After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead
of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to
go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are
few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into
his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into
the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet
no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to
this house!’ 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace
will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in
the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the
labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to
house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat
what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them,
‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
– Luke 10:1-9 (NRSV)

On 18 October, the Church celebrates the feast day of St Luke the physician, to whom authorship of Luke’s Gospel is attributed. “The picture of Christ that comes through in his Gospel is that of the universal Saviour who has a special place in his heart for the poor and the weak of this world– perhaps a reflection of the character of the author himself.” (ACSA, Saints and Seasons, p114) Reading the passage with this in mind, one is struck by what stood out to Luke in Christ’s character: the care and concern for Christ’s disciples in sending them out with specific instructions to set them at ease. In Luke’s character, therefore, we see, in part, a reflection of Christ’s character.

Revd Claudia Coustas