The Gospel for this Fourth Sunday after Pentecost is the account of the sending forth of the Seventy (or seventy-two in some manuscripts) in Luke 10:1-20. Most often, when we think of Jesus' followers in the New Testament, we focus on the Twelve. The Twelve were certainly important, but we always need to remember that others were involved in the Christian mission from the beginning.
The general mission of the Seventy is to prepare localities for the personal ministry of Jesus. This general mission has several facets. These disciples travel lightly and share the message of God's peace through acts of kindness and preaching the good news of the kingdom. Yet, the seventy disciples are also warned not to expect universal success. Some people and some places will not be open to Christ and His message. In such situations, the disciples are not to waste their time and energy. Rather, they are to warn people of the dangers of rejecting Christ and move on to minister elsewhere.
The situation of contemporary Christians is much like that of the Seventy. We still try to prepare people to receive Jesus Christ. We fulfill this mission through deeds of mercy and talking of our religious faith in Christ and His kingdom. But we also recognize that not everyone will be open to the Gospel. So at times, we must simply warn people of spiritual danger and move on. Finally, as Christ tells the disciples in Luke 10:20, let us not rejoice in the external successes of our ministry, "but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
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