With Opened Bible
72
This Sunday's Gospel presents us with Jesus choosing 72 disciples and sending them out in pairs to proclaim the Good News. It's important to note that these disciples, while they followed Jesus, are not the same as the apostles whose names are cited. The apostles had a more prominent role in Jesus' ministry, while the disciples were chosen to support the apostles and spread the Good News.
Today, we will reflect on the number 72. What is its spiritual significance? Seventy-two, a number that signifies what was already there, an addition to an existing group, and most importantly, the number of governance and leadership. This number carries a profound spiritual significance that we will explore today.
In the Old Testament, this number recalls the number of men chosen by God to assist Moses in governing the people in the desert. (Numbers 11:16f.) That is the origin of the Sanhedrin, formed by elders of the People and presided over by the High Priest at the time of Jesus. (Cf. Mathew 26:59-65)
Jesus, in his infinite wisdom, continued the legacy of the Old Testament by choosing men to support the ministry of the Apostles. The selecton of the seventy-two (or seventy) was not a random choice, but a deliberate and strategic decision. These men were not sent on a solitary journey, but in pairs, to remind them and us that the Christan mission is not a personal mater. It is a communal endeavor, a testament to the power of communites of mutual aid. The Church is not just a place of worship, but a community and family afair, where selfshness has no place.
