kamo sa una nga balay nga nagabaton sa inyo, kag indi kamo magsaylo-saylo sang inyo dalayunan. Batuna ninyo ang ila ginapakaon sa inyo, kay ang nagapangabudlay dapat lang nga suhulan.

Kag kon diin kamo nga lugar magkadto nga ang mga tawo magabaton sa inyo, kauna ninyo ang bisan ano nga ila ginapakaon sa inyo.

Ayuha ninyo ang mga nagamasakit kag sugiri ninyo sila nga tion na karon nga ang Dios magahari sa ila.

Pero kon mag-abot kamo sa isa ka banwa nga ang mga tawo indi magbaton sa inyo, magkadto kamo sa mga karsada kag magsiling,

'Tungod nga kamo indi magbaton sa amon, bisan ang yab-ok sang inyo banwa nga nagatapik sa amon tiil amon taktakon bilang paandam batok sa inyo. Tandai ninyo ini: nag-abot na ang tion nga ang Dios magahari na.' "

Nagsiling pa gid si Jesus, "Sugiran ko kamo, sa adlaw sang paghukom, ang silot sang Dios sa banwa nga indi magbaton sa inyo sobra pa sang sa iya ginsilot sa mga taga-Sodoma."

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Meditation: 

What kind of harvest does the Lord want us to reap today? When Jesus commissioned seventy of his disciples to go on mission, he gave them a vision of a great harvest for the kingdom of God. Jesus frequently used the image of a harvest to convey the coming of God’s reign on earth. The harvest is the fruition of labor and growth – beginning with the sowing of seeds, then growth, and finally fruit for the harvest. In like manner, the word of God is sown in the hearts of receptive men and women who hear his word and who accept it with trust and obedience. The harvest Jesus had in mind was not only the people of Israel, but all the peoples (or nations) of the world. John the Evangelist tells us that  "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). 

What does Jesus mean when he says his disciples must be "lambs in the midst of wolves"? The prophet Isaiah foretold a time when wolves and lambs will dwell in peace (Isaiah 11:6 and 65:25). This certainly refers to the second coming of Christ when all will be united under the Lordship of Jesus after he has put down his enemies and established the reign of God over the heavens and the earth. In the meantime, the disciples must expect opposition and persecution from those who who would oppose the gospel. Jesus came as our sacrificial lamb to atone for the sin of the world. We, in turn, must be willing to sacrifice our lives in humble service of our Lord and Master. 

What is the significance of Jesus appointing seventy disciples to the ministry of the word? Seventy was a significant number in biblical times. Moses chose seventy elders to help him in the task of leading the people through the wilderness. The Jewish Sanhedrin, the governing council for the nation of Israel, was composed of seventy members. In Jesus’ times seventy was held to be the number of nations throughout the world. Jesus commissioned the seventy to a two-fold task: to speak in his name and to act with his power. Jesus gave them instructions for how they were to carry out their ministry. They must go and serve as people without guile, full of charity and peace, and simplicity. They must give their full attention to the proclamation of God’s kingdom and not be diverted by other lesser things. They must  travel light – only take what was essential and leave behind whatever would distract them – in order to concentrate on the task of speaking the word of the God. They must do their work, not for what they can get out of it, but for what they can give freely to others, without expecting reward or payment. “Poverty of spirit” frees us from greed and preoccupation with possessions and makes ample room for God’s provision. The Lord wants his disciples to be dependent on him and not on themselves. 

Jesus ends his instructions with a warning: If people reject God’s invitation and refuse his word, then they bring condemnation on themselves. When God gives us his word there comes with it the great responsibility to respond. Indifference will not do. We are either for or against God in how we respond to his word. God gives us his word that we may have abundant life in him. He wills to work through and in each of us for his glory. God shares his word with us and he commissions us to speak it boldly and simply to others. Do you witness the truth and joy of the gospel by word and example to those around you? 

“Lord Jesus, may the joy and truth of the gospel transform my life that I may witness it to those around me. Grant that I may spread your truth and your light wherever I go."