Although St. Luke doesn’t tell us any of the name of the seventy-two whom Jesus sent out ahead of Him, they must have been an impressive body of people. They had such faith in Jesus’ word that they were prepared to do exactly what He asked them. They were to be trailblazers, seventy-two pioneers, all like John the Baptist, sent forth to prepare the way where Jesus Himself would follow. It was more like an endurance test, a survival exercise. Jesus gave them very clear and precise instructions. They could take no money; they could carry no luggage; they must even go without footwear. In short, they must rely totally on providence and on the generosity of those who might welcome them, staying with those who were open, moving on from those who were closed. To all, whether welcoming or not, they should announce the nearness of God’s kingdom.
Today’s Gospel teaches us that we are called to prepare the way for Christ by how we live and witness to our faith. It reminds us that sometimes material things can get in the way of following the Gospel.
We probably don’t need to abandon everything and walk around barefoot preaching the closeness of God’s kingdom. But it’s important to appreciate again the backbone, the bedrock, of God’s presence, which, even if we have little less, remains always with us as the source of our rejoicing.