Today's Gospel in Art - The Lord appointed seventy-two and sent them out

Roller Coaster, by Marvin Blaine 2013 © Marvin Blaine Designs

Gospel of 1st October 2020 - Luke 10:1-12

The Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself was to visit. He said to them, 'The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest. Start off now, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. Salute no one on the road. Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, "Peace to this house!" And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go and rest on him; if not, it will come back to you. Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer, for the labourer deserves his wages; do not move from house to house. Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, "The kingdom of God is very near to you." But whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into its streets and say, "We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the kingdom of God is very near." I tell you, on that day it will not go as hard with Sodom as with that town.'

Reflection on the Digital Artwork

Jesus is still sending out men and women today, every day. In our reading today Jesus didn't just send out the twelve apostles; no, he sent out seventy-two disciples, showing how each of His followers has a mission and a responsibility to spread the good news. The beauty in Luke's reading today is how realistically he portrays what discipleship is. Life as a disciple can be a bit of a rollercoaster. Only when we know and realise that following Jesus will be a rollercoaster with windy roads, twists and turns, can we properly carve out space for God in our everyday journeys. If we know from the start that the journey ahead won't be easy, it makes it easier for us to find God in the midst of the great balancing act we know that life and faith are. That is why Jesus is painting the picture in today's reading, saying how hard discipleship might be. A big reality check before being sent on mission.

I am sharing with you a digital artwork by Marvin Blaine, of a roller coaster, representing the ups and downs of life and of our spiritual lives. The mission we are sent out on can be a bumpy ride, but one that is filled with joy and excitement, as long as we try to stay on track…

LINKS

Today's story - https://christian.art/en/daily-gospel-reading/561

Christian Art - www.christian.art