C: 14th Sun of OrdTime (7 July 2019) - UNIVERSAL MISSION-SENDING (Lk 10:1-10)

The normal perception we have is that Jesus’ elite company is composed of twelve men, chosen by him personally, to whom he would later entrust the full work of evangelization (cf. Mk 3:14, 16; Mt 10:1-4; Lk 6:12-16). These men are properly called apostles, from the Greek verb “apostellō” which literally means “to send”. Fittingly, the apostles were sent by Jesus to conduct the Godly mission of spreading the good news.

However, our gospel today—only found in Luke— informs us that Jesus sent (“apostellō”) a larger group of men instructing them: “See I am sending (“apostellō”) you out like lambs into the midst of wolves” (Lk 10:3). Because of their so-called sending off, we can then, technically speaking, call them also “apostles” since they were likewise called and sent by Jesus himself as he had previously done to the Twelve.

Another tricky yet crucial thing is the total number of this company. Some biblical versions have it at 70 (e.g., NASB, NRSV, WEB), while others at 72 (e.g., ESV, NET, NIV). The numbering differs because textual fragments of ancient manuscripts vary from the 4th century C.E. onwards. Some carry the Greek “hebdomēkonta” (70), while others have “hebdomēkonta duo” (72). For purposes of inclusivity, the standard Greek text of the New Testament for biblical exegetes (Nestle-Aland, 28th ed.) puts it as follows: “hebdomēkonta [duo]”—as done by the NAB with “seventy [-two]”. This rendition implies that both readings are acceptable and valid; it is up to the judgment of the scholar which position he/she will adhere to.

The number 70 is often used in the Old Testament (100 times), as opposed to the zero mention of 72. This may be the main reason why 70 is preferred by some especially Alexandrian and Caesarian codices. However, some Western readings prefer 72 as corroborated by the Latin Vulgate with “septuaginta duos”. We are then at a lost which to support between the two.

Whatever is the correct numbering of the disciples of Jesus, what we notice is that, in the mind of the First Christians and witnesses of the faith, there is no fixed quantity of those whom Jesus sent: be it twelve, seventy, seventy-two, or even seven. Interestingly, in the Gospel of John, the supposed group of Twelve seen in the Synoptic Gospels is missing. What we surmise there is a group of only seven men, namely: “Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together”(cf. Jn 21:2).

Henceforth, contrary to our usual perspective, Jesus did not exclusively commission a select few men to spread his teachings and preach the gospel to other peoples. Let us remember that by our common baptism, we all partake of the prophetic role of Christ, making us all apostles who are being sent into the world. Interestingly, the final salutation in every Eucharistic celebration ends with the Latin “Ite, missa est”. Liturgists debate on the meaning of this phrase which vacillates between claiming that the word “congregatio” is to be supplied and that “missa” is to be translated as “dismissal”. What is noteworthy, however, is the root verb of the word “missa” which is the Latin “mittere” (“to send”).

As we go out then of the church after every mass, we are called to walk the talk, and be living missionaries in our daily lives to all the people we meet. We should then begin to empower more and more individuals to participate in the work of evangelization, regardless of gender, of stature, of color, of quantity, and of socio-political affiliation. Truly, we are all missionaries!

- Rex Fortes, CM