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Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of
him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said
to them, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask
the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go
on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among
wolves.” Luke 10:1–3
Why would our Lord send His disciples out like lambs among wolves?
At first, this might be concerning and cause us to wonder if our
Lord were sending them into a situation in which they would
encounter harm. Saint Ambrose, in commenting on this, explains that
there is no reason for these disciples to fear, since Jesus is the
Good Shepherd Who always protects His sheep. It’s helpful to
reflect upon what sort of danger these disciples would encounter on
this mission and all future missions and to contrast that danger
with the only form of danger we should fear.
The “wolves” in this situation are especially some of the cruel
religious and civil leaders of that time, as well as those who
would reject the disciples and their teaching. When looking at the
worldly danger that our Lord encountered, as well as His disciples,
we see that it was a danger of persecution. But is that a “danger”
that one should fear? Clearly not, since Jesus never cowered in the
face of it. In the Acts of the Apostles, we see how this same fate
of persecution befell Jesus’ followers. But in the divine
perspective, true “danger” is only that which has the potential to
do eternal damage to one’s soul: sin.
Sin and sin alone has the potential to do true damage, not
persecution or even death. So when Jesus sent His disciples out
“like lambs among wolves,” He was fully aware of the persecution
they would receive in this world. But He exhorted them and sent
them, because He knew that even if they were to eventually suffer
persecution and death, their faith and courage in the midst of it
would gain them merit in eternal life and would become an
instrument of grace for others in their life of faith. As was
commonly said in the early Church, “The blood of martyrs is the
seed of Christians.” For that reason, as Jesus sent these sheep out
among wolves, He also accompanied their souls as the Good Shepherd,
protecting their virtue, strengthening them in their witness to the
faith, and keeping them from fear and from sin. He did not want
them to fear the death of their body or their worldly
reputation—rather, only the death of their souls which He, as the
Good Shepherd, vigorously defended.
Reflect, today, upon the glorious truth that our Lord also sends
you forth to be like a lamb among wolves. The fulfillment of the
will of God in your life will take fortitude and courage as you
trust that our Lord will keep you free from the countless
temptations of sin. As you go forth, do not be surprised if you
encounter harshness from others in the world, judgment and even
persecution in various forms. When you do, respond with virtue.
Keep faith, hope and charity alive in your life and do not fear
those who can harm you in ways that are not eternal. Instead, stay
firmly grounded in your mission to love and to share the mercy and
truth of God in our world, no matter the consequences. Doing so
will bring with it countless interior blessings of grace and will
enable God to use you as an instrument of His grace in ways beyond
that which you can ever conceive.
My courageous Lord, You came face-to-face with a harshness and
cruelty in this world that ultimately enabled You to give witness
to Your divine love by freely laying down Your life. Please send me
forth on Your mission and strengthen me with every divine virtue so
that I will not fear any form of persecution but always remain
steadfast in my love of You, overcoming all fear through the gift
of faith. My life is Yours, dear Lord. Do with me as You will.
Jesus, I trust in You.
Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
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Featured image above: He Sent them out Two by Two
By James Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons
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