Jesus reminds us that when we help others, we help ourselves

Reflection for Thursday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Find today’s readings here.

Jesus named seventy-two other disciples
which he sent before him in pairs
in every city and place he intended to visit.
He said to them:
“The harvest is abundant but the workers are few;
then ask the master of the grape harvest
send workers for his harvest.
Continue on your way;
behold, I send you as lambs among wolves. (Luke 10:1-12)

Ultimately, the Gospel is a message of abundance. There is more than enough for everyone: this is one of the fundamental points of Christ’s message. Obviously, yes, those who have much more should reallocate that wealth to those who have none – but Christ is pointing out something that should be rather obvious, even if we sometimes forget it. “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few”: There is so much good in harvesting the wheat of our lives, but we have to actually harvest it to get it. And that takes effort; you can’t get to heaven just through occasional donations.

This particular point receives extensive coverage in this passage from Luke. Jesus sends these seventy-two disciples with nothing: no money, no possessions, not even a pair of shoes to make the journey bearable. In other words, he not only wants them to look poor, but to be poor, to experience poverty. And then, when they finally reach civilized places, they will be exactly what they seem to be: people in need of help. Then and only then will they be able to do the work Jesus asked them to do.

Most of the time, before we can be of any use to anyone, others must first help us. The path to becoming a better person, a more moral, more ethical, more virtuous and more confident person, takes work. But we don’t exist in isolation. The positive and negative aspects of life are always around us, and nowhere are they better experienced than through our fellow human beings. Strangers are the channels through which we can test our own closeness to God. But they are also people going through the same struggles as us. And because of that, when they help you, you help them, and so on.

The best thing Jesus did for us was to make us recognize that helping others is helping ourselves. Creating a caring and compassionate environment, as well as improving the lives of those around us, is what contributes to a better world. “The Kingdom of God is at hand,” he told the seventy-two before their departure. The kingdom of God is here and everywhere.

Jesus commands his disciples, if they were ever to be rejected from a Jewish city, to say: “The dust of your city that clings to our feet, even that which we shake off against you. » In New Testament times, “shaking off the dust from one’s feet” was something Jews did when leaving pagan cities, primarily to show that the two cultures were distinct. It was an act of superiority. It is remarkable that Jesus suggests that they do this to the Jews themselves: he tells the disciples that others are only putting themselves in danger by not hearing his message. There are so many things to do in God’s kingdom. All you have to do is get to work, serving others, and then you will be able to share the abundance of the Lord.