Jesus appoints seventy-two disciples to go out to all the towns and villages that he intends to visit and prepare the way for the coming of the kingdom of God into their lives. Each of these disciples is a bit like John the Baptist who prepares the way of the Lord. The coming of Jesus into their lives is a powerful event that promises new life. Jesus brings the kingdom of God into people’s lives. Jesus brings the fire of the Holy Spirit that John foretold. The disciples are sent to prepare the way for the Lord to enter into the lives of all the people that lived in the towns and villages that he would visit. The work of these disciples was the work of pre-evangelization. The disciples themselves did not bring the kingdom and neither did they teach the gospel, but they prepared the way for the gospel message to enter into people’s hearts. They cleared a path for the Lord to enter into people’s lives.
The proper preparation for the coming of the Lord and his kingdom into one’s life is freedom. If one is to receive and respond to the coming of Jesus then they must be free from the yoke of slavery to sin. Satan was given a time to “prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls,” but with the coming of Jesus into the world, the time for Satan was drawing to a close. Jesus had every intention to plunder the house of Satan in the world. Jesus came to bring new freedom, to set the captives under Satan’s influence free.
What is the proper preparation when the coming of the kingdom is at hand? One has to first free people from their slavery to sin. One had to enter the realm of Satan in the world and throw open the gates to set people free. Jesus teaches his disciples in the gospel of Matthew, “How can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his property, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.” (Mt 12,29) The disciples are sent out on the mission of pre-evangelization to begin to “tie up” Satan so that Jesus would be able to free the soul’s under his influence. When the disciples return they marvel and rejoice over what they experienced on their mission: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” (Lk 10,17) Jesus affirms this and says, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to ‘tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.” (Lk 10,19) We have the power to overcome Satan in our lives and to live in the power of the Spirit of God. St. Paul tells the Corinthians, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1Cor 4,20) The work of pre-evangelization that the disciples accomplish is not just talk, it is not just a new idea or a philosophy of life, it is the power to defeat Satan, to free souls under his influence and to bring new life and hope to the world. However, the true joy to be found in the disciples experience is the joy of having their names written in heaven. St. Paul tells the Romans, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of food and drink, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the holy Spirit;” (Rom 14,17) The kingdom of God brings new life in the Spirit, a new way of living, a beginning share in the divine life which is characterized by holiness, peace and joy.
Another aspect of the pre-evangelization is that of establishing peace. Peace is a sign of our freedom in Christ. On the day of the resurrection, the disciples in the upper room, had a powerful encounter with the risen Jesus and he stood before them and offered to them the gift of peace. Peace is a special gift of the kingdom of God. When Satan is bound and tied up in a person’s life, they experience a deep sense of peace. That peace is given by Jesus, “not as the world gives,” but as the Spirit gives it. The seventy-two disciples have nothing on their persons and they can offer nothing to the people except for the gift of peace. A free and peaceful person would gladly accept that gift.
The kingdom of God is indeed at hand for all of us. We must accept the gift of peace that the Lord brings us. Then we must look to our own freedom. We don’t want anyone or anything, least of all Satan and sin, to hinder our hearing of the Lord’s gospel and our receiving the gift of new life in the Spirit. When we hear the gospel message of the Lord, we want our hearts to be prepared for the power of the Spirit that gives us new life. Something new, powerful and great is coming - are you ready to receive it? This is one tornado that you don’t want to avoid!