The call still stands

We read in this Sunday’s Gospel (Lk 10:1–12, 17-20) that Jesus sends out 72 disciples to prepare the way for His coming, telling them, “The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few…” Over 2,000 years later, these words remain startlingly relevant.

Our world today is still in desperate need of hope, truth, and peace—yet those willing to carry that message face growing obstacles.

Jesus sends His disciples out “like lambs among wolves”, a phrase that echoes with urgency today. In an age marked by division, violence, and digital overload, spreading the message of the Gospel is more challenging than ever.

In places like Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan and other parts of Asia, and the Middle East, the Christian population lives in daily fear for their lives. Churches are bombed, pastors are imprisoned, and believers are murdered simply for professing their faith.

But persecution is not the only barrier. In the more secular corners of the world, Christianity often faces a quieter kind of opposition. Faith is increasingly sidelined, labelled irrelevant or intolerant. Many who try to live and speak the Gospel in their workplaces, educational institutions, or online platforms can face ridicule, isolation, or censorship.

Here in T&T that challenge is no exception, based on the questions and comments received at our recent God @ Work Business Conference.

Meanwhile, modern life pulls hearts in countless directions: career ambition, consumerism, mental burnout, and a culture that prizes self over service.

Against this backdrop, the call of Jesus in this Gospel passage is both a comfort and a challenge. It reminds us that mission is not a human initiative—it is God’s.

The disciples are told to take no money, no bag, no sandals. Their success does not depend on material preparation, but on spiritual readiness. They are to be bearers of peace, proclaiming, “The kingdom of God is very near you.”

This message is radically countercultural. In a world that often feels chaotic and violent, Christians are called to speak peace, not anger; to offer healing, not hatred. Yet Jesus does not promise universal acceptance. Some towns rejected His messengers. He tells them to shake the dust from their feet—not in bitterness, but as a sign that their responsibility has been fulfilled.

We are called to be faithful, not necessarily successful.

As we enter the second half of the journey through the Jubilee Year, this Gospel call becomes even more urgent. The Jubilee invites us to return to the essentials of our faith—mercy, reconciliation, mission—and to rediscover the joy of the Gospel. It is a time not only for personal renewal but for evangelisation: to cross thresholds, mend divisions, and walk as messengers of peace in a hurting world.

In the Gospel passage, when the 72 return, they are thrilled by the power they’ve experienced. But Jesus redirects their focus: “…do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you; rejoice rather that your names are written in heaven.”

Our joy as disciples should not be in earthly achievements but in the deep, abiding truth that we are known and loved by God.

In today’s fractured world—where some die for their faith while others struggle to live it without fear of mockery or ‘fatigue’—this Gospel and this Jubilee remind us of what truly matters. Christ still calls, still sends, and still walks with us.

The harvest remains plentiful. The world still hungers for meaning, peace, and healing.

May we, in this Jubilee Year of Hope, find the courage to answer the call—not with fear, but with faith. And may our joy come not from the results we see, but from the unshakable promise that we belong to the One who sends us.