There was a time when Jesus sent 72 disciples to go to various towns and villages to bring blessings of peace and to announce that “The Kingdom of God has come near to you.” He also gave them authority to perform miraculous healings. BUT Jesus also warned them that they should expect opposition, because they would be going out like sheep among wolves. You can find this in Luke 10:1-9.
Those of us who have heard and embraced the good news of Jesus Christ are called to continue this mission, for indeed the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few. And we would be well advised to anticipate, as many of you must already have experienced, that there will be all sorts of opposition to the good news, ranging from callous indifference, to skepticism, and even attacks on our person.
Perhaps we ourselves had rejected the invitation of the good news when we first heard it, right? And where would we be if not for the loving and prayerful persistence of those who did not give up on us? And so, we need to go and make disciples, even though we would be sent out like sheep among wolves, knowing that Jesus accompanies us in this mission, for He is the Lord of the harvest.
At this point, I’d like your permission to digress from the topic of evangelization, but ask you to hang on to the image of the sheep among wolves, and to focus on the reality that we face every day either at our workplace, in our social circles, in our neighborhood, and maybe in our church and in our families.
How nice it would be if the Lord placed us in a sheepfold among people who are like us, right? People who share the same personal interests as us, who have the same psychological make up as we do, or who agree with us and with one another other in our philosophies about life, love, faith, and even social issues. Now THAT would be heavenly.
But the reality is, and until Jesus comes again, we are and shall continue to be surrounded by people who feel, think, act, decide and behave differently from us. And we have no choice but to deal with disagreements, pushbacks, and the toxicity of so much negative vibes. And because of this, we experience much stress, anxiety, and disappointment, and we desperately long to get away from it all, and never return to deal with those adversaries. Right? I mean, who needs this?
But I think that there is a lesson of hope that is hinted in today’s gospel for us. And what’s the lesson? We know the truth, my dear friends, that Jesus had to deal with adversaries, Himself. That’s why when Jesus sends us out, He does not want us to have this naïve notion that everything will fall into place and in harmony with us. No. He sends us as sheep among wolves.
And this is true whether He sends us to evangelize or not. In other incidents in the gospels, He would send His disciples to return back on a boat and paddle all night against the tide and get nowhere. He would sail away with them, and leave them in charge of the boat while he goes to sleep in the middle of a storm. And He would instruct them to feed the crowds with a meager basket of loaves and fish.
Listen. Whether we like it or not, Jesus sends us into unpleasant environments, being up front by saying “In this world you will have trouble”. (John 16:33)
There are three main points I want to share with you about this:
First of all, be aware that there is a chance that YOU could be the wolf that terrorizes other people. Right? Especially when you think you are in the right, or that you know more than others, and so on. We could oppose new ideas, new approaches, and good intentions of others. Remember. The instruction of Jesus in this gospel passage is for us to announce “Peace”; so therefore, please be fully aware that Jesus expects each of us to be bearers of peace, to be open to others and to see things the way they see things from their point of view.
Second. Even if we wish other people would change and conform to our thinking, Jesus allows resistance and adversities to come our way and uses these as opportunities to strengthen our faith, to reveal to us areas in our lives He wishes to transform in us, so that we can become more and more like Him. Yes, often times, we think other people should change, not us. And this is a dangerous situation that the Pharisees blindly found themselves in. Jesus admonishes them, and all of us, that we should first and foremost look at ourselves in the mirror and see what the Holy Spirit wants to change in us, before we grumble about other people not being like us and making life difficult for us.
Finally, I know these adversities, these pushbacks, and disappointments can really wear us down. I have been there, and it’s not a good place to be. But I think the best antidote against this is to remember that – as we are instructed to bring the good news of peace to others – we should declare the good news of peace to ourselves first. Jesus extends peace even to the “peace-givers”, by reminding them that He is with them always.
Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, no matter what adversities we face today, no matter the opposition against our good intentions, no matter the disappointment from people who resist our well-meaning efforts, the peace that we announce to others, and that we claim for ourselves is about Jesus promising to be with us, that He guarantees reconciliation with the Father through Him, that God is making all things new, and that the Kingdom of Heaven is near, and that nothing – “No trouble, no hard times, no hatred, no bullying threats, no backstabbing – nothing, absolutely nothing, can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus has embraced us.” (Rom 8:38-39, The Message)
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