Feast of Saint Luke, evangelist
Today, on the Feast of St. Luke, we read in his gospel a story of Jesus appointing seventy-two disciples and sending them out in pairs to every place he intended to visit. There are two main things that stand out to me about Jesus’ very specific directions to these disciples. First, “carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals...” I was reflecting on this Gospel once as my husband and I packed for a weekend camping with our family. Preparing for two adults, multiple young children, and a dog to sleep in a tent and cook food over a fire required carrying way more items than Jesus had in mind for the disciples! But if I was going on a trip to share the Good News and spread the message that Jesus was coming, what would I want to pack? I hear Jesus’ message as a call for simplicity. Go out into the world each day with the clothes on your back, a smile on your face, open ears, and a receptive heart. As I think about evangelizing I often get caught up in the complexities. What if I don’t know all the answers or what if I can’t convince people to care? This passage reminds me that I do not need to be a scripture scholar or a theologian to evangelize. I do not even need to carry a Bible with me. I literally just need to show up and be present to people, bring Christ to the world through joy and gratitude, offering and receiving hospitality.
Which leads to the second thing that struck me about Jesus’ instructions - the idea of receiving hospitality. Jesus says, “stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you… do not move about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you…” At first I thought, there is no way that I would invite myself into someone’s home, eat their food, and stay for an indefinite period of time. But then I realized that it just happened this summer. When the Memorial Day tornadoes took down the power lines in our neighborhood, friends invited us into their home not knowing whether our power would be restored in days or weeks. I don’t ever want to be a burden, so accepting help can be difficult, but I will be forever grateful for their hospitality. This reminds me of a Marianist retreat I attended last April about Radical Hospitality. One of the takeaways for me was that most people find it a lot easier to offer hospitality than to receive it. It is a lot more comfortable to offer hospitality and be in control, rather than be vulnerable by asking for and accepting help. As Jesus’ disciples, however, we need to do both. Even the symbolism of the disciples being sent in pairs shows that we do not have to do this work alone. Allow others to give of their time, talents, and resources, even if you have to lean into your own discomfort in order to accept them.
So, as you prepare to evangelize each day and bring Jesus’ message to the world, is there anything you would need to pack or prepare? How can you offer and receive hospitality in the name of Jesus today?
-LeeAnn Meyer