As Jesus prepared to go on a preaching tour, he sent seventy followers out before him. They were sent in both vulnerability and power, and Jesus explained the risks. He spoke honestly of the lambs going out among the wolves and warned that some people would not accept the message that the seventy were bringing.

But Jesus also gave these believers the ability to heal and bring the kingdom near. The instructions he gave were simple: Carry no bags, accept whatever food is given, offer peace, and move on from those who don’t accept the offer. Perhaps it is in the simplicity of lifestyle that the power of offering peace in God’s name is so apparent.

That contrast between simplicity and power makes this passage a good complement to our Hebrew Bible passage for this week. Where healing is done, it does not need to be flashy or hyped. The power of God is available, and the peace of God can be given as a gift to those who are willing.

This humble way of working may seem foreign to our ideas of ministry or of healing. We tend to build big churches and fill our services with many words and loud music. There is nothing wrong in praising God with everything we have. But sometimes what matters more than anything is the gift of presence, of quiet contemplation, of a hand held, and a burden shared. When we humbly offer ourselves as vessels by which God’s will is done, something powerful and lasting happens. May we know vulnerability and power as we continue walking in Christ’s way.