Lk 10:1-9
1The Lord appointed seventy[-two] others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. 2He 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. 3Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves. 4Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way. 5Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ 6If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. 7Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do not move about from one house to another. 8Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, 9cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ ”
THE LORD APPOINTED SEVENTY[-TWO]: “Seventy[-two]” reveals two variant readings from important text types. While important manuscripts read “seventy,” other equally important have “seventy-two.”
Jesus has already sent the Twelve (apostles) with power and authority to proclaim the good news from village to village in Israel (Lk 9:1-6). Now he sends seventy [two] others. The number is to be understood symbolically, just like the number twelve. The Twelve represents the reconstitution of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Seventy may allude to the “seventy elders” who accompany Moses up to the holy mountain of God (Ex 24:1). They share in God’s Spirit and are enabled to prophesy (Nm 11:24-25). Thus they are disciples who are also empowered to share the mission of the Twelve. Or “seventy” may represent the seventy Gentile nations of the world, founded by the sons of Noah after the flood (Gn 10). Thus, just as the Twelve (apostles) represent the Jewish foundation of the Church, the Seventy (disciples) stand for the Gentile foundation.
The gospel pericope about the mission of the seventy [-two] anticipates the labors of missionaries, other than the Apostles, in the Acts of the Apostles. In particular, they refer to partners in mission of the Apostle Paul: Timothy and Titus—whose feast we are celebrating today—Barnabas, Luke (the author of the third Gospel and Acts), Priscilla and Aquila, Lydia, Chloe, etc. Following the feast of the conversion of the great apostle to the Gentiles, the celebration of his close collaborators shows us Paul’s precious heritage: not only those whom he brought to Christ and his letters, but also his disciples and co-workers in the Gospel.