Blog:"and greet no one along the way": Difference between revisions
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Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. | Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. | ||
== An Ordination Mass == | == An Ordination Mass == | ||
[[File:PikiWiki_Israel_15464_Jesus_and_the_12_apostles_in_Domus_Galileae.JPG|thumb|Jesus and the 12 apostles in Domus Galileae]] | [[File:PikiWiki_Israel_15464_Jesus_and_the_12_apostles_in_Domus_Galileae.JPG|thumb|Jesus and the 12 apostles in Domus Galileae]] | ||
At our Arlington (Virginia) Diocese Ordination Mass, June 1, 2024, Bishop Burbidge advised the new | At our Arlington (Virginia) Diocese Ordination Mass, June 1, 2024, Bishop Burbidge advised the new priests to follow the Lord's instructions to the Seventy-Two (disciples) to "carry no" things, which is appropriate for the mission of a new priest: your job must not be burdened by the world, so leave it behind.<ref>"There are no U-hauls following a hearse," Father Dansereau likes to say.</ref> | ||
The rest of the passage is equally clear and powerful for the priestly mission, | The rest of the passage is equally clear and powerful for the priestly mission, | ||
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But what of this command -- | But what of this command -- | ||
and greet no one along the way. | and greet no one along the way. | ||
Aren't they supposed to spread the Gospel? | Aren't they supposed to spread the Gospel? Why not yell out the Good News at every passerby? | ||
== Travelers, wayfarers, and a fallen world == | == Travelers, wayfarers, and a fallen world == | ||
The USCCB NAB online Bible offers a brief footnote explanation that the instruction was so that "even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?4=#50010004 Mt 10:4 fn]). NetBible, a handy Biblical source, gives us a larger | The USCCB NAB online Bible offers a brief footnote explanation that the instruction was so that "even customary greetings should not distract from the fulfillment of the task" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?4=#50010004 Mt 10:4 fn]). NetBible, a handy Biblical source, gives us a larger commentary ([https://netbible.org/bible/Luke+10 Luke 10 | Lumina (netbible.org)]): | ||
In ancient Near Eastern culture people often gave very long greetings that tied them up sometimes for days (cf. Judg. 19:4-9; 2 Kings 4:29). Jesus did not mean that His disciples should be unfriendly or unsociable but that they should not allow these greetings to divert them from their mission. They were to pursue their work and not waste their time on lesser things. | In ancient Near Eastern culture people often gave very long greetings that tied them up sometimes for days (cf. Judg. 19:4-9; 2 Kings 4:29). Jesus did not mean that His disciples should be unfriendly or unsociable but that they should not allow these greetings to divert them from their mission. They were to pursue their work and not waste their time on lesser things. (Constable) | ||
[[File:70Apostles.jpg|thumb|70 Apostles (Byzantine icon, Wikipedia)]] | [[File:70Apostles.jpg|thumb|70 Apostles (Byzantine icon, Wikipedia)]] | ||
Perhaps | Perhaps Jesus meant what he directly said: don't get bogged down by extended ritualistic normative cultural protocols. Well... | ||
Throughout Luke Chapters 9 and 10, Jesus is preparing the disciples for their mission to follow, teaching them in hints and broad statements, in baby steps and practice on their own. Prior to "The Mission of the Seventy-Two," he similarly sent the Twelve ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?1 Lk 9:1-6]; told in [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?1 Mt 10:5-15] and [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/6?7 Mk 6:7-13]<ref>The Seventy-Two appears only in Luke.</ref>) whom he instructed to pronounce that "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?7 Mt 10:7]), | Throughout Luke Chapters 9 and 10, Jesus is preparing the disciples for their mission to follow, teaching them in hints and broad statements, in baby steps and practice on their own. Prior to "The Mission of the Seventy-Two," he similarly sent the Twelve ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?1 Lk 9:1-6]; told in [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?1 Mt 10:5-15] and [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/6?7 Mk 6:7-13]<ref>The Seventy-Two appears only in Luke.</ref>) whom he instructed to pronounce that "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?7 Mt 10:7]), across Jewish lands only, whereas the Seventy-Two also went into Samaria and "pagan territory."<ref>The Twelve were told not to go to Samaria or pagan lands ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/10?5 Mt. 10:5]); whereas, evidently, the Seventy-Two did (see Constable's notes on [https://netbible.org/bible/Luke+10 Luke 10:1])</ref> | ||
There is the thought that Luke's audience was Gentiles, and Matthew's Jews, thus the emphasis on the Seventy-Two in Luke<ref>In Luke, the Mission of the Twelve is six verses long ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?1 Lk 9:1-6] -- and much longer in Matthew), whereas the Mission of the Seventy-Two extends into 24 verses in [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?1 Luke 10]</ref>, but it makes complete sense that Jesus would gradually extend the Good News, first within Jewish communities through the Apostles, then to Samaritans and pagans with a larger crew of disciples as he himself ventured into those areas. It also follows the pattern of fulfilling the Old Covenant for the Jews first, then | There is the thought that Luke's audience was Gentiles, and Matthew's Jews, thus the emphasis on the Seventy-Two in Luke<ref>In Luke, the Mission of the Twelve is six verses long ([https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9?1 Lk 9:1-6] -- and much longer in Matthew), whereas the Mission of the Seventy-Two extends into 24 verses in [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/10?1 Luke 10]</ref>, but it makes complete sense that Jesus would gradually extend the Good News, first within Jewish communities through the Apostles, then to Samaritans and pagans with a larger crew of disciples as he himself ventured into those areas. It also follows the pattern of fulfilling the Old Covenant for the Jews first, then extending it and the Gospel across the world. | ||
Thinking allegorically, a "way" or "path" is what lies between | Thinking allegorically, a "way" or "path" is what lies between points A and B. The early Church -- and it's so perfect -- was called, "The Way", as Jesus is "the way" to salvation. It's in the getting there we find trouble, and not just allegorically. | ||
While we may be situated in modes and places, it is in moving about, and, especially moving between circumstances that we are especially vulnerable to the world's definitions upon us. Travel has inherent uncertainty, and as anyone who has traveled much can attest, the world of travelers can be rather unsavory. Travel means exposure to the world. | While we may be situated in modes and places, it is in moving about, and, especially moving between circumstances that we are especially vulnerable to the world's definitions upon us. Travel has inherent uncertainty, and as anyone who has traveled much can attest, the world of travelers can be rather unsavory. Travel means exposure to the world. | ||