Like Sheep Among Wolves

Trinity 3 2025

Luke 10. 1-11, 16-20

Jesus sends 72 of his disciples out like sheep among wolves to proclaim his Gospel. He tells them not to bring anything with them, not to bring anything at all. No wallet, no bag, no shoes even. The only thing they should bring with them is peace. And so they brought nothing but peace with them on the road, an abundance of peace. In fact, they brought so much peace that they could give all their peace away. They could leave their peace behind wherever they went. And yet they still had just as much peace as they started with. As Juliet says of her love for Romeo, The more I give to thee,/The more I have, for both are infinite. It was like that for the 72. From their wonderful peace, healing and forgiveness flowed into lives and communities.

The restless vassals of the Prince of Darkness were powerless against this peace. These poor peaceful men swept them off their perches. As a priest I am one of the successors of the 72. I remember being amazed when I too discovered that, even the demons submit to us in your name.

Poplar story

25 years ago when I was newly ordained a priest

St Lucia/local flat/3 children – frightened/brother/smell- neighbour- suicide/children in the night – experiences getting more frequent and powerful – candle

Power of prayer in the name of Jesus – we found out name and prayed for him, and prayed for him to depart and be at peace and blessed the flat/the experiences suddenly and completely stopped

Whatever I was up against I discovered that I had power over it. It submitted to the name of Jesus. I experienced the same joy as the 72 when they told Jesus, even the demons submit to us in your name.

What Jesus begun is still happening today. Perhaps the name of Jesus gives you more power than you imagine. We still share His peace and this peace is power.

The 72 became conscious of this power, the power of the peace they shared. They knew that it wasn’t their own power. They knew that its source lay outside them. Its source was Jesus. Its source was the presence in their midst of Jesus.

And He is still present in our midst. He is present in in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, He is present in the Eucharist. This is what we celebrated a few weeks ago at the Feast of Corpus Christi.

As St Thomas Aquinas wrote,

How great a dignity, dear brothers and sisters, divine abundance has given to us! No one has ever been as close to God as we are. For He has left us His Body as food and His Blood as drink under appearances of bread and wine. In the Eucharist God is given to us for our nourishment. At the Last Supper Jesus gave those who sorrowed over His departure a unique solace.

The presence of Jesus in our midst gave the 72 power over darkness as they shared His peace with the world. We have inherited their peace and their power. What happened in the Gospel is still happening at this church today.

And there is something you can do to make sure it keeps on happening. Before our Patronal Festival later this month Michael Smith and the Stewardship Committee will be thanking you for your giving and asking you to continue your generosity to this church and even to increase your giving if you feel you can and join the Stewardship Scheme if you are not yet a member.

The 72 disciples were sent out without money. They were expected to trust God to supply all their needs, and He did. God is still providing for this church. This is another miracle – something that we believe is still happening in this church through your generosity. Thanks be to God. Christ is present in our midst and His peace is our power over darkness. For He has promised: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. My presence will go with you, and I will give you peace.

Amen

The Rev’d Dr James Lawson
St Mary Magdalene Enfield 6/7/25