The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost: Proper 9C
Sunday, July 6, 2025
The Rev. David Wilcox
I know I’ve said this before, but it remains true…In any given week, it’s always interesting to notice which parts of Scripture the lectionary includes—and which parts it leaves out.
For example, today’s Gospel reading from Luke chapter 10 tells of Jesus sending out seventy disciples into the world. But what’s not included is the first part of chapter 9—just before this—where Jesus sends out the twelve. In that passage, the twelve are given authority to cast out demons, to heal the sick, and to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near. They are told to accept hospitality where it’s offered, and to move on where it’s not.
Many biblical scholars see that first sending—the sending of the twelve—as essential to understanding what we hear today in the sending of the seventy.
There’s deep symbolism here. The twelve disciples represent the twelve tribes of Israel. They are sent to the people of God. But now, Jesus sends seventy—a number thought, in that time, to represent the total number of gentile nations. The mission is expanding. The gospel is going global.
The message is clear: the good news of God’s kingdom is not just for Israel, but for the whole world.
And so Jesus sends them out, two by two, to every place he himself intends to go. No one is sent alone. There is work for everyone to do. And before they go, Jesus says:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
That verse has echoed throughout Christian history. Many of us have heard it used to encourage prayer for priests, for missionaries, for religious leaders. And that’s right and good. But Jesus wasn’t speaking only to future clergy. He was speaking to disciples. To people like you and me. To the Church.
What does it mean to be a laborer in the Lord’s harvest?
When Jesus sends the seventy, he tells them to travel light: no purse, no bag, no sandals. Don’t get weighed down. Don’t be distracted. Focus on the work. And when a place won’t receive you, shake the dust off your feet and move on. The moment is urgent. The time is now.
And when they return, we’re told—they are full of joy.
Later, in his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul echoes this same calling. He tells the early Christians to bear one another’s burdens. To act with gentleness. To never grow weary in doing what is right. To seek the good of all. And in doing so, Paul says, they fulfill the law of Christ—the law of love.
So, what does this mean for us?
It means we, too, are sent—every one of us who is baptized into Christ. The call to labor in the Lord’s harvest doesn’t belong only to priests or deacons or those with collars or titles. It belongs to you.
Each of us is called to proclaim, by word and example, the good news of God in Christ.
And that calling has never been more urgent. Because we live in a world that is, in many ways, fearful, divided, and angry. A world where people are hurting and emotionally exhausted. A world that often sees Christians not as joyful or compassionate, but as judgmental, arrogant, and harsh.
So, how do we labor in that kind of world?
We go as the seventy went—as ambassadors for Christ. We go gently. We go generously. We go without heavy baggage—spiritual, emotional, or otherwise. We go ready to give not only from our abundance, but from our very selves. We go as people willing to invest time and love in others. And yes, sometimes, we go knowing when to shake the dust from our feet—not in anger, but in wisdom. Knowing we must focus our energy where it will bear fruit.
We also go as Paul reminds us—to bear one another’s burdens. And to do it gently. Because even when we’re right, if we speak with anger or shame, we may only succeed in closing the door. So many people have been hurt by the way Christians have spoken to—or about—them. Too many have felt judged, rejected, or unloved.
But if we lead with gentleness, if we speak with love, then we leave the door open. Open to healing. Open to future conversations. Open to the idea that maybe—just maybe—there is another way to be Christian.
That’s the kind of laborer Jesus is calling for. Not someone who shouts the loudest. But someone who walks with others in humility and hope. Someone who shows, by their life, that the kingdom of God really has come near.
So let me say it again:
The harvest is plentiful. But the laborers are few.
And so, yes—pray. Pray for the clergy. Pray for those discerning vocations. Pray for those who will lead, teach, and shepherd. But also—pray for yourselves. Because you might just be the answer to your own prayer.
God has given each of us gifts. God has placed each of us in the lives of certain people—friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, even strangers—who need to know they are loved. Who need to see what real Christian faith looks like—not just preached, but lived.
So take the risk. Step into the harvest. Walk gently. Love deeply. Give freely. And proclaim, by word and example, that the kingdom of God has come near.
Amen.
